NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla — A North Fort Myers neighbor said he’s fed up living next to a nightmare. It's a home in Suncoast Estates with a yard full of trash and debris.
Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, works in the area every day. That’s why the neighbor called him, saying he’s concerned about the health and safety hazards and feels like no one is listening.
Watch to hear what the neighbor told Austin about the nightmare next door:
Tim Price said he’s been dealing with this for almost four years. He said the trash is attracting rodents, and an uprooted septic tank is causing sewage issues.
“It’s a health hazard. All their waste is - it’s an open septic tank now, they dug it up - and all the waste is coming on my property,” said Price.
Price sent surveillance video to Fox 4. In one of them, he said people were burning trash in the dug-up septic pit.
“They were burning pepper trees. Which if you burn that, it’s toxic,” he said.
Price says the fumes sent his wife to the hospital with low oxygen levels, and doctors confirmed it was from inhaling the smoke. He also said he’s concerned about another video showing a man walking around the yard with what looks like a handgun.
Price said the home was damaged during Hurricane Ian, and when the owner passed away, no one took over. Since then, he said groups of people have lived in the home with no one maintaining it.
“Just people in and out of the place. Coming and going day and night,” said Price.
So, Price said he started reaching out to government agencies for help.
“I’ve put in complaints with the Health Department,” said Price. “I put in complaints with the DOT for all the trash and the drainage field. And I’ve put in a complaint with Code Enforcement.”
But with both the owner and next of kin dead, Price says no one’s being held accountable. So, Schargorodski asked Code Enforcement what happens next.
Two weeks ago, they said they gave the occupants 15 days to clean up. But now, Price said not much has changed.
“They’re actually bringing more, more trash in,” Price said.
Schargorodski followed up with Code Enforcement again. They said if it’s still a mess by the hearing date, they can place a lien and start issuing fines. But they couldn’t say who would be fined because the property has no legal owner they can hold responsible.
So for now, the property remains in limbo, and Price says he’s tired of waiting.
“I’m just hoping for the county to resolve this issue,” he said.
