A Penn Hills family plans this week to clear garbage surrounding their house that has become a concern for neighbors and municipal code enforcement.

Six counts each of unsafe equipment, sanitation of exterior property and rat control in all exterior areas were filed in March against Frank Pekala, 63, of 614 Homewood Drive, with Magisterial District Judge Leonard HRomyak.

Besides filing the charges, code enforcement inspector John McCafferty said he also sent two violation letters to Pekala to encourage him to clean up the property after neighbors complained.

"The property is unbelievable and it's amazing the junk and garbage he's collected on his property," McCafferty said. "There is no comparison. It is by far the worst situation I have seen at a single-family home in Penn Hills."

Pekala's large yard only adds to the problem with the garbage, according to McCafferty, who said this situation is not fair to Pekala's neighbors.

The code enforcement department also filed criminal charges against Pekala for having excessive garbage on the property from 2000 to 2002, according to court documents posted online.

Pekala's sister, Fran Muto, said on Monday the family plans to clean up the property, starting this week, with the help of a rented trash container and three hired people.

Pekala, who is deaf, is a hoarder who scavenges through other people's garbage and brings items home, according to Muto, who said the situation has gotten out of control in the past five to six years.

He has a problem with parting with items he collects, she said.

Muto said she will have the property cleaned as he is being treated at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic.

With Pekala's wife sick with lung cancer, something has to be done to clean up the property, Muto said.

Guillermo Cole, Allegheny County Health Department spokesman, said he is encouraged to hear the property could be cleaned up this week, but the health department still will send an inspector to the property to check its condition.

If the property is still in disarray, the health department will send a violation notice that will give Pekala reasonable time to clean up the property, Cole said, adding that the health department has not had any success in the past in getting Pekala to clean up his property.

Allegheny County Health Department filed criminal charges against him in 2000, 2001 and 2004, according to court documents posted on-line.

Pekala served 10 days in the county jail in 2004 and five days in 2003 for some of the county health department criminal charges. He also paid a total of about $4,600 in fines from 2000 to 2002 and in 2004 for the municipal and county charges, according to the court documents.