Overview

• Fresh piles of bagged refuse again surround the North Martel Avenue property in the Fairfax District, with aerial footage on Sept. 10–11 showing debris covering the yard and encroaching on a parked car.
• Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky is advancing a motion demanding a long-overdue nuisance abatement report to streamline enforcement and hold property owners accountable, calling the current system slow and fragmented.
• Mayor Karen Bass’s office called the situation disappointing, noted the city previously spent significant resources clearing the site, and confirmed an open, ongoing criminal case against the property owner.
• In April 2024, sanitation crews—some in protective gear—removed more than seven tons of trash, including flammable and hazardous materials, after the mayor labeled the site a public health and fire hazard.
• Neighbors remain divided over enforcement versus compassion as property records identify the owner as Raymond Gaon, whom supporters describe as an elderly Vietnam-era resident who sorts recyclables for income.