Hoarder Neighbor

Worried about fire hazard - next door neighbor

May 2015

I went next door to assist a neighbor and discovered she is a hoarder. I would say this is medium-level hoarding - newspapers, collections of dust bunnies and thread, every surface covered but a walking path between the door and sleeping area. No foul smells or visible animals/pests, but still very concerning, mostly for the fire and pest hazard since we live a mere 12 feet from one another. Nolo press says to act with compassion, knock on her door and ask how to help, but I am already at my compassion capacity - kids, aging parents, a nurse. Can I ignore this in good conscience? Or is there a way to involve an authority without ruining our otherwise friendly neighbor relations? She's the kind of woman who has made trouble with neighbors in the past (according to others and herself), is home all day and critically watchful of the block, so I have felt grateful to be on her good side. What would you do?
Too tired to clean for others

We lived next to an extreme hoarder for 15 years. I know it is uncomfortable. Hoarding is a mental illness. I can't imagine anything an ''authority'' could or should do in that situation. Hoarding definitely is not a crime or even a danger to anyone, really. Honestly, it is none of your business. Liz O.

You can't have it both ways. If you're concerned about her hoarding and you want to interfere, you don't get to stay on her good side. It sounds to me like your quality of life is more dependent on keeping her friendly, which has a clear day-to-day benefit, than on forcing her to life up to your cleanliness standards, which is a vague maybe-it-might-affect-you threat. MYOB

My 86-y-o mother is a hoarder and she lives in an apartment building that conducts twice-yearly fire inspections. This is the ONLY thing that keeps her from setting her place afire, and her neighbors' places afire. Like your neighbor, she maintains only a narrow path from the front door to the the one seat that isn't piled high, to her bed, to the bathroom. None of the doors close because they are all hung with and obstructed by junk. So if there were a fire, she'd have a lot of trouble getting out through the piles of boxes and papers and books and furniture and appliances she has collected just during the past 10 years. She is a smoker to boot. Every six months, in anticipation of the fire inspections, she spends a couple of months clearing out stuff and driving it to the Goodwill, has the fire inspection, and then begins the accumulation again until another 6 months rolls around. If you live in an apartment building ask the manager to conduct fire inspections. Otherwise phone your friendly neighborhood fire station and ask how to make it happen. It is a risk not just to her, but to her neighbors too. And trust me, there is nothing you can say to your neighbor that will help. She needs to hear it from ''the authorities.'' Hoarder's daughter

I really don't see how the medium-level hoard inside the house of your neighbor is your issue. Too tired to take it on? How about don't? If you're worried about a fire hazard, anonymously call the FD and let them sort it out, then you forget all about it. - Is there something I'm missing?