Shack and building rubble luring undesirables
A partially demolished illegal structure adjacent to Patio Village in Peter Graham Street has been a thorn in the side of residents for nearly two years.
The building rubble has attracted mice and rats and has become a health hazard to people living on nearby properties. A fed up resident recently contacted White River Post and the journalist accompanied him to the site.
According to the resident, the body corporate of Patio Village has been struggling to have the structure that was erected on a property on the eastern boundary, demolished and removed.
It was initially supposed to be a storeroom but was converted into living quarters. Upon enquiry at the municipality, the body corporate found that plans for the storeroom had been submitted but payment for it was still outstanding.
The corrugated-iron building, which turned out to indeed be living quarters, was completed but so poorly constructed that it had to be covered by a tarpaulin to keep the rain out.
To resolve the issue, the body corporate met with the local building inspector and municipal manager in November last year.
In January the structure was partially demolished, with just a toilet left standing, after a legal notice had been issued.
The body corporate is concerned about building rubble, corrugated iron and wood, still lying around the structure. It has become overgrown and a nesting place for rats and mice.
The municipal manager was called to see the state of the place at the end of February, but there has been no intervention since.
The resident also mentioned that one of his neighbours heard movement on the property and in the hope that somebody had come to clean up the mess, went to take a look. To the neighbour’s shock it was a naked man standing in the doorway of the toilet. This has led residents to believe that someone is actually living on the property.
In a letter to the municipality the fed-up resident wrote, “The offending party is the owner of a store that opens onto William Lynn Street and for many years has been guilty of numerous activities that are both a security risk and a health hazard. We believe that there is a blatant disregard of municipal by-laws governing illegal structures and would like to urgently request that severe steps are taken to remedy the situation”.
Upon enquiry, the municipality stated that a legal notice to remove the building rubble had been issued to the owner of the property.
According to the notice, the owner had until April 18 to comply. The document states that “failing to comply with this notice, legal proceedings will be instituted against you, namely; you will be criminally prosecuted and a fine may be inflicted”.
On Tuesday afternoon (at time of going to print) the resident that first contacted White River Post, confirmed that the building rubble was still on the property and that clothes were hanging from the toilet door.
He also said that he had been to the municipal manager last week, who had told him that another notice would be sent to the owner. “But why should another notice be sent? One was sent out in November, why hasn’t anybody taken responsibility for the issue?”
