South Bend residents urge stronger enforcement at Highland condemned properties after weapons, trespass reports

Residents told the South Bend Common Council during public comment that condemned houses and trailers near Highland have become a public-safety problem, with reports of trespass, weapons left on a rental property and alleged use of an illegal well that prompted a lifted condemnation.

Nut graf: Neighbors said the situation has persisted for years and that recent incidents — including a .22 rifle left where a 3-year-old visits, an unknown person threatening a homeowner, repeated police calls and what residents described as continued habitation of properties that had been sealed — require stronger action from city departments responsible for health, building and code enforcement.

Residents described a series of incidents they say show enforcement gaps. An unnamed resident who spoke first said a ".22 rifle was left on a property where a…