Who runs the Stark County Land Bank
The Stark County Land Bank is the common name of the Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation (SCLRC), a community improvement corporation formed in March 2012. Its FAQ describes its mission as reclaiming and remediating vacant, abandoned and blighted properties across Stark County and returning them to tax-paying use.
Day to day, the SCLRC contracts with the Stark County Regional Planning Commission, which has handled its program administration, planning and daily operations since 2014. You can reach the Land Bank at (330) 451-7389. Tax bills on land it has sold are handled by the County Treasurer, at (330) 451-7814.
A demolition-heavy track record
For most of its history the Stark Land Bank’s main tool was demolition. Its About page says that between 2013 and 2019 it received more than $16 million in demolition funding through two programs, and has demolished 1,228 residential structures beyond repair.
Its Past Programs page breaks that down:
| Program | Funding source | Demolitions | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving Ohio Forward (MOF) | Ohio Attorney General, from settlements with five large mortgage servicers | 431 (494 units) | 19 jurisdictions, mostly Canton |
| Neighborhood Initiative Program (NIP) | Ohio Housing Finance Agency, from U.S. Treasury Hardest Hit Funds | 797 (902 units) | Targeted areas of Canton, Alliance and Massillon |
The Land Bank says it is now developing programs beyond demolition, through partnerships with other county organizations.
The Side Lot program: $100 for the lot next door
The Side Lot Program has run since 2013. It turns tax-delinquent vacant lots into maintained, tax-paying land by offering them to the owners next door, who can use them as yard, garden or other extension of their property.
- Who qualifies: qualified owners of a contiguous property.
- What’s offered: vacant lots only.
- Price: $100, according to the Programs page.
- Timing: the FAQ says to expect at least 60 to 90 days for review, then 6 to 12 months or more for the Land Bank to acquire title and transfer it to you.
The application is downloadable from the Land Bank’s FAQ page.
Other current programs
The SCLRC lists three acquisition programs and two blight programs:
- Vacant Lot Program. For qualified non-contiguous applicants who want a tax-delinquent vacant lot for an approved use. The price is the assessed value plus an administration fee, and only vacant lots are available.
- Targeted Acquisition Assistance Program (TAAP), 2017. For Stark County cities, villages, townships and qualified nonprofits, to acquire blighted, vacant or abandoned property for redevelopment, rehab, demolition or new construction.
- Demolition Assistance Program (DAP). Reimburses up to 50% of hard demolition costs for the county, its political subdivisions, nonprofits and other approved entities. The applicant must own the property or have legal authority to demolish it.
- Brownfield and abandoned gas station cleanup. State grant funding to assess and clean up two abandoned “Starfire” gas stations.
The Land Bank also says it may periodically acquire houses to rehab and sell. In late October 2026 its Properties page said there were no available listings.
How the Land Bank gets property
The FAQ says the SCLRC may receive properties donated by individuals, nonprofits, businesses and governments. Most of its inventory, though, comes through tax foreclosure. When a county Board of Revision finds the taxes on an unoccupied parcel exceed its value, R.C. 323.73(G) lets it order the parcel deeded to the land bank without an auction.
The Stark County Sheriff’s tax sale page points people interested in a specific vacant lot to the Land Bank’s site, and notes there is no public list of parcels delinquent for $5,000 or less. The Land Bank’s own FAQ says it doesn’t keep a list of vacant properties either, and that the parcels it owns can be found through the County Auditor’s records.
Before you apply for a Stark side or vacant lot
A $100 lot is a good deal for many neighbors, but it comes with ongoing costs and some waiting. Things to check first:
- Taxes. Once the lot is yours, you get the tax bill. The Land Bank’s FAQ sends questions about that bill to the County Treasurer at (330) 451-7814.
- Timing. Plan on months, not weeks. The FAQ says title work alone can take 6 to 12 months after approval, because the Land Bank first has to acquire the lot.
- Use. The Vacant Lot program requires an approved use, and the Side Lot program is meant to extend your existing yard.
- Location. The Side Lot program requires the lot to be contiguous to property you own, so check the parcel lines on the Auditor’s map before applying.
Land Bank lots versus the Treasurer’s tax sales
Stark County also sells tax-foreclosed property directly at the Treasurer’s monthly sheriff sales on the first Tuesday of the month. There, the Sheriff’s page says, the minimum bid is the taxes and costs, the buyer pays a 10% deposit on sale day, and the property is sold as is with no inspection. A Land Bank lot, by contrast, comes through an application, program rules and a cleared title.
What it means for Stark County owners
Most Stark homeowners deal with the Land Bank as a neighbor, either reporting a blighted property on its website or buying the lot next door. The other encounter is less welcome: an empty house with unpaid taxes that goes through Board of Revision foreclosure and ends up with the Land Bank, usually without any surplus for the owner.
If you own a vacant Stark County house with back taxes, the Board of Revision tax foreclosure guide covers the deadlines, and the Stark County sheriff sale process covers the Treasurer’s monthly tax sales. Our Stark County page has the wider local picture. If you’d rather sell the house than lose it to taxes, ask us for a written offer.
