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Nasty nuisance leaves Brazoria Co. neighbors outraged
It's a dangerous nasty nuisance residents say they’ve known about for years. So, why haven't Brazoria County officials done something to help residents living around it? FOX 26's Randy Wallace tells the full story about a house no one wants to live next to.
BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas - An overgrown mess has been in the making for many years, and it's no secret to Brazoria County officials. We have proof the Brazoria County Environmental Health Department has known about it since 2018.
"Rodents, mosquitos, snakes, vagrancy," said Lisa Martens, who lives across the street from the public nuisance.
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That's just a few of the things living around the property, located at 199 County Road 294, that residents have to deal with.
This is Brazoria County, which is known for its skyrocketing property taxes.
"And yet we could never turn around and sell it for what they are valuing it at, because of things like that," Martens said.
"We do everything we can all our neighbors to keep our properties nice, and to have this, and not be cared for. It's a nuisance," said Marlene Marino, who lives next door to the unsightly mess.
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Marlene and her sister Lisa have seen a lot of bad things spilling from the shell of a house, but nothing in the way of help from Brazoria County officials. This has been going on for almost a decade.
"Every time someone vacated it, it got a little worse until ultimately the last person who vacated it, literally gutted the place," said Martens.
"I have to spend money on people to come out take the weeds down off of our fence line, or else it will destroy the fence," Marino said.
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The property is owned by All American Properties, its owner is a known slum lord with properties all over Houston.
"We told them there was a whole group of people recently that had squatted for a little bit, and they were supposed to come over and remove them. They never did," said Marino.
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In August 2018, the Brazoria County Environmental Health Department gave the owner 30 days to abate the public nuisance problem. Then in April 2019, the owner was cited but failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued. Five years later, and the nuisance still stands.
"Who wants to look out their front yard and see that," Martens said.