Something finally may be done about a couple of public eyesores that San Jose neighbors have long complained about: a blighted house at 1705 Curtner Ave. and an old abandoned gas station at the corner of Lincoln and Curtner avenues.

Neighbors have contacted the city about the house so many times that a community meeting was held several weeks ago to address the problems.

“The complaints change over time as the property changes,” Councilwoman Devora “Dev” Davis told the Resident. “This was prior to my coming into office, but I knew about it from neighbors.”

Even though the house’s windows were boarded up after the removal of squatters almost a year ago and a fence was installed around the property, problems persist.

Standing water from heavy rainfall earlier this year started to turn the pool into a health hazard, prompting the city to hire a contractor to drain it. Meanwhile staff continues to field calls about overgrown vegetation and people still trying to break into the home.

Code enforcement deputy director Diane Buchanan said staff has received a “higher than usual” number of complaints about the site since 2013, when it landed on a list of about 80 vacant buildings throughout the city that are regularly monitored. There is “one dedicated inspector” who oversees the list and checks out each property every month for signs of neglect, vandalism or break-ins, she said.

Although private property owners have the right to leave their land vacant so long as it is maintained, the city often reaches out to them to learn why, Buchanan said. Extenuating circumstances can often lead to the property being neglected, so staff tries to work with the owner if warranted.

“They’re always trying to get a hold of the property owner and find out what’s going on, why the property is sitting there,” Buchanan said. “It can run the gamut, but we do try to find out. That way we know if it’s a financial problem, especially during the downturn when a lot of homes had been foreclosed on.

“There are 100 different reasons, but a lot of times it’s a death in the family or a health issue,” she added. That can leave staff scrambling to find the next of kin or someone in charge of the estate. Once the city connects with the owner, staff will give him or her the opportunity to take care of the problems. If the owner fails to do so, the city either will hire a contractor or do the work itself and bill the owner.

Code enforcement finally managed to track down the owner of the Curtner house a couple of weeks ago and did an interior inspection before meeting with attorneys to discuss options.

“What’s next is we’ll give her a chance to clean it up, and if she doesn’t, we’ll probably end up doing it,” Buchanan said.

The vacant gas station lot at Lincoln and Curtner has been overgrown with weeds and marred with graffiti over the years. But it could eventually be revived, since the owner last year filed paperwork for a conditional use permit to open a new gas station and convenience store there. A traffic study is currently being done as part of the process.

As for past complaints about the gas station occasionally getting tagged with graffiti, Buchanan said the city doesn’t unload on the owner for it.

“They’re a victim, and so we usually allow them a chance to correct the violation before we take any enforcement on them,” she said, adding that the city has a graffiti abatement program to help owners cover the cost of paint.

People with comments or complaints about an abandoned or vacant building or property can contact code enforcement at 408-535-7770 or visit sanjoseca.gov/codeenforcement.