PHOENIX — Twin Knolls in East Mesa is an area that offers a view that sets it apart from the surrounding area.

Two hills rise above the surrounding suburban neighborhoods and RV homes. They provide a piece of nature that is otherwise lacking.

“There’s a lot of nature here. We have coyotes and roadrunners,” said Kathy Dryfort, a nearby resident.

But in recent months, nature has been overrun with garbage and squatters.

“People started dumping. This is all dumping here,” Dryfort said. “It’s exploded in his three months.”

She alerted local authorities to the problem. However, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office had trouble apprehending the trespassers because the hillock is on private property with no fence.

According to the MCSO, the county has an ongoing code-violation lawsuit against the largest landowner on the property, which is being conducted by Twin Knolls Two Land, LLC. However, the county said it had not been able to contact a representative for the company.

“We have absentee property owners,” Dreifort said.

12News attempted to contact someone at the company. The man who answered the phone declined to comment.

The sheriff’s office said the company could face hefty fines if the area isn’t cleared.

Dreifort hopes it will start to make a difference.

“When we got into a financial situation, maybe that’s when they hit their wallets,” she said.

This is not the first problem the community has faced with Twin Knolls Two Land, LLC. In 2020, Dreifort said the company sought to turn its property into a gravel mine. However, community backlash prevented the company from moving forward.

Since then, more rubbish has been dumped on site, undermining the nature on which the community is built.

“We want to keep this area, treat it with respect, and give life here some dignity,” Dryfort said.