Owner of 153 Myers St Geelong allows squatters to live at property for two years
The owner of a prime CBD block is again under fire for letting the property be overrun by squatters two years after they first set foot in the Myers St house. It comes after a blaze at the house forced an emergency response on Tuesday.
Geelong
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The owner of a prime CBD block continues to let it be overrun by squatters two years after they first set foot in the Myers St house, neighbours say.
The owner, who is understood to live in Australia, appears to be thumbing their nose at authorities after repeated reports of squatters at the house were made to police and the Geelong council.
Geelong police sergeant James Constance said on Tuesday police were attempting to contact the owner following a minor fire at the property on Tuesday morning.
Police said a fire was lit inside the house which spread and caused damage to two rooms.
Four Fire Rescue Victoria units were called to the scene but put the fire out within half an hour, a spokeswoman said.
A resident of Myers Street said squatters had been at the property for two years.
“I know of four people that live there; one lady and three men,” the woman, who didn’t want to be named, said.
“These people watch what everyone else is doing and I feel it’s not safe. I’ve got a right to my privacy, I shouldn’t have to deal with this.
“The owner needs to take responsibility of the property. You can only ring (the police and council) so many times before you get sick of (reporting) it.”
Geelong council planning director Gareth Smith said the council had contacted the owner of the property this year to ask them to block access to it.
“The occupancy of the building is a tenancy issue that the owner may need to deal with through tenancy laws,” Mr Smith said.
He said the council could not say if rates were paid on the property in 2019-20 “due to privacy reasons.”
The property owner has been fined more than $5000 due to long grass at the property, with the most recent fine issued in January.
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In February squatters dislodged the front door of the property, allowing for easy access to the property ever since.
Neighbours said people congregated at the house, which sold for $793,000 in March 2016, mainly at night.
Earlier this year an employee of a business nearby said he often saw people coming and going from the house.
“They get water from the house next door and they even put the bins out,” he said.
“I’ve also seen them kicking the doors in and the windows.”
Originally published as Owner of 153 Myers St Geelong allows squatters to live at property for two years