Fed-up neighbours force backyard blitz at Waterford West hell house

A southeast Queensland man has escaped hefty fines for building up a junkyard house from hell, less than a year after another property owner was hit with a $9000 fine for similar offences. SEE THE PICTURES. WATCH THE VIDEO OF A CAR HOARDER

The Waterford West house from hell which has plastic sheets on the fence to hide the mess inside.

A Waterford West man has escaped hefty fines for building up a junkyard house from hell, less than a year after another property owner was hit with a $9000 fine for similar offences.

CAR HOARDER FINED

John Fielding has spent nearly 10 years stacking up a pile of rusting car bodies, old bike parts, plastic bins, a stagnant swimming pool, and even a broken down merry-go-round.

This week, neighbours had their revenge when Logan City Council swooped on the property for a massive clean-up.

The yard had become such an eyesore the council sought and obtained a court order to remove the old car bodies, plastic chairs, witches hats, chains, buckets, shopping trolleys, planks of wood and old televisions.

Neighbours said the stagnant back yard pool was a health hazard.

The council said it had exhausted all reasonable attempts to get Mr Fielding to clean-up.

Police and council officers went to the Tygum Rd address and started removing car bodies and scrap metal and filling up 10 cubic metre skips.

No fines were issued and Mr Fielding was contacted.

“The owner had previously failed to remove the items and comply with notices issued under council’s local laws dealing with public health,” the council said.

“This includes the removal, or restoring safely, of any disused or deteriorating materials or objects that are unsightly accumulations or harbouring, or have potential to harbour vermin or are a fire hazard.”

Some of the hoarded gear at the side of the property.

One resident of Tygum Rd, at Waterford West, who did not want to be named, said the “mess was out of control”.

Piles of rubbish stacked up in the yard.

“We are worried about vermin and with the snake and bushfire season starting we don’t want any nasty surprises,” she said.

“We’ve watched it grow and grow and over the years have felt helpless.

“It really devalues property in the area and it will be good to have it all cleaned up – we’re glad the council has finally stepped in.”

Work started on Monday but council officers said it could take up to a week to gut the place.

Mr Fielding got off lightly compared to Boronia Heights man Dan Weston who was slapped with a whopping $9000 fine in November for keeping more than 115 cars in his 4000sq m garden.

Boronia Heights car lover Dan Weston was fined $9000 for keeping more than 115 cars at his property.

Mr Weston was found guilty of using his semirural block for car repairs and storing parts in two sheds and two shipping containers.

His place was crammed with an old caravan in the front garden, two disused trucks on the footpath and rusting bike parts, a stack of old car doors, heaps of car and truck tyres, motorbikes, two caravans, screen doors and even an old rocking horse.

Beenleigh Magistrates Court ordered Mr Weston to get rid of all the cars, clean up his garden, and remove the two shipping containers.

A conviction was recorded and Mr Weston was ordered to stop using the property for a car repair garage until he got the correct permit and pay costs of $2963.18

The September ruling last year followed a two-year campaign by Logan City Council to tidy up the property, which had stirred animosity in the otherwise well-kept street.