Local leaders in St. Petersburg, Fla., are hoping to create a foreclosure registry after seeing how many distressed homes end up losing their value due to vandals. Tampa Bay Online writes:

It took city officials four weeks to board up an abandoned home in the Melrose-Mercy neighborhood because, by law, they had to post notices and try to contact the property owner.

During that time, thieves stripped out wiring and aluminum windows from the home.