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Junk house ordered to be cleaned up, again

3 years 1 month 1 week ago Wednesday, March 03 2021 Mar 3, 2021 March 03, 2021 7:00 PM March 03, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Filth is piling up around a house in Baton Rouge. The property on Sewanee Drive has had multiple visits from the city over the years but it hasn't been cleaned up. 

Neighbors recently contacted 2 On Your Side with the hopes that it'll finally be taken care of. David Truman and his wife moved in next door in 2016 and were told then that their neighbor would soon be moving out, but it never happened.

"It's a junkyard. She's a hoarder," Truman said. "She collects everything she can collect, no matter what. The place is so full I don't think she lives in it anymore."

Bees buzz around the house and appear to be flying in and out. Rats scurry through the backyard. A car without an engine sits in the driveway.

"There's a rat problem, we have two bait rat traps in our backyard to keep them from getting in and having problems in our yard," Truman said.

The backyard is full of items including large umbrellas, chairs, bicycles, containers, and a kayak. Tall sections of fence lean up against Truman's fence as a form of disguise. Those heavy wooden boards are bending his fence.

"She's let the house deteriorate, the back patio, the roof is caved in. It's terrible!" Truman said.

Two outstanding court decisions for the property resulted in work orders sent to the blight crew in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Additional complaints were received and all referred back to the original decisions. The Public Works Operation Manager went by the house Tuesday to see what is needed to resolve the issue, and the clean-up will be coordinated with BRPD.

About two weeks ago, Truman and his wife reached out to 2 On Your Side looking for help since their multiple calls to the city-parish haven't produced the results they've been looking for. That changed this week.

The city-parish posted a notice to the door Tuesday which says the property has failed to meet the time allowed to remove all violations cited in the court order. The city says the blight team is always working hard by demolishing condemned structures, mowing grass, and cleaning debris. It plans to address this site in the next two weeks to improve the quality of place for the residents there.

The debris will be removed, and the cost will be transferred to the owner of the property.

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