A stretch of Faust Avenue on Detroit’s west side has hit its breaking point. Neighbors say squatters are quietly slipping into two vacant homes while someone appears to have rigged up an illegal energy hookup, and residents are done watching from the porch. With a long history of blight on the block, people say they are now worried about safety, vandalism and ballooning utility bills, so they called in local TV’s Problem Solvers to force the issue.
Residents Turn To TV’s Problem Solvers
Residents told the station they recently spotted what they described as “alleged squatting” at two houses on Faust and reported what looked like an illegal power connection, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The outlet also revisited a 2023 mess on the same block, when a front yard piled up with tires and furniture triggered more than $11,000 in fines and a public health declaration, per a separate FOX 2 Detroit report. Neighbors told the station the repeated problems make them doubt anything will change unless city officials and utilities feel outside pressure.
Utility Hazards And How To Report
DTE Energy warns that meter tampering, bypasses or other unauthorized hookups are not just a bill issue; they can spark fires, cause electrocution and land people in criminal trouble, along with hefty repair costs, according to DTE Energy. The company tells customers not to play detective at the meter, but instead to report suspicious activity through its confidential theft tipline. When tampering is confirmed, DTE says it can launch investigations and seek repayment for both repairs and lost service…