ConcernedOnGaul: Can you get a photo of what it looks like in the back? I won't be home until late tonight.

It's the middle house in the photo on the banditproject site.
And yes, I'll try to get a photo when I get home. Unfortunately, that pretty much involves walking into the yard.

Oh Christ this is an REO property. It was foreclosed on, the foreclosure went through. Looks like house was abandoned. The title is still showing in Robert's name and the bank is slow to take possession (doesn't want to be responsible for the trash).

Follow up: The house went into foreclosure in '09. Bank won't take possession of the property. If anybody is living inside there, they are squatters. The bank was given the green light to issue a Writ of Execution but it never went back to the court to ask for one so it's in limbo.

http://fjdefile.phila.gov/efsfjd/zk_fjd_public_qry_03.zp_dktrpt_frames?case_id=090400876&uid=H9mWCkpWvIolqsSYDxam&o=NbsayUfmP!rzHdb

Ok I went back and re-read the court docket just to be certain I understand what I'm seeing. Judge Rizzo scheduled a conciliation conference with the owner of the house in 2009. They went to this conference and then Wells Fargo withdrew the foreclosure case even though they were green-lighted to pursue a foreclosure if they wanted to.

I am looking in PHILADOX and I see that the mortgage was assigned-out and then a new mortgage was written with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, which looks like a re-financing of the mortgage. But if they abandoned this property, sounds like they just delayed the inevitable. Maybe one of the nearby neighbors can confirm that the owners abandoned the house and walked away from it.

I wasn't living near the house in 2009, but the house has been steadily occupied for at least the last year.
So what does it sound like the options are? I'm not trying to get anyone put out on the street, but I'd like to get the trash, the stray cats, and the flooding to go away. Needless to say, they don't answer the door and they've not seen on the street.

OK. Undercover, hidden camera style.

And another

So occupants don't want the neighbors to have any clue there's human activity going on? That's typical behavior of a squatter who has just captured a property.

ConcernedOnGaul: PHFA Legal now knows what's up and I contacted Rep. Taylor's office.

The keep the front looking pretty vacant. You have to get into the breezeway to see any signs of activity. If they'd just left their hose turned off and not piled their trash up, they wouldn't have attracted any attention.
And I'd like the photos to have shown it better, but a guy standing in their backyard taking pictures would have drawn attention, which I'd also like to avoid.

Wow. You've been huge help with this. I'm really pretty shocked by the response. Thanks for the help.

Squatters (if this is one) are a nasty serious problem. There's all flavors of them but the ones who are the worst are the ones who bring over friends for little parties, all on hard drugs, or open air dealing. That flavor of squatter usually trashes the house within a year and you get graffiti spray painted on the walls (like at 2044 E FLETCHER ST if you want to see an example of that).

I've fought squatters before and I've won. We'll get through this. The trash piling up in the backyard and the careful detail to keep quiet is not a good sign... squatters that first move into a property lay low until they get those utilities in their names.

I'll also contact the 26th District and see if they have any advice too.

Concerned: I'm also trying to find a working phone # for the owner so I can call him directly to see what the story is with this trash and the house.

If the owners are living in the house I agree with you, but not if the owners walked away from the property.

I put in a 3-1-1 ticket with what you've submitted already. I contacted the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority to ask them if they were planning to take action on the property since it's obvious they wrote a mortgage to save the house and because the property taxes are not being paid--obviously the mortgage is in default, and I told them that we're having problems on the ground with this property. While they can't disclose any detail, they did pass my questions over to Legal.

When the unpaid tax liens hit $2,500 on this house it can go to Sheriff's. I'll put in another ticket for CLIP to see if they can get to the trash and check the property out myself.

If CLIP refuses to do anything and the problem gets worse then I'll ask Squilla to have the utilities checked for shut-off. I live right by this thing too and I don't want to see this escalate. We have a TON of kids who live here and I don't want to see a house that has a backyard dump grow into a bigger problem.

I say this always no matter what the property: if you see illegal activity/drugs/open-air dealing, please call 215-686-5858 and also you should update this SeeClickFix (or write a new one). That is the District Attorney's office. You only need to call them one time (however with 911 you have to call each and every time you see something).

How about PECO and the water company? They might like to know that they're using water and electricity in there.

I just read your last comment again and I see what you said about the utilities.

And I'll start keeping a close eye out for any illegal activity. I think they're laying real low though, and I've never seen anyone at all around the house.

And I just found out an L&I inspector that covers the Northeast is friends with my father. He's going to notify the guy that does inspections in 19125.

Every little bit helps. PPD is also going to pay a visit to the property. Also called some other neighbors on Gaul Street last night and they're not quite sure either if it's squatters or not or why there would be a trash mound growing. If I hear more I'll update.

I can definitely confirm that people are living in there. Lights at the back of the house turn on and off every night and they hang clothes on a clothes line. And I can get my contact information to you if you like.

You can send me contact info here: christoofar [ at ] gmail.com

This house caught fire and is now abandoned so I guess this particular issue is closed