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Pasco's eyesore leaves neighbors frustrated

Pasco's eyesore leaves neighbors frustrated
Posted at 4:12 PM, Mar 24, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-27 05:51:17-04

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — John Saxer is tired of living next to a pile of junk on Patriot Lane in Holiday.

"You have code enforcement. What good is a code if you don't enforce it," said Saxer.

A pile of junk in his next-door neighbor's front yard is so big it's spilling out into the street.

"My name for it is a stinkhole instead of a sinkhole," said Saxer.

We also saw a dog tied up and sleeping on the road, dangerously close to getting run over by a garbage truck.

Pasco's eyesore leaves neighbors frustrated

Saxer said it started to get bad about nine months ago when the man living here brought home a collection of random items with the intent of selling them.

"He's sucking trash into his yard; that's all I can say like a sinkhole sucks the building down; he just goes out to raid dumpsters," said Saxer.

Pasco County's Code compliance department said they've been to this house several times and are working through the legal process to not only see if the violations are corrected but also to give assistance to the people living here.

Saxer said it's taking too long for the county to act.

"I almost cried on the phone telling them to come over and do something about this situation," Saxer explained.

We spoke to the family and friends of the homeowner; they said the man living here is troubled, addicted to drugs and needs help.

Pasco's eyesore leaves neighbors frustrated

His longtime girlfriend said, "his family and I are extremely saddened by what has happened and we apologize to the public on his behalf."

Meanwhile, Saxer wants to find peace in his neighborhood instead of being a mess.

"This is my retirement. I'd like to be able to retire happily," said Saxer.

For more information on assistance in Pasco County, click here.