Abandoned house turns into dumping ground on west side

DETROIT (WJBK) - An abandoned house turned dumping ground is drawing the ire of neighbors.

"I think it's not fair to us to have to look at it every single day," said Bland Coker

Bland Coker lives at the corner of 2nd and Calvert on Detroit's west side. His tidy brick colonial and perfectly manicured lot a stark contrast to the problem property across the street.

"Two men at least, had to have brought the debris and set those couches and chairs or what have you, the back end of the property has been dumped and they put toilet stools along the way," Coker said.

Coker says the house has been empty for nearly a decade and is often frequented by squatters - and that's not his only concern.

"It's dangerous because we have a brand new school one block away that's doing just beautiful," he said.  "And the children have to walk past this house daily and we're afraid someone will grab them and take them in there."

Coker says his neighborhood is on the comeback and he refuses to let this house be a drag on its momentum.

"We've been here since 1948, our family has raised five decades here," Coker said. "But we decided we're not runners."

FOX 2 was unable to contact the property's owner but a city of Detroit spokeswoman says they're going to send inspectors to that house Tuesday morning.