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NAPLES — Collier County residents are preparing their homes for whatever Tropical Storm Fay may bring.

They are putting up shutters and bringing patio furniture inside.

But what do you do when the homeowner is a bank?

Collier County officials said the best thing to do is watch and report.

In Collier County, more than 4,000 homes have been foreclosed on since the beginning of the year. Those homes sit unprotected.

As Collier County officials urge residents to protect their homes and themselves with Tropical Storm Fay heading toward Southwest Florida, they cannot sanction neighbors to go on the property of abandoned homes in their neighborhoods to secure the structures and clean the yards, said Dan Summers, Collier Emergency Management director.

“It’s not within the parameters of local government to enter that private property just because it’s vacant,” he said.

Instead, local officials are urging neighbors to be vigilant about reporting any damage they might see in an abandoned home.

In April, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office announced the formation of Community Safety Teams.

The teams, which are voluntary partnerships of residents, law enforcement officers, code enforcement officers, business owners, homeowner association members and other civic leaders, will identify, clean up and deal with abandoned homes county-wide.

The hope is that the homes will not attract criminals, squatters, homeless people and teenagers looking for a place to party, authorities said.

Collier County Sheriff Office spokeswoman Karie Partington said residents can report damage to homes that have been abandoned to the Sheriff’s Office or to Collier County Code Enforcement.

Collier County Clerk Dwight Brock said neighborhood residents should not expect the previous homeowners to help with their former properties.

“They are usually gone by the time it is in foreclosure,” he said.

Linda Hartman, president of the Golden Gate Estates Homeowners Association, said her organization plans to keep in touch with the county about damaged areas. She urged residents to report damage at abandoned homes to authorities.

“We like to help our neighbors,” she said. “We do keep an eye on things.

“When we have a house that has been foreclosed on and it has an empty pool, we call mosquito control to make sure they spray larvicide at the house.”