South Shore building owner frustrated with growing trash pile on neighbor's property

A building owner in the South Shore neighborhood said he can't get any help from the city of Chicago with a mounting trash pile on his neighbor's property.

Cardell McCollum said the trash sitting within feet of his apartment building is a health risk, and he wants it taken seriously.

Along his block in South Shore, you'll find some well-maintained property. McCollum has lived in the community for 21 years with no problems, until recently.

"I had some pretty good neighbors prior to now," he said.

Since March, the neighboring property's back yard has gotten worse, and the leftover furniture, while bad, is the least of his problems. A mounting pile of trash litters the gangway between the two homes.

"It's not just the trash, it's the rodents," McCollum said.

How did the trash get there?

"My second-floor tenant said he saw it coming from the third floor," McCollum said.

McCollum said the owner of the neighboring building fell ill, and someone illegally moved into the third-floor unit, and started tossing trash into the gangway.

"She claims they're squatters," he said.

What is clear is someone keeps throwing all their trash into the gangway, leaving McCollum and his tenants to deal with the mess.

"Why do I have to come down every time I go to the garage and see this? This is ridiculous," he said.

Neighbors can't simply clean up the mess themselves. The problem building is private property, and the owner has placed a padlock on the gate, blocking anyone from access to the gangway where the trash is piling up.

"As of now, no one has listened to me," McCollum said.

He and his fiancée have called 311 repeatedly since March to complain about the trash. They also reached out to their alderman's office for help.

"They said they were going to send [the Department of] Streets and Sanitation out, and they were going to put traps," he said. "But the traps are nothing more than a Band-Aid for this cancer."

Neighbors are worried the rodents attracted to the trash will try to find their way into McCollum's building, despite him resealing the perimeter.

"It's going to be difficult for them to get in, but they could get in," he said.

Dog feces and discarded food are attracting rats, and the stench is getting worse with each warmer day. McCollum hopes the city does something soon.

"Let's go ahead and get this here addressed. Let's put some eyes on it," he said.