I was going to post that too Sparkle. I can't believe how bold people are.

Ana

Thanks for that article Sparkle. It's amazing how this happens. Wish OUR city would get on the ball instead of saying, "it's a civil matter, our hands are tied". I've heard that so many times it's sickening. Maybe this News Story might make them think again.

Did you know that there are step-by-step instructions for Squatters? Just type squatters in your search engine and you will find concise instructions to do just what that Chicago couple did. I know all about it now and it's SO EASY. The worst thing about squatters, and our in particular, is THEY have NO FEAR. It's because the police told them they won't do anything to them. How awful is that?

We are all hoping that the local news article might reach the right 'ears' and things will start to move. I'm praying it does. Can't stand what's happening and it's so FUNNY that Bad Gal is actually trying to be Good Gal now. Amazing. We all decided IF she can get these horrible people out, we would rather have HER there. She doesn't attack neighbors, she is neat and clean, and despite her skewed view of the world, she's not a scary person.

I keep thinking about the EYES of 'Jennifer'. She's clearly ON something, maybe several somethings. And the scary girl in the doorway reminds me of a wraith or banshee. Sunken cheeks, sunken eyes...ohhhhh!

Sorta

Well this is interesting. Since the big NEWS story, and that onslaught of cars that night, there have been only TWO cars appear over there! Well, actually 3 if you count the pickup truck that delivered twin beds last night. Obviously this crew doesn't plan on moving out anytime soon.

We are thinking that when that news man walked in, camera rolling, they had NO idea why he was there. They, in their drug fueled state, might have thought it was a story about 'The Clock House' and how great they were cleaning it up. Just thinking. They may not have known it would turn into a 'we want you out' session. If they had any suspicions, I figure they would have noticed the News Car across the street, and locked themselves in their rooms to avoid being on camera. Could they really be so stupid as to not figure it out?

In any case, things are SLOW over there. It's Friday, a big night for mega sales and we have yet to see even one car appear. Noon is the usual time for some to show up, although 8-10 we have seen various people waking up and walking to the corner liquor store and the relatively new, Smoke Shop, for supplies.

We all are watching to see if cars are parking out of view or if they might have taken the 'drug sales operation' off site. I'd be happy if it was the latter. Get the creepy people out of the neighborhood. Still no acknowledgement on Facebook or Twitter from any of the participants. Weird. You would think they would be yakking it up to all their friends.

Sitting, watching, waiting for something, anything, to happen.

for the updates Sorta.

Well, the lull was temporary. Lots of cars as usual especially on weekend nights. 4 stayed overnight last night. Today, they brought in another new toilet. I assume they are either trying to get bathroom number 2 working, OR they are installing plumbing in the now cleaned out garage so someone can live in there.

THEN my friend/tenant and I walked down to the corner for some Ablondigas and saw that they were using some steel roofing panels to close off the gap between the garage and the next door neighbor's fence. That will permanently hide the garbage they are dumping there (none ever goes out). On the way back, we took the side street and noticed that they had put plywood over the window totally blocking it, AND they had dragged the metal shed OVER the door, so it's not accessible. Only way in now is the broken window on the end and to get to that, you have to vault over a 4 foot brick wall! WHAT are they up to?

I'm still guessing they are going to grow marijuana in there. Might explain the playing with the water shut-off all night and ditto for the electrical panel. Gotta love em.

This is becoming The Never Ending Story.

If the police don't do anything after the story on the news it doesn't look good for an end to this saga Sorta.

A tiny ray of hope today. A nice red car with a well dressed man with a camera and clipboard was there. He spent 7 minutes taking pictures and making notes on the clipboard. He went INTO the yard from the front for at least 3 minutes and then stood out front again and took a few more pictures. It's a real mess over there. It's like they are professional garbage collectors.

In the past 2 days, a pick up truck has been coming and going. It has 'stuff' in the bed but leaves with more stuff from the property. Today it arrived FULL, but then was seen putting more stuff in from the yard. The truck returned this afternoon empty except for an empty plastic trash can. I guess they are cleaning out some stuff. I saw a large plastic wheeled hose thingy, a hard hat, some empty antifreeze bottles (or not empty who knows) a large window screen, a rusty barbeque and lots of other junk. Could be they are finally getting rid of stuff, however, the junky couch is still there, the front/side yard is still full of garbage bags, etc. I am thinking that all the junky stuff is coming out of the garage, and this is the 'new' couple who will be living there (after they figure out the wiring that is). They are constantly at the fuse box. Dunno why but I assume they are blowing fuses doing something. Who knows what wiring a 1930's house has?

Hope that guy today was code enforcement and something good happens. OR even better, some guy serving a summons for the 'owner'. I don't think they would take pictures though. Time will tell.

It sounds like the wheels might finally be turning Sorta.

I'm trying to stay positive. So now I wonder who the guy with the camera and clipboard was and HOW he got the OK to go over there. Wasn't a realtor or he would have taken pictures of the entire house from all angles. Wasn't anyone any of us called because they won't respond to US anymore. He only took pics of the yard and the MESS in the front which they are now trying to conceal by hanging clothing and other rags over the chain link. Looks like a garbage dump/slum. I'm glad the old ratty couch they brought IN but left outside forever is still there. Makes a nice picture I think.

Yesterday I think they took a few more items out. Not sure. You can never tell whether the 'new' pickup truck is bringing or taking, maybe a little of both. I could swear it came in full and left not quite as full. For 30 bucks every two months, they could start the city trash service. Actually they already have it but don't know it. The lien was lifted a few months back, but nobody ever called to get some trash cans (provided free). Stupid people doing stupid things.

AND to make matters worse, the ex-friend of Bad Gal (Maria) became a grandmother for the umteenth time. So last night, they had a PARTY to celebrate. People came all at once and left in the same car (packed like sardines). There was her daughter and son-in-law, a mid-aged couple (probably other kids) and a VERY old couple (80's?) who had to be helped to walk. They all came out together with plates of food or maybe just cake and the daughter decided she should throw her plate in the gutter as she left. How nice. As if we don't have enough garbage already. Now the stuff from the yard is crawling towards the streets. In the last week, we have now 3 mushy somethings, and a bunch of empty plastic bags, and some 'food' items all spilling out onto the road. Crows are trying to eat one little something right in the middle of the intersection and one got hit yesterday. He recovered (thank goodness) but today they are still pecking at whatever seems good out there. What a wonderful group. Trash in the streets around our little area is not a normal thing. We all clean up the sidewalks and gutters at least once a week (or more if it's a windy period).

Inside the house (as you can tell by the Channel 10 News Story video, it's a mess. People sleeping on the floor, in the living room, clothes hanging from the curtain rods, the worst is probably in the locked rooms. I still think they are setting up a Meth Lab or Marijuana grow over there. Time will tell.

As for today, they all went to sleep by 4:30am. Yeah, they are UP all night. OH and the night-time activities night before last, included spray painting some GANG graffiti on the wall of the Smoke Shop at the corner. Just what I assumed, they are all members of the local gang in our neighborhood. It will be fun to see if the nearest rival gang crosses it out and writes their own. We have been free of graffiti for at least a year till now. Once it starts, it gets really bad. It just confirms that they and their friends are not the nicest neighbors.

WHEN will it be over? I have more important things to do, like watch some of my 50 or so, DVD's, that I bought and never watched. Managed to watch 3 this week. See...things are winding down a bit. hardly any 'notes' taken for 2 weeks. Still waiting for the SWAT team to attack. Got my camera ready.

for the update Sorta.

Today's fun. I knew things would heat up eventually. Neighbor up the side street (one of my 'detectives'). She told me that the Squatters had just dug up the septic tank, removed a plastic cover, then a plywood cover, stuck a 4 foot stick in there and it came of soaking wet with 'you know what'. Then they stuck a pitchfork in it and it was totally wet even right at the surface. She said the SMELL was awful and her mother, whose bedroom is right next door, was having trouble breathing.

I told her to call Hazmat or Code Enforcement immediately. (Mom was OK, just umcomfy with the smell). She called me back and gave me a new number to call. She had been directed to call our city Public Works office. She reported all she could see and knew about the situation, ie. stupid squatters, smell, wet ground, them digging around next to the GAS meter (ohhhh) etc. Then I called the same number, reported all I knew about things and the SMELL which wafts over here when the wind changes.

Then I called Bad Gal and SHE called Public Works, and they were VERY interested in her story. Asked if they could call her back for 'further details'. She told them about the bare electric wires under the house lying in water from the broken sewer pipe. Of course she didn't tell them she was the 'first' squatter, but who cares at this point.

Anyway, now we wait for tomorrow and see if anyone shows up to look over the situation. With a little or a lot of luck, they will condemn the premises, make everyone move out until the house is hooked up to the city sewer. They will never be able to afford the 8-12000 bucks for that. The city will not allow them to just pump out the septic tank. New rules for old houses. Once there is a problem, you have to convert to the sewer system like it or not.

I'm hoping we get some good stuff going from this one. Crossing fingers.

Having spent my entire career as a field inspector enforcing sanitary sewer regulations, I have a feeling this one might finally do the trick.

Good luck Sorta.

Yup. You're talking EPA violations now. The septic tank is a serious health issue. Can't imagine what's going on inside that house at this point.

It sounds like they should just come in with a bulldozer and flatten the place.

Well it's been fun for the last few days. Two days in a row, they have brought IN junk from somewhere. A pickup truck comes with a full load and then people from the house scurry around emptying it into the yard. As of last night, they had the front porch blocked with boxes and lawn chairs and other stuff. Then they brought in another load and plopped it right in full view of the sidewalk. What the heck are they doing? Gathering junk from other houses? Picking up stuff a the city dump? Weird.

There was a guy yesterday who walked around the place just looking. Not sure who he was either.

So this morning, a sheriff car with lights blinking, showed up as did an unmarked 'official' SUV. The sheriff and guy in plain clothes (with some sort of badge around his neck) both went around the edge of the property and finally went inside the gate. They were in there several minutes. I saw the sheriff in the back yard looking over the barricade at the garage. We can only guess that they were serving a summons, or an eviction notice. No way to know. It couldn't have been a warrant for arrest since there would have been more people. OR that could have been a bail bonds guy. Dunno.

Then later today, a guy in a truck with some sort of 'logo' parked up the street and walked around the place again, paying special attention to the back yard where the septic tank has been dug into. He also went inside and talked to someone. Still have no idea who he was either since the logo was so tiny that 2 of us couldn't read it. Darn. Maybe Code Enforcement or Public Works or Environmental Health guy.

They were up all night again. Lights blazing till 4:30 am. AND during that time, the huge pile of junk was reduced to half the size. Where it all went, we can only guess, since NOTHING went out.

So it's all guessing now. My wish is that the sheriff and other guy served an eviction and that the other guy later was from city code about the septic tank. Our close neighbors were chatting this morning about sewage smell and were going to call the city. We advised NOT to give the address, but just the cross streets since we are almost certain that anything with the actual address will just be ignored. Might have worked.

More news tomorrow if anything fun happens. I'm so busy. One of my friends who I eat lunch with once a month asked me today what I was going to do when this was all over. I told her I would have to find a new hobby. She finds it all amusing (as do I most days).

Hope things keep heating up. Time for me to find that new hobby!

Well things are perking. I think we will see some action soon from the sound of things.

Me too!

So did I happen to mention that 2 nights ago at 10:30 pm the Motor Home in the driveway, which they have been using even though the Code Enforcement told them not to, drove away! Yup, hasn't come back. I think they might actually have sold it, or it's just out for repairs or? You never know until you know.

In the meantime, there is that large yellow truck which keeps coming in with a load of TRASH. All sorts of junk, clothes, barbeques, metal cabinets. I think they must be scouring the alleys and yards and just loading it up. Then they dump it all in the driveway over there and everyone sorts the stuff into piles. In a few hours, they re-load the truck with 'sellable' metal stuff and off it goes, only to return a few hours later, packed with ANOTHER load of junk. So weird. I guess they sell the metal for cash and it gives them a few bucks.

Nothing new from the Niece, nothing from anyone. Don't see any signs of anyone leaving the place, but there are fewer cars that make the 'regular' stops. Only 2 that I see every day and now a few different ones very very late night. I'm sure they are still in the drug business, but since the arrest of a guy I recognize as being there frequently a few days back, it's slowed way down.

There was a murder 2 blocks away, probably gang related after a murder a few blocks farther about an hour earlier. Just some boyfriend and girlfriend, leaving a party and some guy walks up to them and shoots the girl dead right there. Not the guy. Strange? Nobody can seem to give a description of the shooter. Usual in gang stuff. They prefer to hunt down the other gang and kill one of them in revenge. Anyway, 2 hours after the girl was slaughtered, the police were across the street with 5 or 6 cars arresting a guy. Had him on the ground on his belly, in handcuffs and were yelling at him about giving them his REAL name.

Into a car he went and off to the station. I managed to look up that day's arrest records and found his full name. When he was transferred to the 'big' jail, it gives all his charges. Burglary, mis-use of credit cards, using false paperwork to get credit cards, forgery, and probably the biggie, Violation of Parole. Nice guy living right across from me huh? All of them probably have long arrest records. I know a few. One of the girls was in prison for 2 years and is on parole now. I found it amusing that as the police were arresting this guy, that ALL of the lights in the house mysteriously went out. They are NEVER all out. Then when the police left, one they go again.

So we sit, we watch, nothing happened that we can see even after the 2 'official' looking guys went over there. Very discouraging. Very awful that nothing is being done despite all the complaints about all sorts of things. It's a junkyard over there again now. Was all cleaned up in the yard and now it's trash. NOTHING of daily trash going out, not even in the pickup loads. It's all being piled up in the yard and fenced off from sight. I'm imagining the next door neighbor is enjoying the odors since their bedroom windows face that spot only 6 feet away. Ugh!

Off to do some real stuff today. Waiting to see if the Motor Home returns. I'm enjoying NOT seeing it over there.

One can hope that the person who was arrested can be talked into ratting out some of the others. That would really get the ball rolling. Ms. Lopez is going to regret claiming ownership of the property once all the chickens come home to roost.

Well, I was gone for an hour to the hardware store and when I drive back SIX police cars were surrounding the house AGAIN. The one girl we call Mia (crazy meth head) was out at the fence in her nighty, and just talking to the cops. All 6 police went inside the fence, then I got really curious when they disappeared out of my sight. So I prodded my neighbor guy to walk up the street and see what was happening. I figured some sort of domestic violence or they might be reporting a robbery themselves. Wouldn't put it past them to complain to the cops about THEIR stolen stuff being stolen.

But NO, it wasn't that and not domestic. I stood there in plain sight just beyond one of the police cars and said hi to the guy who was clearing. There had been a tall, gray haired guy up against the garage in handcuffs. They made him lift up his shirt and took pictures of his tattoos on his chest and back. Then they uncuffed him and let him go. The gal smiled and the two of them went back into the house.

This particular cop was young and friendly and was nice to me saying he could tell I have a lot of info on the place. He mentioned Bad Gal by her name and I said, yes, I knew her, she started all this and has now been kicked out by people she brought in. The original cop was a gal who drives by occasionally and didn't recognized the gal and guy so she called in back up. Must have been a slow Sunday for all.

Anyway, I enlightened them quickly on all the stuff, told them I was in contact with the owner (he said niece? and I confirmed when he said her first name). He had tried to call her, I said just keep trying, She will eventually answer. He seemed happy for that info. I told him I get calls from her and we write back and forth etc. He asked if I might be willing to be contacted for more info on what I know.

I mentioned the DRUG traffic and that the News Guy even mentioned it while he was here. They hasn't seen the news story (nobody around her watches the news!) but I told them where to look. Hopefully they will look at the report. He they were inside today and the place is a horrible mess. Yup, easy to figure. Same thing said by the news guy. I also said about the holes in the walls, and in the yard looking for treasure. AND mentioned the septic system overflowing and NOBODY will respond to our calls anymore.

Maybe, just maybe today is my lucky day. I mentioned two of the former contacts I have had and they are familiar with both of them. One is a supervisor and the other the Detective. So we are all on the same page.

I really hope that something will get started with all this. They did say they would be driving by on 'extra patrol' (I've heard that one before. AND IF I see them driving my my house slowly (doing what we call out here 'mad-dogging' or following me around, to call immediately and they will indeed respond to that. Nice to know.

Probably just one new young guy that didn't get the 'message' not to bother with things over there, but ya only need ONE person to get something done. Maybe he's the one. I begged, told them about several neighbors calling in and we all get the same, we are not responding to that address anymore answer. They seems a bit surprised. Still, hopful that something might happen even if it's jut to SCARE these jerks into moving out because the cops are watching. Hassling someone in the yard is a good thing I think. WE SEE YOU...uhhuh.

Sorta.

I like the ratting out idea!