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A home that used to house the Philippine Consul General has become an untouchable diplomatic disaster for a quiet neighborhood near West University.

Residents of the neighborhood have been speaking out about the abandoned home, which they say is an eyesore.

Resident Fount McKee says the house is so bad, he tries not to look at it. 

“I wish they could sell it or accept whatever bids they got and let people tear it down and build a decent house there,” he said.

But the home is the property of the Republic of the Philippines, and the neighbors can’t do anything about it. 

11 News

This house is property of the Republic of the Philippines.

The home is falling apart. Its roof is molding, it’s fence is falling down, and the weeded backyard lies under a buckled wooden overhang.  Residents suspect the interior is just as disastrous. 

Fearing the home is becoming a safety hazard, the neighborhood has tried to get the Philippines government to clean the property up to no avail.

11 News legal expert Gerald Treece said that could be because the home falls under diplomatic immunity, meaning the Philippines government is protected from following the laws of its host country. 

“While the neighbors have legitimate arguments, there’s really no one locally – no deed restrictions, no local laws that can help them,” Treece said.

Normally, blighted homes are ticketed and torn down by the city for their unsafe conditions, but it seems this particular house is off limits.