Neighbors are awaiting city action over rat-infested, abandoned home in Kalihi

If walls could talk, a 65-year-old house tucked away in a quiet Kalihi neighborhood seemingly would have a painful story to tell.

About the only thing not rotting on the property is a mango tree teeming with unripened fruit.

In the driveway, waist-high, dry weeds skirt a rusted out Nissan 200SX filled with old rolls of carpet and other junk.

Strewn about the front yard are at least three car engines, several sinks, a bed mattress and frame and an untold number of things obscured by wild brush.

A vine with broad leaves is growing out of the middle of the house where the roof is caved in. And teal-colored tile shower walls dislodged from the bathtub are fully exposed because exterior walls on one side of the home have collapsed.

This house, at 1602-C Haupu Place, isn’t on public display because it fronts no street.

But some neighbors — about seven homes border the decrepit structure accessed by an L-shaped gravel driveway — are at their wit’s end over what has been a close-up eyesore and feared health hazard for about a decade.

The home also has been the object of a struggle among relatives who jointly own the property and have let it slip into the state it’s in.

“It’s sad,” said one neighbor who is familiar with the home’s ownership situation but did not want to be named. The neighbor said one of the joint owners won’t consent to sell the property and no one is caring for the property that hasn’t been occupied in years.

Four years ago, state Rep. John Mizuno, who used to live in the neighborhood and represents constituents in Kalihi, reached out to the city for help after being contacted by nearby homeowners.

In a 2016 letter to the city Department of Environmental Services, Mizuno called the property a rat-infested fire hazard.

“I urge you to look into this matter soon as the well-being and safety of surrounding neighbors should be of prime importance,” he wrote.

In a 2017 letter to the city Department of Planning and Permitting, Mizuno reiterated his concerns on behalf of residents living near the home.

A city official stated in 2017 that the property would be auctioned the following year if property tax delinquencies since 2015 weren’t corrected. Yet a forced sale never took place.

Mizuno returned to the property Friday after a neighbor recently let him know about the home’s continued demise, and he was aghast.

“I said, ‘You got to be kidding me,’” Mizuno recounted.

Mizuno sent a letter to Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Gov. David Ige on Wednesday but said he has yet to receive a response.

“Three years later nothing has been done,” Mizuno said Friday after looking at the home. “It’s why people don’t trust government. We don’t want something tragic to happen — for this to go ablaze and people die. The neighbors are scared.”

A few neighbors outside their homes Friday did not want to be quoted by name, but said they have concerns stretching back years that include squatters, dumping, rodents and fire.

“In case of fire, I’m worried,” said one.

“Something needs to be done,” said another. “Why wait till tragedy?”

City property tax office representatives could not be reached Friday to comment on the past auction plan or any current plan to deal with the problem. According to public records, no property taxes have been paid for the residence since 2014, and the total delinquency including penalties and interest is $12,317.

The owners also face a much bigger fine from the Department of Planning and Permitting for condition issues.

DPP cited the owners in 2010 for vegetation overgrowth, litter and dwelling damage. In 2011, a $100 daily fine was imposed.

To date, the fine has grown to $323,800. DPP also filed a lien against the property in 2013.

DPP spokesman Curtis Lum said the agency also took actions to prevent the property owners from renewing driver’s licenses and car registrations until violations and fines are resolved. The department’s common practice has been to reduce fines if violations are corrected, which in this case would likely involve demolishing the home.

The four-bedroom, one-bathroom house built in 1955 was recently valued for tax purposes at $8,400. The 4,149-square-foot lot is valued at $599,000.

According to DPP, there were nine joint owners of the property in 2011. Property records show they received their interests as part of estate distributions in 1971 and 1993. In 2014 and 2017, more partial ownership transfers among relatives were made.

None of the owners could be reached for comment.