Share and Follow
A WOMAN allowed a squatter to stay on her property for a limited time and has now faced high fees, heaping trash, and complaints from her neighbors.
The neighborhood is located in Fort Myers, Florida, an area that was deeply affected by Hurricane Ian.
Heather Rowe, the property owner, revealed that she offered Barry Ballard the opportunity to stay at her property for a fixed amount of time.
She is now facing fines that amount to $250 per day.
After she called the police for help, she learned that her issue was a “civil problem,” with her having to wait for the courts.
“I told him he could stay in the camper for a short period of time… And then, the trash started coming,” she said to FOX 4, the company that’s also her employer.
The fines are due to three code violations:
- The camper doesn’t have a registration plate parked on the property.
- Ballard has accumulated all manner of items, ranging from discarded toilets, scrap bicycles, plastics, scrap metals, wood, rubber tires, and more.
- Ballard is living inside the camper 24/7, something that is not allowed on the property.
It all started after Hurricane Ian devastated the area, including Rowe’s home.
“The police have been here 10 times at least and they told me the same thing over and over,” she said.
Ballard began to frequent the area without her permission.
“She didn’t even know like we’d just stay here and we’d leave by two o’clock ’cause she’d be here,” he said.
He claims he hasn’t left the property yet since he’s waiting for some car reparations.
Rowe isn’t the only person upset at Ballard’s intrusion.
Neighbors claim the property is unseemly and has caused them stress.
“I’ve had to call animal control and everything, and it’s getting very old,” said a neighbor regarding Ballard’s dog, who’s also staying in the camper.
Another neighbor claims that Ballard and the impact of the hurricane on the community has greatly affected their quality of life.
“After going through a hurricane and losing everything I had, and this happens, this is horrible,” they said.
“I look out my window and it’s like I’m living in an alley.”
The Fort Myers Police has been reached out for comment.