Neighbors fed up with 10 ft trash pile-up in neighbors yard

NOW: Neighbors fed up with 10 ft trash pile-up in neighbors yard

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- One mans trash is another neighbors headache.

A South Bend woman says neighbors trash keeps piling up day by day and nothing is being done about it.

"It’s a mess," said Esmeralda Torres. 

She's referring to a pile at least 10 feet tall made up of wood, trash and other miscellaneous garbage right in her neighbors backyard.

“I want code enforcement to tell them to pick up that trash, clean up that house," said Torres.

South Bend Code Enforcement confirms that they’ve received complaints about the waste.

Not just from Torres but a few other neighbors three times in the last week.

Torres tells me she and other neighbors have asked the homeowners to get rid of the trash multiple times for their health, comfort, safety.

“Oh my God we’re going to have raccoons, mice, rats, whatever," said Torres.

According to South Bend Code of Ordinances section 16-53, these conditions can be considered to constitute public nuisances.

Neighbor Sylvia Guevara tells me she doesn’t have a problem with the buildup.

“From what I see, the husband is always working. He comes home after work, so does the wife. As long as the don’t bother us, and they’re respectful to us we’ll show the same treatment," said Guevara.

Right now, South Bend Code Enforcement tells ABC 57, each time they received a complaint about the property an agent came to check out the possible violation.

The department says, they couldn’t see from the street and without a clear path, they cant take pictures to continue an official report.

Its when ABC 57 questioned code enforcement about the obvious visibility of the trash that they sent another code enforcement agent again.

The homeowner, feeling the pressure, then began to haul the mess away

“Clean up your trash, fix your house, make it look good for your kids and yourselves," said Torres.

You can find the South Bend Code of Ordinances here.


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