CINCO RANCH, Texas – For a while after Hurricane Harvey, piles of debris symbolized progress.
The flooded leftovers of homes were mucked out and stacked, ready to disappear.
But in parts of Cinco Ranch, near Katy, there is no more bulk trash pickup. The piles remain, and for many homeowners, they now symbolize neglect.
“We feel like we’ve kinda been forgotten,” Liza Perez and many of her neighbors said.
“The debris that currently exists at Cinco Ranch is the result of ongoing restoration work being done by homeowners,” the Cinco Residential Property Association said in a statement to KPRC. “The removal of that debris is the responsibility of the homeowner, not the association.”
“Understanding the scope of the damage many residents are facing the board has been flexible on enforcing this requirement,” the statement continued. “In the days ahead the board plans on sending out reminders to residents to clean up construction debris.”
But many homeowners said some of the debris is from Harvey.
James Nicholson replaced his hot water heater, damaged during Harvey, just a few weeks ago.
"I don’t want to set it out because I know it’s not going to get picked up," Nicholson said.
Neighbors said bulk trash pickup stopped more than a month ago. Even black trash bags are not picked up, they said (before Harvey, black trash bags were picked up on Fridays in addition to the HOA-approved trash can, neighbors said).
"I’d like to move on, I definitely’d like to move on," Nicholson said. "That’s what I’m trying to do is get my house cleaned out and rebuilt and get back to a normal life."