Ontario woman says neighbours' abandoned house infested with bugs, overgrown weeds
An Ontario woman says her neighbours' house that has been vacant for three years is now overgrown with weeds, has a racoon problem and is infested with insects.
"The last time I saw my neighbour was October 2018 so this house has been abandoned since then," Brampton woman Christine Reece told CTV News Toronto. “We don't know if this (home) is a fire hazard or if there are water leaks … we just don't know what is happening."
Reece said she noticed the townhouse beside her started have issues about five years ago, but she says three years ago the owner moved out and never came back.
The home is overgrown with weeds and bushes. Insects, including an infestation of earwigs, are now affecting her property and raccoons have moved in next door.
According to Reece, there are several holes in the soffit of her neighbour’s house where raccoons climb in and out of each day.
"I used to have raccoons in my roof, but now they have moved into the (vacant) home and left my roof and my attic, because now they know they have an empty home all to themselves," she said.
Along with weeds, there is also garbage and junk that she says she has to look at each day beside her neighbour's townhouse unit.
There are insects on the interior windows of the home and Reece said no one knows for sure what's happening inside.
Reece said her family of five is no longer able to enjoy their backyard.
"There are rats, mice, raccoons, there is everything going on over there and it's a health hazard," Reece said.
There are failure to comply notices on the door for by-law infractions, and Reece has called the City of Brampton to complain, but she's been told the homeowner continues to pay his taxes on the property.
Reece said she just wants the mess cleaned up.
"I want the city to maintain it, because I’m tired of living with raccoons. I’m tired of not being able to enjoy my summer in my backyard, because at a certain time everyone has to run inside because the raccoons are coming," Reece said.
CTV News Toronto contacted city officials in Brampton who said they are "aware of property standards issues at (the property) and has laid multiple charges resulting in convictions against the property owner."
"The city continues to actively seek compliance with the property standards by-law and is currently reviewing next steps to address the matter," the city said in a statement. "By-laws are essential to maintaining a healthy and clean city, and every resident has a role to play in upholding these standards. The City of Brampton’s By-law Enforcement team is committed to keeping the city clean, safe and enjoyable for all, and takes all complaints about properties in the community seriously."
Reece said after CTV News Toronto visited her home, the city agreed to come and remove the overgrown weeds and bushes. A wildlife control company also visited the property but has so far not blocked the raccoons from getting inside.
Reece wants the city to deal with issues with the vacant home problem before animals start getting into and damaging her home.
Neighbours are also concerned that the vacant house could affect property values on their street.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
What Michael Cohen said on the stand in Trump hush money case
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
A child killer legally changed his name in B.C. The province is trying to stop that from happening again
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Behind the barricades: How protesters spend their first days in a new encampment
Students in Montreal describe life in a newly erected encampment in Montreal as a whirlwind of preparations, from facing rain and a potential police crackdown to setting up a space for the exchange of ideas.
Next 48 hours will be 'extremely challenging' for B.C. wildfire crews near Fort Nelson: officials
A wildfire burning dangerously close to Fort Nelson, B.C., has grown to more than 50 square kilometres, and officials are warning that the blaze's behaviour is expected to become more volatile over the next 48 hours.