It looks like fishing poles sprouted up in the yard next door. The bamboo plants are now over 7 foot tall.
We are waiting to see how long it takes the city to do something about it. They cut the grass, bill the owner, but have yet to come by this year.
I was told by a neighbor that I would have first dibs to buy that house from the city for back taxes being that I live right next door, but I don’t have the cash to make an offer.
I was like ahhh… so I looked it up on the auditor’s website and, sure enough, the owner is listed as “address unknown” and the city tacks 600 a year onto his unpaid tax bill to maintain the yard.
So, to sound a bit like Mr. Rogers… who wants to be my neighbor?
There is a very good possibility that the city would consider an offer as low as 5,000 considering the back taxes are racking up to about five grand with the yard maintenance fees and all. I told the kids about it, but they don’t want to live that close to mama.
It could be a nice little house… 3 bedroom ranch, full basement, nice size yard, decent garage. Roof looks fine, newer style windows, siding needs washed and painted. And, it is located in a racially diverse South side neighborhood, near St. Matthias on a quiet little street of mostly owner occupied homes, within a half block walk to the nearest WRTA bus route.
I’m not a Realtor, have nothing to gain if someone buys it…. except a new neighbor who will hopefully keep that bamboo under control. I’ve read that it will eventually die off if you keep it cut down due to lack of photosynthesis (sunshine on leaves) but who knows? I just don’t want it spreading to my yard.
Thanks for reading!
Barnbees 
If that bamboo isn’t tended to and cut down, it will start spreading into your yard. It grows around here a lot – so much so that there is an actual bamboo forest park where troops were trained for Vietnam – but people hate it because of how invasive it is and how much it spreads & kills off local vegetation.
What a shame about the house. It sounds like a great little investment. I’d jump on it except for y’all have that nasty season known as “winter” that makes my bones ache.
Oh yeah, that nasty season known as “winter” is one reason I didn’t know what it was when it first sprouted; we don’t see much bamboo around here. It wasn’t there last fall when we moved in, maybe it was just kept cut down, IDK. Wish they’d get it tended to quick! I contacted the city via a form on their website, so I will wait a few days before doing the old lady thing (call the mayor) and guess we will just have to watch for signs of invasion and dig it out as it comes. Hoping there’s a deep footer under the driveway blacktop as that’s our only barrier.