A quiet neighborhood was plagued by a property owner who was operating an illegal junkyard across 12 residential lots. Shipping containers and other debris were used to fence around some of the properties, partially concealing numerous items including inoperable vehicles, shopping carts, tires, old appliances, and scrap metal. The majority of lots were vacant, but one lot had a single-family home in poor condition on it where debris was stacked up against it and junk strewn throughout the exterior. Another lot contained a burned-out structure that was not fit for human habitation, but which was occupied in some capacity. In addition to these hazardous conditions, occupants had trailed extension cords through windows to get electricity from one area of the property to another.

CRG Works to Balance the Owners' Needs with the Health and Safety of the Surrounding Community

Our abatement work in this case included clearing the junk and debris from the properties and demolishing the burned-out structure after we found that it was not viable to rebuild it. Once the abatement work was complete we worked with the owner to try to find a solution that would allow them to continue to live in the home on the property without the conditions that caused the nuisance. We were able to convince the lender to halt a foreclosure sale for months while we tried to reach a deal with the owner. Our efforts resulted in a compromise that would have put everyone except the owner at a disadvantage in an effort to have them retain ownership. Unfortunately, the owner was unwilling and unable to come to an agreement, and after months of further efforts to settle this matter, the lender foreclosed.

Where possible CRG prioritizes ownership retention and works with occupants to find safe, alternative housing.

Many of the lots now have new owners and the vacant lots have new homes on them, but crucially the neighborhood is no longer plagued by the dangerous junkyard conditions.