Fresno homeowner calls abandoned house a health issue

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A frustrated Fresno homeowner is living next door to a murky mess.

There is an abandoned pool on the other side of her fence and it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes for the past two years.

Frances Cox hasn't spent much time in the backyard of her Fresno home.

"We've been here 42 years and this is the first time we haven't been able to enjoy it," she said.

The problem is next door. There's a vacant home, with a dirty pool, swimming with mosquitos. And, on hot days, she says it stinks.

"You'll get more than just a whiff, you'll get a really strong smell," she said. "It's really bad."

The whole yard is a mess. She says, her old neighbors were squatters who were breeding pit bulls.

"There's dog poo all through here," Cox said.

It's also in the water. She says it's mixed in with the mosquitos and trash.

"We were so happy when they moved out," she said. "We thought it would get cleaned up but no one, the city, no one has helped with cleaning it up."

There was some help from police who kicked out the squatters and a neighbor across the street who called mosquito abatement.

She saved a voicemail after the pool was treated, a month ago.

"We went into 2650 W. Acacia and we treated it for breeding and we put some mosquito fish in there and the fish will eat any larva that's left in there from the mosquitoes," the message said.

"I know they put fish in it for the mosquitoes, but I really don't think the fish could live in that water," she said.

On Monday, there was clearly mosquitos flying around, and with what appeared to be larvae in the water.

City spokesperson Mark Standriff says the property owner is responsible for the clean-up and the city can enforce it. He said the green water is a code violation.

"We can start a case file," he said. "Have somebody go over there and inspect the property and to notify the building owner to the conditions out there and what they need to do to fix."

It's a process that could take time.

"I feel sorry for the people who will have to clean it up," Cox said.

And Cox isn't sure how much longer she can wait.