ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — People living in an Orange County apartment complex said they live near a massive pile of filth.
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The trash at the Cherry Oaks Apartments is overflowing into the parking lot. And there is a smell in the air.
Residents said they are frustrated that the trash has been piling up.
“This has been going on before Thanksgiving,” said Roosevelt, who asked that we not disclose his last name. “Before Thanksgiving, this trash started piling up.”
The pile of trash is covered in flies, and residents have seen raccoons, cats and dogs digging through it.
One neighbor showed Channel 9 a photo of the pile in November when it was smaller.
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Grease-stained boxes, old fast-food scraps, bulging and torn trash bags are everywhere.
People who live in the apartments said the trash keeps piling up and no one comes to pick it up.
“I’ve been to a Dean Road landfill many times over,” Roosevelt said. “That’s what I think of when I see this.”
The wind has blown the trash across the parking lot and some into a nearby field.
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Over the phone, property manager Mohamed Souissi said the contract with on hauler has ended. It took a couple of weeks for the new hauler to drop off a new dumpster.
Souissi believes the trash has only been piling up for about two weeks, not close to two months. He said he is frustrated people continue to add to the pile instead of using the new dumpster.
But people said they are concerned for their health and safety, and it’s like having a landfill outside their apartments.
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“If the health board come down here right now, they (will) probably shut the whole complex down,” Roosevelt said.
Orange County told Channel 9 it issues a violation notice and the complex has until Jan. 23 to get it cleaned up voluntarily.
Souissi said he is not worried about the situation and expects the trash will be taken away in a couple of days.
Just as our team was at the scene, a Set Apart Trash Removal & Hauling cleaning crew arrived, as they were hired to clean up the mess.
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