This property was ringed with cut brush and building materials for a number of years. we learned that some in the surrounding area had had been turning them in to the county inspection department for a long time, but the mess hadn’t gotten cleaned up. This isn’t uncommon when a neighbor is turned in rather than spoken to face to face.
We tracked down the owner of record, told him that we are working on building a good quality of life for all residents, both owners and renters, and offered to help him get the cut brush and construction materials disposed of. He gave me the name and number of his renter, saying that he was living there in exchange for work he is doing on the house. I contacted the renter with an offer to help, and 6 weeks later it was all cleaned up. By checking in with a neighbor we were able to help improve the curb appeal for the owner and the block. This is the tried and true American Way and it is so because it works.