‘It looks like a ’junkyard’—Residents say neighbor’s backyard is out of control

ST. LOUIS – From the street, the 6900 block of Oleatha Avenue in the city’s Lindenwood Park neighborhood looks like your standard southside block. But the view from above reveals a backyard that neighbors say resembles a junkyard.

“It's just sad that when I walk out, that's what I have to look at,” Shelia Wentzel said.

Neighbor Mary Marx said, “I feel this is going to have a bearing on my property value if it is not addressed sooner or later.”

Marx and Wentzel’s homes flank the property.

“The piles have continued to grow wider and taller, and so it's not like they can be hidden by a six-foot privacy fence any longer,” Marx said.

“It’s just a haven for mosquitoes, rodents, and we're just…we've just been let down,” Wentzel said.

Wentzel and Marx say they’ve sought help from aldermen, t