Documents: Infamous Yellow House in Myrtle Beach deemed uninhabitable, people living in backyard

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – For the fourth time, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office is asking a judge to temporarily close a boarding house in Myrtle Beach that has been deemed a nuisance.

The solicitor’s office filed a petition on Thursday asking for a temporary injunction against the home located at 407 5th Avenue North, which is also known as the Yellow Home.

For several years, the owner, Joe Rideoutte Jr., has rented rooms in the house to tenants.

The court filings show that the Yellow House has a reputation for being a place where drugs are sold.

On three separate occasions, a judge has approved temporary injunctions to close the Yellow House due to it being a nuisance, court documents state.

According to the petition, the most recent order expired on April 7, 2022 and since that time the Yellow House has been the location for assaults and drug dealing.

The court documents state that on August 25, 2023, Myrtle Beach police responded to the Yellow House for reports of shots fired and a tenant being stabbed. But while inside the house, officers noticed the poor living conditions and called the city’s code enforcement to do an inspection, the documents reveal.

“After completing the inspection, City Code Enforcement determined the house was unfit for habitation and closed the house,” according to the court documents.

But despite the house being closed, the petition claims that people have been living in the backyard in makeshift shelters and camps and calls for service have continued.

The petition for the temporary injunction states that a written notice of the public nuisance has been served to Rideoutte but more than 10 days have passed and Rideoutte has not responded to the written notice.

The solicitor’s office is asking for the judge to approve the temporary injunction in order to keep people off the property until the matter can be heard in court.

A spokesperson for Myrtle Beach said the city is waiting to see what will be decided in court before making any decisions about the property.

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