From the AJC:

Atlanta real estate agents trying to weather the slumping market by selling foreclosures have run into an unexpected problem with a city government tired of neighborhoods overrun with derelict properties.

City code inspectors have begun ticketing some listing agents, holding them liable for code violations on run-down properties they are selling, often for out-of-state institutions.

Several agents with similar properties have been hauled into court over the past few weeks — yet another offshoot of a foreclosure crisis that’s spread across the region but hit certain intown neighborhoods especially hard.

Agents, already under pressure from declining sales, say the city’s unfairly picking on them because they are easy targets. The city, they say, should be applauding their efforts to get foreclosed properties into the hands of new owners who will properly care for them.
City officials say they just want some of the blight cleaned up.

Rick Hale, a Midtown agent who represents lenders with properties in some of Atlanta’s toughest neighborhoods, said he’d never heard of agents being ticketed until he got cited in May.

Hefty fines could scare some agents away from representing run-down housing and drive agents out of the business.

“Realtors are hurting right now,” said Hale. “This is not cool. They think we are just going to get reimbursed. But it doesn’t work that way. They are going to ruin some careers over this.”

Moral of the story: if you’re trying to sell a vacant property, make sure the lawn gets mowed.