Unexpected discovery on the new property
Buying a house that needs repairs usually comes with a few surprises. Perhaps a leaky roof, outdated wiring, or a family of raccoons has taken up residence in the attic. But most buyers do not expect to find a real tire dump on their new land.
This is exactly the situation Portland resident Hanh Tran found himself in. He says he purchased a 1.2-acre plot in April, but later discovered that someone had turned it into a dumping ground for hundreds, possibly thousands, of discarded tires.
How it all began
Tran told local station KATU that at the time of the deal, the property had a relatively small pile of fewer than 40 tires. He visited the site again at the end of March and noted that the situation had hardly changed.
When he returned on June 6, ready to begin construction and restoration work, the situation had changed dramatically. Huge walls of tires, some over six feet high, blocked access to large parts of the property. One area even had an improvised room with furniture. Tran believes the tires accumulated in less than 90 days.
“I didn’t know what disaster was waiting for me,” he said.
Scope of the problem and investigation
The scale of the problem prompted an investigation by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, local health authorities, regional government agency Metro, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Tran and a neighboring resident suspect that someone may be posing as a tire recycling service, collecting used tires from businesses and then illegally dumping them on this property. However, no suspects have been publicly named so far.
Illegal dumping situation in the region
Metro reports that over the past year, its staff have removed more than 14,000 illegally dumped tires from public areas, including 5,600 in May alone. For now, Tran remains facing a sea of rubber, pondering how to get rid of it. To this end, he launched a GoFundMe campaign, hoping that donations will help cover disposal costs.
Photo: Metro RID Patrol
This story highlights how vulnerable property buyers can be, especially when it comes to neglected lots. The lack of proper inspection before purchase and possible gaps in the law allow unscrupulous individuals to use private property for illegal activities. Moreover, the huge volumes of illegally dumped tires in the region point to a systemic problem that requires stricter oversight and effective disposal mechanisms. For Hanh Tran, this is not only an environmental and legal nightmare but also a serious financial blow, as cleanup costs could be astronomical, and it is not certain that donations will cover them.