Neighbors have complained after a seven-month-old pile of wood, mattresses, pallets, and construction rubbish was left to rot in a front lawn.
Karen and Jason Brogan, as well as their neighbor Janet Finn, who live on each side of the council house on the Meadway in Garrett’s Green, Birmingham, have stated that the pile is home to ‘rats and feral cats.’
The rotting pile of garbage had left all three of them ‘depressed,’ and they were too ’embarrassed’ to invite people over to their house.
They claimed they had repeatedly contacted their local MP, Jess Phillips, and reported the waste mound to the municipality.
Birmingham City Council says it is looking into the matter and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
Jason, who has lived on the street with his wife Karen for 21 years, stated on May 24 before the rubbish was cleared: ‘It’s been going on since November of last year.’ It’s something we’ve mentioned a few times.
‘It started with a little bit of nonsense with the sofa, and it’s simply progressed to where it is now.’
‘I take my dog for a stroll every day.
I happened to walk past one morning and a rat came running and I have seen feral cats nesting in there.
‘Whatever cats do, I’m assuming there’ll be kittens over the summer because there are feral ones and we have seen them before, but we’ll wait and see.’
‘It’s embarrassing,’ Jason remarked of the toll it’s taken over the last seven months. Because they see it, I don’t want people to come around and visit me.
‘I have a 16-year-old daughter, and I’m afraid she’ll be bitten by a rat or perhaps the dog if she walks through.’
‘You’re in big trouble if a rat bites the dog.’ It’s distressing, but what can you do?’
‘We’re gone during the day, and when you get home, there’s a lot of garbage,’ Karen added. There’s a mattress, construction rubbish, a rock wall, plaster and wood, a refrigerator, and carpets, plus it’s very open.’
Karen and Jason’s neighbour Janet has lived on the road for 33 years. She said: ‘I’m really depressed about it, I really am. I don’t like to see it all like this, you know, it’s just an eyesore. It needs to be got rid of.’
‘We’re sick of it now, truly sick of it,’ Janet added. There are rats in the garden, and I’m not sure what’s under all of that, but we’re sick of it.’
‘I’m pleased it’s all gone,’ Janet remarked of her relief after the mound was cleaned on May 25.
‘We are sorry for the grief given to the family,’ said a Birmingham City Council official. We’ve discussed the issues with the tenant and are working with them to remove the garden.
‘Once completed, we’ll keep an eye on the issue to make sure the garden stays clear.’
‘We’re still looking into it, and we’re working with the tenant to keep it clear.’
When asked if they will be billing the tenant for the clean up, they responded: ‘We consider all our options and this will be part of our investigation.’