MEMPHIS, Tenn. — While homeowners are expected to pay more for property taxes, some are concerned about where the money is going, including one man in the Castalia Heights neighborhood.
Preston Gilliam said he's been dealing with an unkept vacant lot behind his home for years.
“I had to make all of these calls to try and get it resolved, and in almost three years, I’ve never gotten it resolved," Gilliam said.
According to Gilliam, vegetation has been growing on and off for years and during that time Gilliam says he would use a weed killer spray to maintain what he could. But now, it’s becoming unmanageable as it obstructs the homeowner's power lines.
“It grows all up on my property fence and into my yard, and it also grows up on the powerline that is in that area," Gilliam said. "And the powerline, there are weeds on it, the weeds come down into a fence in that area and travels all the way into my yard.”
After contacting the city multiple times, he’s tired of the run around even after speaking to code enforcement and getting a confirmed case number.
With ongoing unanswered questions and no action, answers couldn’t come soon enough for this frustrated taxpayer wondering where his dollars are going.
"I really feel bad about the whole situation because I thought the city should have reacted sooner to my request," Gilliam said. “There’s nothing more that I can say other than I feel that somebody in this city should be more engaged with senior citizens to make them comfortable in their homes. Because we pay property taxes and seems like nobody was willing to pay attention to my needs, what I need.”
ABC24 reached out to the city, who said they are investigating this case. If trees or other vegetation are touching your powerlines, the city said MLGW should handle it in most cases.