Sunrise Wants "Hoarders" to Clean Stinky House
City turns to A&E show to clear up woman's clutter
By BRIAN HAMACHER
Updated 12:15 PM EDT, Wed, Dec 9, 2009
Sunrise has a stinky house, and the town is turning to a TV show for help.
Fed up with the smell coming from 55-year-old Debra Jean Higgin's house, city officials have contacted the A&E show "Hoarders" to try to clean up the mess.
Commissioner Larry Sofield has already contacted the show, which helps people who collect piles of junk in their home get clean, and a producer is interested in cleaning up the clutter, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Neighbors say Higgins' home, on the 9300 block of NW 24th Place, needs a good scrubbing. The outside had been cleaned in October by city workers, but the big problem appears to be the inside, where Higgins and her two dogs and seven cats are creating quite a stink. She's racked up a whopping $600,000 in fines for code violations on her property.
Neighbor Mark Sierens, who is leading the charge against the putridity, said things are getting worse.
"She is now throwing cat feces over my fence," he told the Sun-Sentinel yesterday. "This house is a cesspool."
Sierens said he's called the Center for Disease Control and state Health Department, and even notified the Governor's office of the situation. Now they're giving A&E a try.
Even if "Hoarders" wants to take on the Higgins abode, they'll need her approval. Which is no easy task, since she seems to be basically a shut-in.
With $600,000 owed and city lawyers ready to pounce, A&E may be Higgins' last chance for a clean start.
First Published: Dec 9, 2009 11:53 AM EDT
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