KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Some nights Terry and Carrie Madden won't even step onto their patio -- the stench and mosquitoes from the abandoned swimming pool next door are overpowering.
The Maddens' cash-strapped neighbors moved out in August, and the lender on the now-vacant house let it fall into disrepair. The pool is slime-green. The grass is knee-high. Once Carrie Madden had to call police to chase away burglars.
Either deliberately or just due to the overwhelming volume of foreclosures to process, banks aren't legally taking ownership of properties very fast which leaves the cities responsible for dealing with this kind of stuff.
What fun!