I know this is the millionth thread on this topic, but I am at the end of my rope and I need advice on what to do. I live in a very nice neighborhood in which everyone keeps their yards manicured, etc. but I am unfortunate enough to live next door to the one eyesore that everyone in the neighborhood is up in arms about.
First, let me start off discussing the junk. I am not sure if this a hoarding situation or not, but it certainly looks like one. There are multiple bikes, children's toys, and miscellaneous junk scattered about the property around all sides of the home. There are even pieces of furniture sitting in the driveway, along with a non-functioning, very old RV. Prior to that, a boat was stored in the driveway, which was filled with junk. In the fall of 2013, the boat and the junk inside it vanished, and was replaced with the RV which appeared in February 2014 and has not moved since. The furniture, which has been sitting outside for several months, is beginning to mold, and is producing an obvious very strong musty odor every time the wind blows from that direction. I am not entirely sure that the furniture itself is the sole source of the odor, but the house in general may have a smell. There is so much junk packed into the attached garage that the door remains open all the time and it is stacked so high, junk is visible from the windows on the side of the garage. The remainder of the junk is covered in unsightly plastic on the front lawn.
Next, the animals. The city has an ordinance that states there are to be no more than four adult animals on the premises unless you are a licensed breeder. These people are not breeding animals, but I have at one point counted nine dogs on the property. Additionally, there is a small, maybe 6 ft. X 6 ft. cage made of chain-link fencing on the side of the attached garage that is partially covered in plastic tarps. Not only are they inside the cage 24/7, but they are also chained inside as well, which I really don't understand why you would chain and cage the dog. Occasionally, they get out and will run barking at things until their chain runs out and snaps them back. One appears to be a wire-haired dog of some sort and the other one is maybe a miniature pinscher. The floor of this enclosed area is entirely mud and dirt. There are dirty food bowls and water dishes along with a decent amount of feces. The wire-haired dog appears to be especially filthy and matted. Occasionally, there are chihuahuas that are chained to swing sets in the backyard. Today, there was a heavy downpour and the gutter filled the cage with water and the small pinscher somehow managed to climb on top of a telephone junction box on the wall and remained standing there, howling. The dogs that are kept inside the house deficate on my lawn when they are allowed outside. The dogs bark almost constantly.
Finally, there appears to be an excessive number of people living in the house. There are at least four to five junky looking vehicles parked in the driveway at all times (no evidence that these people are working) and a steady stream of cars coming and going from this house all day (drugs?). At one point last winter when the ground was soft from heavy snow, there were vehicles from that house that apparently had parked in my lawn and left tire marks and a muddy spot.
I have contacted city codes enforcement and explained the junk and I have contacted animal control and both agencies have been totally useless and have essentially done nothing. I am planning on putting up a large fence between my property and theirs, but my question is, what to do about the fact that their home is an eyesore and the city agencies won't do anything about it? Should I try contacting the health department over the dog feces?
lucillle
dedtired
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