Living in a neighborhood can be a bit of a mixed bag, can’t it? On one hand, you’ve got the potential for a real sense of community, with block parties, shared gardens, and friendly waves as you pass each other on your evening walks. But then there’s always that one neighbor who seems determined to harsh the collective vibe.
You know the one – the guy who thinks 7am on a Saturday is the perfect time to fire up his leaf blower, or the lady who’s convinced her yappy little dog is everyone’s best friend. But even I have to admit, I’ve never seen anything quite like the jaw-dropping hoarder house that TikTok user @hanbanan54 recently shared. Driving through what appears to be a perfectly lovely, well-manicured neighborhood, @hanbanan54’s camera suddenly pans over to a yard that looks like it was hit by a tornado.
That house looks like it’s straight out of an episode of Hoarders. The yard is so cluttered, you can’t tell where the lawn ends and the junkyard begins. We’re talking household items, automotive parts scattered about like some sort of bizarre art installation, overturned bins that have probably been home to a family of raccoons for the past decade, and enough containers and cans to supply a small army with their daily rations. I bet even Marie Kondo would take one look and be like, “Nah, I’m out!”
I can’t help but wonder what causes someone to let their property get to this point. I mean, when every other house on the block is sporting a manicured lawn and a fresh coat of paint, it takes a special kind of dedication to maintain a yard that looks like THAT. The neighbors have a right to live in a safe and pleasant environment, without fear of vermin infestations or plummeting property values. It’s clear that the residents of this idyllic neighborhood are less than thrilled with their local eyesore.
Of course, the TikTok community had plenty to say about this unorthodox display of homeownership. Some folks took the “live and let live” approach, arguing that as long as their own house looks good, who cares what the neighbors do? But others are calling for more drastic measures, like contacting the fire department or local code enforcement. As one user pointed out, “Even if you aren’t in a HOA Community, city’s and countys have code enforcement for things like this.” Which, true – most municipalities have regulations in place to prevent properties from becoming public nuisances or health hazards.
According to @hanbanan54’s update, the city’s code enforcement is now involved, and the house is being “placarded.” For those of you not up on your municipal lingo, that basically means the property is being officially declared a hazard and the owner is being ordered to clean it up or face some serious consequences.
The update mentions that the process will take “several months” because the owner apparently skipped his court hearing. Oh, and @hanbanan54 did mention the owner is also a convicted domestic abuser. And that, my friends, is where this went from “quirky neighborhood character” to “holy crap, this is actually really serious and scary.”