RICHMOND, Va. - Residents in one part of Forest Hill are concerned over the poor condition of a vacant home in their neighborhood. And though they said they’ve reported it to the city, they don't believe enough has been done to fix it.
It’s not a violation for a building to be vacant, but it must still be code compliant. City records show a vacant building list, on which a vacant property must be registered.
This particular Southside home was not seen on the list.
Neighbors said it has fallen into disrepair in the past 10 years.
“We made the best of it when we moved in--but now the more neighbors that come in, the longer it goes on the harder it is to tolerate it,” said Heather Cullen.
Cullen and her neighbors checked the status of their complaint to the city's, “See, Click, Fix” website, they were a little confused to find this problem labeled as resolved.
Neighbors said the vacant home has a gaping hole in the roof, animals are living inside and there's now a rat problem spreading to their homes.
They said inspectors tell them a notice of violation will be sent out and they know the process to fix the issues will take time.
Neighbors said they decided to speak out because their safety is a top concern.
“Some of the pests were a problem…fire hazard...those types of things,” said Katrina Brooks.
