Residents of a northwest Houston neighborhood are tired of living next to a vacant home that has become a neighborhood eyesore and nuisance.
The home is located in the Bayou Bend subdivision near W. Little York Rd. and Alabonson Rd.
“We have some wonderful neighbors, but unfortunately, they died and ever since then, we’ve been going through hell because there’s no upkeep, no nothing,” neighbor Thurman Jackson said.
Jackson and fellow neighbor Jonnie Weido live near the home on Oak Bough Dr. The home has weeds that have grown four-to-five feet tall, and the backyard pool is uncovered and thick with algae.
“It’s just not fair to keep up your yard like we do and then have to look at this every day,” Weido said. “It’s just not fair.”
Both Wedio and Jackson said they’ve called the city of Houston’s Department of Neighborhoods several times over the years, and the property was only cleaned once.
When KPRC 2 visited the property, we saw a city notice in the front yard that read the lawn was to have been mowed by March 2024. Another city notice buried in the weeds was too faded to read.
“We are subject to rodents and insects, especially mosquitoes, because it has a pool back there and the pool is a cesspool now,” said Jackson.
Jackson and Wedio both said they’re concerned about vagrants they’ve seen snooping around the house. Both said they were able to contact relatives of the deceased owners, but none wanted to take over the house.
After KPRC 2 called the Department of Neighborhoods, an inspector was sent out and met with Weido. She said she was told the city would take care of the high weeds by next week.
“He said their hands are tied, the city’s broke, they’ve got numerous properties like this, their inspectors are overloaded,” Wedio said she was told.
KPRC 2 Investigates has shown you the problem of abandoned and vacant houses in many Houston neighborhoods. Mayor John Whitmire said this is an issue he working to tackle during his tenure.
District A Councilmember Amy Peck told KPRC 2 she also is working to help get this property cleaned up. She has forwarded the address to the new Harris County Office of Public Probate Administrator. This new position is designed to either find owners of vacant, derelict properties, or their heirs.
Public Probate Administrator Brandon Cofield said if owners or their heirs can’t be found to take over and clean-up properties, then the county can take over to make sure this work is done, and the property sold so new owners can move in.
Thursday evening, KPRC 2 received the following response from the Department of Neighborhoods:
Officials with the Department of Neighborhoods have also reported the home’s pool to the city Health Department. Inspectors are obtaining a warrant to enter the property to cut all the high weeds and have health department officials inspect the pool.
