Residents of a five-story building in Almaty have effectively declared war on an elderly neighbor, saying her apartment has turned into a veritable garbage dump, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the neighbors, the woman has spent years collecting junk at landfills and bringing it home. They say the pensioner lives in unsanitary conditions. When confronted, the apartment's owner reacts aggressively and, according to the residents, even plots against them.
"You can't reason with her. When we talked to her, she repeatedly threw dead birds, pigeons, or boxes of garbage under our door the next day. You open a window at night to air the place out a little. They apparently use the toilet. All their utilities are cut off: no electricity, no water. They do it all in bottles and bags and throw it out the window," local resident Tatyana Gerasimenko said.
According to the neighbors, the pensioner has three children: her daughters do not speak to their mother, and her adult son is aggressive in conversation.
"There was a fire when her son fell asleep. It went up like a match. Everything burned to the ground. The chandeliers had melted on. People lived in Gazelles. That son was standing by the window. She was there in the apartment, and she was feeding him something. He didn't go in. I came out, he cursed me out, and that was it," Marina Kopylova said.
Residents say they have appealed to government agencies, but to no avail. City services cannot enter the apartment without the owners' permission. Lawyers advise the residents to go to civil court.
"File a lawsuit in the interests of all the residents of this building, arguing that their rights are being violated. Put the necessary and correct demands before the court: compel the defendant to remove this garbage by her own efforts and at her own expense. After the decision enters into legal force, a bailiff handles enforcement," explained Gaukhar Salimbayeva, a lawyer with the Almaty City Bar Association.
It is also reported that akimat representatives sent utility workers to the building. They cleared all the garbage from under the window of the apartment the residents are complaining about. However, locals are certain the effect will be temporary.