A home in the Fairfax District that was cleaned up by Los Angeles officials months ago was once again filled with trash and debris.
KNX News’ Jon Baird reported that there’s trash and trash bags strewn all over the front yard and tall weeds growing near the street.
Baird spoke with neighbors who expressed their disgust with the home’s conditions.
“I think it's disgusting,” one woman said. “I think it's gross and…this is a private home. [It] cannot be like that.”
“The smell, the rats, all the feces [are] really disturbing to see,” a man said.
He added that he hopes the city does something about the homeowner.
“Sues them, or takes the house away from him, because he doesn't deserve to live in a house like this if he just keeps dirty,” he continued.
Carlos, who lives in the area, told Baird that while he’s disgusted with the house, he feels bad because he doesn’t know the mental state of the homeowner. He also said he’s seen the homeowner collect trash from other places and put it on his property.
“It's getting back to exactly what it was before,” he said. “So, yeah, I'm not sure the answer, but something needs to be done because it can't continue in the city. Taxpayers can't continue to pay for this.”
Baird reported that there was a man sitting amid all the trash in the front yard of the home, but he refused to talk about the situation.
In April, crews cleared trash from the yard. At the time, Mayor Karen Bass said the home was getting cleaned up so quickly because officials with the L.A. County Public Health Department said the clutter was a fire hazard.
Bass also said she would talk with county officials about how to get care for the homeowner.
The homeowner’s sister told KNX News’ Margaret Carrero at the time that she had given him the home years ago. She also said he’s autistic and refused to clean up despite her pleas.
“My brother won't allow me to do anything for him,” she said. “He hates me.”
The issue with the home, however, stems back to 2014 when officials issued a citation to the man to clean the yard.
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KNX News 97. FM reached out to Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the district where the home is located. In a statement, she said she was “outraged” by the home’s conditions.
“Our office has pushed LADBS, the City Attorney, and the County for more than a year, flagged every complaint from neighbors, and demanded updates on every court hearing,” the statement continued. “This case shows how slow and fragmented the system is. It is designed to request compliance, not demand accountability.”
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