Crime & Safety
7 Tons Of Garbage Removed From LA 'Trash House' So Far: Report
Piles of garbage outside an LA home have been a problem for years; the city sprung into action this week following media coverage.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Just days after media reports aired images of a Los Angeles residential property overrun by piles of garbage, city officials sprung into action at the so-called "trash house" and removed a whopping seven tons of refuse from the property by Thursday, according to reports.
The home is located on the 600 block of Martel Avenue, a block south of Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax District. The property has been on city officials' radar for over a decade. City records detail 24 code enforcement complaints on the property for issues including access to the driveway, trash on the premises and excessive or overgrown vegetation.
The property was cleaned up by the city in 2019 after those past violations, leaving the homeowner to foot the bill, KCAL reported.
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But the problem had returned once again: There's currently one code-enforcement case for the property, opened in July 2023, which notes problems with driveway access, trash, open storage of inoperable vehicles and excessive or overgrown vegetation. It was listed as being under investigation earlier this week.
Mayor Karen Bass went to the property on Wednesday following reports of the state of the home earlier this week. Speaking to reporters outside the house, Bass said she would instruct officials to bypass red tape to make sure the place was cleaned up immediately.
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“I don’t want to hear about any process or whatever, this to me is a public health emergency,” Bass said. “This is a fire hazard and I worry about the individual there, this place catching fire, him losing his life.”
The city Department of Building and Safety that day declared the property an "imminent public safety and health risk," which gave crews the authority to remove trash from the yard.
By Thursday morning crews had already removed seven tons of garbage, ABC 7 reported.
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky said the county is attempting to offer mental health services to the homeowner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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