CLEVELAND — Homeowners living on Cleveland's west side report they've been dealing with ongoing health and safety concerns because of a backyard junk pile that's been growing in their neighborhood since 2019.
Residents who didn't want to be identified contacted News 5 about the expanding hoarding case in their neighbor's yard, a problem they said has had police responding to the scene more than a dozen times in the past three years, but with no results.
“We keep the kids on a very short leash just because we don’t know what’s going on over there on a daily basis," one neighbor said. "It just keeps accumulating; it’s an eyesore for all of the neighbors."
Homeowners told News 5 they've contacted Cleveland's health and building departments, but they have still not been able to make the resident responsible for the mess start a clean-up.
"We’re pretty much afraid there’s going to be rats at some point if not other things. I know there’s possums, there’s skunks," one homeowner said. "In the summertime, when it gets hot, there’s a foul odor that comes out because of all of the clothing that sits out in the rain. It’s very frustrating because it seems everyone’s hands are tied as to what they can do.”
Cleveland Ward 16 councilman Brian Kazy told News 5 he's been working with Cleveland Housing Court to persuade the resident involved in the hoarding case to finally take action.
“He's been cited by the health department, cited by building and housing; the guy has 14 open cases in housing court," Kazy said. "But it’s just a matter of getting him into the court so that we can get him the help that he needs.”
News 5 will not name the hoarding violator in this case as city leaders try to officiate a solution.
Cleveland Housing Court Judge W. Mona' Scott told News 5 she often suspends jail time and fines for hoarding violators who have been hit with health and housing violations. Judge Scott said she carefully works with violators, hoping to get them to volunteer a clean-up at their homes and get the mental health counseling they need.
“A person diagnosed with hoarding takes it very personally; they feel really embarrassed, they don’t really see anything wrong with the condition of their house," Scott said. “But then they’ll be manic depressive, they’ll be schizophrenic, they will have defiant disorder, OCD, ADHD.”
Judge Scott is urging homeowners not to directly confront violators in their neighborhoods but rather report cases of suspected hoarding by dialing up Cleveland's 3-1-1 system, the Cleveland Health Department, their council member or Cleveland's Department of Building and Housing.
"The Department of Public Health, they have inspectors; see if you can get someone out there," Scott said. "If it’s exterior, you can get someone from the Department of Building and Housing.
“I wish the city had better reporting on this, like even allowing the fire department, the police officers and the EMS that have to go inside some of these houses, allow them to report when they see hoarding conditions.”
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