PITMAN, N.J. -
"Oh my goodness. There's bullfrogs and all sorts of animals slithering around. It's like a wildlife habitat," says Nancy Billeck.
Her family would love to hang out on their backyard patio and pool. But there's a big problem.
Nancy says, "If we're in the pool we're being bombarded by dragon flies but the mosquitoes have driven us inside in the early evening." Nancy isn't talking about her pool though. The problem is the pool behind the abandoned , dilapidated and almost foreclosed home next door.
"The pool is most of the time filled with black murky water."
513 Wildwood Avenue in Pitman New Jersey is more than an eyesore. The pool in the backyard is now a dumping ground. We found a toilet, a grill, and as Nancy said, wildlife living inside. The roof has holes with a tarp barely covering it. Neighbors used to clean it themselves just to keep the street looking nice.
"For several years we mowed the law and trimmed the hedges," says Nancy. Eventually they called on Borough Mayor Russ Johnson to help. The borough has been battling with Bank Of America, which he says now has possession of the house, but isn't cooperating in keeping it up.
"We're concerned about the lack of security around the pool. The fence is broken down in three different spots. It's a big safety threat to children that could get inside of that pool and fall in that hole or into a body of water," the Mayor says.
The house is also a worry to police who've responded many times to calls from concerned neighbors.
"Our code enforcement officer who is a Sergeant within the police department has been diligently working this complaint to try and rectify things to no avail, it's very frustrating," says Pitman Police Chief Robert Zimmerman.
After Fox 29 made several phone calls and sent an email to Bank Of America, they called late Thursday night and sent a statement.
It reads: "We're committed to maintain properties to neighborhood standards. We work with service providers to inspect and maintain more than one million properties each month. When we learn that a property is not being maintained, we take action to remedy the situation. The foreclosure has not been completed on this property but we are aware of the issues and contractors will begin work in the next week."
Fox 29 will report when they follow through.
