LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County health officials are preparing to investigate an infamous Fairfax District "trash house" where massive piles of garbage have returned despite years of complaints, repeated cleanups and legal action against the homeowner.
Video from Wednesday showed trash and debris once again covering the property in the 600 block of North Martel Avenue near Melrose Avenue, including what appeared to be a vehicle buried beneath the garbage.
"The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division has been made aware of the current concerns, and a site investigation will be scheduled," the department said in a statement.
"This investigation will evaluate the property for accumulation of trash and debris, potential sanitation issues, and evidence of vermin activity or infestation," the statement continued.
The department said that if inspectors identify violations requiring corrective action, notices will be sent to the property owner by certified mail and posted at the home, if accessible.
The findings will also be shared with the county Department of Mental Health and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to determine whether additional action is needed.
The latest accumulation of garbage prompted an angry response from Mayor Karen Bass' office, which told TMZ that the city has repeatedly intervened to address the property's conditions.
"It is outrageous that the owner of this private property has once again allowed the conditions to disintegrate and neighbors are forced to live near this mess," a spokesperson told TMZ. "The Mayor's Office, in coordination with the Council Office and multiple City Departments, has cleaned up this health and safety hazard on more than one occasion."
According to TMZ, the mayor's office said a criminal case against the homeowner remains ongoing as the court considers appointing a conservator to oversee the property. Bass is urging the county Department of Mental Health to support the appointment.
The property has been the subject of complaints and city enforcement efforts for more than a decade.
In 2014, city building officials ordered homeowner Raymond Gaon to remove trash, debris and overgrown vegetation from the property. The city eventually cleared the property and billed Gaon for the work, KTLA reported.
The city filed misdemeanor charges in 2017 alleging failure to comply with an order and failure to maintain the property. That case was dismissed in 2019.
In April 2024, the property again drew widespread attention when Bass visited the home, declared it a public health emergency and ordered a cleanup.
"This is a fire hazard and I worry about the individual there, this place catching fire, him losing his life," Bass told KTLA at the time. "This is just outrageous and it will end today."
City crews subsequently removed an estimated seven tons of waste from the property, Patch reported at the time.
But the trash returned. In September 2025, city workers wearing hazardous materials suits conducted another cleanup, KTLA reported.
On Wednesday, KTLA captured aerial footage of hundreds of trash-filled bags and uncovered buckets that appeared to contain standing water, raising concerns about possible rodents and mosquitoes.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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