Seminole County residents concerned over rat infestation, dead trees falling in neighborhood

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A group of neighbors in a Seminole County neighborhood say they're having a rat problem and dead trees falling on their properties.

They say it's all because of an abandoned burned down house near them.

The house had a fire about three years ago, but it's still stoking safety concerns.

"There’s rats," said Melissa Jumper whose lot backs up to the burned home. "Infestation. The building is unsafe for kids. There’s like 17, 18 kids between this street and that street."

And in Jumper's backyard, a large tree from the abandoned property fell and cracked their wall.

Another large tree came crashing through another neighbor's fence.

"It was quiet out, calm, and the tree just fell and smashed our fence," Joseph Pallon said. "The whole ground kinda shook."

No one's lived in the house since the fire, and now it's going through foreclosure.

Neighbors have been reaching out to the county hoping something will be done.

So far, there are only records of code violations for a broken fence, brush, and debris in the yard.

A Seminole County code official told FOX 35 News it's not against their code to have a partially burned down house for years.

As for the trees, the county says it has no certified arborists to tell if they're dead.

The house is scheduled for a foreclosure auction Tuesday.

After that, a new owner could be cited for some of the problems.

Neighbors are hoping someone buys it and tears it down quickly.

"Buy it, knock it down," Jumper said. "And if not then at least secure it. Board it up, put tall fences around it."

"It’s dangerous, and it’s nasty and nobody wants that to be next door to them," Pallon said.