Mountain of debris engulfs home. Richland calls it an ‘immediate threat’
The city of Richland began clearing junked vehicles and other items outside a garbage-strewn central city home after more than a year of legal wrangling and complaints from neighbors.
Discarded appliances and other debris were hauled away by workers, focusing chiefly on the detritus left on public property, namely the sidewalk and street outside 2100 Pullen St.
The city sued property owners, Taylor and Jacqueline Knipp, along with unnamed “John Does” in September in Benton County Superior Court. The suit sought to declare the property a nuisance, noting the owners and others missed numerous deadlines to clean it up themselves.
And the city said the case has been referred to the city prosecutor for possible criminal charges.
Taylor Knipp declined Tuesday to talk with the Tri-City Herald at the property.
Jacqueline Knipp told the Herald the couple is divorcing and that she is working to have her name removed from the title and the lawsuit. She said does not live in the house and played no role in the situation.
The forced cleanup came after the owners repeatedly missed deadlines to remove junked vehicles, construction debris and other garbage that envelops the home and spills onto the sidewalk and street, according to the lawsuit.
“(Their) use of the property constitutes an immediate and emergent threat to the public health, safety and welfare,” it said.
The case began in June 2024 when the city sought cooperation from the Knipps and possibly others to clean up the property and bring it into compliance with city codes.
City codes outlaw inoperable vehicles, overgrown landscaping and discarded garbage.
Over the following 19 months, the code enforcement board issued notices, held hearings and set deadlines that passed without progress on the cleanup.
The suit notes both the yard and neighboring public rights of way were overwhelmed.
Aerial images show a thick blanket of discarded items. Code enforcement officers said the kinds of things seen in the piles frequently change between their visits to the property.
The suit maintains both the Knipps, as the property owners, and J. Does, as users, were responsible for the conditions.
“The defendants...continue to ignore the problem created or allowed to exist at the property,” it said.
It is unclear when dumping began at the Pullen Street home. A 2013 image taken by the Benton County Assessor shows a home with no debris, surrounded by a yard and several trees.
All costs associated with the cleanup will be recovered by a lien placed on the property.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.