The Enforcer

After last night's little escapades, I called Code Enforcement today and pitched a bitch about the abandoned property next door. Surprise: within 1/2 hour, two men were going through the property and spent another 15 minutes talking to me about what they are going to do, when they are going to do it, and what action(s) I can take if/when there are any further incidents regarding the property.

It's been abandoned for 3 years, but stayed pretty much okay until the past year, when people began having what I deem "gang" meetings in the abandoned garage: bangers and booze is not a good combination. Then, I began noticing lights on, windows open, foot traffic that seemed to be coming through the fence from the property on the other side wherein there are always 6-8 cars parked and at least a dozen people living in the house. I think they broke through the fence and began using the upstairs apartment as an adjunct living quarters. Then there was the day that the guy removed the screen door off the back apartment, the day I stayed on with police dispatch hoping to have the theft stopped and the thief apprehended. No such luck: he was stopped down the road and directed to return the stolen property to the place from which he had taken it. No harm; no foul. When I told the code enforcement officer about that incident, perhaps 3-4 weeks ago, he was pissed that it had not been reported to his office by the polic department.

I know a young woman was being held on the property, either a "crack whore" or a victim of an abuser, because I saw him leading her off the property a couple of times, holding tightly to her arm. She was dressed in pajamas each time I saw them, but I haven't seen them around for a couple of weeks. Last time I saw them, she looked at me with that thousand-yard stare that sent chills up my back.

Last night, it was two men dressed in black on the property. The dogs were going nuts, but without lights on the abandoned property, it was challenging for me to see what was going on. I do know that the copper pipes from the top apartment to the faucet at ground level were pulled off and taken. The front screen was pried open and the front door left open. I heard glass breaking last night, but the code enforcement employees did not see any evidence of a broken window.

The plan is to board the place up, including the double garage, remove all the meters, notify the bank of non-compliance, then start adding up the fines. It worked for the abandoned home across the street because the bank hired renovators to come in and rehab that property for (hopefully) sale. I told the code enforcement officer that I'd love to see that happen to the place next door because not only do I not have a snowball's chance in hell of selling my home, but neither will the bank be able to sell the newly-rehabbed place across the street from it!!

Today is Day One of let's see what happens/when. I was promised that the place will be boarded up by the end of the workday tomorrow, so I'll keep track of progress. Meanwhile, B is going to install yet another outside light on that side of my property, at the front of the garage. It won't prevent anything from happening, but it'll make me feel better knowing that there is light beyond my front door.