City must help Kansas City man surrounded by squatters at his own home | Opinion

Folks, I’m in a tough spot.

I want to help Timothy Friese of Kansas City clear his property of a homeless encampment, but I don’t want to send him to jail. By highlighting his situation, that is a strong possibility, which further complicates a rather complicated situation.

Friese, 65, lives in the 3200 block of Donnelly Avenue. Squatters have overtaken his home, which is located less than a block north of U.S. Highway 40 just before Stadium Drive. He is ill with a heart problem.

He also has a dubious criminal record — but should that impact his right to live in safety?

Acting on a tip from a neighbor, I recently went to his home. What I found was beyond the scope of what any of us could imagine unless we saw it with our own eyes.

Piles of trash litter the property — the stench of dog feces and other rotten smells overwhelmed me during multiple visits. Aside from the unsanitary debris on site, there was a woman taking shelter in a disabled and tattered van in the front yard of the home. The side windows of the van were gone, replaced by cardboard boxes.

Around back, multiple people reside in a tent erected onsite. According to Friese, at least three people and their dog use the tent to camp out in the backyard. Others come and go at will, he said.

Some of the people shacking up on Friese’s property have permission to be there while others have commandeered his space, he said. More people are in the basement, Friese said.

As a result, he said he’s been relegated to the third floor of his own home by an untold number of unwanted visitors.

Squatters, he called them.

“I can’t do nothing about it,” Friese said.

$100 per day in fines

As I said, Friese has a criminal record — he has several outstanding warrants for his arrest, according to online court records. Despite Friese’s legal troubles, some of which he blamed on a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship with a longtime girlfriend, I feel bad for the situation he finds himself in.

Police have been called to the property almost 40 times since January, and Friese’s only source of income is a pittance of Social Security benefits each month.

“I only get $308 per month,” Friese said.

To make matters worse, five city code violations could cost Friese $100 per day in fines for each offense.

Friese has enough to worry about with multiple criminal matters pending in municipal courts in Kansas City and Independence. I will touch on those charges later.

So, to be subjected to hefty fines associated with the nuisance violations — from best I could tell, he is not in a financial position to pay — is an exercise in futility. The city’s Neighborhood Services Department has given Friese until next month to address the issues, and my hope is that the city continues to work with Friese on a salvable solution but expeditiously.

The unsightly and ghastly mess I witnessed there is a health hazard for Friese’s neighbors and to the people on the property themselves.

If there are any civic organizations out there interested in donating resources and personnel to help clean this property, please email me at tporter@kcstar.com

‘Rat population is exploding’

One neighbor I spoke with was concerned — and rightfully so — about the well-being of anyone who lives close to the home.

“What’s going on there is not right,” Friese’s neighbor Ron Sondag said. “The guy that’s living there needs help.”

In an email to The Star, Sondag said the northeast corner of his property in the 3200 block of Marsh Avenue touches the southwest corner of Friese’s residence.

Sondag confirmed that over the past year piles and piles of trash have been building up, and homeless people are squatting in the front yard and back garage.

“Several come and go from the back entrance to the basement as well, which I guess technically doesn’t make them homeless,” Sondag wrote.

More people have moved into the back shed of the property directly to the north of Sondag’s residence, which is directly behind Friese’s home and garage, Sondag told me.

“The rat population is exploding and cars stop by for a quick exchange of something in private,” Sondag wrote.

During my visit, he described Friese as a fragile old man who was in and out of the hospital often. Friese said he’s been hospitalized with heart problems five times since January.

“While he’s gone, the homeless move in and rip everything apart they can salvage — copper plumbing, wiring, appliances, tools, etc.,” Sondag wrote.

“He’s called the police and they have not helped much at all. I’ve filed reports with the city, which are canceled because they are duplicates of reports other people have filed. It’s a terrible situation and is getting worse. The rat infestation because of the trash is out of control.

“What does the city do about it? From my perspective, nothing!”

The city’s involvement is not to Sondag’s satisfaction, noting that there are boxes, bins and cabinets on site that need to be removed, according to a copy of a letter Friese received from an inspector with Neighborhood Services in August.

The correspondence details at least five code violations, including a disabled vehicle and refuse and rubbish on the property. Friese was also cited for unapproved parking and unapproved storage on site.

City deadline extended

According to the letter, each violation could result in a $100 fine per day until the items are removed and he had until Aug. 31 to rectify the situation, the letter stated. The prospect of jail time was possible too, according to the correspondence.

Last week, a city worker visited the site, Friese said, and gave him until next month to get things cleaned up. While I appreciate the city’s willingness to extend Friese’s deadline, the extra time may be all for naught. Friese said he doesn’t have the money.

Lane Johnson, a spokesman for the Neighborhood Services Department, said Friese has received two notices about the violations.

“Both notices addressed violations, including trash accumulation, storage of unapproved items, unauthorized parking, and unlicensed vehicles,” Johnson wrote in an email late last week.

“Our staff met with the owner on Monday to discuss concerns about individuals living in vehicles on the property. It appears that he initially allowed them to stay, but now wishes for them to leave. He has been informed that camping on the property is not allowed. The City is prepared to coordinate with KCPD to help in the removal of these individuals from the premises.”

In a follow-up email, I asked Johnson what legal steps Friese could take to get the unwanted guests to leave, and if there are any programs to help him clean up the property.

Johnson replied that Friese must file trespassing charges against the squatters, or there is nothing legally that can be done. Any costs the city incurs to clean up the mess would be passed on to Friese, according to Johnson.

If police were forced to remove people from the property, it is my hope those folks would be referred to and take advantage of any social service programs the city has to offer homeless individuals.

39 police calls for service

Just this year alone, police have been called to the home 39 times, according to Sgt. Philip DiMartino, spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department. Here is where it gets more complicated: In total, four summons have been issued for varying offenses, DiMartino wrote in an email. He referred me to online court records where I found a slew of more serious charges against Friese.

Online court records indicate that since 2023, Friese has been accused of domestic assault, harassment and a weapon violation in Kansas City, and has received several traffic-related citations in Independence over the last year. He was also cited for assault and possession of drug paraphernalia in Independence earlier this year.

Court records also indicate the most serious of these charges have yet to be adjudicated because Friese apparently has not shown up for court dates. When I first spoke to him about the transgressions, he said he couldn’t afford an attorney. Later, he said some of the charges were because of the combustible relationship with his girlfriend.

Before I knew about some of the allegations, I told Friese I was not at his home to get him in trouble with the law. I stand by that — my only goal was to help bring attention to what seems to be an illegal encampment on the premises, not send an older adult with health issues to jail.

Late last week, his neighbor, Sondag, told me his only goal was to get the city to clean up the derelict property near his home.

After three visits to the house, I’d implore the city to take immediate action for the sake of Friese and his neighbors.

No one — with criminal charges or not — deserves to live in or near such unhealthy conditions.

This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 5:10 AM.