Frankston, Marlock St: Residents’ outrage over abandoned squatter, rodent house ‘eyesore’
A filthy Frankston North property has sparked outrage among locals, with squatters and rodents now calling it home.
South East
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Neighbours of a “disgusting” abandoned house in Frankston North say they are living in fear as squatters, trash and rodents continue to plague the property.
The burnt out, rubbish-filled home on Marlock St is believed to have been deserted since last year but concerned residents say it’s still a hotspot for the homeless, rodents and curious children.
Shocking pictures show mountains of trash piled in the backyard of the property as well as a destroyed car port and graffiti.
Lifelong Frankston resident Dwayne Harvey told the Leader the house had been a magnet for drug activity for “years” with emergency services frequently called to the property before it was gutted by flames on Christmas morning.
“Wearing breathing apparatus, two Fire Rescue Victoria crews from Frankston Fire Station worked to contain the blaze. The fire was declared under control within 10 minutes,” a Fire Rescue Victoria spokeswoman said.
Mr Harvey said he had witnessed rats scrambling among the property’s trash and homeless people using the place for shelter.
He said the home had also become a dangerous site for exploration for curious young children.
Frankston Mayor Kris Bolam said the house is owned by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, which installed a cyclone fence around the perimeter of the property last year.
But Mr Harvey said the fence was “not good enough” and easy to break through.
“My 83-year-old mother is vulnerable and scared of being broken into of victimised by the squatters that frequent the house,” Mr Harvey said.
“People are worried about people catching the coronavirus but we’ve got kids walking through a house with syringes and toxins.
“I don’t understand how it can be left this way.”
Mr Harvey said he planned to contact council about what could be done to clean up the “mess”.
“This is affecting families … what about people who want to sell their houses, and they’ve got this place next door,” he said.
“It is unacceptable.”
Frankston Mayor Kris Bolam told the Leader the house was not bound by local laws.
“Council endeavours to engage with people in an effort to seek and achieve compliance...most property owners and landlords provide the identity and contact details of their tenants, but some choose not to do so,” he said.
“For those that choose not to do so we are usually able to hold them to account for the state of the property, but the owner of the subject property is a State Government department.”
Victoria Police was contacted for comment.
