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2 On Your Side with Brittany Weiss

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Brittany Weiss

2 On Your Side Anchor & Reporter

Neighborhood frustration grows over trash-filled yard in Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - Old furniture, tires, and trash litter a front yard along Ponderosa Drive in Baton Rouge. A resident reached out to 2 On Your Side, concerned about how long it's been sitting there and what it might mean for the neighborhood.

John Kovalcik first noticed it on July 22 while taking his morning walk. Kovalcik waited a couple of weeks before he reported it to the city to see if the property owner would clean it up first. When nothing happened to the trash, he reached out to his councilman and the mayor's office.

"I'm thinking we need some sort of short-term solution for these kind of gross examples of issue," he said.

He thought something was happening when a dumpster arrived in the driveway last week. The trash pile hasn't moved.

Though it appears no one occupies the house, the electricity remains on. Someone sprayed a smiley face on the house's exterior, which no one has addressed. A routine flushing notice from Baton Rouge Water hangs on the front door - it dates back to June. The grass is tall, and part of the sidewalk is overgrown and covered with grass growth. 

"Which is another example of not taking care of the property," said Kovalcik.

On Thursday, 2 On Your Side spoke to the property owner. He shared that his tenant moved out. The property owner admits he has heard from the city and says the mess in the front yard will be picked up soon. 

"They're saying, the city, that they have until August 30 to address this," said Kovalcik.

The city says the property owner is due in blight court on September 3. 

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