HANNIBAL, MO. -- Hannibal's Building Commission has proposed a new policy that could alleviate that problem.

Many times when a structure is condemned, the city ends up having to tear it down, at a tab of anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000.

But this new proposal could help the city avoid having to tear down condemned structures and at the same time remove the eyesore.

KHQA's Jarod Wells shows you how.

Hannibal City Manager Jeff LaGarce said, "You need to know that after a structure comes down we don't own the underlying ground, the property owner still owns it."

Leaving gaps of unkept property all over town.

LaGarce said, "While we get rid of the structural danger and the structural blight, now we have vacancy blight.

This new proposal will allow owners of condemned buildings to peacefully turn them over to the city at no cost. The city will then quickly look at several options. The first would be to sell it to a rehabber to avoid demolition for a cost less than $100. If that wasn't possible the city would tear down the structure and either sell it to a home builder, Building and Trades school courses or Habitat For Humanity for that same cost of less than $100.

Mark Twain Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator Wayne Harbourn said, "What will happen is we'll put a new house in the area, the city gets rid of a lot, habitat uses a lot and it cleans up a blighted area for the community."

LaGarce said, "If that weren't an option we have a public amenity option, for pocket parks, maybe storm water retention, maybe off street parking."

Hannibal City Manager Jeff LaGarce said if nothing else the city could even look at splitting the land up and deeding it to adjacent property owners for a small fee. Best of all for the city, it has the right to refuse to take any property.

LaGarce said, "We don't want this to be an opportunity for people to allow their properties to run down so they can simply dump them on the city."

LaGarce says over time this proposal will reduce demolitions and expenses.

This proposal will get its first reading in front of the Hannibal City Council on September 21st.