The Advertiser recently reported on a local businessman who is now working to rescue the abandoned, crumbling house on Sixth Street from decay.
The house has been a nightmare for residents of Boksburg North since its previous owner, who is said to have relocated to Dubai, left it at the mercy of vandals and squatters years ago.
It has since come to light that apart from this decaying home, there are dozens of other dilapidated buildings which had been left to fall apart across the city.
Other empty properties that have become unsightly for residents include two homes that are siting empty and rotting at 8 Wassenaar Street and 26 van Den Heever Circle in Parkrand.
According to neighbours, the two houses had been standing vacant after they were left to rot by its owners a few years ago.
Residents complained that the tall grass, weeds and the overgrowth of bushes at the neglected properties create eyesores in the neighbourhood and invite criminals who use the buildings as their launching pad for criminal activities, such as the rampant break-ins in the area.
Several homeowners in the area said they are becoming increasingly frustrated, because the state of the unkempt properties is dragging the value of their properties down.
The overgrowth of bushes from the neglected properties are encroaching onto their own, and a host of unwanted guests including rodents and insects such as rats, mosquitoes and flies have descended upon the properties.
Homeowners on Van Den Heever Circle said they got tired of seeing the grass outside the property so high and they decided to cut it off, but they could not cut the overgrowth inside the property because they don’t want to commit trespassing.
Residents said they are also concerned that the empty properties will be invaded by squatters.
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