Business owner concerned about rat-infested properties in Lafayette [VIDEO]
LAFAYETTE, la. (KLFY) -- In Lafayette, a business owner is asking for something to be done about abandoned houses infested with rats next door to his business.
After more than a decade of voicing concerns, Harold Duffy Sr. is hoping to see the city take action toward two abandoned properties.
"It's rat infested, there's a big tree that's about to fall on the house. And I've gone to the city and tried to get different organizations to look into it and see what can be done. And so far I haven't reached anybody that can help me solve this problem," he said.
Representatives from environmental quality and exterminators have visited the eye sores, classifying them as unlivable.
Duffy told News 10, "those houses are not repairable and if someone had to try to repair them it would cost them a lot because there's a termite infestation, there's rat infestation, the house has been closed for twenty years. And we've tried to get in touch with people in charge of the house, and always reach a dead end. That's something I've been trying to do for years."
The city of Lafayette told Duffy they plan to have a hearing regarding the abandoned properties in the next few months, even offering to sell him the properties.
"They mentioned to me that it's being adjudicated and they're telling me that it's going to court in two to three months. And they would like me to attend the court hearing so I might be able to purchase these houses. But those houses are in such bad shape. What am I going to do with it?"
Duffy also said that the city is offering to sell the properties is an attempt to shift the responsibility instead of providing help.
"When they offer that to me, all you're trying to do is pass the buck. Because if I should, some kind of way, but these houses then they're going to get on me to do something with it. I can't just take it and paint it and expect to rent it out. I can't do that, it's pretty much condemned."
With the hearing regarding the properties still months away, Duffy feels it's time for the city to stop looking at it and do something about it.