PROPERTY NEGLECT: HOLDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ABANDONED PROPERTIES IN FLORENCE, SC By: Quana Frasier: Journalist, Reporter, Civic Media Specialist – “The Pen of the Pee Dee”
Pee Dee Ink is a civic media platform amplifying real stories from Florence, SC. The Pen of the Pee Dee belongs to the people.
Florence, SC is a city with soul, culture, and a powerful sense of community. But too many neighborhoods especially those historically underserved are living under the weight of neglect. Overgrown lawns. Crumbling infrastructure. Forgotten homes. And it's time to talk about it not with silence, but with bold accountability.
🏚️ Housing Authorities Must Be Held Responsible for Abandoned Homes
Across Florence, SC too many homes owned by housing authorities sit untouched for months or even years after a tenant moves out. Grass grows tall and sometimes nearly covering the front porch. Shrubs block the windows. Debris accumulates. No signs of care. No signs of life.
And the consequences are real.
🧟♂️ A local resident recently reported seeing a man loitering and peering into the windows of one of these abandoned properties. These aren’t just vacant homes: they are crime magnets. When a property looks abandoned, it signals vulnerability and invites trespassing, squatting, theft, or worse.
Add to that the sightings of stray animals roaming these properties, and you have a neighborhood that no longer feels safe. Snakes slither through tall grass. Rats and raccoons take shelter. Insects from mosquitoes to roaches to wasps, spread into the homes of neighbors who do keep up their property. This is more than unsightly. It’s a public health and safety crisis.
🚫 Not Just Housing Authorities: Private Owners Are Guilty Too
Florence also has homeowners who leave their vacant properties to decay while continuing to pay taxes. That’s not enough.
Paying taxes doesn’t absolve you of the responsibility to keep your property clean, safe, and maintained.
If you’re going to own land in Florence, you owe it to the community to uphold its dignity. A well-kept property next to a home with crumbling siding and knee-high grass loses value, draws in vermin, and disrespects every homeowner who’s trying to keep things beautiful.
💥 Pain Points That Hit Hard:
- A mother can’t let her kids play outside because of stray dogs wandering from vacant homes
- An elderly resident struggles to mow the edge of their lawn because their neighbor’s overgrowth is now pushing into theirs
- A man lurking outside an empty unit creates fear for everyone on the block
- Clean, cared-for homes are being infested by bugs and rodents spilling over from neglected properties
- Residents are paying the price emotionally, financially, and mentally for a mess they didn’t make
🗑Curbside Clutter: The Gap in Florence’s Trash Pickup Policy
Walk down certain streets in Florence, SC, and you might be greeted with moldy mattresses rotting on the curb for weeks or even months. Broken chairs, busted appliances, and old construction debris continue to pile up, not just as an eyesore but as a symbol of neglect.
Currently, the City of Florence only provides trash pickup for standard garbage and tree limbs. There is no formal service for bulk waste like furniture or damaged appliances. For many residents, this policy is more than an inconvenience, it’s a growing frustration.
“It makes the city look trashy,” one Florence resident said, reflecting on how such services are available in other cities she’s lived in. “Why make the city look bad just because a home is in a poor neighborhood? Not all homes on the same street are poor & like trash. There are some decent homes & property that value great property maintenance.”
Residents argue that a lack of city supported bulk pickup unfairly punishes neighborhoods already struggling with image and perception. People who care about their community and keep their property clean are now forced to look out their windows at someone else’s junk and wait weeks or months for it to be removed.
Another local voiced what many are feeling: “We pay taxes, and services should be rendered.”
This isn't just about old furniture. It's about dignity, fair city services, and a shared vision for clean, thriving neighborhoods across all zip codes, rich or poor. Florence can do better. Residents are calling for the city to expand its trash pickup policy and implement a proper bulk waste removal system that serves every part of the community.
🧾 What Needs to Happen NOW:
✅ City ordinances must include active fines for unmaintained properties even if taxes are paid
✅ Housing Authorities must be required to mow lawns, board windows, and monitor vacant units after a move out
✅ Trash pickup services must implement proper bulk waste removal system for the community
✅ There must be regular city inspections on abandoned homes and accountability for absentee owners
✅ Residents should be empowered to report issues without red tape and know action will be taken
📣 Florence: Wake Up and Get Involved
This is about the health of our city. About our dignity. Our pride. Our future.
If you’re tired of seeing rats run across your sidewalk, trash rotting in the heat, strangers peering into windows, or property values falling, say something.
🌱 Get involved.
📞 Call city council.
📝 Submit a report.
📸 Document the neglect.
🗣️ Talk to your neighbors.
📢 Demand better.
Florence deserves more than patchwork fixes. We deserve policies, penalties, and people in office who will listen. We deserve a city we feel safe to walk in and proud to call home.
Pee Dee Ink will continue covering these issues. If you’ve seen similar conditions in your neighborhood, send your story to info@peedeeink.com. The Pen of the Pee Dee is yours — and together, we will write a better future.
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🚨“llustrative image. Not the actual property.”
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