Tip List: Blighted property attracting trash

This week, Merced resident Roy Mahan called up Tip List to tell me that everything I've covered so far has been fluff compared to the story he had.

I asked him what his problem was, and he said he knew of a house that was like nothing I've ever seen before.

Mahan gave me the address, 3722 E. Highway 140 at Dell Street.

I drove out to the property Wednesday, and although the scene was pretty bad, it definitely wasn't the worst property I've seen.

It looked as if there may have been two houses on the property, one that is semi-intact, the other a pile of lumber and rubble filling the entire backyard.

The house facing the street looks as though it could have been a store at one point and is made mostly of panels of rounded corrugated tin that were dented and falling off the structure.

Inside the standing building, all the dry wall and wiring have been ripped out.

Mahan said homeless people used to live in the two buildings and tore out the insides.

Mahan lives a few houses down and said he hates staring at the mess.

"People keep throwing their garbage there too," he said. "People stole all the wood and fixtures. It's been sitting there for months."

Mahan said he moved to where he lives eight months ago, and both homes have become dilapidated since he moved in.

Judging by the looks of the houses, or what's left of them, they must have been abandoned years ago.

Mahan said he thinks the back house was demolished by some of the homeless people living there.

I called the Merced County Environmental Health Department to find out if there were any plans to demolish the standing building and to clean up the other house.

According to Bill Peeler, environmental health director for Merced County, no complaints have been filed on the houses prior to my call.

Peeler added that now someone will go out and inspect the house.

What's wrong: Two houses along East Highway 140 near Dell Street are blighted and falling apart and people have begun throwing their trash on the property.

Who's responsible: The responsibility probably lies with the listed owner, who is Robert Cardon. His phone number wasn't listed.

What's being done: Merced County Environmental Health officials said they would send someone out to assess the situation.

If you see something broken or in need of repair in your neighborhood, call the Sun-Star Tip List reporter, Jamie Oppenheim, with your tips at (209) 385-2407 or e-mail joppenheim@mercedsun-star.com.