Squatters

[from Anna Lefer]

This morning at 6:30am, my husband and I found two giant buckets filled with human feces in the middle of the street outside of our Emerson St home (and our neighbors' homes). I know this sounds completely unbelievable, but it is true. The awful, toxic smell filled the entire street and seeped into homes on the block.

After many calls to the DC gov - 7 calls to 311, 3 calls to the Mayor's Call Center, a call to Fenty's Ward 4 liaison (Ayana Rockett's mailbox was full so I couldn't leave a message), a call to the local fire and police departments - and countless "that's not in our jurisdiction; this is not an emergency; etc", the good people in Muriel Bowser's office got the Dept of Health and the Fire Department's HazMat's unit to remove the HUGE buckets of human feces. (YUCK!) This was almost 12 hours after the first call.

We've been in touch with neighbors throughout the day, and apparently there is a squatter living in an abandoned home on our street that has no working utilities. We learned that he regularly dumps buckets of poop off his porch and around the block. I'm familiar with the squatter, as he is a petty dealer on the block and major drug user. 

My questions:

Why wouldn't buckets of human feces in the middle of a residential street constitute an urgent public health concern that requires immediate removal?  Clearly, feces carries many dangerous communicable diseases, and in this instance, it was the waste of a high-risk person.

What should neighborhood residents do about squatters in abandoned homes (especially ones that might be a base for drug activity, or unhygenic waste dumping?) Over the years, we've taken pictures of the abandoned house and have sent them to the city. It hasn't been boarded up and now there is a poop problem...

Any advice?  Words of wisdom? 

Signed, Pooplexed

Comments

[Richard]

Check on the property's homestead exemption status on line. If the owner claims that deduction and doesn't live in the property, I think that person is breaking the law.

[anna]

Hey, Everyone. Thanks for the suggestions for dealing with the "squatting squatter" (eew!). Our ANC commissioner Donna Brockington came by last and is going to help us with situation.

[PetworthResident]

IF you really want to get them out, get together with a couple of your neighbors and CALL 311 and 911 constantly. Then you should email every councilmember possible. I had this same problem. I live not far from Emerson. Just call and report fighting, small fires, anything. Get the police out there so regularly that the person will move on to another place. I know this isn't how it SHOULD be, but it is guaranteed to work.

[amanda]

We had an abandoned building on our block with a squatter living in it. I made numerous requests at the DC Service Center and reported it as a vacant building, which did nothing. My husband finally emailed Fenty (who was a Councilmember at the time), CCed Ayana Rockett, and the place was renovated in a few months. I don't remember exactly how it happened, but it appears that Fenty was able to pressure the owner to renovate or sell to someone who would. Perhaps a similar approach/appeal to Muriel Bowser would work for you.

Also, if people are occupying a house/porch that is not theirs, I think you could call 311. I've done it before and the cops asked the people to move along.

[mjbrox]

I would think that you would have wanted to call 202-727-1000. I have found that number is very helpfull.

As far as known squatters go, I would think the police would want to know.

[JML]

I would love to have the guys who are squatting on the porch next door to me (house has been for sale forever and is vacant) actually poop and pee in a bucket, instead of my front patio!

[anonymous]

Matches?