A VACANT lot on Old Main Road in Gillitts have been a source of worry for residents who believe that it has facilitated crime in the area.
According to Councillor Rick Crouch, there has been an increase in the number of vacant and abandoned properties in Ward 10 being reported to his office.
According to Cllr Crouch these properties are often used by criminals to stage robberies. They attract squatters and become a health hazard as well as an eyesore to the community, added Crouch.
He said some of the properties simply have half-built houses that have been abandoned. Some are homes that have been abandoned and others are simply vacant lots.
“What often happens is that people can’t pay their mortgages or they start construction and then run out of funds and abandon the property with the building,” said Crouch.
One of these lots is situated between Old Main Road and the M13 in Gillitts, on the corner of Old Main Road and Hamilton Crescent. There have been a number of developments slated for this property from an office building to a gym, reported Crouch.
Cllr Crouch requested the assistance of Durban Safer Cities and the Land Invasion Unit after receiving complaints from some of the residents on Hamilton Crescent. On inspection it was found that there are already two shacks on the property and because it is not municipal property Land Invasion and the municipality have no jurisdiction. It is up to the property owner to remove them, said Crouch.
Ari Seirlis a resident on Hamilton Crescent, reported that the street has been experiencing an increase in crime since vagrants started occupying the vagrant lot approximately six months ago.
“All paths lead to the vacant lot. There was no crime in our street until the vagrants arrived on the lot. All of a sudden residents are experiencing petty thefts and burglaries. The residents are convinced that the lot is not being properly managed by the owner and it is jeopardising the safety of residents,” added Seirlis.
“The problem for the property owner is that the law is on the side of the squatter, if they are not removed within a predetermined period of time the property owner has to go to court for an eviction order and then has to find the squatters alternate accommodation. This particular property is up for sale and the seller will have a really hard time selling it with a squatter having setup residence there”, said Crouch.
“If you have one of these properties in your neighbourhood there are things we can do to assist but it is not an overnight process. It sometimes takes months in court action. Even then results are not guaranteed. At the very least we can have the rates on the abandoned property quadrupled which is an incentive for the owner to clean it up.” added Crouch.
Cllr Crouch urges residents to report any vacant lots even if they do not see anything suspicious. “Report them to me or the SAPS. The police log the vacant properties and can add them to their patrol routes,” explained Crouch. Residents with vacant lots should also monitor their properties regularly.
Nomusa Shembe, senior manager at Safer Cities reported that they are working with security management within eThekwini municipality and engaging real estate to determine what they can do with regards to the lot and assisting the community.
Despite several attempts the owner of the vacant lot cold not reached for comment before the time of publication.
Contact Councillor Crouch at councillor@ward10.co.za.
