Two Missouri homeowners filed a lawsuit against the city of St. Louis over a homeless encampment outside their homes for the past three years.
The plaintiffs allege they have endured noxious odors, public urination/defecation, aggressive behavior, yelling and exposure from two individuals living in a makeshift tent.
While requesting police assistance numerous times, they were told the matter was out of the police’s hands due to orders from the mayor.
The homeowners can no longer safely use their porch, front yard or park in front of their home.
The plaintiffs’ attorney W. Bevis Schock, said, “For three years there have been two people living in a makeshift tent in front of their house.”
Schock, said, “For three years there have been two people living in a makeshift tent in front of their house.”
“They have a lovely front porch. They would like to go out … with a nice cup of coffee in the morning and … let the sun pour in on them and that cannot happen because these scary, smelly, noisy people are there, and they don’t have the proper use of their house because of that,” the attorney continued.
Schock said, “On some occasions, Doe and Roe have become aggressive with Plaintiffs and screamed at Plaintiffs and at other people… Plaintiffs are scared of Doe and Roe due to their unpredictability.
The filing read, “Plaintiffs no longer use their front porch and front yard because of the noxious odors emanating from the tent (including the smell of excrement).”
“Plaintiff neighbors have seen [the homeless people] straddling over the sewer, using it as a toilet. [The] use of the storm sewer causes a public health hazard,” wrote the attorney.
“It’s disgusting,” added Schock.
He continued, “These people aren’t taking a shower every day. They have got garbage in their house. They see rats running around. They throw their litter outside their makeshift tent, including things like chicken bones and that draws vermin.”
Schock said, “They do yell a lot and that’s kind of scary and not that my clients aren’t brave people who can handle somebody yelling at them once in a while, but it’s uncomfortable for them because of that.”
“When Kamala Harris visited St. Louis and there were a bunch of homeless people living in tents on City Hall grounds, she removed them all,” recalled Schock.
“I don’t know where they went. She got rid of them for the big visit of the vice president of the United States. So, they can move them out when they want to. They just have to want to and that’s a big factor in the case,” explained the attorney.
