ST. LOUIS – From the street, the 6900 block of Oleatha Avenue in the city’s Lindenwood Park neighborhood looks like your standard southside block. But the view from above reveals a backyard that neighbors say resembles a junkyard.

“It's just sad that when I walk out, that's what I have to look at,” Shelia Wentzel said.

Neighbor Mary Marx said, “I feel this is going to have a bearing on my property value if it is not addressed sooner or later.”

Marx and Wentzel’s homes flank the property.

“The piles have continued to grow wider and taller, and so it's not like they can be hidden by a six-foot privacy fence any longer,” Marx said.

“It’s just a haven for mosquitoes, rodents, and we're just…we've just been let down,” Wentzel said.

Wentzel and Marx say they’ve sought help from aldermen, the St. Louis Building Division, the Health Department, the Citizen’s Service Bureau, and police.

“My frustration is that I just don't find that the city governance, as it's intended to be, I don't find a lot of collaboration and cooperation between departments,” Marx said. “‘Oh, we'll get back to you.’ And that's been the course that we have played past four years.”

According to court records the property owner, Joe Patzius, has been cited and fined at least three times by the city for “unlawfully allowing the accumulation of litter.” He has warrants out for his arrest after failing to appear in court for those violations.

The city has also cited him for stagnant water in his pool and housing standard violations. In July, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District filed a lawsuit against Patzius, alleging he owes nearly $4,000 in usage, late fees, and lien charges.

“He says it’s not his problem. He feels now that the city, after four and a half years, has not done anything. So, he's free,” Wentzel said.

FOX 2 News showed Mayor Cara Spencer photos of the property after a recent news conference. She agreed to look into the situation. A few weeks later, she sat down for an interview with us.

“The reality is that property owners still do have rights, and we are being mindful of that, and we do want to make sure we are doing everything by the books and we’re being very careful to do that,” Spencer said.

“That being said, at this point, we do have all departments who can possibly be engaged on this issue, fully engaged and we are moving as quickly as we can. I can assure you and the residents there that we’re taking it as seriously as we can and at the end of the day, the buck stops with me. We’ll continue to push on this issue until we get resolution.”

Two days after the interview, the city’s Water Division shut off water service to Joe Patzius’ home, rendering it condemned for occupancy. It’s the first step the city’s taken since we intervened. We’ll continue to follow what happens next.

Patzius did not want to be interviewed on camera, but Colombo spoke to him for an hour on the phone. He told Colombo he hated the condition of the backyard and agreed with his neighbors that it needs to be cleaned out. He said he’s been struggling with depression after getting divorced and losing his job.

He told Colombo that not everything in the yard belonged to him. He said a friend he’s since cut ties with dumped some of the stuff off and left it. He said he’s been trying to clean the mess, but it’s hard to do by himself and hauling it away costs money he doesn’t have.

Colombo asked if he’d accept help clearing it out, but Patzius wouldn’t give a straight answer.