CBS2 Gets Results: Piles Of Trash Hauled Away From Borough Park Home
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- On Friday, neighbors called CBS2 about a Brooklyn home that was surrounded by trash.
They said it was a mess for months, and nobody was cleaning it up. CBS2's Ilana Gold went to Borough Park to demand answers, and now the garbage is gone.
Workers spent the day outside of a home on 57th Street and New Utrecht Avenue in Borough Park, hauling piles of garbage from the driveway and backyard.
After a 5 hour job, they filled a truck with 2,000-lbs of trash. The property is now clear and unrecognizable.
"I feel very relieved, my entire family feels very relieved," a neighbor said.
On Friday, the home was surrounded by old furniture, luggage, and debris stacked 5-feet high.
A neighbor said he has complained to the city dozens of times since the summer, and nothing has been done until now.
"It was disgusting, for five months there was nobody to talk to," he said.
The owner of a trash removal company said a good Samaritan saw the initial story and said he wanted to help, so he called and offered to pay for the cleanup.
"All I can say is, I think it's the miracle of Chanukah in Borough Park," Yidel Perlstein said.
Community leaders said the homeowner gave the company permission to clear the mess.
"We were like, 'wow they're actually cleaning it up! Did that CBS thing work? And it did," Eli Ostericher said.
On Monday, CBS2 tried to get a comment from the homeowner, but nobody answered the door.
The city Health Department has issued several fines in the last month, but couldn't take more action because the trash was on private property. They said if the trash was not removed by today, they planned to get a court order so the city could get rid of the garbage.
People who live in the neighborhood hope it stays this way.
The Health Department said the property owner still owes the city several hundred dollars for the violations. If they don't pay, the city will take legal action.
