PUBLISHED ONNovember 08, 2023 6:51 AMByClaudia TanAn elderly man has been on the receiving end of some flak from his neighbours, who are frustrated by the items he's left piling outside his three-room flat at block 64 Circuit Road.
The elderly man's neighbour surnamed Xu, told Shin Min Daily News she is worried about the clutter blocking the corridor.
Xu shared that his 73-year-old neighbour used to live with his parents, and the hoarding problem worsened after his father died in 1995. Now, he's even resorted to sleeping along the corridor every night because of the clutter.
"My sister is in the hospital because of some liver problems, I hope the items can be cleared before she gets discharged," said Xu.
When Shin Min visited the block, the walkway outside the elderly man's unit was piled with miscellaneous items including cardboard boxes, drink cans and bread.
The other side of the walkway was filled with plants, leaving his neighbours with a gap of approximately 55cm to walk through.
The elderly man's unit was only secured with a chain and the flat was filled with a myriad of items.
Besides Xu, other residents have also been inconvenienced by the elderly man's hoarding.
Another neighbour surnamed Zheng, who has been living there for 50 years, said he's resorted to going out less because of the narrow walkway.
"It's quite disruptive for elderly people like us, because we're also afraid that [the clutter] might be a fire hazard. There's only one lift that works, and I have to go past his unit to get to the lift," complained the 87-year-old.
Zheng also revealed that his neighbour's mother was admitted into an old folks' home before the pandemic, and died early this year. "She had a habit of hoarding when she was living here, but the items only started piling outside the unit over the last ten years."
A third resident, Huang, 28, who has been living at that block since he was young, said the clutter has been there for as long as he can remember.
"Sometimes there are cockroaches, and when he walks past there's an unpleasant smell," said Huang.
During the reporter's visit, the elderly man surnamed Peng was seated on the floor along the corridor reading the newspaper. He also had a cat next to him.
When interviewed by the Chinese evening daily, the dishwasher said the items outside his home were things that were accumulated over the years. He said that some of these things were still useful, but claimed that he intended to throw some of them away.
"After I finish reading the newspapers, I'll keep the useful parts and throw away those that I don't need. I intend to throw away many of these things. The bread is actually meant for my pets," he said.
In 2017, Shin Min reported that Peng had a falling out with his two younger brothers over the clutter in that Circuit Road flat.
Peng's two younger brothers had tried to throw out some of the junk in the house, which angered him and upset their mother. The two men had spent about five hours clearing up and sweeping the flat.
"In the last 10 years, junk has been piling up in the house and it's almost reaching the ceiling. It smells bad and it's a fire hazard. How can someone live here?" said one of Peng's younger brothers then.
An angry Peng then reportedly retorted: "You don't live here, how would you know if it's livable or not?"
According to the 2017 report, many of these items were collected by Peng's father, who previously worked as a cleaner. When he died, Xu's mother said she couldn't bear to throw his belongings out. As the years passed, more and more things accumulated outside their family home.
When his mother passed on, Peng admitted he didn't get rid of her belongings either.
Responding to Shin Min's queries, the Marine Parade Town Council said that they are aware of Peng's situation and have asked him to clear the items in a month's time.
However, Peng told Shin Min that he hopes the town council can give him more time to do so, as the block's lift is currently undergoing upgrading, and will only be ready for use from Dec 11.
"The lift is not working, how am I going to bring the bins up to dispose of my things? I can work fast, I don't need volunteers, cleaners, I can do it by myself," said the elderly man.
claudiatan@asiaone.com