Mounds of trash and ongoing threats from a house in Iona have pushed neighbors to speak out after years of recurring problems.
Residents along Palm Drive are concerned for their safety as they witness people entering and exiting an RV parked in the carport. However, it is not just what they see but also what they hear that troubles them.
Neighbors say they have received threats whenever they have reported the situation to law enforcement. In one video shared with Gulf Coast News, a man’s voice can be heard saying, “I will burn your house down.”
This is not a new issue. The property has been a problem since before Hurricane Ian, and conditions have worsened since.
“This has been going on for five years,” said Iona residents Kirk and Rita Cecil. “The longer this goes, the worse it's getting.”
They no longer want to remain silent, and they are not alone.
“They're screaming and talking to themselves, and it's scary,” said neighbor Brad Brown.
People are living in a camper with tarps covering parts of the property. Trash and debris are spilling onto neighboring properties along Palm Drive.
“There are no utilities at this place,” Kirk Cecil said. “I don't know how it hasn't been condemned or anything.”
Neighbors said the final straw was seeing a naked man outside their windows. They knew they needed help to clean up the property.
While a news crew was on site, loud music began blaring, and a dog with a large growth was seen being dragged across the property. Neighbors said this is a common occurrence.
“We went down and found an extension cord plugged into our shed, running a generator off of it. It could have burned down the whole shed,” said neighbor Amy Sartor, who lives directly behind the property. She discovered that people were using her electricity while she was out of town last February.
“And we called the police, and the police said, ‘Don't touch anything,’” Sartor said. “And when we called them, they said they were very aware of that house and the inhabitants.”
Neighbors have contacted the Lee County Code Enforcement and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office multiple times.
“But for whatever reason, we're being passed over,” Brown said. “Why aren't we getting the help that we're asking for? So that's why I'm here today — to ask for help.”
Lee County Code Enforcement said it is investigating a repeat offense at the property. In a statement issued Tuesday, officials said:
"A re-inspection for the nuisance accumulation violation case is due on March 31, and a re-inspection for the complaint of people living in the camper is due on April 15.
County staff does take multiple photos of the property. After review of the photos taken on March 21, no unpermitted work appears to have been done on the property. The vantage point of the photos are from the roadway and/or right of way. Existing case law only allows local code enforcement to investigate a residential property from the roadway or right of way due to the expectation of privacy of the property owner. Code Enforcement staff can only enter on to the property to attempt contact (postman’s rights), directly to and from the front door of the dwelling."
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said deputies have responded to the property multiple times this year and have observed code violations.
Their statement read:
“Within the past year, deputies in our 3rd Precinct have responded to this location for various calls, none of which were drug- or threat-related. To begin an investigation, our Sheriff’s Office must be notified of an incident first. We always urge Lee County residents to see something, say something, and make the call if they are ever a victim or witness to a crime. We will work within our power to protect Lee County residents and keep our communities safe. Detectives within our 3rd Precinct Criminal Investigations Division have made contact and witnessed potential code violations on the property that are not in violation of Florida State Statute; however, we still encourage those suspecting any wrongdoing to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Our 3rd Precinct deputies will be conducting regular area checks in this community.”
Regarding the dog on the property, the sheriff’s office said its Animal Cruelty Task Force has been notified and is investigating its condition.
“We're not against all these people,” Cecil said. “We just don't want anybody else to get hurt. At the rate this is going, somebody is going to get hurt.”
A few hours after the news crew left the property, neighbors reported seeing the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Lee County Domestic Animal Services on site.