TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - North Toledo neighbors in the Chase Street area say that blight is an ongoing occurrence in the area.
"This is an every-day issue with blight," said neighbor Ben Epperson. "They do not take care of the yard. They do not pick up weeds. They do not remove it. I do all this myself. I end up cleaning this alley up every year."
Epperson also said the neighborhood is full of abandoned properties, tall grass, and blight. So, he takes it upon himself to tidy up several adjacent properties.
"I mow six lots on this street because if the city doesn't mow, there's couches, there's mattresses, tires. If you keep it mowed and make it look like a yard, nobody bothers it," Epperson said. "I've personally spent $5,000 in equipment and trailers and a truck to go out and clean this up."
Epperson regularly uses the 'See it, Click it, Fix it' app, and acknowledges that the city of Toledo has issued letters to the abandoned property owners, instructing them to mow the lawn. However, Epperson said he's noticed that clean up isn't always enforced.
"There are seven, eight properties on just my block that's like that. There's thousands of blocks like this in Toledo," he said.
Epperson is hoping the city will find time to routinely keep the area in check.
"That's what I want to know. Why is it acceptable for yards to look like this? This is a solvable issue, and it's just not getting done," he said.
Along with participating in initiatives to fight blight, the City of Toledo's Department of Neighborhoods and Code Enforcement inspects property and nuisance complaints.
The Cincinnati Street address that Epperson and others have complained about has been reported on the 'See it, Click it, Fix it' app and with the city for follow up.
For more information on the Department of Neighborhoods and its programs, click here.
