By Chad Klassen

Neighbours on Nelson Avenue say nuisance home has been a ‘nightmare’

Oct 24, 2017 | 5:37 PM

KAMLOOPS — A day after a shooting left two men wounded near a Nelson Avenue home, neighbours in the area are speaking out and asking the city and the RCMP to clean up a nuisance home that some say has been a ‘nightmare’ for two years.

“There has been issues probably once a week since June with the cops showing up. Domestic disturbances, drugs, people coming in and out,” said one resident who lives close by. 

It has made living on Nelson Avenue very unnerving for many residents, especially after Monday’s shooting.

“After the shooting now, we don’t feel very safe knowing there are guns and that kind of violence happening next door. We don’t feel safe with our belongings being around this house,” she added. 

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Neighbours say there’s no power to the house and the tenants have been stealing theirs. It’s an issue Kamloops RCMP have known about for a couple years now, but haven’t been able to do anything about it.

“The RCMP cannot evict people out of a residence. It has to be done through the Tenants Residency Act and the homeowners,” said Cpl. Jodi Shelkie. “So we advise the homeowner what is happening. We work with the City of Kamloops to see if anything through the by-laws is applicable.”

Police have met with concerned residents who live in the Central Apartments next door, a building managed by the Kelson Group. But that hasn’t pushed the issue forward any faster.

“There’s frustration,” said Kelly Fawcett from the Kelson Group. “How is it that a landlord can get away with this, or the owner of the house can let this continue for as long as it has.”

The city, however, will try to deal with the house. Newly-appointed city councillor Ray Dhaliwal, who ran on a platform of safety and security, says he will work on a solution with City Hall. 

“I’m going to check into that and see what avenues the city does have,” he said. “If not, maybe a new by-law needs to be enacted to deal with nuisance property like this. Two years is way too long.”

Neighbours hope a solution is found soon, so they can live their lives without worry, and clean up other nuisance properties around the city. 

“This isn’t just our neighbourhood. It’s happening elsewhere in Kamloops, and moving isn’t an option. It affects everyone around us and why should we be the ones who suffer.”

Fawcett hopes the city finds a way to demolish it. 

“That house should be torn down,” he exclaimed. “There’s not much there structurally when you look at it. The roof looks like it’s ready to cave in and the house is just completely decrepit.”