LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- An abandoned home in Lafayette is causing problems for residents nearby. Neighbors are concerned about how the boarded-up property is impacting them and their neighborhood.

Residents say they have reached out to the Lafayette Consolidated Government but have not received answers.

Kathryn Black, who has lived in the neighborhood for four years, said her frustrations over the abandoned property have grown.

"They have sitting water back there. Sitting water is heaven for mosquitos. Even trying to walk down the driveway, your ankles are attacked by mosquitos no matter what time of day," Black said.

She claims she has also seen possible squatters going in and out of the property.

"Whenever I first moved in, the neighbors welcomed me. Its a really great neighborhood. They did warn me, there are some squatters in that house," Black said.

She said LCG put a vacancy notice on the home at the end of last year, but said the issues remain. With grass growing taller at the property, she says animals have also come onto the home.

"They had cleaned out the backyard because the backyard was full of, odds and ins, who knows, you could find anything back there," Black said.

Black says she and her neighbors want to be able to live peacefully, without having to worry about the eyesore.

"We understand there's legal processes and everything else to go through just because the city doesn't own the house and there's no owners per say, but we want to be able to enjoy our neighborhood, we want to be able to hang outside," Black said.

In a statement, LCG said a notice of lien was issued to the property owner in November 2023 following unpaid invoices for cleanup efforts.

"The house has since been boarded and will follow the adjudication process," an LCG representative said.

Latest News