A group of angry Baysville residents have signed a petition to force the owner of an abandoned house in the affluent suburb to demolish or renovate the run-down property.
In the petition with 23 signatures, the petitioners argue that the property lowers the market value of houses in the area and has become a haven for vagrants and criminals.
The residents told the Daily Dispatch that potential property buyers also lose interest in buying in the area due to the house.
Ironically the house, at number 20 Tottenham Road, is according to a November 2017 Windeed property database, owned by a Buffalo City Metro Housing Department employee, a senior official in the department’s project management office.
The Dispatch was given the owner’s name but he could not be tracked down for comment.
BCM refused to give out his contact numbers.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya said the matter was a personal issue between the owner and the aggrieved residents, citing that the metro would not discuss their employees’ personal matters with the media.
“All we can do is advise residents to raise the matter with their councillor who is their local authority or they can visit the department of land administration and development planning.”
The petition form, in possession of the Dispatch reads: “We, the residents of Baysville, specifically Tottenham Road are and have been for a long time very troubled by the condition of No20 Tottenham Road.
“We have resolved that this house should be either renovated or demolished with immediate effect.
“We are aware that the owner works for BCM’s Department of Housing and for this exact reason should know that the concerns of the whole neighbourhood should be taken seriously.”
The residents argue that the house is:
l A health hazard;
l A security risk as thugs and vagrants are residing there; and
l It is dilapidated and should be condemned.
Irate resident Tandile Toyi, who started the petition, said neighbours have tried in vain to convince the owner to do something about the property.
“Some of our neighbours cannot even sell their houses because this property has devalued other houses.”
Toyi claims that the residents guard the house against being stripped further by vandals.
“The owner might think that we hate him but we don’t. We are the ones who don’t sleep watching his house.
“Recently I jumped over his fence to switch off his water meter after his tap dripped for the whole day. This is after vandals vandalised his tap for copper trading.”
Neighbour Mpumie Didishe, who moved next door in September, said he knew that the house was going to be a nuisance after vagrants jumped over a mutual boundary wall and stole his tools just two days after he had moved into his house.
“There are a lot of activities during the night at that house yet, during the day, it is just a ghost house. I was forced to get two pit bulls to protect my property and went to the shop to replace the stolen goods.”
Zelda Westcott alleged that the house was chasing away potential property buyers. “The first thing people see when they enter Tottenham Road is this house because is sticks out. It is a very ugly house.”
Westcott also claimed that the owner of the house had been declining offers to purchase the property. Mr A Richardson said he was concerned about the safety of his family, as he claimed vagrants residing in the house had climbed into his house and stolen his belongings.
“At one time they were caught by my staff and fled into the bushes. The owner of the house is subjecting us to a lot of danger.” — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
Residents take a stand
In the petition with 23 signatures, the petitioners argue that the property lowers the market value of houses in the area and has become a haven for vagrants and criminals.
The residents told the Daily Dispatch that potential property buyers also lose interest in buying in the area due to the house.
Ironically the house, at number 20 Tottenham Road, is according to a November 2017 Windeed property database, owned by a Buffalo City Metro Housing Department employee, a senior official in the department’s project management office.
The Dispatch was given the owner’s name but he could not be tracked down for comment.
BCM refused to give out his contact numbers.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya said the matter was a personal issue between the owner and the aggrieved residents, citing that the metro would not discuss their employees’ personal matters with the media.
“All we can do is advise residents to raise the matter with their councillor who is their local authority or they can visit the department of land administration and development planning.”
The petition form, in possession of the Dispatch reads: “We, the residents of Baysville, specifically Tottenham Road are and have been for a long time very troubled by the condition of No20 Tottenham Road.
“We have resolved that this house should be either renovated or demolished with immediate effect.
“We are aware that the owner works for BCM’s Department of Housing and for this exact reason should know that the concerns of the whole neighbourhood should be taken seriously.”
The residents argue that the house is:
l A health hazard;
l A security risk as thugs and vagrants are residing there; and
l It is dilapidated and should be condemned.
Irate resident Tandile Toyi, who started the petition, said neighbours have tried in vain to convince the owner to do something about the property.
“Some of our neighbours cannot even sell their houses because this property has devalued other houses.”
Toyi claims that the residents guard the house against being stripped further by vandals.
“The owner might think that we hate him but we don’t. We are the ones who don’t sleep watching his house.
“Recently I jumped over his fence to switch off his water meter after his tap dripped for the whole day. This is after vandals vandalised his tap for copper trading.”
Neighbour Mpumie Didishe, who moved next door in September, said he knew that the house was going to be a nuisance after vagrants jumped over a mutual boundary wall and stole his tools just two days after he had moved into his house.
“There are a lot of activities during the night at that house yet, during the day, it is just a ghost house. I was forced to get two pit bulls to protect my property and went to the shop to replace the stolen goods.”
Zelda Westcott alleged that the house was chasing away potential property buyers. “The first thing people see when they enter Tottenham Road is this house because is sticks out. It is a very ugly house.”
Westcott also claimed that the owner of the house had been declining offers to purchase the property. Mr A Richardson said he was concerned about the safety of his family, as he claimed vagrants residing in the house had climbed into his house and stolen his belongings.
“At one time they were caught by my staff and fled into the bushes. The owner of the house is subjecting us to a lot of danger.” — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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