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Neighbors say debris-filled Brevard County property poses storm risk
Neighbors in a Brevard County community say an abandoned property left covered in demolition debris has become a safety hazard as hurricane season continues, and they want county officials to force the owner to clean it up.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Neighbors in a Brevard County community say an abandoned property left covered in demolition debris has become a safety hazard as hurricane season continues, and they want county officials to force the owner to clean it up.
Residents on Palomino Drive said the home was demolished in April after the previous owner died, but piles of debris, junk and overgrown vegetation remain on the property. They fear loose materials could become airborne during severe weather and damage nearby homes.
Problem property
What we know:
The trouble on Palomino Drive began after the property's original owner passed away.
"There was an older gentleman that lived here and he passed," said Patty Evans, a concerned neighbor.
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According to Evans, that is when things went downhill. The home started falling apart, trash began piling up, and strange activity took over the lot. Evans recalled seeing people "in and out all day long, different cars, different people."
While the actual structure was finally demolished back in April, the physical house may be gone, but the headaches are far from over. Today, the lot is covered in leftover debris.
Hurricane hazard concerns
With Florida currently in the middle of hurricane season, neighbors are terrified of what could happen if high winds rip through the neighborhood. They fear the leftover demolition debris sitting in the yard will quickly turn into airborne missiles.
Malilia Fleese, another neighbor living near the property, described the situation simply as "terrible."
"Flying into neighbor's homes, not being taken care of and next thing you know it’s going to shatter windows and fly into their house and across the street," Fleese warned.
Frustrated by the lack of response, Evans said neighbors felt they had nowhere left to turn.
"What should I do? Call the news station," Evans said. "I’m like, okay, that is what I am doing, so we got to get somebody on it. Someone has to take care of it."
Officials respond
What they're saying:
Brevard County officials confirmed they are aware of the issue and have been actively penalizing the owner, though the fines do not appear to be motivating a cleanup.
In a statement to FOX 35, Brevard County officials, wrote, "We have a case actively drawing fines of $25 per day for overgrowth and litter, junk and debris. Fines began running in late ’24 and continue to run, with a lien attached."
Local law enforcement has also been out to the address. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies were called out to the property around 15 times between January and March of this year alone.
According to deputies, those calls varied in severity, including:
- Evictions and routine patrols
- Attempts to remove people from the land
- At least one call regarding a bonfire on the lot
While police calls to the property have slowed down since the structure was demolished in April, a new, unsanitary problem has taken its place.
"The neighbors saw a couple rats, and then she’s getting huge bugs in her house and it’s like – what can we do?" Fleese said.
What we don't know:
Right now, residents feel the current system of daily fines isn't doing enough to resolve the issue before disaster strikes.
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It remains unclear when, or if, Brevard County will step in to clear the lot itself, or if the mounting liens will eventually force a foreclosure sale. FOX 35 reached out to the property owner via phone calls and text messages for an update on the cleanup timeline but did not receive a response.
The Source: FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower reached out to residents after they wrote to FOX 35 for help. She visited the site on 7/15. She emailed with officials from the county and spoke on the phone with the sheriff's office. She called and texted the listed property owner on 7/16 but did not receive a response.