INDIANAPOLIS – Neighbors on Indy’s south side believe an abandoned home is causing an eyesore for their community, and bringing rats into their yards.
The vacant home in the 700 block of Dequincy Street has weeds growing close to six feet tall and 62-year-old Carole Atchey, who owns the home behind the eyesore, wants the city’s help.
"It's very upsetting. I pay taxes. I've never asked the city for anything,” said Atchey. “I want the property mowed. Just mow it. Clean it up. That's it."
Atchey and another neighbor, Marty Kanouse, said they believe rats are coming from the abandoned home.
Kanouse lives in the home across the street and also owns another home two doors down from the abandoned house.
“We've never had rats the whole time I’ve been here. I've never seen one in my life,” said Kanouse. “We had to call exterminators out. We are still having problems with them."
Others said the rats have dug holes in their basements.
Officials with the city’s business and neighborhood services department said they cannot mow the property in the back yard because of a locked gate. The city plans to get a warrant to open the gate, but said they don’t want to mow the front yard until they’ve taken care of the back yard.
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