Residents in one Los Angeles neighborhood know it as the 'trash house,' and they are calling on city officials to take action regarding the garbage piled high in its front yard.
KNX News' Emily Valdez reported Tuesday that there was no path to the front door in North Martel Avenue; just mountains of trash outside the home reportedly owned by a 70-year-old man.
Valdez spoke with one woman who lives nearby.
"He takes his cart around the neighborhood, and he picks up recyclables - mostly bottles and things," said the neighbor... "And I don't know exactly if he's getting out of people's bins or if he's picking them up off the street, but then he brings them back here."
According to public records, in 2014, the City of L.A. ordered the man to clean up the yard, and while images from Google Earth show the front yard was clean in recent years, the backyard was filled with garbage - and then, everywhere again.
Neighbors say they want the garbage cleaned up, and many hope the city can get the man some help.
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KNX News first reported about the issue Tuesday, and by Wednesday Mayor Karen Bass was at the house along with other county officials to see it for themselves.
The mayor said, "My first impression? I was just outraged and sad because this is reflective of a much deeper issue. This is not just somebody who is irresponsible."
Bass said things are getting cleaned up so quickly because L.A. County Public Health deemed the clutter a fire hazard.
There are also reports of rats and rodents living under the piles, which could pose a potential health hazard.
Meanwhile, KNX News' Craig Figner spoke with Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky who represents the Fairfax District where this property is located.
Though this is an old issue, spanning a decade, she said her office just found out about the situation on Sunday.
"We're on it, and the abatement is going to start as quickly as we can get crews out there and get clearance to say that it's legal to start abating it," Yaroslavsky said.
The County Public Health Department was at the house Tuesday to issue the man a citation, and local attorney Nimo Rahmani told KNX News that the city has the right to force the homeowner to clean up the trash.
"If the home is declared a hazard, if there is that lawful order in place, and if it's violated, the city can do two things," said Romani.. "The homeowner can actually be charged and prosecuted - it's a misdemeanor - or the city can actually go in, do the clean up themselves and bill a homeowner."
Romani says the homeowner can try to fight the city in court but probably won't win. He says if the homeowner goes that route, it will likely take months before any cleanup begins.
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