Action News Jax Investigates is pushing for answers on who is responsible for the abandoned homeless camp in St. Augustine.
Rugs, furniture, clothes, tents, crates, piles of trash have been dumped and left behind.
Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole spent the day in St. Augustine, where the camp is located, along State Road 16 and Lewis Speedway.
Nearby business owners said they’re frustrated with the lack of accountability.
Cole reached out to the City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County. They both told her the land where the abandoned camp remains is privately owned.
"I was surprised by the number of people I saw over there,” said Hugh Ward, the co-owner of the Push Push Salon.
It’s right across the street from the now-abandoned homeless camp.
"I don't feel comfortable, having my business, that took a lifetime of savings to even open and operate, right next to a homeless camp,” Ward told Action News Jax.
Action News Jax Investigates called and emailed the City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County to find out who was responsible for cleaning up the mess left behind.
FPL is located just feet away from the abandoned camp. I reached out to the company and they told me none of the land where the camp sits belongs to them.
St. Johns County says it's owned by two separate land trusts.
They say there have been no complaints filed, and they can't hold the property owner accountable until that happens.
Ward told Action News Jax some homeless people were on his property before and he believes they're responsible for the burglary he experienced.
Action News Jax confirmed with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office that Ward reported a burglary to their agency.
"It shut us down for a day,” Ward said.
Another business owner in the area shared a similar experience, but wasn't comfortable speaking on-camera.
Action News Jax told you about the panhandling ordinance passed unanimously in March by city commissioners. The ordinance impacts downtown St. Augustine, and Ward believes that ordinance helped push some of the homeless population out to this part of St. Augustine.
While Ward says, “I guess it's abandoned for now,” he feels they may return. "Where they show up next, only time will tell."
RELATED: Several Florida cities use St. Augustine's panhandling ordinance as model
Cole reached out to the two people listed on the Property Appraiser’s website as “trustees.”
Their voicemail box was full and did not allow Cole to leave a message.
The county said that once trash and debris pile up, it's no longer just a homelessness issue, but a code enforcement issue as well.
Ward told Action News Jax he wishes city and county leaders would work together and give the homeless population opportunities to make a living and get off the street.
"It seems like they keep passing the problem back to each other,” said Ward.
St. Johns County officials said they can't even begin to track down the property owners and try to hold them accountable, if no one files a complaint.
If you would like to contact SJC Code Enforcement about the issue, here is the contact information:
Code Enforcement phone number (904) 209-0734 or codenf@sjcfl.us
When I asked St. Johns County what resources are available to the homeless, Michael Ryan, the Director of Communications said there are a variety of resources, including:
• The Continuum of Care – Multiagency organization with Flagler Hospital serving as the lead agency
• St Francis House – outreach, engagement, housing, services, etc.
• St. Johns County Sheriff's Office