Southaven Residents: Struggling Homebuilders leave Overgrown Grass
Many people in DeSoto County are fed up with the way their subdivisions look. They say financially strapped builders are letting the grass grow out of control on their vacant lots... Wallace said residential building has slowed in the once booming city of Southaven. He said builders are left with lots no one is looking to buy. He said builders are more focused on staying in business than mowing the lawns on their properties.

Southaven Residents: Struggling Homebuilders leave Overgrown Grass

     View Video Report

Southaven, Mississippi residents say struggling homebuilders are not mowing the grass in their subdivisions.

Southaven, MS - Eyewitness News Everywhere Uncovers an ugly side effect of the housing crisis.

Many people in DeSoto County are fed up with the way their subdivisions look. They say financially strapped builders are letting the grass grow out of control on their vacant lots.

“It's unfortunate that we have to walk out every day and we have to see the weeds growing beside our home,” said Chateau Pointe resident Tammy Taylor.

Lots littered with overgrown grass pepper the back part of her Southaven subdivision. Taylor’s home sits smack dab in the middle of three vacant pieces of property.

“It's a disaster basically,” said Taylor.

“It’s kind of swampy looking,” she added.

Southaven’s Director of Operations Bradley Wallace said he has received more complaints than usual this year about overgrown grass and unkempt properties at subdivisions around the city.

Wallace said, “Developers and builders have had financial problems or have seemingly abandoned their responsibilities.”

“This year,” he added, “we are having additional issues with developments that have lots that have not been built on yet or some that have started construction and had to stop.”

Wallace will ask builders to clean up their properties. If the builders fail to comply, Wallace’s staff will cut the grass and add the charge for their work to the owner’s property tax bill.

Wallace said residential building has slowed in the once booming city of Southaven. He said builders are left with lots no one is looking to buy. He said builders are more focused on staying in business than mowing the lawns on their properties.

Olive Branch is struggling with the same problem. Hearings are scheduled for 100 lots that could be declared menaces to public safety.

The city’s planning director, B.J. Page, said he expects most builders and developers to cut overgrown grass on their properties when the problem is brought to their attention.

Olive Branch officials will also cut the grass and bill the owners, if no one responds to their requests to clean up the properties.

Struggling homeowners are also part of the problem. Some overgrown grass is growing in the yards of foreclosed homes. 

Currently, Foreclosure.com lists 272 properties in foreclosure in DeSoto County.

Back at Chateau Pointe, Tammy’s husband has taken on the responsibility of mowing parts of the vacant lots surrounding their property. Taylor said her husband had no choice when the weeds next door began spreading into their backyard.

It is a far cry from the environment Tammy expected when she moved from Memphis to Chateau Pointe one year ago.

“I thought we would have neighbors, you know, and new friends, but… our friends are the weeds,” she said.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=af79f74e-28d3-4fae-b7f5-b9d5a004b11c