Neigbours fed up with derelict houses
Abandoned houses a headache for surrounding property owners.
RESIDENTS of Bauhinia Bend in Arboretum are annoyed about a derelict government house in the street, which they say has become the ideal hideout for criminals right on their doorstep.
They have now resorted to drafting a petition signed by eleven of them, stating that the property has been vandalised to the extent of becoming a threat to the entire street’s safety and security, and they are demanding immediate action from the owner.
The property is marred by broken windows with glass shards scattered everywhere and the garden looks like a jungle, while the rest of the street is well-kept and orderly.
‘The house is a haven for criminals and they use it as sleeping quarters and a hideout,’ states the petition.
‘The burglary of houses in the street has escalated and in the month of January, three houses were broken into.
‘No residence in the street is safe anymore and the residents are living in fear.’
The house is a eyesore and it feels as if they are being watched all the time says a neighbour, whose house looks out on the property in the cul-de-sac.
Another resident who knows the history of the house, says the last occupant, an employee of the South African Revenue Services, left three years ago and the house has been left empty ever since.
Meanwhile, an incomplete mansion in Krewelkring, Meerensee, is also causing its neighbouring property owners grey hair, especially because the owner is aware of homeless people living in his house and they do so with his permission.
Residents say the five or so occupants have since multiplied into a ‘small colony’.
In Buffalo Bend, Wildenweide, a double story was sold on auction, but has since been plundered of pipes, doors and windows.
A Wildenweide property owner says they are faced with similar problems, including regular burglaries and petty crimes with suspicious loiterers around the property.
The municipality has said their hands are tied regarding the Meerensee house, since the rates and taxes are paid and the property has running water and a flush toilet.
