:help
My grandmother (God love her) has lived in the same house for 50+ years. Now as you can imagine the neighborhood is not as stellar as it once was. In fact, across the street is a prostitution/crackhouse. The owner is an older man that lets his son use the house as he sees fit. He pays the taxes, although their are some municipal liens on the property. Everyone in the neighborhood has called the police and they are well aware of the situtation. What else can be done to rid the neighborhood of this house given that it is not rented; but owned?
Thanks in advance
Heather
PS granny is a firecracker and as she says “she ain’t movin’!”
Does your state have a public nuisance law? That’s how I deal with crack houses and drug users.
A black suit, and 3 or 4 molotov cocktails and your problem is solved. Just make sure the crackheads/whomever have left before you have your bonfire. 
LOL
Take some pictures of the crack house and its environs. Then go downtown and visit with your city officials one-by-one in every department that you can think of, including the police and gang detail. keep a binder of your progress on this case. These are the people who are supposed to help you with problems. Lean on them.
Also, have you considered an offer to buy the property from the father? He can give sonny boy some money from the sale and everyone might be happy. Sonny could move on to more fertile drug territory or something. You could clean up grandma’s neighborhood. They might be willing to sell if the city is pressuring them.
Once in San Diego I sold the clubhouse of the 23rd Street Locos. It was in a 3-car garage behind a duplex I was marketing. The seller didn’t know what to do. We didn’t speak to or see the Locos as they mostly hung out there late at night. So I got a handyman who one morning removed one of the garage doors. A few days later, another door. Finally, after a while, the last door. Now the clubhouse with its couches, tables, murals of naked Mexican maidens was open to the world. The Loco stuff started disappearing out of the garages. The property got sold.
Furnishedowner
I would start out by documenting everything. Take pictures of the crackers. Take pictures of their cars and license plates as they come and go. Consider putting in an inexpensive surveillance camera system (inexpensive at Radio Shack) and get the scumbags on video. Next, take your evidence to the police and TALK TO THE CHIEF (he works for you). Also, talk to your city council and health department (if appropriate). If that doesn’t work, write a strongly worded Letter to the Editor talking about how the police chief isn’t doing his job! BE BLUNT! Politicians and civil servants like to work in the dark and don’t like for light to shine on their incompetence. Turn on the light and the path of least resistance will be for them to do something about the house.
I recently had an incident where a dangerous career criminal was hanging around our property. He had been arrested over 175 times. I had him arrested for criminal trespass and the prosecutor let him loose after only 15 days. I wrote a scathing letter to the editor about how incompetent the prosecutor was. The guy has now been in jail for the last 4 months and I don’t expect to see him anytime soon! It’s amazing what a little light will do!
Good Luck,
Mike
Thanks everyone. Here is what the Florida public nuisance law says
823.05 Places declared a nuisance; may be abated and enjoined.–Whoever shall erect, establish, continue, or maintain, own or lease any building, booth, tent or place which tends to annoy the community or injure the health of the community, or become manifestly injurious to the morals or manners of the people as described in s. 823.01, or shall be frequented by the class of persons mentioned in 1s. 856.02, or any house or place of prostitution, assignation, lewdness or place or building where games of chance are engaged in violation of law or any place where any law of the state is violated, shall be deemed guilty of maintaining a nuisance, and the building, erection, place, tent or booth and the furniture, fixtures and contents are declared a nuisance. All such places or persons shall be abated or enjoined as provided in ss. 60.05 and 60.06.
What does abated or enjoined mean? I swear I need to hire an attorney just to read this.
I offered to buy the house from the father but he isn’t selling. His dear son (the crackhead) has to have a roof over his head. His son only has one leg because the other was shot off in a drug deal gone bad. This dad is an enabler and I can’t stand that!
Found this at dictionary.die.net:
2. (Law) To prohibit or restrain by a judicial order or
decree; to put an injunction on.
This is a suit to enjoin the defendants from
disturbing the plaintiffs. --Kent.
-
(Law)
(a) To bring entirely down or put an end to; to do away
with; as, to abate a nuisance, to abate a writ.
(b) (Eng. Law) To diminish; to reduce. Legacies are liable
to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a
deficiency of assets.To abate a tax, to remit it either wholly or in part.
The main point with the public nuisance angle is that it makes the property owner liable for damages so that he is forced to deal with the situation. Hit him in the wallet so to speak. Let’s see how much the kids needs a roof when Dad is shelling out some cash. It also gives the police and DA some leverage to get things done. Use Mike’s suggestions to document the situation and involve the Mayor and your City Counselor.
I installed the security cameras last night. Today, I found out that if he doesn’t comply with the nuisance laws he is fined $250/day. The inspector went out yesterday and could not get in so the case goes back to the Special Master for another hearing. I also enrolled the house in the DART program which stands for Drug Abatement Response Team so they can start their own investigation. I hope all this helps to get rid of this guy!!!
You’re on the right track! Keep the pressure up and the dirtbags will take the path of least resistance.
Good Luck,
Mike