HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Vicenta Reyes Martinez called the city to complain about an overgrown easement behind her home that included two utility poles. The city ordered her to clean it up or face a fine. So she called us.
After seeing her story on Eyewitness News, a group of volunteers stepped up to help the 78-year-old.
Since our original story, CenterPoint came to get the two poles that had been in the easement since Hurricane Ike.
And Friday morning, Julio Rodriguez brought in a few volunteers to clean up the rest of the easement behind Martinez's home.
He says when he saw the story, his first thought was that it was horrendous for the city to expect a 78-year-old to clean up the mess.
"I was expecting a larger mess. I wasn't expecting to see that it's not just her property that has the problem. It's the whole easement that CenterPoint has let grow out," Rodriguez tells us.
The city tells us the reason it was Martinez's responsibility, even though it's not on her property, is an ordinance that says a property owner is responsible for maintaining parcels of real estate 14 feet beyond the property line. That includes adjacent alleys.