Neighbors of Las Vegas hoarder get sympathy but little else

Sun City Summerlin promotes itself as a pristine retirement community with strict community standards. Look at the above photo and think again.

Wouldn't you presume the homeowners association regulations would prohibit that pile of junk?

The neighbors of Kenneth Epstein, a hoarder who lives at 9517 Gold Bank Drive, have seen litter piled up high in his front courtyard and his back patio for more than two years.

Neighbors say smells come from the house. Epstein has been seen going through people's trash and recycle bins and taking things.

Neighbors fear his side of the duplex is a health hazard and a fire hazard. They can't understand why this disgrace hasn't been taken care under the homeowners association's supposedly strict rules and regulations. Or by city officials.

For months, neighbor Robert Michael has tried to get something done about the eyesore. Michael said he contacted the Las Vegas Fire Department, the Southern Nevada Health Department, Animal Control for his collection of cats, and the master and sub associations, yet was told nothing could be done.

"I went to so many people and got totally ignored; nobody wants to get involved," Michael said.

Finally, he called me.

I drove by in July to see for myself. Then I contacted the Sun City Summerlin Community Association that month to see why nothing has been done. Executive Director Barbara Cogar said they were working on it. Routinely, I drove by and saw nothing but junk in the courtyard, but not in the common area. I waited until the end of September, before leaving a message for Cogar that I wasn't waiting any longer for an explanation and would be writing a column.

I also called Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony, who represents Sun City Summerlin, to see whether the city's code enforcement has the Gold Bank home on its radar. Yes, it does, since 2007 no less.

"I didn't know anything about it," Anthony said Thursday. "Code enforcement was handling it. They've been working on it for some time. Monday morning, I'll get personally involved and find out what's going wrong."

On Monday, there was a large trash bin outside the home. On Tuesday, It was still empty.

On Thursday at noon, I saw Epstein, 55, and a city code enforcement worker tossing items in the bin. The smell was so foul, I gagged slightly. The code enforcement worker, a woman, was wearing a mask and sweating heavily.

Epstein declined comment Thursday but was polite about it. He didn't seem threatening. He was thin, dirty and disheveled, wearing a barely there T-shirt. His pants hung down so far, his pubic hair showed.

Epstein was placing half a dozen children's bicycles against a wall, as if trying save them. Although he had two vehicles in his driveway, which neighbors say never move, he rides those bikes around the neighborhood.

Hours after the code enforcement official left Thursday, Epstein was observed by a neighbor salvaging his possessions from the trash bin and shoving them into his duplex through a kitchen window. He couldn't get the things into the house through the front door because it was too crowded.

On Friday, the bin was gone, and the front courtyard was once again filled with the clutter he couldn't get into the house. Recycle bins are among his collectibles.

George Olsen, one of the few neighbors who agreed to be quoted by name, said: "It's horrendous. This is a nice neighborhood, and people take care of their homes. This is like a junkyard. It smells putrid. We go for walks, and it's terrible. We cross the street so we don't have to smell it."

Olsen is disappointed that the homeowners associations have allowed this to continue for at least two years.

Another neighbor asked the obvious question. "Why isn't the HOA doing anything? It affects home prices, and it puts a black mark on the community."

She said when she saw Epstein taking things from another person's house, she yelled at him to get out of there. "He turned and looked at me as if I were from outer space."

She also is concerned about disease and rats. It's uncertain whether Epstein has power and water service.

A few women said they were concerned about safety if he is mentally ill, one reason some neighbors don't file complaints.

Epstein's mother, Beatrice Epstein, bought the home in 2004, and her son moved in with her. When she died, he became the legal owner in April 2010. Public records show that, as of June 8, the current owner is the Clark County treasurer because Epstein owes $114 in back taxes. Technically, the house can be auctioned off if he doesn't pay the taxes, but he can pay the taxes to redeem the house. Does the county bear any responsibility at this point?

Michael, Olsen and other neighbors blame both associations, the master association and the sub association called Eagle Valley Homeowners Association, the sub for duplexes in this area. The sub association is managed by Castle Management. Employees there refused to discuss why this situation was allowed to fester for so long, citing privacy laws.

Sue Papilion, president of the master association, and Hank Guastaferro, president of the sub association, agreed that one reason the problem was allowed to continue is that neither of the two associations took responsibility. The master association said it was the sub's responsibility. The sub said it couldn't afford the legal fees to do anything and didn't really know what to do, the two presidents said.

"Everybody passed the ball back and forth," Papilion said. "Everybody thought it was somebody else's responsibility."

Plus, when they fined Epstein, he paid the fines and then continued hoarding.

Guastaferro said the board didn't hire someone to clean the courtyard and patio because "we'd have a big lawsuit."

Kim Kallfelz, who manages many associations (including mine) but not this one, said almost every set of rules and regulations allows the board to clean up the exterior of the property. Even if the HOA were sued, it would win in court, she said. "It's all about the HOA board's responsibility to keep up community standards."

Kallfelz agreed that it was the sub association's responsibility and that the board and its management company cannot shirk their responsibilities.

Donald Gelbman, who resigned as a director of Sun City Summerlin Community Association in September, wrote in an email: "The board never really discussed it. The subject was brought up by a homeowner and followed up by one director. From what I was told, the resident has done nothing that would allow the association to take action."

Records show city code enforcement had been trying to get voluntary compliance since complaints about the Gold Bank property began in 2007. The city had seven cases opened and closed at the home. One case involved lack of power, and six involved accumulation of exterior trash and debris and exterior storage. All seven cases were closed when Epstein came into compliance each time.

On Aug. 6, code enforcement opened an eighth case. City officials said between then and Wednesday, code enforcement officials have been to the property 10 times for inspections, reminding Epstein what to do to be in compliance.

"Mr. Epstein has made attempts to clean up the property during that time," according to a memo prepared for the councilman.

When Epstein didn't fully comply, the city arranged for Republic Services to provide a large trash bin last Monday, at no charge.

Epstein has been told if he's not in compliance by Monday, the city will initiate formal legal action.

Because the junk is back in the courtyard, all of Thursday's cleanup was for nothing.

Hoarders see their possessions as treasures and often don't see it as a problem.

The city has asked the Southern Nevada Health District to inspect the premises and is contacting services that may be of help to Epstein, including the Clark County Senior Protective Services and a for-profit organization called Assisted Transitions.

Obviously, this is a problem not just for the neighbors, but for Epstein, a tragic figure in all of this. A man who dumpster dives to retrieve what he believes are his treasures, and then squeezes them into his home, is not going to stop just because he is told to stop.

But pity his neighbors, too. Would you want to live next door to Kenneth Epstein?

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Email her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call her at (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Morrison