Jacksonville house condemned after leaking septic tank floods neighbors’ backyards

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family’s home has been condemned after its leaking septic tank left a smelly mess in neighbors’ yards.

Action News Jax has been investigating the property since October when a complaint was first made and now, both the City and JSO are investigating.

“Condemned” “Unsafe Structure” and “Human Habitation Prohibited” are the words posted on the property of one home. It was condemned by Code Enforcement officials Thursday and is alleged to have been leaking raw sewage for since August.

Neighbors on either side of the home are experiencing the smelly side effects. Holly Burns did not want to go on camera, but showed us her backyard. You could smell the sewage immediately. She said she is frustrated by the mess, and has dealt with it for four months. Burns thought the problem would be fixed when the city got involved, but progress has been slow.

Action News Jax investigator Meghan Moriarty, emailed the city to find out what happens next. Here is the statement we received:

“We reposted ‘Unsafe’ and ‘Condemn’ placards at the property. We also made contact with the property owner and advised them that they cannot occupy the property until the septic tank issue has been corrected. He assured us that he is under contract with a septic tank company who is pulling permits to replace the septic tank. We advised him that he cannot stay at the property until everything has been corrected. We also advised him that JSO will be checking on the structure in the evenings as it is unlawful for anyone to occupy the structure once it has been condemned. We reached out to JSO commander in the zone and made him aware of the issue.”

We’re waiting to hear back about how long the homeowners have to fix the problem.

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