LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)-- A Lafayette man is in a battle with the Lafayette Consolidated Government over yardwork. He said LCG is not taking the proper care of a former school, and it's causing safety concerns in his neighborhood.

Percy Joseph lives next door to the now-closed Vermilion Elementary School; it's now the Vermilion Conference Center. He said recently, ownership of the building transferred from the Lafayette Parish School System to LCG. Since then, Jospeh claims the property has gone downhill.

"This is my bell pepper, and this is cucumbers," Joseph said, walking along his garden.

Joseph is an outside man. He spends most of his time on his front porch or tending to his garden. Recently, however, he feels his fruits and vegetables and even his grandkids have been in some danger.

"Oh, my god. We don't let them come play on the swing anymore because we're afraid the rats might come out of there and harm them, the different animals," Joseph said.

It's all because of the grass next door at the conference building. He said it hasn't been cut in months.

"It brings rats, racoons, possums," he told News 10.

It's even become a game for the neighborhood kids looking for snakes, raccoons, and other critters lurking in the grass.

Joseph said the problem started two months ago when LPSS transferred ownership of the former Vermilion Elementary School, now the Vermilion Conference Center, to LCG. Joseph said he's reached out to LCG multiple times about the issue.

"Every time I call them, they tell me it'll be three to four weeks, but nobody ever shows up," he said.

While he and the neighborhood wait for someone to show, Joseph has had to pick up a new hobby: catching rats. While cutting the grass is a simple request, he said he's running out of patience.

"I want to see the grass cut down to where it was before. That way, I can enjoy my little garden," Joseph added.

News 10 reached out to LCG about the ownership and state of the now Vermilion Conference Center. We were told that the former school was not in Lafayette Parish, and that it was in Vermilion Parish. We tried calling back once News 10 obtained records that proved the property was in the city of Lafayette, though have not heard back.

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