MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Residents in a North Memphis neighborhood are complaining about several problem properties. One of the properties is a vacant lot at the corner of Alma Street and Henry Avenue. It’s overrun with brush and tall grass.
Fely Harris lives next door.
“The raccoons and everything be back there,” she said, “I be scared. Ain’t no telling who’s in them bushes (who might) jump out on me!”
She says it’s been an issue for two years and claims she’s called the city’s 311 line a number of times but nothing gets done. So, she’s taking matters into her own hands and periodically slicing away the brush one cut at a time.
“And I’ve been cutting and cutting it down myself,” Harris said.
Two abandoned homes just up the street are also problems. They are plagued with overgrown grass and tall weeds. Some of the weeds are more than six feet tall.
Sandra Walton lives across the street and says she’s complained about the properties to the city several times over the last two years.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Walton said, “The property owners need to have it cut or tore down or whatever they’re going to do with it.”
City officials haven’t detailed what code enforcement is doing about these properties but a notice on one of the homes says it was condemned in October, 2020.
WREG looked at county property records for the vacant lot but no property owner information was listed.
