Residents on quiet California street left furious as trash and junk pile up outside their dirty neighbor's home: 'We need help'

Published: 17:44, 28 April 2026 | Updated: 17:49, 28 April 2026 Outraged residents in a California neighborhood are begging for help as a nearby home is festered with trash in the front yard.  The quiet Indiana Street in Vallejo features homes selling for over half a million dollars, with longtime residents who have lived there for decades.  Lillie Hurd, 91, a Vallejo resident and landlord, bought her home in 1954 at age 18 and has never left.  Taking pride in her neighborhood, Hurd now faces an off-putting problem just steps from her home - a nearby property with junk overflowing outside.  The vile sight is only half the problem for Hurd, she told CBS News Bay Area.  The 91-year-old showed the back of her property, which she now leases, and pointed to an area she says strangers have used as a cut-through. Hurd's tenant is terrified of stragglers passing by, and Hurd even built two fences to try to keep them out.  Residents in Vallejo California are outraged over this property's overflowing trash in the front yard Neighbors said they have called and complained to the city multiple times Lillie Hurd, 91, Vallejo resident and landlord, purchased her home in 1954 and has never left the city. She lives a few houses away from the dirty property But the landlord said the fence and repeated reports to the city haven't led to any kind of resolution.  'We need somebody to do something. Police department. Code enforcement. We need help,' Hurd told the outlet. Vallejo city officials confirmed to CBS that there is an active code enforcement case against the property and are currently investigating the conditions.  They added that the property recently received a third citation. While it is unknown if anyone lives there, city officials said the home is registered in their vacant property program.  The case has gone unresolved despite a slew of citations.  'Since the ultimate goal is compliance and not just collecting money, they are willing to wait it out and take care of it,' San Jose State Professor Jeffery Hare told the outlet. 'But if there is illegal activity, then it becomes a police matter,' he added.  Hurd showing the fence she built to try and keep the trespassers out Vallejo City Management officials confirmed to CBS that there is an active code enforcement case against the home Hurd begged for help from city or law enforcement officials Hurd said she understands the city is limited for solutions, refused to stay silent about the mess.  'My poor tenants are devastated; there is nothing they can do,' she told the outlet, adding that she will continue pushing for change for her tenants and the neighborhood.  Hurd's neighborhood dilemma is just the latest instance where California communities have been affected by large junk piles. A trash fire broke out Friday near a home in Sun Valley, dubbed as the 'hoarder house,' which has received numerous complaints due to the heavy accumulation of garbage on the property. Los Angeles firefighters responded just after 11am to a home on West La Tuna Canyon Road, where they found a large trash pile and an RV on fire. Crews were able to put out the flames, and no injuries were reported. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the cause of the fire is unknown. Community members and residents have been frustrated with the property, with councilmember Monica Rodriguez saying the city has been aware of issues with the hoarder house since 2019.   On Saturday, Rodriguez issued a statement about her frustration with the 'legal obstacles' the city has faced for cleanup of the site. 'Like residents, I’m equally frustrated by the legal obstacles that have slowed the cleanup of this site.  'It’s why I introduced an ordinance amendment to aid the City’s ability to address these nuisance properties.  'I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s jury trial, which will hopefully hold the property owner accountable once and for all,' she added. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.