The mayor and the board of trustees, and the attorney are all aware of this one. What a mess.
There have been prior instances in the village where unfit properties have changed hands, then the new owners are surprised to find their new investment, or home, has been condemned by the village. And, not only is it not worth the money they have invested, but they as the new owner will then have to take responsibility for the needed repairs or tear-downs.
Some, instead, have allowed those properties to fall in to foreclosure, becoming a further problem for the neighbors and village. The banks just want their money, not the properties.
Perhaps the solution is to condemn the buildings and force clean-up before the properties are allowed to change hands. I'm not sure, but there needs to be a better way to protect buyers. I don't know how the loan inspectors could have gotten it so wrong, in some cases.
Anyway, the attorney has been on this one. The legal wrangling takes time, as always.
Pray for a lightning strike, Op--though, that's pretty close to home!!