We have the misfortune of living with an alley behind our house. Due to the road in front of our house being widened years ago, our only access to our home is through the alley. Unfortunately, most of my neighbors don't have the same problem so they do not care what the alley looks like because they all put up 6 foot privacy fences. Out of sight, out of mind.
We have gotten so many flat tires from trash thrown out with nails etc. that now my DH bought a giant magnet on the end of a pole and walks down the alley to pick up nails and such. Yesterday, we must have missed one because we had to replace another tire.
Last week, one of the many houses on our block that has gone into foreclosure and either is being rented or squaders have taken over was emptied and all of their furniture and trash was thrown in the alley so we can not get out that way. I called code enforcement last week and told them and they said they once they send someone out to look at it, the owner will have 21 days to comply and if they don't comply, they will be given another 21 days. So we can't get out that way until then and code enforcement hasn't come out yet.
I called the police because this alley is supposed to be the same as any road and you can't block a through-way but they only said they would tell code enforcement. I emailed the mayor and his secretary said she will let code enforcement know.
This morning on the other end of the alley, a neighbor has put a large square bath tub in the alley. This is so frustrating. We were hoping to go on a RV trip but can't get out of our driveway and no one will do anything. I called code enforcement this morning and they said they would tell their supervisor but can't promise any results since the offenders have to be given time (21 plus days) to comply.
We even have an attorney office that shares the alley and on the weekends the attorney brings his lawn clippings and tree limbs from his home and dumps them in our alley.
Try talking to the fire department. They may have some issues with the access being blocked, and may be able to issue citations that will get quicker action.
Thanks Dutch, I tried that but because the house is on the corner and has access to the front of the house and side, it is a non-issue as far as they are concerned. As the fire person told me, they aren't going to access any of those homes from the alley.
I am beginning to wonder if we should just throw everything into the street and then someone will do something but knowing how fair works, we would be the ones cited.
Now that is a very frustrating situation. These type of things are made even more frustrating and stressful when they occur at ones home and you have to see it and deal with it everyday.
I wonder about contacting an investigative reporter from one or more of the local news stations to see if they would do a story about this. They may not because it's not high enough drama compared to the other stories they have in their queue. Around here these 'investigative reporters' have taken the place of law enforcement to a certain degree when it comes to investigation and holding people accountable for their actions buy exposing the person(s) via the 6 o'clock nightly news. I have mixed feelings about this trend but that's a subject for another thread.
The news stations love stories that involve safety, fraud, taking advantage of the elderly, harm or potential harm to children, evil big corporations vs the little guy, etc. If you could work one of these angles into your situation they may pick up the story.
For example, maybe children are at risk because they play in the alley and with all the trash it becomes a safety issue. And then come to find out that the evil big-corporation bank owns the foreclosures and due to their neglect the squatters have been allowed to stay. It sure seems like the evil big-corporation bank is culpable here in neglecting their duty as property owners, not to mention their duty as a supposedly responsible business within the community.
Did I mention 'safety', 'children', 'evil big corporation bank'?
Maybe take your car and park it directly behind the branch managers car at the local branch of evil-big-corporation bank for the day and see how he/she likes not being able to get out.
My only advice is to start showing up at city council meetings complete with a slideshow of your photos. Ask to be put on the agenda, if possible. Then do it again and again, until something (hopefully) happens. Good luck and don't give up.
Sad to see such a pigsty in an American neighborhood. I can't believe your town isn't interested in cleaning it up. What do the homes look like from the street? I would be selling. Good luck.
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[quote=Wrace]Now that is a very frustrating situation. These type of things are made even more frustrating and stressful when they occur at ones home and you have to see it and deal with it everyday.
I wonder about contacting an investigative reporter from one or more of the local news stations to see if they would do a story about this. They may not because it's not high enough drama compared to the other stories they have in their queue. Around here these 'investigative reporters' have taken the place of law enforcement to a certain degree when it comes to investigation and holding people accountable for their actions buy exposing the person(s) via the 6 o'clock nightly news. I have mixed feelings about this trend but that's a subject for another thread.
The news stations love stories that involve safety, fraud, taking advantage of the elderly, harm or potential harm to children, evil big corporations vs the little guy, etc. If you could work one of these angles into your situation they may pick up the story.
For example, maybe children are at risk because they play in the alley and with all the trash it becomes a safety issue. And then come to find out that the evil big-corporation bank owns the foreclosures and due to their neglect the squatters have been allowed to stay. It sure seems like the evil big-corporation bank is culpable here in neglecting their duty as property owners, not to mention their duty as a supposedly responsible business within the community.
Did I mention 'safety', 'children', 'evil big corporation bank'?
Quote:
I think this is also what I would try next..calling a local TV station and see if that gets any results..l.Hopefully it will!
It has been my observation that nothing good ever happens in an alley. They are a magnet for crime, not to mention trash and ugly fences. When we were house shopping I vowed to never live on one. It is indeed unfortunate that the street changes locked you in.
Judging from the pics (I didn't look at all of them) I have to say I don't see why you cannot get your RV past the trash. Might have to move some of it up tight to the fence, but that is a fairly wide alley, as allies go. We certainly have narrower ones around our town.
But taking your word for it that you cannot pass the junk. You've attacked the problem from the municipal side. Maybe it is time to call a neighbors meeting and see what can be done with cooperation. Maybe if you can get enough interest up, the group can schedule a "clean up the alley" weekend. Get all the families to lend a hand and drive the pickups to haul the stuff to the dump. If you get it cleaned up once, and have the cooperation of the group to keep it that way, maybe there will be a greater sense of pride in your shared alley. Worth a try I think. You won't get 100% cooperation, but don't let that discourage you. There must be other neighbors that share your disgust with the situation.
I also don't understand how only your house was locked out from the front entrance. Street widening is usually a block at a time. Is there any way to put a gate in a front facing fence so you can get in/out? Even if it means using temporary curb jumping ramps?
coolbreeze01 wrote: Sad to see such a pigsty in an American neighborhood. I can't believe your town isn't interested in cleaning it up. What do the homes look like from the street? I would be selling. Good luck.
Most towns are barely making payroll on the police department and have laid off half of their workforce. Unblocking an alley probably isn't going to be a high priority. If it were me, I'd be going out in the alley and throwing stuff back over the fence into the yards that they came from. As for the attorney and his yard clippings, he would find those all piled up blocking the door to office on Monday morning.
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