Hoarding Problem at West Village Apartment

MYFOXNY.COM - Tenants of one beautiful West Village building say they feel like hostages in their own homes because of what's going on inside this one apartment on the 3rd floor.

A Fox 5 camera went in that apartment recently. It turns out that a hoarder, a woman with obsessive compulsive disorder, according to court papers, took over the apartment of an elderly tenant, and filled it with junk.

Rotting food, and bags of soiled cat litter were hidden everywhere. The apartment had been like that since about 2004. The situation went on for years and ended up in court, Barbara Nevins Taylor reported.

Compulsive hoarding may affect up to 2 million people in the United States, according to Hartford Hospital. It is a common and potentially disabling problem, characterized by the accumulation of excessive clutter to the point that parts of one's home can no longer be used for their intended purpose.

• HARTFORD HOSPITAL INFORMATION

If you or someone you know has a problem with hoarding, contact:

• INTERNATIONAL OCD FOUNDATION