When the neighbouring house is abandoned

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 28): It can be quite troublesome when your neighbour abandons or leaves a home vacant for long periods.

Imagine long uncut grass and plants, stagnant water leading to mosquitoes and unwanted pests that could invade your house.

According to a report by The Star today, that is what Mohd Ismail Mohd Marzuki and his family living in Taman Tun Abdul Razak, Ampang Jaya had to put up with over the past 15 years.

“After the owner died, we thought the house would be sold off or another family would move in.

“It would have been all right if the family maintained the property, but no one has been here to clean it up,” he said when interviewed by the daily paper.

“We can see stagnant water in roof gutters and in drains behind the house.”

Mohd Ismail is also worried about an overgrown tree “leaning dangerously towards his house” and he also suspects mosquitoes bred in the neighbouring house gave his two kids dengue fever last year.

He now hopes that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) can help by clearing up his neighbouring eye sore.

“When owners continue to ignore our notices to clean up their premises, health issues become a concern as pests and vermin lead to diseases like dengue if we do not step in.

“In hilly areas, it is important for property owners to maintain hill slopes within their boundary.

“So we have to ensure that this is done,” MPAJ president Abdul Hamid Hussain told the daily.

“Once we receive a complaint, a team will be sent to verify the information.

“We will also have to identify the property owner and issue a 14-day notice to the homeowner to clean up the compound.

“If there is no action or if the owners cannot be traced, then the council will send in a team to clear the premises,” said Abdul Hamid.

He also clarified that the cleaning cost “would be reflected on the property owners’ assessment bill”.

The report also stated that “notices issued fall under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976, and compounds of up to RM500 can be issued for failure to comply”.