Denver Property Owners Want Action From City As Homeless Camps Move Onto Their Property

DENVER (CBS4) - As those without a home in Denver are moved out of encampments for cleanup, they are now looking for new places to live from Capitol Hill to Park Hill. Some homeowners are now finding them outside their doors.

"I take a lot of pride, not only in the house and yard, but the neighborhood," said 74-year-old Marvin Cushenberry. His yard in northeast Denver is immaculate. Even the alley is usually spic and span - until now.

"Here -- and I don't want you to come too close -- is where all the clothes were," he showed CBS4's Rick Sallinger.

Cushenberry says some of those without a home turned his alley into a campground minus an outhouse.

"I thought it was the most disgusting thing I have seen in my life. No need to go into details, but the people were chased off, their garbage left behind. I want all this cleaned up," he said.

The city told him it's the property owner's responsibility to clean their side of the alley. They could be fined if they refuse to take care of the problem.

It turns out that also applies to easements. A not-so-beautiful site now appears in a different neighborhood at 13th and Logan.

The owners of one building on Logan are now unable to rent it.

Janet Anderson landscaping for Hogarth Properties explained, "After they finished the remodeling and the landscaping the day of the open house the homeless moved in across the street."

She says some of their new neighbors have been using the decorative fountain in front to bathe. The sidewalk and easements are littered with trash and police say bike theft is a major problem. One property manager told CBS4 he sees drug use, fires, and acts of vandalism.

Property owners are considering a lawsuit against the city to move the tents out.

The city of Denver has been trying to find a place for those without homes to pitch their tents. The urban camping ban making its way through the courts has not been used.