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Two bad neighbors can bring down entire neighborhood

By Linda Taylor

Statesville

Published: February 14, 2009

There seems to be much concern as to what happens to the Anderson house. What about some concern for the neighbors who have to live with it, look at it every day. There appears to be little to no protection for people in a nice neighborhood when someone doesn't care about their property and its effect on the area as a whole.

We have tried repeatedly to get something done in our neighborhood about eyesores. We are dealing with piles of debris, yards with multiple vehicles, some without tags, abandoned boats that haven't been tagged or seen water for many years. There are as many as five big lawnmowers parked in the yard, which, incidentally has been graveled, now with weeds and grass growing through, a makeshift kennel thrown up right next to my property, which is really ugly and now not used, a huge storage building that was put up without a permit, a poor, skinny, neglected dog staked in the back yard with a logging chain and his feces collecting, sharing the aroma with us.

Neither of these owners are poor or broke or helpless. We have elderly lone women in this neighborhood that keep a beautiful home and yard with little to no outside help. We have asked everyone for help with this situation, including the code enforcers and the city attorney. It appears that either there is a lack of ordinances or lack of will to enforce them. With people like these, it is easy for a neighborhood to go downhill rapidly and lose its value.

One of these owners is a prominent minister and the other owns and rents out multiple properties but refuses to maintain his own home. With the economy as it is, a person needs every break to hold onto what they have and a home is the biggest investment people have. A home is a retreat, a haven, a place to enjoy, entertain and take pride in.

It is embarrassing to have people over to see what you have beside and behind you. The powers that be keep preaching about making Statesville "the city of progress." Well, it starts with the people and the neighborhoods.

The owner of the Anderson House has tap danced all over Statesville and will continue to do so as long as the elected city council lets him. The same goes for others that don't care as opposed to the ones that do. Who is going to win?