Riga apartment block struggles with neighbour's hoarded rubbish

Residents of an apartment building in Riga are in despair over a smell and parasites coming from a neighbouring flat. According to the Latvian Television (LTV) programme "Panorāma", broadcast on Saturday, an 80-year-old woman has turned her apartment into a huge rubbish dump. The case shows how limited the authorities' options are when a person refuses help and owns the home.

A flat full of rubbish

LTV reported that the senior searches through nearby waste bins, and her flat is crammed with refuse, with no access to the toilet. She rejects any assistance and is hostile toward outsiders. She told reporters that she does not steal and is "cleaning her planet".

Ingrīda Meldere, a representative of the Guardianship Affairs Department of the Riga Orphan's Court, said that this time the city authority responded to a resident's complaint. According to her, the woman was got out of the flat, and medics tried hard, but she would not go with them.

Why help is not possible

The Emergency Medical Service explained that a person can be taken to a specialised clinic against their will only if they endanger their own or others' lives, for example by threatening suicide or attack. In this case, that did not apply.

An owner can be removed from her home only by a court ruling, if unsanitary conditions endanger others. Residents therefore have to go to court. Ilona Drišļuka, head of the Public Health Control Department at the Health Inspectorate, said the matter concerns quality of life. The inspectorate often receives similar complaints and believes other apartment buildings may have the same problem.

Looking for relatives

It is important to try to involve relatives. The Orphan's Court found that the woman has a daughter living abroad, but so far it has not been possible to contact her.