Philadelphia woman living between abandoned homes, dealing with overgrown grass and racoons

A Philadelphia woman says she's been living between two vacant homes for eight years. Now, Tracy Coley says the grass is taking over and she's worried about stray cats and raccoons running around her property.

"The city's not coming out and cutting the grass," Coley said. "They have the roof falling down on one of the homes, raccoons crawling in and out of them, cats."

Earlier this year, Coley said raccoons were getting in the two vacant homes and she could hear them at night in her floorboards.

"I couldn't sleep in my room for a month, she said. "I could hear them screaming and fighting each other."

She captured video of the raccoons over the last few years with her cellphone showing them climbing her porch and getting into the neighbors' roof and window. This past winter, Coley said the city eventually boarded up the holes and the raccoons seemed to go away, but now, there's a hole in the roof of the porch next door.

"I said, 'Oh my goodness,' because I did see a raccoon go up there again," she said.

Additionally, the grass on both properties is overgrown with weeds taller than her car. Coley said she sees stray cats and raccoons darting out of the high grass.

"I think it's ridiculous," Coley said. "It's a slap in the face to me because this is ongoing."

A spokesperson with the Quality of Life division under Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections said both properties have been inspected in recent months and owners have been issued violations. However, both are within allotted timeframes to correct these violations.

A statement from the commissioner for L&I Quality of Life said in part, "Our department is committed to providing resolutions that can be seen and felt to every community throughout the City. However, oftentimes, these situations take time due to various legalities and other logistical concerns. But please know that we hear the community and are unwavering in our mission."