LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A giant pile of trash and old, broken furniture is sitting curbside on Michigan Street. The smell coming from the pile is as off-putting as anything. And that’s actually a good thing.
“It’s an eyesore for the whole block. It’s embarrassing,” said Gale Smith who lives just a few houses away from the mess.
Smith was about to place rat poison around the perimeter of her home when we spoke with her on Thursday morning. The rodent infestation is just one of many issues they’ve had to deal with on this street for the last two years.
“You see cats on top of the roof pouncing on mice, it’s not good. And there’s only so much poison you can put out for fear of a child or another small animal,” she added.
Soon after speaking with Smith, the landlord arrived. He was the one who got all of that trash out of the home and to the curb for collection, which he was told would happen on Thursday.
Wearing a mask, because the smell is so overwhelming, he returned to begin cleaning the inside of the home, which is filthy from top to bottom. Apparently his tenants had no running water or electricity. They were also scheduled for an eviction hearing, but that wasn’t needed once they agreed to vacate earlier this week.
Issa Shalash told LEX 18 it’ll cost him thousands of dollars to rehab this home to make it suitable for a new tenant. Smith claims Shalash knew about this hoarding situation long ago.
“It’s an embarrassment that he would let that go on and for years be told about situations and not do anything,” Smith stated.
Something is being done now, and for that she said she’s grateful.
“We’re low income here, but everyone deserves a decent place to live. It’s not good for the neighbors, the children, the pets,” she said.
