Oregon man discovers hundreds of tires mysteriously dumped on his 1.2-acre lot, and he has to resort to crowdfund to deal with it

Khanh Tran, an Oregon resident, is currently facing a massive cleanup project after discovering hundreds of tires dumped on his 1.2-acre lot in southeast Portland, BroBible reported. He initially purchased this property back in February with the clear intention of cleaning the land up and eventually starting some construction work. At the time of his purchase, he was aware of a small pile of about 40 tires that needed to be discarded. When he returned to check on the site in March, the situation remained largely the same as it was when he first bought the land.

Everything changed when he arrived at the property on June 6, fully prepared to start his construction project. Instead of finding the manageable pile he remembered, he discovered that hundreds of tires had appeared on his land. The sheer volume of the dumping was staggering, as the majority of the property had become completely inaccessible due to tire walls that stood at least six feet high.

It is honestly hard to imagine showing up to a project you are excited about only to find it turned into a massive junkyard. To make matters even worse, it became clear that someone was living on the land without any authorization. Someone had even gone as far as constructing a makeshift room complete with a table and chairs by stacking tires near one of the property entrances.

This situation is incredibly frustrating, and we can all understand why Tran feels overwhelmed

“The reason I wanted to buy this property, I think it’s in a beautiful location,” Tran stated. “I didn’t know the disaster that was going to come with it.” It is a shame because he clearly had a positive vision for what he wanted to do with the space. Now, he is stuck dealing with a major environmental and safety headache that he definitely did not sign up for when he made his investment.

His neighbor, Heather Harmon, has also expressed her concerns regarding the state of the land. She noted that she has never personally witnessed anyone dumping the tires on the property, but she is understandably worried about the implications of having such a massive pile of rubber sitting there.

“I don’t know if they’re doing it overnight, or while I’m at work. I never see anybody over there,” Harmon said. “I’m worried about something catching on fire and spreading across into my yard and my property.” Her concerns are completely valid, as large piles of tires are notorious fire hazards that can be extremely difficult to extinguish once they ignite.

Several government agencies have become involved in the situation, including the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, county health officials, and Metro, which is the regional government organization responsible for waste management. Each of these groups has launched investigations due to the significant amount of illegal dumping that has occurred on the property.

An MCSO spokesperson addressed the situation in a statement, saying, “The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office treats public safety and environmental hazards with the utmost seriousness.” They also added, “The accumulation of waste tires presents a fire hazard and could violate Oregon’s waste tire regulations.”

Despite the involvement of these agencies, no one has stepped up to actually remove the tires. Metro’s trash removal service, known as the RID Patrol, has stated that they cannot remove items from private property. Furthermore, a Multnomah County spokesperson informed that “the County does not have resources currently to clear the property.”

A spokesperson for Metro highlighted that this is part of a much larger problem in the region. “Illegally dumped tires are a growing issue,” the Metro spokesperson said. “Over the past year, (Metro) RID Patrol crews have picked up more than 14,000 tires from public property in greater Portland – 5,600 of those in May alone. Metro is working with law enforcement to ensure those who dump their waste in public spaces are held accountable for their actions.”

Because he is left without government assistance to clear the land, Tran has resorted to starting a GoFundMe page to cover the significant costs of removal. He is hoping to get the support he needs to restore the property to a safe condition.

“I’m reaching out for help because we can’t do this on our own,” Tran wrote on his GoFundMe page. “The funds raised will be used to restore the environmental damage caused by the tires, cover the costs of safe removal and disposal, and rebuild the green space that our community depends on. Your support will help us make our property safe again and bring back a healthy environment for everyone.”