A Lonehill vacant property owner, criticised for safety and crime concerns, promises action
Kim Kullmann has called out one of the property owners in Lonehill, Gavin Kao, for neglecting his vacant property which is causing havoc in the community.
“This land is an eyesore and a ticking time bomb.” These are the words of Kim Kullmann, a frustated Lonehill resident living near a vacant plot of land in the area.
Despite the absence of any major incidents so far, Kullmann said she’s fed up with landowners who abandon responsibilities of maintaining their properties, as they become magnets for safety hazards, security threats, and decreased property values.
“The long veld grass is a serious fire hazard, especially after the recent rains. It’s also attracting opportunistic vagrants, who are invading the land and putting residents at risk.”
She said the landowner’s neglect is not only affecting the community but also violating municipal by-laws.
“It’s a crime to neglect land. The onus is upon the landowner to maintain their asset, especially one valued at R38m.”
She said the land has become a hotspot for illicit activities, with reports of litter, illegal gatherings, and criminal activity. She added that they have also had issues with churchgoers using the land as a weekend parking spot, with hundreds of vehicles, noise pollution, and litter.
Kullmann has send an email to Gavin Kao, one of the landowners, detailing what she regularly sees happening at Kao’s land during his absence, as seen by Fourways Review.
She wrote, “These are some of the issues that we are facing, because your land is in the state it’s in. It’s hard to see other cars coming in the opposite direction, and it’s an access point for criminals. The residents in the area, some have been victims of crimes, whereby the criminals used your land to enter and escape.
“It’s a wait and go spot for e-hailing – the same people who are urinating and defecating on your land – I have seen this plenty of times. The delivery drivers, motorbikes, and cars, are using your land as an easy access point to avoid using the roads like the rest of us, amongst others.”
Kao acknowledged that he is aware of his property’s issues and apologized for residents’ hardships. He recognised fencing as a suitable solution but confessed difficulty in securing funding to reinstall the fence, which was previously stolen.
“It is very expensive to replace it but we are sourcing out funds to work on it. The land was meant for the development of townhouses but due to some factors we were not able to complete our project.”
