Lubbock residents fed up with code violations

Lubbock, Texas (KCBD) – Some Lubbock residents in the Bayless-Atkins neighborhood claim code violations are getting out of hand.

One resident, who simply identifies himself as Harris, said he had previously been in contact with the city about the violation.

“Neighbors keep so much junk around their homes that they called the city numerous times,” Harris said.

That’s just one of the complaints I’ve heard while door-to-door in the Bayless Atkins area. Harris says the code violation in her neighborhood hasn’t been addressed, and now it’s causing problems for her property.

“I’m seeing more rats and more cats now,” Harris said.

Another issue she claims landlords haven’t caught up on is the maintenance of rental homes in the area.

“That house is empty. We have to take care of the garden,” said Harris. “If they want to sell them, they have to cut the yard.”

Code department Stuart Walker says she’s absolutely right.

“It really depends on the violation and it’s up to the property owner who has to deal with the violation,” Walker said. “Weed and trash, if you send notice they have seven days to comply.

If the city has to fill the shortage of property owners, the process could take weeks. Labor shortage is also a factor.

“We have a limited number of contractors,” Walker said. “We lost a lot of men to COVID-19 and drought. They went looking for others.”

Another eye-catching building is the remains of the Falcon Cove Town Homes, which burned down in June.

“It’s disgusting to watch,” Harris said. “I haven’t seen anyone. One morning I heard something sound like it was being dumped, and I was like, ‘Okay, they’re cleaning it up,’ but it wasn’t.” . It has never been touched. They fenced it off and left it alone. “

She says it’s dangerous to have young children in the neighborhood.

“I’ve heard people talk about it,” Harris said. “I called it out too because I got tired of looking at it, but I haven’t done anything with it yet.”

Finding the owner of the property can be difficult. One resident said the previous owner sold the complex earlier this week, but Walker said the city has already taken steps to clean the property.

“We are preparing a lawsuit that will go to Structural Standards Court so that we can get an order,” Walker said. “I need to get an order from a district court judge to come inside and clean up the rest.”

Copyright 2022 KCBD. all rights reserved.