A Comparative Study of Vacant Property Receivership of Japan and USA

Abstract

Recently, administration of absentee and inherited properties is applied to cope with problematic vacant properties in Japan. However, with comparison of vacant property receivership in USA, Japanese administration system has several shortcomings: 1) coverage of administration of vacant properties is limited, 2) petition requires tedious works to show renunciation of inheritance, 3) a petitioner has to pay deposit which may not be paid back, 4) a receiver has to administrate properties beside a vacant house, 5) receiver candidates are limited to legal experts who are not familiar to city planning, 6) finance of repair and/or demolition is difficult; and 7) distribution priority of sales proceed of vacant property is not legally determined.