Winnipegger frustrated as nearby vacant home prevents him from selling his property

A Winnipeg homeowner is speaking out after he says a vacant and neglected home next to his house, has prevented him from selling his property.

Ed Artola says an Atlantic Avenue house next to his has plagued him from selling his home since July of 2023.

“During the winter there was a lot of garbage building at the back. I had to get it boarded up through by-law. It was a nuisance the whole year I tried to sell it,” said Artola.

“The owner did not even send someone to cut the grass, there was no shovelling of the snow, no cleaning up of the garbage, there were shopping carts constantly at the back.”

He says he’s put thousands of dollars of upgrades into his home trying to make it more attractive.

“My house was broken into at the end of November. As the comments started rolling in from potential buyers, we didn’t get any offers for my property, some of the comments were about the house next door having homeless people being there, all the garbage in the back,” he explained.

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In addition to the upgrades done to the home based on feedback from those looking at the property, according to the home’s listing agent Jeremy Wasney, they even brought the price down to make the home more attractive to no avail.

The home now is being rented out.

“When a first-time home buyer comes to look at a home and they see the house next to them is vacant and derelict, there were also some obscene messages left on the side of the home by the person living in the shed,” said Wasney.

“When they see that, that’s the first thing on their mind everything after that is basically a moot point. Because from then on, they are going to think, ‘Where I’m going to live, where’s my family going to be safe?’ Next to that home, it’s not going to happen.”

Records show the city issued the property next to Artola’s home a vacant building by-law compliance order back in December of 2023.

CityNews was able to reach the owner of the home who expressed he was willing to speak with us for an interview but had to speak with his lawyer first prior to confirming a specific date and time since he was dealing with a situation he is unable to disclose.