Even a murder hasn’t been enough to shut down a problem property on Hopedale Avenue, angering a group of residents whose houses surround the building.

Screaming arguments, coupled with a steady flow of traffic driving to and from the small yellow house in the 31900 block of Hopedale, had already left some neighbours exasperated, and others anticipating a more serious situation.

On Aug. 28, Paul “Pockets” Denis was stabbed inside the house, and later died from his injuries.

In the past three years, Abbotsford Police have visited the house 28 times, although there has been no legal justification to close it down, they say.

The City of Abbotsford, meanwhile, says its bylaw department has no complaints on record for the address, and so cannot justify taking action to force its closure.

Eddie Utovic, a resident of the Joshua House drug recovery facility, which sits almost directly opposite the problem property, had assumed the house would remain closed after the murder.

He was dismayed when the residents returned just a short time after the police tape came down.

Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said that despite officers attending the house more than two dozen times, most of those visits have stemmed from police surveillance rather than public complaints.

He described the property as a “beehive” for “low level” people who are known to police. However, he said the house is no worse than some others around town.

While the murder may have brought it to the forefront, MacDonald questioned whether it would be an “effective use of taxpayers’ dollars” to continually monitor the house.

“From our standpoint, is it the best use of resources to keep going back to that house time and time again, when it is not high level criminal activities that are going on?” he asked.

Complaints have included reports of suspicious vehicles and disputes between tenants. Upon investigation, MacDonald said most of the complaints have been minor or haven’t warranted further investigation. He classed two incidents as “significant,” but would not provide further details.

Part of the problem, according to MacDonald, is that 20 of the 28 complaints have related to different people who have lived in the home over the past three years. With that in mind, he said it can be difficult for police to take action on the property itself.

MacDonald recommended that neighbours take their issues to the landlord.

“He ultimately has more power in determining who lives there than we do,” he said.

The Hopedale property has been owned by Hardial Toor for the past six years. He rents numerous homes in Abbotsford, but said he has only had problems with his renters on Hopedale.

Toor said he had a good tenant for the first three years he owned the property, but began renting to someone who turned out to be less desirable three years ago.

She eventually left, said Toor, and he kept the rental property empty for six months until the end of last year. At that point, Toor said he rented to another tenant who was recommended by friends of his.

Toor said he recognizes the troubles at the property, and acknowledged that other people as well as the tenant had been living there.

Toor said he was in California at the time of Denis’ death, but had served his tenant with one month’s notice – asking that the property be vacated before he left.

“I want them out,” he said. “I always discuss these matters with my neighbours. They are upset, but I am upset too.”

Toor said he has visited the property on several occasions in the past weeks, but nobody has answered the door.

He now suspects he will have to go through the B.C. Residential Tenancy Office in Burnaby to have the tenant evicted, but fears that may take some time to achieve.

A senior resident in the neighbourhood just wants the people out, in the hope it will bring some community spirit back to the area.

“This neighbourhood is two blocks long. People used to get together all the time to have a barbecue, but that doesn’t happen any more,” she said.

Utovic also hopes to see children return to the street.

“I used to watch kids running around, playing hockey in our neighbourhood. I don’t see that happening now,” he said. “Whenever I see little kids suffering, and they are not outside playing any more, that’s when I have had enough.”