I have to drive past this house to gain entrance to my home. It is a dump literally. Furniture, mattresses, building supplies piled at least 6 feet high. No siding. How does the city let this continue??? My neighbor was fined for putting bulk trash out 2 days early. What gives. I have also reported this house to web 311 on the New Haven online sight three times.

There is now a large blue tarp, I guess acting as siding. But some of the trash has been removed. Anyone take a picture of this dump yet?

I am a neighbor to this house. The owner is struggling financially (obviously) but is making in-roads (slowly, very slowly) to repair the eyesore that is his home,- yes he lives on-site. The house we all see barely standing before us is the remnant of a much larger home that burned down many years ago. Hence, there are massive burn holes in the walls and the structure is severely compromised. And as work is done, he discovers more devastation which increases the cost and complexity of a proper renovation. Personally, I would knock it down and rebuild something that would fit the neighborhoods historic character... but hey, that's me.

I am certainly not making excuses for my neighbor, but just sharing the little but of info that I have on the situation. I have thought about organizing an old fashion barn-raising party... or in this case a siding-party. While we are at it, a fencing-party would not hurt either!

Um...I know who this guy is and he makes good money AND has rent coming in....honestly he is lazy and does not part easily with his funds.

So you can park your cars in the yard and have a huge trash pile and burn plastic in your wood stove if you are struggling financially?

He has a dog that is always running away. It was hit by a car on Quinnipiac avenue last weekend. This is the second dog, in two years.

He live here, has a rental property here and has a business registered here. Is this legal?

You seem to know A LOT about this home owner. Have you tried speaking directly to him about the obvious issues at hand?
My husband and I get the impression that he just is not as interested in keeping things nice around here as we are.... but for some reason I have some compassion for a single dad.

How do you know he makes good money? He was telling me recently that "thank god for snow plowing in the winter or he would never be able to make it".

Please don't think I condone this deplorable eyesore. There are ways to improve your lot if you are motivated to do so. We all know that.

What should we do? I am stymied. I don't want to start a war. Perhaps if we ALL communicated our desire to see him respect himself and his home more, he would realize that he needs to step up. What do you think?:)

You disclosed alot more about this home owner that I would have ever learned by walking my dog by his house.

Oops:) My bad! Since so many people are concerned with the Urban Blight on this corner and I happen to live very close by, I thought folks might be interested in some insight. My error.

I can tell you are very upset by the situation. I recommend that you speak directly with the homeowner about your concerns. If enough people do that, perhaps he will get the message. Hopefully!!

!!!Lets keep it positive!!!

Dear Neighbor to this house,

Please ring doorbell, if applicable, and tell your neighbor to pick up his trash and pour a driveway.

Thank You-

Unemployed and Clean Yard.

I tell him EVERY TIME I see him about ways to improve his lot, solid, low-cost suggestions I offer REGULARLY .... forgive me for not wanting to start a fight with my neighbor by being belligerent with him about his sense of tidiness, or lack there of:)

I will let him know that people are "starting to talk" which will be the understatement of the decade.... and see what his plans are for his trash pile and driveway.

I am not opposed to a gravel driveway, the less impervious surface there is -the better in my opinion... but I digress. I will speak to my neighbor (AGAIN )on behalf of those who will not speak with him themselves.

Good Luck! I have dealt with him in the past and he can be confrontational and difficult.

Thanks:)

Thank you for pitching in and helping clean up our neighborhood. I appreciate it.

No problem... I try to be a good neighbor... considerate at the very least:)

This house is a pit. Tarp does not constitute siding.

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Ok sorry for the psot I did for my friend. She is right, this is not the proper forum for that type of stuff-sorry.

The city does not care. ALL they care about is taxes. Are the taxes up to date on this property? The system is set up to support losers and leeches. Get used to it. I care about my property, but obviously those that do not can get away with anything. Illegal dumping and eyesores is all good in DeStefano land.

how long does it take a couch to turn into mulch?

How long does it take for a sofa to compost?

I have been wondering that myself:) thanks for keeping your sense of humor! LOL! Levity is always appreciated.

Did anyone call LCI?

203.946.7888

That's a great point!

http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Ask/index.asp

I do not see how click fix is very effective. This issue has been open for over 6 months and nothing has been done. This house looks as bad as ever.

Why hasn't LCI responded on this?

They seem to respond when blight issues are posted Downtown.

I saw a few LCI staff people there last week. The yard is a mess and the house looks bad from the street. Has anyone ever been inside?

LCI visited the property and there should be enforecment of blight, zoning, building( they were taking pictures). Call the Neighborhood Specialist for an update at (203) 946.7888.

Don't be afraid to tell the neighbor he's hurting the neigborhood...I tell my neighbor's when an issue exists and offer to help out for our collective good.

Great info! thank you> The good news is, this neighbor had a dumpster delivered so there is hope that the rubbish pile will vanish soon.! Hurray!

Is the dumpster going to be used?

I met the owner (Dave) years ago while literally crying over my drink at a bar downtown. I too am a single dad and was struggling with issues concerning the well being of my young son. Dave reached out to me and we've been friends ever since. Dave is a caring father and has made many sacrifices to be there for his boy. Trust me when I tell you, it's hard to find time, money and yes, motivation when you're a single dad, especially when there are "special" circumstances. So now the good news...... I am a restoration contractor and recently moved into 387 Lenox. We are putting together a plan to heal ourselves and this poor old house. I know Dave understands what his(our) neighbors must be feeling. Unfortunately ugly houses are of minor priority some times. So wish us luck and watch the transformation.

No one said "Dave" was a bad father. We just want Dave to pick up his yard and maintain his house. I am grateful that he finally has a good tenant and I hope to see improvement soon. We all have our own crosses to bare, we just do not have to do it in our front yard. Good luck. We are watching and waiting.

Given the enterior of this property is in such demise, has the city looked into the fact 2 children are present and lead based paint on the interior has probably not been accessed? It can cause brain funtion shut down.

has the thought of lead based interior paint been thought of? If there are small children there on occasion the risk is real. Given the state of hte exterior I doubt the home owner has given any thought to the kids....what company does the restoration specialist work for? I would like to look up their work/history....

has the thought of lead based interior paint been thought of? If there are small children there on occasion the risk is real. Given the state of hte exterior I doubt the home owner has given any thought to the kids....what company does the restoration specialist work for? I would like to look up their work/history....

has the thought of lead based interior paint been thought of? If there are small children there on occasion the risk is real. Given the state of hte exterior I doubt the home owner has given any thought to the kids....what company does the restoration specialist work for? I would like to look up their work/history....

Thank you for the update on LCI activities. Please post if the situation is resolved.

You raise a good point, all though lead(Pb) will not cause "brain function shutdown". In children under 6 years old, it causes learning disabilities, it basically makes then slow learners. It has negligible effects on children over 6 and adults, unless the 6 + year old or adult is ingesting VERY large (kilograms) quantities of Pb.

In urban housing where Pb is a problem, the ingestion occurs when young children hang out at the windows and mouth the sills... lead based paint tastes sweet! I know, insane!! But once the youth figures out that the paint is sweet tasting, then they actively seek out chips and places in the apartment to mouth.

I think both kids at 387 Lenox are under 6...but I am not certain. I will ask the home owner.

Also, during a typical purchase and sales inspection, that sort of information is supposed to be disclosed and the presence of Pb paint can stop a sale in its tracks. Thanks for raising this issue:)
I am happy to share my knowledge on this subject.

I used to work in the environmental remediation industry so I have quite a bit of info on this and many other technical environmental issues involving both residential and commercial properties.

If LCI is on the issue I am sure they will look into the "lead Paint" issue. Not to sound contrite but quite honestly the interior of his home is not my concern. I just want the outside cleaned up. The inside of the home is not a public issue. Just fix the outside, clean up the trash and keep it clean. And lastly why would a reputable home restoration person want to live in this house? This sounds a little fishy.

Any movement?

Not sure what is the hold up at this point. Things seem to have quieted down in the last week or so. I think the slow down/halt is financial.... I am praying that things turn around very soon for my neighbor.

I was thinking about all the years I have been neighbors with Urban Blight, and after some careful thought, I realized that the owner is actually the best neighbor I have. His house might be a dump, but he is the only one of my neighbors that ever stops to say hello! I can even rely on him to watch my animals and house for me if I ever go away.... he is an excellent person! I wish all my other neighbors with their perfectly clean yards were as community oriented and open to being "neighborly" as urban blight.

Oh SO neighborly to drive down all our property values! He shows no respect for his property or us! Since when does it cost money to pick up garbage in your yard?

But he has picked up A LOT of garbage in his yard:) Perhaps it is the rest of the mess that you are looking at and saying "hmm, I would throw that out".

Just fix it and quit debating the issue. The house is a dump. Regardless of who talks to you. And where are the so called workers at???

CLEAN UP YOUR PROPERTY . AND STOP PARKING CARS IN THE YARD AND USING YOUR YARD FOR SCRAP METAL. OVER THE BS

So the trash is gone but the house looks the same. Where are these contractors. We are all watching and waiting for a positive change soon. Please, Please clean it up. So tired of looking at your run down house.

i have a similar issue on my street. i wish you the best in pressuring the owner towards taking care of his property.

Has the LCI made any progress?

Look there is NO LEAD PAINT in the interior of this house. I'd appreciate it if you would leave my son OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION ! True the owner has not done anything with his home. I too feel your pain. But to talk about my son or suggest a "look at my work history". You have crossed a line. I am an innocent party here. It's not my house, so I can't be responsible for it's condition. I believed the owner was sincere about fixing this house. So I offered my help. How dare you bring me into this discussion. I mean really.................

"Healing Houses", I'm sorry that a line was crossed. However, you say you "believed the owner was sincere about fixing his house." Do you no longer believe this? Have you heard of any progress on fixing up the house?

Look. I am a tenant here. It's not appropriate for me to respond to your questions. It's true I inserted myself into this issue a while ago. I wish I hadn't. I can tell you this... the economy isn't good right now. I believe the owner has good intentions. I prefer to be left out of this conversation. I wish all parties well.

LCI there have been no changes to this property. How does a neighbor resolve this issue?

LCI hopes to move this in the right direction.

We will post an update soon.

LCI, this house and property are still a serious mess. The owner has left. What can be done now?

What is the plan to address this?

This house is abandoned. And looks worse than ever. Is LCI ever going to do something or just let it fall into itself? Not only is it an eyesore it is a vacant building, fire hazard and draw for vagrants. Something needs to be done about this cess pool, NOW!

someone needs to buy it and fix it up. Is it for sale?

The property is in foreclosure.

Who would buy this house? Oh I know scattered sight housing. Oh wait, it is too junky for section 8. Foreclosure or not someone has to maintain that property, the bank needs to be held responsible. This place is disgusting and looks like shanty town. But I guess that is the look New Haven is going for.

Also looks like there is a tax lien, on the property (as of 3/1/2013)

since now we know LCI cant do a thing about anything I guess Smarty is right. Maybe the NHI could write a feel good article on how the city is trying so hard to take back these properties even though in reality they are just wasting our tax dollars by not enforcing ANYTHING in this city.

This house has been reported numerous times. Currently it is standing empty and is becoming further run down. This home has been a notorious property for years. When is LCI going to do something about it. There is trash in the yard, boarded up windows etc. I know this is a citywide problem but this property is long overdue for a fine and some attention. If not the homeowner how about the bank that holds the mortgage. I understand that the property is in foreclosure. Something needs to be done.

Ha, this issue goes back to 2009. Hello LCI, where are you? Thus neighborhood is sick of looking at this junkyard.

So pleased that collectively as a neighborhood we are not going to let this issue go. This recent report shows me that everyone cares except LCI. What needs to happen? Twenty dead cats like the house further up Q Ave that got so much media attention.

I would buy it and fix it up if it was for sale. Why is it not listed? Certainly the value of it isnt going up too soon, in fact it is lowering the value all around by just sitting there. The city needs to push a little harder on the bank it seems to me.

The following steps have been taken by the City regarding 387 Lenox Street. Anti-Blight Letter was sent Certified Mail on 4/24/13 to the owner. Then on 7/30/13 a Civil Citation Anti-Blight Violation Lien was sent by Certified Mail to the owner and the banks Attorney regarding the propety maintenance not being in compliance. The City will continue to monitor the property.

Can't close an issue that still is not fixed.

LCI is trying to resolve this ongoing issue. These type of vacant Anti Blight situations take time and any updates on the property will be posted.

Updates are better when they aren't 5-7 months later. Thanks for letting the neighborhood know whats going on anyways.Can I assume with the new anti-blight ordinances the city will be auctioning this house off soon???

This issue was recategorized from Uncategorized to Private Property Issue.

Anti Blight Civil Citation has been issued on this property. Fines are accuring. These type of vacant anti blight situations that time any updates on the property will be posted.

Ahhhh the snow is melting the spring is coming and this property is worse than ever. Hole on the side, falling down garage. The first report on this property was December 2009. So now it has been almost five years and nothing has changed. Great job LCI. I feel sorry for the people trying to sell the house next door. This house is a disgrace and is becoming more dangerous and decrepit every year.

Recently the back door was kicked in and wide open for weeks and now who knows whats going on in there. nice work New Haven, nice work!

So LCI, what are you going to do? A response would be great. This house needs to be torn down. Fines do not seem to be working. Go after the bank that is holding this mortgage.

I believe the Neighborhood Specialist for Quinnipiac East is Linda Davis in LCI: 946-7888 work, 410-6061 cell, ldavis@newhavenct.net e-mail

First of all, thank you for your patience. LCI has been in contact with the bank and they are now in the process of foreclosing on the property. All the liens implemented by the City of New Haven are still accruing to date. LCI will continue to monitor and post updated information.

This process is taking far too long. Over five years is absurd. Harder penaltys need to be in place. What would happen if I stopped paying my taxes and let my property fall down. I am quite sure my car would be impounded and my house would be a sober living facility or section 8 housing. The problem is is this property is not fit for habitation and no one wants it. In the meantime my neighborhood is suffering as a result. Tired of the lip service New Haven.

One of the problems seems to be that the City is not well equipped to foreclose on these properties, take them on, and then sell them to future homeowners or investors. Enacting fines and liens against a property is fine, but you have to follow through with foreclosure in order to move the property to a more responsible owner.

The fact that a house can even get half way to the point of where 387 Lenox Street is , is crazy. The city is clearly to blame here. Someone has dropped the ball here. Can't that city inspect and condemn an unsafe abandoned property? This house is in a neighborhood with other houses in very close proximity to it. It also endangers fire and emergency workers if something did happen. No front steps, sloping roof, holes in walls.

Actually the biggest problem is that people DO want it, people want to invest in the neighborhood and its just sitting there being ignored by the bank while lowering the property values all around it. The alderwoman for the ward lives next door and still nothing gets done, its pathetic.

LCI has levied a $100 dollar a day anti blight fine against this property which is incurring daily. The property is indeed foreclosed on and is owned by Mellon Bank in New York. Please contact the bank with concerns. Ironically under the contact form they have a section called "Social Responsibility". They are not moving in selling because they are refusing to pay the astronomical fines levied by the city.

https://www.bnymellon.com

So, five years later, this house is still here and in worse shape than ever. Is something EVER going to be done. At this point it needs to be demolished. The stairs are falling off, the paint is peeling, large prices of what could pass for siding is falling off. I understand the fines levied, but who would want to buy this junky house when the fines are more than the value of the property. I can't believe that New Haven and LCI would let this go on for so long. It is an eyesore and abandoned. The boarded up window only add to the charm. I want to know when something that actually works is going to take place. The shed in the back is falling down and it is dangerous. Enough is enough. Would Toni Harp want this house in her neighborhood? If it is the bank the bank needs to be held responsible. Sick of subpar public service in New Haven. FIX IT.

Sometimes the best thing about living in New Haven is knowing that the towns all around it are fairly normal and it only takes about 5 minutes to get there from the heights...

Doesn't the alderperson live next door to this dump?

Can't she do anything do fix this, this has been live this for 5 years+

Wow!! Five years later and this house is still abandoned and is a major eyesore. What has ben done by LCI? Not much from what I can see. Cannot believe that something like this can go on for so long.

It's October 6, 2015. This has been going on for over 6 years with no results. Still the same dumpy, abandoned house. Are you ever going to do anything about this New Haven LCI???

You must have read the NHI article showcasing the job LCI did in Westville.... I thought of this house as well as a few others that bring the neighborhoods down. BTW its November!

Blight only matters in Westville. This house is a "@#$% house" for sure!

What is going on with this house? Hole on the side, open and exposed. Eyesore.

Good question, I wonder if the next door neighbor Alderwoman Rose Santana(39 Clifton) has any comments on this matter.

I will be reaching out to LCI to find out what this why the problem exists
Alder Santana

Talk is cheap Alder Santana. Get this house taken care of.

I have spoken with LCI and currently working on this issue. My hopes are that this eyesore will be down in the next couple of months.

LCI will you please provide an update? The owner really should sell this--or do a short sell if it's mortgaged, which I'm assuming it still is.

Almost September 2016 and still no change with this house. Other than the front porch is falling off and the boards covering the window are starting to warp. Any news about this eyesore? Or same as usual, nothing.

SEVEN YEARS! Seven years, this has been going on for seven years. Someone is not doing their job.

I have been in contact with LCI and Economic Development to insure that this gets taken care.
We are working with the Bank to remedy this issue
Alder Santana

Who needs Haunted Houses on Halloween? We have our very own, with this property. It gets scarier every year. Which is almost 8 years now. Cannot believe that the city of New Haven allows this to go in for so long.

We are closer than ever to getting this resolved. I assure you, it is a massive thorn in our flesh. We share the discomfort with everyone given that this has been around for so long and we have never turned our heads. We will update the "instant" things take a turn for the better.
Thank you for following the issue and bearing it for so long

Officially 8 years, EIGHT YEARS!! And still nothing has been done. Shame on you, New Haven.

Here we go, it has officially been 8 years, EIGHT YEARS, since this property was reported. And still nothing has been done about it. It continues to crumble and drag down my property value. Shame on whoever is supposed to fix this. Is there no accountability? It makes the entire block look bad. Why am I paying high taxes for subpar services? Shame on you, New Haven, you have really dropped the ball on this. Is it because we are not close to Yale? Apathy at it's best.

I agree Steve, I know multiple people who were interested in buying this eyesore including myself and fixing it up. It all makes no sense. 5 years ago the 3 car garage was still salvageable, now it is a crack den(next door to the neighborhood Alderwoman) that needs to be torn down.

Any news on this decrepit house? I noticed the boards are falling off the windows and are laying in the yard. And where is the alder woman that was posting here? I thought she was "working" on it.🤔

Now it looks like all the exterior wiring has been stripped off and the windows are all wide open. Have yet to see any Homes For Humanity activity. This is a real embarrassment for this community and the City of New Haven.

Historic making day today. Habitat for Humanity is doing a SECOND ground breaking to renovate this property on Feb 3, 2018. Only took ten years. But at least it is happening, maybe.