DETROIT – About a week ago, Local 4 brought you the story of a man who doesn’t feel safe going out into his own backyard because he doesn’t know what might be living in the overgrown yard next door.
It’s a vacant home, and finding the owner hasn’t been easy.
What’s next to one Detroit seniors’ backyard is enough to frustrate anyone. You would think it’s a jungle, but it’s the backyard of a vacant home.
Kenneth Holloway is still dealing with a significant issue next door.
“It’s sad how they left the property over here next door to us like this,” said Holloway. “You guys seen it with your own eyes how bad it is over here. The weeds and everything. The steps. It’s animals in the back. They left trucks back there.”
Read: Vacant home becomes problem property on Detroit’s east side
Last week Local 4 showed you what Holloway calls an eyesore that’s become unavoidable.
Grass and vegetation are growing so high next door that it’s made their way across Holloway’s fence.
“It’s bringing my property value down,” Holloway said. “If I wanted to sell, people would ride over here, see the house next door and be like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to move here’ because I have done that in areas when I was looking for a home.”
On July 12, the city issued a total of six tickets to the homeowner, but clearly, with the envelopes still on the property, they’re not getting the message.
“People get these houses, and they just let them go any kind of way, and we have to live like this,” Holloway said.
After a record search, Local 4 found the registered owner; but had no luck getting ahold of them.
“I know at my age, if I can get out and take care of my house, cut the grass, keep it up, they shouldn’t have no problem doing that at their young age,” Holloway said.
Officials say the owner will have to pay $925 for those six tickets.
That person is due in court on August 15.
However, Local 4 was told that crews would go out in the morning to help clean up the property.