Local

Jacksonville homeowner wants tree farm cleaned up

“Look at this tree right here. It’s about ready to fall apart,” Isabell Haynes explained.

It’s a problem Haynes has faced since 2009. As soon as she steps out of her Windy Hill home on Dobell Street, she sees out of control trees and forest growth.

It’s knocked down her fence, dangled dangerously close to her roof – and attracted mosquitos, termites and vermin.

“It’s very frustrating. It keeps me from coming out and doing my gardening. It keeps me from hanging clothes outside because I have snakes coming in and out.”

For a while, Haynes paid someone to come out and maintain the trees – but after her husband died last year, she no longer could afford it. She says reached out to every mayor since John Peyton and even Governor Crist when he was in office.

In 2010, she was told the property is a tree farm, meaning the virgin lumber couldn’t be cut.

Then, she was told it belongs to City National Bank of Florida – whom Haynes wrote a letter to.

No one has responded.

She reached out to me in hopes of getting help, so we followed up with the city.

We’re told, this property is private, so not the City’s responsibility.

We tried going through the Appraiser’s Office, but could not find a parcel number listed.

Haynes hopes whoever it belongs to comes forward and takes care of their property.

“I’ve got no room to breathe. I’m suffocating in here. I can’t even look out my window.”

Haynes says with growing Zika Virus concerns, she’s trying to get the dead trees and stagnant water cleaned up.