Bronx “Junk Man” Says He Will Sue City Following House Auction
November 13, 2007
The past year has been a difficult one for Eugene Metz, the man known as the junk man of Pelham Parkway for storing mounds of garbage at his house. NY1?s Dean Meminger filed the following report.
When NY1 first encountered Bronx resident Eugene Metz last year, he was collecting junk and storing it at his house on Matthews Avenue.
Since then, a lot has changed. He now walks with a limp and has a partially paralyzed arm because of a stroke.
“I woke up and I couldn?t get off of my right side,? said Metz. ?It was all of the aggravation.”
Aggravation he says was caused by fighting with neighbors over the junk. If that wasn’t enough, Metz lost his house in a city auction this past spring.
The Finance Department says Metz hadn’t paid property taxes since 2000. Metz says his lawyer was supposed to handle payments.
“Once I heard that my house was going up for auction, I called the lawyer and asked him why he didn’t do it,? said Metz. ?I went down and paid.”
Metz says he paid $8,000 in May, but that might have been too late. Thirty-three thousand dollars was owed.
His former home was auctioned off for $502,000 is now for sale. All of the extra money from the auction is owed to Metz, but, he says he’s going to sue his lawyer and the city to get his house back.
“There is going to be a multi million dollar lawsuit against the city, believe me, because I have been through a lot, and they are going to suffer for it,? said Metz.
It appears Metz is the one suffering now. He’s been in a nursing home and is now temporarily staying with a friend in public housing.
The 63 year old had been hospitalized for mental evaluation and locked up in the Hunts Point jail barge, awaiting trial for assaulting his neighbors. Metz also allegedly broke orders of protection taken out against him.
“It was hard being locked up,? he said. ?I was able to get along. I adjusted to the circumstance.”
Some of his friends told NY1 that although Metz is intelligent, they believe he needs a legal guardian. Metz says he’s not against getting help, but insists he’s mentally stable.
Metz is due back in court in January.
- Dean Meminger
Source: NY1 / Bronx
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