Uproar as abandoned home becomes haven for criminals

AN ABANDONED house in Zephyr street in Pefferville has become a burden for widow Caroline Smith and residents living in the area.

Smith’s husband David passed away in 2015, leaving her the property. However, Smith said this hadn’t gone down well with her late husband’s children and the family had been embroiled in a legal battle over the property. As a result, maintenance was neglected and it has fallen into ruin.

Despite a court ruling in her favour last year, Smith has not returned to house due to ill health and the state of the place.

The Daily Dispatch last week visited the house, which has been stripped of all its windows, doors, and electrical wiring. The bathroom is bare – even the bathtub and toilet have been ripped out.

Mandy Fortein, who has been living in the area for more than 10 years, says they are fed up.

“This house is terrorising us. It is stripped and damaged. Drugs are smoked inside. People get mugged and robbers run in there. You can’t chase them because you don’t know what you’ll find inside. We live in constant fear. One day, we’ll find a dead body in this house.”

When the Dispatch tried to talk to other residents, they said they were too scared to comment fearing for their safety. One woman said: “If I talk, they’ll know it was me and they’ll come after me.”

Another woman who also declined to give her name, said: “Small kids play here. What if they get raped one day?”

Fortein said there were many kids in the neighbourhood. “All we want is for someone to take ownership of this house. We’ve approached the cops, we’ve approached our ward councillor, but no one seems able to help us.”

Approached for comment, Pefferville ward councillor Kuhle Ciliza said she would look into the matter.