Working4You: North Little Rock man complains to Code Enforcement about ‘messy neighbor’

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A North Little Rock homeowner says he’s out of time and out of patience, claiming the city’s code enforcement office isn’t enforcing the rules as they should.

Bobby Taylor said he’s called the City of North Little Rock to report several code violations at his neighbor’s home.

Taylor claims his neighbor is hoarding vehicles and scrap metal, creating a very dangerous situation.

“I just need some help on this, I can’t do it by myself,” Taylor said.

Taylor called the Working4You hotline, hoping we could get some movement from the city.

The problem

Over the years, Taylor has watched his kids grow up on Boyer Street in North Little Rock, teaching them to ride a bike, drive, and eventually watching them leave the nest.

“I bought this home intending to raise my family here,” Taylor said. “I got two boys, one of them is in business with me, the other drives for a lumber company in Morrilton.”

Taylor said they’re good memories, but no neighborhood is perfect.

He said this latest issue has been going on for several months, claiming his neighbor, Billy Brockman, is hoarding items in his front and back yard.

“He’s got all kind of violations in there that’s illegal and he still gets away with it,” Taylor said. “Piles of mattresses, and box springs that he picked up on the street. Washing machines, dryers, automobiles tied together.”

Talking with the City of North Little Rock

North Little Rock Code Enforcement lists unmaintained properties, graffiti, illegal dumping, overgrown grass, and storage of junk or debris as “violations.” In some cases, those can result in issued citations.

Working4You reached out to North Little Rock Code Enforcement and director Felecia McHenry said Brockman’s home caught fire in the middle of June and he has “continued to clear the yard of debris since the time of the fire.”

She shared a statement saying “It is unfortunate that Brockman has suffered this loss and is working single-handedly to remove the debris.”

“Mr. Brockman, the resident at 4605 Boyer Street, sustained substantial fire damage on June 10, 2024. Two storage building located in the rear yard along with all the items inside the buildings were destroyed. He has continued to clear the yard of debris since the time of the fire. The City of North Little Rock has been assisting and monitoring his progress and has provided two dumpsters to assist Mr. Brockman. It is unfortunate that Mr. Brockman has suffered this loss and is working single-handedly to remove the debris. I am reminded of the neighbors and even volunteers outside or North Little Rock that came together during the March 2023 tornado to help others. It is that spirit of helpfulness that makes North Little Rock a great place to live. The NLR Code Department will continue to monitor and work with Mr. Brockman as well as another resident on Boyer Street that also suffered fire damage. The NLR Code Department is assisting both residents with their clean-up efforts and will allow six months or longer for residents to complete this process. Upon recent inspection of the property, no junk is being stored in the front yard of Mr. Brockman’s residence. We also have no knowledge of two-house fires caused by Mr. Brockman. “

Director Felecia McHenry, North Little Rock Code Department

As stated in the letter, North Little Rock is giving Brockman six months to get his home back up to code.

A repeating cycle

“Why am I trying to go through all this anguish and the City of North Little Rock is running this place like a one-arm wash woman,” Taylor said.

Taylor claims this isn’t the first time his neighbor has had a run-in with code enforcement and said he is worried this is a cycle on repeat.

“It ain’t never gotten better,” he said. “It’s just gotten worse, pitiful.”

According to court documents, Brockman was the center of a similar issue in 2019.

The City of North Little Rock filed a complaint in the Pulaski County Circuit Court demanding Brockman’s house be cleaned up.

In the complaint, then-Assistant City Attorney Michael A. Mosley points to a house fire at Brockman’s residence in April of 2019.

In the report from North Little Rock Fire, firefighters say the blaze was started because Brockman was “using a 5-gallon metal pail as a heat source.”

The wall behind it got too hot and caught fire.

Building Code was called out to the scene and reported, “It appears that it may have been a hoarded condition.”

Fast forward a couple of weeks, The City of North Little Rock files a complaint asking Brockman’s property to be cleaned up or condemned, claiming it was a “nuisance to the public.”

In 2018, Brockman received three separate code violations.

The city accused Brockman of “scrapping,” “burning copper,” “using the backyard as a toilet,” and ultimately creating an “unsafe” home.

In 2020, Brockman agreed to clean up his home and halt all efforts to collect, store, or sell scrap material on his property. The case was then closed.

Working4You

The City of North Little Rock Code Enforcement claims they have “no knowledge of two house fires caused by Brockman.”

“Get someone down here that knows what’s going on and take care of the people out here that takes care of them and pays their salaries,” Taylor said.

Since Working4You’s interview with Taylor and calls with the City, Brockman’s house looks significantly different.

Working4You ran into Brockman on one of our runs. He said he was “cleaning it up.”

City officials said the work is being done, but Taylor feels it is only a matter of time before the trash starts to pile up once again.

“This means something to me. I don’t want to go rent another place or buy another place and move somewhere else,” Taylor said. “I intend on living my life right here as long as I could.”

Working4You reached out to the North Little Rock Fire Department, which said the fire from June of 2024 started in the shed outside Brockman’s house.

The city is giving Brockman six months from the date of the fire to get everything cleaned up. Working4You will check back in December when that clock is up.

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