JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Jackie Pittman was among those who came to Florida Cracker Kitchen with a compliant for the On Your Side team.
"Behind my house is a wooded area, that is a problem," she said.
Pittman wanted to vent about the nuisance located in her neighborhood near Philips Highway.
"I went to the city they went back there, couple of times," she said. "They say there is nothing they can do."
The On Your Side team told Pittman it would look into her concerns. When we went to her home the problem was very obvious, but the question was who is responsible?
"I'm confused," she said. "I don't know if it is the city, the other property owner or mine."
Pittman moved into her Woodmont Avenue home 25 years ago. She remembers the condition of the property that backs up to her backyard and it was nothing like the way it is now.
It is so overgrown now that you can't even see where it ends or begins. There appears to be a ditch, which most likely, is a public easement of some sort.
Whatever it is, it is poorly maintained and that is the problem.
"There used to be more trees there," Pittman said.
Now the area is so overgrown and the vegetation so thick it is impacting the water flow and contributing to erosion. Pittman also said it is bringing snakes.
"We are having water moccasins," she said. "Some tried to get into my laundry room."
Her neighbor, Mary, said she had to close her in-home daycare because the snakes became a serious concern, she felt unsafe.
"For seven years it has been a problem," Pittman said.
The On Your Side team contacted the city and asked if there is a history of complaints about the properties in the neighborhood.
This was the response:
We have no active enforcement cases for the properties on either side of 2803 Woodmont Ave (2809 Woodmont Ave and 2802 Rockmont St).
2802 Rockmont St: Last MCCD enforcement activity was in 2017.
2809 Woodmont Ave: No active enforcement cases.
The Municipal Code Enforcement Division said it will investigate what is going on in Pittman's neighborhood.
The On Your Side team was told the following via email:
They will send someone out to check that area for nuisance conditions. I can say from experience though that snakes are not necessarily the result of unmaintained properties. We will address any nuisance conditions, but we do not guarantee that this will eliminate the snake issue. This area has a wooded lot to the north and retention ponds to the west, both of which could be contributing factors.
The On Your Side Team will follow up to see what they find.