JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Westside couple says the vacant house next door has turned into a serious hazard — from break-ins to rats to growing fears that squatters could move in and start fires as the weather gets colder.
Karen Pickworth and her husband have lived on West Frye Avenue for 40 years. She says the home next to hers has been empty for nearly a decade, and in that time, it has steadily fallen apart. Ferns cover the roof, the back door has been left wide open, and she says rats have taken over the property.
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Pickworth says the deteriorating conditions have also invited crime. She believes people have been breaking in, and her mail carrier has told her he has seen homeless individuals coming out of the yard.
She describes the property as an eyesore in an otherwise well-kept neighborhood. For about 5 years, she and her husband have been mowing the lawn at the vacant home. They started helping out here and there when the family moved out 9 years ago.
“We were just trying to be good neighbors,” she said. “The mother was sick. The dad was dying. We helped them out. But then it became our job.”
Her biggest fear now is fire. She worries that if squatters shelter inside during winter, they could accidentally start a blaze that spreads to her home.
Pickworth says the stress has become too much, especially after having heart surgery this summer.
The City of Jacksonville says it has received one complaint about the property in the last 12 months and initiated enforcement three times — for overgrowth, unsecured access, and an unmaintained fence. Before the fence was secured, Pickworth says she used a metal pole to keep it from falling onto her house.
City officials say the property was inspected again this week, and a $130 citation was issued. They say they have reached out to the homeowner to ask why maintenance hasn’t been done. Action News Jax reached out to the family, and we have not heard back either.
City of Jacksonville full statement:
We received one complaint in the last 12 months and initiated enforcement on three cases: for overgrowth, an unsecured property, and an unmaintained fence.
The property was due for an inspection. We inspected it today, issued a $130 citation, and are moving the cases forward to have a city contractor abate the nuisance overgrowth and secure the structure. We reached out to the owner and are hoping for a response on why they chose not to make the corrections, and also urged them to step in immediately to resolve it before our contractors do.
If the property is still noncompliant, the nuisance overgrowth will be sent to Mowing and Landscaping for mowing, the board-up case will be sent to the contractor who secures properties, and the lack of fence maintenance will result in a fine.
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