Case Date:

8/4/2025

This is the back yard of the home of Carl James. His grandsons work on cars and currently have 5 on the property, two are in the drive, one of which is up on jacks. Carl does not drive. These cars have been sitting in the yard for several weeks. The grass has not been cut in that time either. Carl has some health issues and the grandsons help out on occasion, and are difficult to approach. Please contact me if you need any further information.

Case Date:

8/18/2025

This is a 2 week follow up to report # 204696 per request from Raye Ann Cox. There are still 3 vehicles parked in the back yard. There are 2 vehicles parked in driveway, one is unplated, one up on a jack. We asked owner again to remove the jack due to safety concerns.

Case Date:

9/13/2025

I took this iPhone photo Friday night, as discreetly as I could, before it got completely dark. I count six vehicles on the grass in the backyard. If you zoom in, you can see the bent metal (above the burgundy car) where the back roof has partially collapsed. There is also a large tree growing through the left side of the collapsed roof (not pictured). This house is uninhabitable. Several neighbors, myself included, believe there is no running water since one of the tenants urinates on the lawn. I’m shocked that the roof hasn’t completely caved in. Someone is going to get hurt if this isn’t addressed and fixed.

Case Date:

10/5/2025

Hello, this is the third time I have submitted a complaint about this property. My neighbor sent me this photo via text last night. The owner’s family members think they’re clever by “solving the problem” of removing old mattresses on the front porch. We were all thrilled to think they finally had the two stained mattresses properly hauled away. Instead, they just moved them to the crumbling back porch with its sagging roof. If there was a fire, heaven forbid, and they had to quickly use the back door to leave a burning building, they would be delayed by the old, stained mattresses. In addition to the owner, there is a tenant named James (who also goes by Jimmy) living at the house. He is intellectually challenged, yet seems to be the only person seen pushing home owner Carl up the sidewalk and/or street, in a seated walker. Carl’s health has visibly declined since the beginning of 2025. This family is flipping the bird at City inspectors and us, the neighbors who have to look at their mess, and have for years. I will keep filing reports until owner Carl James, his 16 grandchildren and namesake son CJ (Carl Junior) finally takes these infractions seriously. Thank you for your work.

Case Date:

10/6/2025

There are several junky cars parked on the grass in the backyard of 703 W 7th Street. I believe this is an environmental hazard to the soil. If possible, please have these cars removed. Thank you.

Case Date:

10/27/2025

These abandoned non functioning cars continue to be an issue since my last report.There are now6-7 cars parked in the backyard and the drive way. My attached photo is of a derby car that he worked on usually at night. Between the noise and the junk we have had enough.

Case Date:

12/26/2025

Hello, here we go again with another violation from the grandson of property owner Carl James. This beauty of a vehicle (what’s left of it) was unloaded from a car trailer this past Sunday night (12/21). Someone let the car idle very loudly for about 15-20 minutes, while it emitted an ear splitting level of noise. I was in my kitchen, located in the middle of the house on the first floor of my home and thought someone may have had an accident. I turned out the kitchen light and peeked from behind my dining room curtain to see what the source of the noise was. I saw two sets of headlights. I was relieved it was not an accident and returned to getting my dinner. Then the noise got really loud as the vehicle was coming past my kitchen window down Fairview alley. The car then rounded the corner onto a gravel and dirt path behind the houses on W. 7th Street. It came within one foot of my next door neighbor’s wooden privacy fence. I can see how close the wrecker came to hitting the fence due to the trail of mud left behind. I knew exactly where the car was going to end up and I was correct. The attached photo was taken the following day. This family has 32 City of Bloomington violations reported on their property, dating back to 1970. They obviously don’t follow rules or have any respect for the neighbors living in close proximity to their house. Owner Carl James is in deteriorating health and feels since he owns the house, his spawn can do whatever the **** they want. I’m planning to move to Urbana, Illinois in the spring of 2026. The James family is never going to change their ways, so I’m leaving Bloomington. I thought this was my forever home, but at the age of 64 I will be moving again. This is the outcome when people “flip the bird” at rules and personal responsibility.

Case Date:

7/19/2013

Road destroyed for months by construction of water line. Who do we send the bill to for wheel bearings and alignments?

Case Date:

11/7/2024

On the south sidewalk between park and fess on 10th there is roadkill under the pile of leaves. It’s been there about a week and is starting to rot based on the smell.

Case Date:

7/13/2016

Large pothole has developed right next to sidewalk. It's making parking very difficult: it's a good 3-4 inches deep (several layers of road surface have some away) and about 5 square feet around.