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Inside a condemned Indialantic "House of Horrors"
After an Indialantic home was condemned earlier this month – with city officials trying to get to the bottom of this "nuisance property" – neighbors are saying the state of the home is giving them nightmares. Neighbors reported the conditions are the worst they’ve seen since the homeowner moved out. For the first time and after months of reporting, FOX 35 got an inside look into what the home looks like. Trash, furniture and boxes were piled up in the home.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - After an Indialantic home was condemned earlier this month – with city officials trying to get to the bottom of this "nuisance property" – neighbors are saying the state of the home is giving them nightmares.
Neighbors reported the conditions are the worst they’ve seen since the homeowner moved out.
For the first time and after months of reporting, FOX 35 got an inside look into what the home looks like. Trash, furniture and boxes were piled up in the home.
A neighbor covers her nose while looking inside a condemned home in Indialantic.
"The biohazard of the house is still here between the rats, the filth, the feces all over the property and the smell," a neighbor told FOX 35’s Esther Bower.
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Rats run from the home to other homes in the area. There could be thousands, Bower reported.
This comes after the home was condemned earlier this month. However, now the home is sitting there and residents are worried.
The backstory:
Neighbors voiced public health concerns about the "dangerous conditions" of an Indialantic home, which they said had rats, trash and human waste. Residents said the homeowner has let her property degrade for almost a decade, and now it’s a health and safety hazard for others, according to neighbors.
Brevard County said the code enforcement cases date back to 2018.
A "troubled" home in Indialantic was condemned after nearly 10 years of rats, trash and feces.
"There are two active cases that are in lien status, for which fines have reached the maximum. The first is for an unsafe structure and lack of safe water service, for which the fine is $31,832 (initially $100/day), and for junk vehicles, overgrowth, and structure maintenance, also at $31,832 (initially $25/day)."
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New agencies, including the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the county health department, are now involved in addressing conditions at a home neighbors have described as a "house of horrors." Organizations are working together to clean up the property and stabilize the situation.
Brevard County code enforcement says the home has reached the maximum fines allowed for violations relating to unsafe structures, junk vehicles and overgrown property. The Florida Department of Health confirmed it is conducting an active environmental public health investigation but declined to comment further.
A condemned "horror house" in Indialantic has boxes, trash and furniture piled inside.
A new problem
Since no one is at the home, residents are noticing more and more rats emerging from the property. They’re concerned about how many could be at the home and if they’ll start multiplying and looking for other homes to live in.
Cheryl Cataldo says she’s never seen more rats and is hiring critter control because there've been signs on her roof that the rats are coming across the street.
Residents are also worried about all the human feces that’s been dumped in the yard and the biohazard situation. They had to fight for years to get the home condemned and don’t want to see it sit vacant for too long to attract squatters and more animals and bugs.
What they're saying:
Neighbors are thankful to see the homeowner removed but are worried about the lingering problems left behind.
"No one’s going to take the lead again and no enforcement. All the agencies are in agreement about the rat infestation, the hazmat, the whole property," said Paul Brennan who owns the lot next door.
"I was having rat nightmares you know," said Cheryl Cataldo who heard commotion at the home and thought it was squatters. When she investigated, she saw more rats than she’s ever seen before.
Local perspective:
Scott Widerman, an attorney and real estate law expert, said it's tough to get a nuisance property torn down, but not impossible.
"The fact we are talking about the rat problem, the rat feces, the human feces – these types of things are known life, safety, health negatives, if you will," Widerman said. He said neighbors need to keep documenting and reporting issues to officials.
What's next:
The homeowner is currently in a 60-day period to clean up the home. It’s unclear what will happen if they don’t address the issues. Neighbors plan to attend a county commission meeting in the new year demanding answers about what officials will do about the property.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from FOX 35's Esther Bower.