Neighbors say a business on Detroit’s west side is blighted and attracting trouble. Efforts to get the owner to address the problems went ignored, until 7 Action News got involved.
Residents in the area of Hubbell & Joy Road take pride in their properties. They keep their lawns tidy and the park clean, but they say the auto parts salvage yard adjacent to their neighborhood is hurting their efforts and bringing their property values down.
Neighbors tell 7 Action News they met with the general manager of Ryan’s Auto Parts to voice their concerns, but nothing was done.
They then took up a petition, lodged a complaint with the City of Detroit and went as far as filing a lawsuit.
Ramon Jackson told 7 Action News, neighbors don’t want to cause problems, they just want the salvage yard owner to maintain his property and put up a proper fence, similar to the fence at the company’s Ferndale location.
Click on the video player to watch Ronnie Dahl’s full report to see what the general manager had to say, the owner’s waterfront mansion and the response from the City of Detroit.
The city has released the following statement:
Contrary to our previous understanding, this land is not a public "easement" (similar to the land between a homeowner's sidewalk and curb). If it were, it would be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to maintain. This land, however, is made up to two oddly shaped but distinct city-owned parcels. Now that the ownership issue has been cleared up, the city's General Services Department will begin clearing the property later this week and will regularly maintain it as it does with other vacant city-owned lots.
Brad Dick, Director of the General Services Department
Have a story for Ronnie? Send her an email at ronnie.dahl@wxyz.com.
