FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — Prince George's County authorities say they will hire clean-up contractors and bill a property owner who has failed to meet a deadline to clean up a trashed house on Indian Head Highway that has attracted attention because of a junked boat that sits on the side of the road.
The Prince George's County Department of Permitting Inspection and Enforcement issued a violation notice to the owner of the property at 11406 Indian Head Highway on March 29, 2022, giving them until April 7 to abate the violations, according to a DPIE statement.
A follow-up inspection done Friday, April 8 revealed that the property has been partially cleaned, but some violations remained, according to the agency. DPIE announced that authorities will move forward with an enforcement process, which includes hiring a contractor to clean the property and assessing the owner for the costs.
The county says if the property has been completely cleaned by the time the contracting process is completed, DPIE will cancel the contract clean. WUSA9 will continue to monitor the situation and report our findings.
Meanwhile, the abandoned boat that drew attention to the property will be removed by the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation as soon as possible, according to Avis Lester-Thomas, a spokesman for DPIE.
Workers on the site Friday said they had been hired by the property owner to clean up in the wake of the county's recent clean-up order. The workers said they hauled four truckloads of debris from the property Thursday, only to return Friday and find that illegal dumpers had left more trash overnight, which cost an additional $4,000 to remove according to Shary Thur, who represents family members who have owned the property for decades.
The Thur family said they have been victimized by past tenants, squatters and illegal dumpers who have left mountains of trash. County authorities say property owners are ultimately responsible for cleaning up and securing property.
The Thur family is now investigating whether they can afford security cameras and fencing to stop the dumping. The trash troubles began when court records show squatters were evicted in late February. Truckloads of debris languished in front of the home for weeks despite an ordinance that requires property owners to remove eviction debris within 24 hours, according to county officials.
Debris seen on the site Friday included at least 15 tires, which require additional permitting to dispose of because of environmental concerns. Other potentially hazardous items observed by WUSA9 included discarded gasoline and propane fuel tanks.