Massive pile of trash outside Fairfax District home sparks concern: 'It's been accumulating slowly'

FAIRFAX DISTRICT, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In between two large, multi-million dollar homes in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles, there's a home where a growing pile of trash covers nearly every inch of the front and the back of the property. The issue has been raising questions from neighbors including, "Why is the homeowner letting this happen?"

"It's been accumulating slowly," said a resident in the area. "My take on it is it's kind of disgusting compared to everything else in the area."

The home is located on North Martel Avenue, just off Melrose. Aerial footage shows hundreds of full trash bags piled up as high as 5 feet in some spots.

Find our latest updates on the Fairfax garbage pile here | Mayor Bass says city crews will begin removing massive pile of trash outside Fairfax District home

It's clear it didn't happen overnight.

Neighbors who spoke with Eyewitness News on Tuesday said it's been getting worse every day for years, and their frustration has been growing just as steadily.

"The outside of the property needs to be cleaned, for sure, and I mean, I can only imagine what it's like inside, so I would say the whole thing needs to be torn down," said one resident.

On Monday, someone had enough and contacted the office of Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the area, about the property. She reached out to the City Attorney's office to see what - if anything - can be done.

"I am aware of the situation at the home near Martel and Melrose Ave, and have directed my team to work with the appropriate City and County Departments to resolve the issue with urgency," she wrote in a statement. "Private property owners have a responsibility to maintain public health standards, and we will make sure those laws are upheld."

Similar trash issues have been reported before

According to documents filed with the City Clerk's office, about eight years ago, fines were issued over piles of trash.

Neighbors told ABC7 the property was cleaned shortly after that, but the trash started to build up again, and they say now, it's worse than ever before.

"It smells really bad, and I know who the guy is that owns it, and I feel bad for him because it's a mental health problem," said a resident.

Some who live in the area wanted to stay anonymous but told ABC7 they hope this added attention can be focused not just on the home and yard, but the man who lives here.

"I feel bad for somebody who is a sweet person, but obviously has mental health issues."

The incident remains under investigation. Other city agencies may also become involved, like the health department.