The uncertainty brought about by the tax dispute over the future of the historic Freeman houses that have become REO property has made Mary Witkowski, head of the Bridgeport Public Library's historical collection, to wonder if the structures can outlast the legal wrangle which has been going on for over two years now.

The Freeman houses are considered Connecticut's oldest remaining homes built by runaway slaves and free blacks before the country's Civil War. The boarded-up houses were foreclosed by the city in May 2007 due to unpaid property taxes.

The Freeman houses are owned by Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD) Inc., a social service organization for the poor. The organization does not have the money to pay the city the total amount it owed for property taxes. However, ABCD continues to fight the city from gaining ownership of the Freeman houses.

Because the ABCD does not have the means to maintain the Freeman houses, the properties are now in a state of deterioration. However, the organization contends that the historic properties will meet an even worse fate if the city of Bridgeport would take ownership and control of them.

ABCD executive director Charles Tisdale said that the organization is concerned that once the city takes control of the Freeman houses, it is going to demolish them. The ABCD gave $10,000 to the city as partial payment for its total property tax debt of about $100,000 which dates back to 1990.

A judge in the Superior Court gave ABCD another 6 months to work with the city to resolve the tax dispute issue to save the historic foreclosed properties. ABCD volunteer Maisa Tisdale said that resolving the tax dispute is important in preserving the historic Freeman properties. She pointed out that potential donors are hesitant to give funds or grants when the property's title is in question.

She added that the tax foreclosure issue has hindered the organization's fund raising effort for the properties.

Meanwhile Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said that he is willing to find a way to resolve the issue and preserve the Freeman properties. He added that he is also willing to incorporate the foreclosed properties into the city's expanded redevelopment plan.

ABCD officials explained that when the organization inherited the REO property in 1992, it never paid any property tax believing that it was exempted.