Vancouver resident sues neighbor after mannequin hoard causes rat infestation

From the front to the back, piles of junk cover every inch of Steve Slocum’s Vancouver home.

"No. This is not okay,” Slocum replied when KATU asked if the situation was okay.

When KATU asked what his plan for all the junk is, Slocum said "To get it out and use it."

For more than a year, Slocum collected mannequins, old furniture, rusty machinery, statues, flags, and more outside his home in the Columbia Orchard neighborhood.

He considered them a part of his art, creating an elaborate and eccentric yard display.

However, he said the collection turned into a problem somewhere along the way. He admitted he is hoarding.

That hoarding caused a rat infestation at the home next door, according to neighbor Keelie Price.

“The rats scratch on the side of the house. Like right next to my head. So, you’re awake,” Price said while noting the rats bother her at night.

She added that her dogs barking are what keep the rats from coming into her home, but that’s hardly any comfort.

Other than the rodent noises and health concerns, Price is also worried about the infestation’s impact on her job – a pet-sitting business she runs out of her home.

"I’m not even able to work. Like, I can’t do my job because I can’t even use half my yard," she said.

Price recently filed a lawsuit against Slocum for the problems his collection has caused, claiming he’s violating city codes.

READ MORE: https://katu.com/news/local/vancouver-resident-sues-neighbor-after-hoarding-collection-causes-rat-infestation

_______________
Stay up to date with our social media:

KATU on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katunews
KATU on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KATUNews
Subscribe to KATU on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDTerxNU_gvCWLkIPkqghA/?sub_confirmation=1

Daily News Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFtHM_AbvnEUkd_YRTlZpGKkbczT5w062

For more information, visit https://katu.com/

Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:

Email us: newstips@katu.com
Call the Newsroom: 503.231.4222

KATU is a OR based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.

#KATU #Katu2abc #Portland #Oregon #localnews #oregonnews

Author: KATU News
Go to Source

News post in at: July 30, 2024, 3:03 am.

Visit Our Sponsor’s:
News.Science – News Science