(WSVN) - From the air, this Southwest Dade neighborhood looks pretty typical.
That is, until you take a closer look at the backyard of this home where instead of a pool, there is a parking lot.
Gus: “It’s a junkyard in the middle of a residential– nice residential neighborhood.”
Gus, who asked we just use his first name, had emailed asking us to come by and check out what he called a possible danger behind his neighbor’s home, saying,”You won’t believe it.”
Gus: “Let me show you what’s going on here.”
Gus is redoing part of his fence, and with it down, the number of cars next door is clear.
Gus: “One, two that I see. Three back there, behind the tree, four, five, six, seven, one right there, eight.”
Some of the old cars have covering.
Gus: “Nine, 10, 11, 12.”
This blue one is rusting away. A tire sinking into the grass.
Gus: “Thirteen, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.”
A branch sticks out from the wheel well of another.
Gus: “Nineteen, 20, 21, 22, 23 or 24, right back here.”
And counting the ones in front, there are about 30 cars outside on the property.
Gus: “What if there’s a fire here? Like I said, we counted 24 or 25. That’s 100 tires. Look at all the gas and everything. What do you think is going to happen? I personally think that’s just dangerous. Not for me, for the whole neighborhood.”
This man lives a few blocks away. He did not want to be on camera but still had plenty to say.
Neighbor: “So to have one bad apple just be a nuisance to everybody else was frustrating, and it pissed me off.”
So he filed a complaint with Miami-Dade County.
Neighbor: “They are highly, highly aware of the circumstance.”
Records reveal code enforcement has been to the home repeatedly since 2019. Inspectors wrote, “All vehicles have valid tags, are registered and run. Most are classic/collectibles,” and “none of the vehicles meet junk criteria. Property is being maintained.”
All cases were closed, the cars deemed “not in violation.”
In fact, Miami-Dade County has no limit on the number of operable cars homeowners can have on their property.
Gus: “They’ve been there for 15 years, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. The neighbors don’t like it. They don’t want it. No one will say anything to him. I don’t know why he wants so many cars. You guys are going to have to ask him.”
We did.
Karen Hensel: “Hi, I’m Karen Hensel, I’m with 7News.”
Homeowner: “With who?
Karen Hensel: “7News.”
Homeowner: “OK.”
Karen Hensel: “So could I talk to you about all the cars that you have?”
Homeowner: “No, I don’t want to talk to you, no. Thank you.”
Gus: “I would love to see the cars gone and my neighbor living in a nice place, and me live in a nice place.”
Gus says he has nothing against his neighbor personally and just wants the cars removed.
But as it stands now, these cars appear to be going nowhere, fast.
Karen Hensel, 7News.
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