Residents fed up with Ellis Park’s derelict property
Residents have slowly grown tired of the derelict property that has been attracting vagrants and criminal elements. The final straw for the surrounding community involved dozens of refuse bags that had been dumped and left on the property's verge for approximately two weeks
PARK Hill residents are at their wits’ end with regards to a derelict property on Ellis Park Drive. Not only has the property become an eyesore, but it has also attracted vagrants and criminal elements to the area. Tension mounted last week after neighbours grew tired of more than a dozen bags of refuse that had been dumped and left on the property’s verge for approximately two weeks.
When the Northglen News visited the scene on Tuesday last week, vagrants had torn up the bags, exposing the waste and its potent smells. However, cleaners from a private company had also arrived on the day to clear the mess. The dumped refuse was reported to Durban Solid Waste on Thursday, 22 October.
Sharon Bax, one of the Ellis Park home owners, said she was fed up with the endless hassles the house has caused the community.
“Everyone is complaining. We simply cannot live like this any more. My family and I have experienced sleepless nights and anxiety. Vagrants are constantly moving in and out of the property and every house in the area has been robbed since the house was neglected in 2012,” she said.
According to Bax, vandals have completely stripped the property of the copper piping. Damage has also been done to the front gate as well as several windows. What’s more, alien invasive vegetation has also overrun the property, she added.
Ward councillor, Shaun Ryley, said the building falls under the ambit of the problem building by-laws, which should come into effect by the end of the year. “In the past I have asked the health department to investigate and alleviate the situation, but the new by-laws will provide the city with the proper authority to address the situation,” he said.
Daryl Francois, the attorney representing the property owner, Peter Duffy, said his client had suffered short and long-term memory loss during an accident a few months ago, and had only recently become aware of the state of the house.
“I am sympathetic to the residents’ situation. However, Duffy is in the process of repairing the property. I can confirm that he has hired an architect to assess schedules for the cost of the repairs,” he said.
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