Outraged residents in a California neighborhood are pleading for assistance as a nearby home becomes overrun with trash in its front yard. The usually quiet Indiana Street in Vallejo features homes valued at over half a million dollars, with many longtime residents who have lived there for decades.
A Longtime Resident's Frustration
Lillie Hurd, 91, a Vallejo resident and landlord, purchased her home in 1954 at age 18 and has never left. Taking pride in her neighborhood, Hurd now faces an off-putting problem just steps from her home: a nearby property with junk overflowing outside. However, the vile sight is only half the problem, Hurd told CBS News Bay Area. The 91-year-old showed the back of her property, which she now leases, and pointed to an area she says strangers have used as a cut-through. Hurd's tenant is terrified of stragglers passing by, and Hurd even built two fences to try to keep them out.
But the landlord said the fence and repeated reports to the city have not led to any resolution. 'We need somebody to do something. Police department. Code enforcement. We need help,' Hurd told the outlet.
City Response and Legal Hurdles
Vallejo city officials confirmed to CBS that there is an active code enforcement case against the property and are currently investigating the conditions. They added that the property recently received a third citation. While it is unknown if anyone lives there, city officials said the home is registered in their vacant property program. The case has gone unresolved despite a slew of citations.
'Since the ultimate goal is compliance and not just collecting money, they are willing to wait it out and take care of it,' San Jose State Professor Jeffery Hare told the outlet. 'But if there is illegal activity, then it becomes a police matter,' he added.
Hurd said she understands the city has limited solutions but refused to stay silent about the mess. 'My poor tenants are devastated; there is nothing they can do,' she told the outlet, adding that she will continue pushing for change for her tenants and the neighborhood.
Wider Issue in California
Hurd's neighborhood dilemma is just the latest instance where California communities have been affected by large junk piles. A trash fire broke out Friday near a home in Sun Valley, dubbed the 'hoarder house,' which has received numerous complaints due to the heavy accumulation of garbage on the property. Los Angeles firefighters responded just after 11 a.m. to a home on West La Tuna Canyon Road, where they found a large trash pile and an RV on fire. Crews were able to put out the flames, and no injuries were reported. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the cause of the fire is unknown.
Community members and residents have been frustrated with the property, with councilmember Monica Rodriguez saying the city has been aware of issues with the hoarder house since 2019. On Saturday, Rodriguez issued a statement about her frustration with the 'legal obstacles' the city has faced for cleanup of the site. 'Like residents, I’m equally frustrated by the legal obstacles that have slowed the cleanup of this site. It’s why I introduced an ordinance amendment to aid the City’s ability to address these nuisance properties. I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s jury trial, which will hopefully hold the property owner accountable once and for all,' she added.
