Members of the Fayetteville City Council at Friday’s retreat got a look at city foreclosure totals for 2009. Foreclosures totaled 1.2 percent of city housing units based on the number of actions filed.

Building Department representative Tony Haponski told the council that last year a total of 269 properties were listed for foreclosure though only 73 of those properties were actually listed in the county’s public notice listing system, adding that the number of foreclosures is approximately the same as from the previous year.

Fayetteville has an estimated 6,271 housing units, according to a 2007 study performed by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Foreclosures represent 1.2 percent of that total based on the 73 foreclosures actually filed. The 73 foreclosures in 2009 compares to the 77 actually filed in 2008.

Subdivisions with the highest number of actual foreclosures in 2009 included the Villages at Lafayette with 6, Brentwood with 5, Lamemont with 5, Sheffield Estates with 5, Bellemeade with 4 and Legends of Redwine with 4.

Haponski said city staff in 2009 made improvements to the city’s foreclosure tracking system. Though previously relying on the county’s public notice system, staff is now using records from the county clerk to obtain a more accurate count of the number of foreclosures filed each month.

Various violations that often accompany foreclosures include high grass, abandoned vehicles, debris and trash accumulation, preventative maintenance issues, broken windows and open doors, Haponski said.