neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

Hi,
Just wondering what - if anything can be done about a neighbor letting their home run into the ground. My next door neighbors front curb has been falling apart for years with big chunks of it on the street, it looks awful. They have all their windows boarded up with cardboard. The garden bushes and trees are overgrown. They pay someone to cut their grass.
It's a nice neighborhood and money isn't the issue for them. They have kids in their twenties and a couple of teens.
Will the town do anything about the curb?
Thanks

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

All their windows boarded up with cardboard sounds like warning sign to me...and they live in it? Unfortunately there's not much you can do, there is a house in our neighborhood where the guy has 5 unused cars (tires deflated ect) in his driveway and we as a neighborhood have been calling the town to ask to remove them and they can't do anything about it - they guy moved oos. You can notify the town to chk it out. Not to offend you but how do you know what their $ situation is?

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

Message edited 4/17/2011 7:49:41 AM.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

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Message edited 4/17/2011 1:42:49 AM.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

We had something similiar. Growing up the woman next door was very elderly and her backyard was seriously unkept- it honestly looked like a junk yard. My parents always said there was nothing they could do about it. It made our backyard look bad! And we'd always get stray cats running through our backyard because they hid out in her's.

It was like this for a couple of years until the house was sold when she passed away. My parents never did anything about it (I don't think they could).

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

I live in Brookhaven and this happened in our neighborhood. The SCPD called the town for code violations. An inspector came to the neighbor's house and served the homeowners with a summons to get them to clean up their property or the town would clean it up and invoice them for the charges.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

Several blocks from my house there was a similar house. The house was half boarded. A half empy pool in the backyard attracting mosquitoes. Broken pieces of drywall in the front yard with some left over window screens laying on the front yard too. Because of the pool felt so unkept the kids toys were in the front yard too. I felt so bad for their neighbors. I am sure the township got multiple complaints about them. So the yard got a bit "neater" but still a trash house.

Last year the house burned down and was completely boarded and they were not allowed to go back in the house. They were eventually allowed back in to take whatever did not burn down. And put it in the backyard.

Well, the house was levelled down eventually. It's an empty lot now for sale for building.

I am sure the neighbors are not happy they are gone. Took YEARS but finally they don't have to deal with it.

I would call the township and stay on top of it.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

Thank you for the feedback. I didn't want the issue to become - how I know they have money - they do and that's not the point. I wanted to know if anything can be done about it.

I hate the fact that everyone on the street keeps their homes neat and stay on top of the upkeep except these people.
The curb look awful.

Thanks again, I'm going to contact Town of Hempstead this week.

Will give an update.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

i would be curious to see what the town says. i am in the same situation. my next door neighbors have a bunch of trash on their lawn (since they dont put their garbage out in a can, which doesn't help) and it blows onto our property. their side of the house that borders ours is all littered with trash. they NEVER clean up after themselves. lately i have been so frustrated that i've been tossing their garbage into their backyard. it upsets me how some people just have no pride in homeownership.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

The town can ask to see the property including inside if they think it would be a hazard if fire/police/ambulance crew ever needed to enter the property.

I know homeowners associations can be a PITA but when things like these come up I can see how they came to exist.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

I'm not sure about the Town of Hempstead but I think the town might be responsible for maintaining the curb itself.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

What do you mean - the town - rather than the town of Hempstead? I live in Sailsbury Estates in Westbury - who would you say I should contact? I honestly don't have much of a clue, moved to NY only a few years ago.

that is interesting about the town taking a look at the inside - they are horders. The garage is pilled right up to the door with no access, I do worry about a fire. I have also seen stuff that people leave out on the street for garbage or special pick-up end up in their backyard.

I love this neighborhood and the people who live here. It's very frustrating that they are running the home into the ground. They have 3 boys in their early 20's living there and a boy and girl about 18. They never shovel the snow off the sidewalk. All appear to be able-bodied.

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

Re: neighbors unkempt home - any ideas/opinions

thank you