'Smells like a dead body,' Business owner says abandoned stinky truck has left Belmont block reeking for weeks
The truck is parked near the corner of Lorillard Place and East 182nd Street, outside a church and near several businesses. Those who work nearby say it has remained there since early June despite repeated complaints to the city.
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A Belmont business owner says a stinky abandoned truck has been sitting outside his auto body shop for weeks, creating a foul odor that he says is driving away customers and frustrating neighbors.
The truck is parked near the corner of Lorillard Place and East 182nd Street, outside a church and near several businesses. Those who work nearby say it has remained there since early June despite repeated complaints to the city.
"I don't know what's in there, man. I know it's a bunch of garbage... maybe food products... maybe something dead in there. I have no clue," said Steven, the owner of AAJ Auto Collision.
Employees at the shop told News 12 they have become accustomed to the smell but say recent hot weather has made conditions even worse.
"It's reeking every day with the heat. It's getting worse... someone just left the truck here and left it," Steven said.
He says the odor has begun affecting business.
"This is my auto body shop. It's impacting customers stopping by here because it smells really bad. It's not fair to us, period," he said.
Steven also expressed concern about the impact on the surrounding community.
"There's a school on the corner and a lot of kids in the neighborhood... I can't imagine people walking from the church and having to smell it too," he said.
According to Steven and the store manager, they have contacted city agencies multiple times through emails and 311 complaints in an effort to have the truck removed.
"It's been there for three weeks... been abandoned... cops came... sanitation came... nobody does anything. A supervisor came and promised he'd do something... but they're not doing nothing," Steven said.
News 12 reviewed the city's 311 portal and independently verified 12 service requests in the area since June 1, many categorized as "abandoned vehicle." The most recent request was submitted Friday morning.
News 12 reached out Friday evening to the NYPD to ask about the department's response to the location, whether the vehicle is eligible to be towed and whether any enforcement action has been taken. As of publication, the department had not responded.
News 12 also reached out to the New York City Department of Sanitation for comment.
“The Department of Sanitation, which removes thousands of derelict vehicles off city streets every year, is looking into this and will remove it if it falls within their jurisdiction," said Vincent Gragnani, DSNY spokesperson.
"It's irritating people, it's terrible for the community, it's terrorizing the whole area," Steven said.
