How to deal with problem neighbors - need advice

Our neighbors and I (5 households) share a trash pickup location, on my property. I am the only single person family, 3 others have 3-6 people, and they produce SOOO much trash it's unbelievable. I fill a small garbage (25 gal) can once every 2 months, if that, and a same size recycling can every 4-8 weeks. So I rarely need to take the cans out.

They put the cans on my driveway b/c theirs is a safety hazard (blind corner at 35mph with trucks doing 45mph+ downhill) so I have 5-7 cans there stored back from the road in a little space for them. the trash cans are the big 90-110gallon ones and recycling are the round ~45-55 gallon ones with snap on lids.

The bill is split 5 ways. I have to walk about 200+ yards to the end of the driveway to take my can's out and I usually don't go out the day after pickup (I'm home working and no need to leave). So the can's never come in unless I go out and pull them in.

They also dump their recycling into can's that have a snap on lid, but they never snap them on, so bottles end up all on my huge lawn (from wind and the wind from the traffic/trucks). Not a week goes by that there usually aren't 5-20 peices scattered. I've asked them to use bags for recycling, just tie them up and put them in the recycle can.

They also leave nasty food and drink in the plastics (some is rotten, curdled dairy products, nasty takeout left in plastic containers, etc). Also things like 1/2 full bottles of dish/laundry soap and other "chemical/soap/etc" bottles with with stuff inside. EVERYTHING is supposed to be cleaned out (supposed to be washed if really nasty) and soda/juice/milk bottles rinsed out so nothing is left in them. We've gotten probably 20+ letters from the service complaining about this, but it only goes to me/my family, b/c it's my property. We give copies to other people and they ignore it and carry on. I know it isn't another couple of 2, so that leaves the 3 large families.

We have also gotten notes left on the cans, "warnings" about not following rules - I guess when a recycle bin weighs 40+ lbs b/c there's so much liquid left in some bottles, it's pretty apparent what is happening.

So I don't know what to do about this. I'm going to tell them it is now their job to bring the cans in within 24 hours of pickup and they can make their own schedule between them (the 3 families). When I was on crutches for 3-4 months (and they saw this), they still didn't bother to do anything. I'm going to give them plastic bags for the recyclables with color coded zip ties so I can tell who's crap is who's. If they don't follow any of this I'm thinking about telling them they can take their garbage to the county waste station (25 minutes away and EXPENSIVE for small household junk - like 500% more than what 5 families pay combined!).

I've wanted to say something for 5+ years but didn't want to cause a problem, already had some over their children and dogs (pits) but now I just don't care. Has anyone else had similar issues and how would you suggest I handle this.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Sounds like a "community dumpster" away from your property should be proposed.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Keep escalating the use of force until they acquiesce in fear and despair. At least that's what my neighbors do to me.

Send them an olive branch even if they do not deserve it. Sometimes that works. Or, ask the local police to come over and have a conversation with you and them before it escalates. Good luck. Just kidding about the use of force in the first sentence.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Does the trash absolutely need to be on your property?

Build a platform to hold the bins in.... Then label each space and bin with the corresponding address so it looks neat. You can then present video evidence.

Present said neat space to the others and ask em to keep it nice.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Where i hail from if you place the incorrect trash in the wrong coloured bin, the Binmen simple refuse to take the stuff.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Tell your trash collectors to get off their dead asses and pick up the trash when there are high winds. Why is it they can put you on notice but not them?

One time i had a small drop-in bathroom sink on top of my garbage. No joke I watched the trash truck guy get out and throw it in my lawn, despite it was pink-stickered (prepaid for pickup). I called the waste authority and said id call the police to file a complaint for littering if it was still in my lawn in 1 hour. They sent his ass back to my house to pick it up.

Honestly though, it sounds like your neighbors are disgusting losers. Id tell them they need to respect your property or they can walk further down the block to put their cans out.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Simply leave a note on their cans or mailbox or front door or mailbox (or mail them a letter since you know their addresses) and just say this:

The current arrangement for trash pickup is no longer working for me. From the date of May 1st going forward, any trash cans or any other belongings left on my property will be considered abandoned and will be treated accordingly. Thank you and have a nice day.

Signed
Your Neighbor

Pay some kid to deliver the notes if you dont wanna walk or drive down all 5 driveways. You know what they can do? They can save up their trash and take to THE DUMP once a month, once a week, or whatever they feel like doing. It's no longer your concern. They can rent a truck if they dont have one to haul their garbage. You dont even have to give a reason.


Maybe add a PS on the end if you feel like being cool: "After about 3 or 4 months time I will contact you again and we can all get together and renegotiate the trash pickup arrangement if any are interested." This will give them some time to realize and appreciate the favor you have been doing for them.

Just handle this super impersonal. Get the letters typed out and notarized. Blind spots out on the road are not your concern. Their garbage is not your concern. This is your property and you are tired of living in a trashy wasteland, its gotta be #ing depressing looking out your front window or walking out the front door and seeing that.

You dont deserve to put up with that! You arent the one who had kids. Let them deal with their own problems. you are more than willing to be a nice guy when there is Mutual Respect involved, otherwise you're not interested.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
Build a platform to hold the bins in.... Then label each space and bin with the corresponding address so it looks neat. You can then present video evidence.

Present said neat space to the others and ask em to keep it nice.

I'm not sure what to say to this.

Just wanted you to know that.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
Build a platform to hold the bins in.... Then label each space and bin with the corresponding address so it looks neat. You can then present video evidence.

Present said neat space to the others and ask em to keep it nice.

This is a great idea but I would bet $50 the city has an ordinace restricting construction in the "parking" as they call it. The space between the street snd where you would normally find a sidewalk. I cannot build within 10 feet of the edge of my property on any side without a permit. The front of the house they are really picky about.

Well that is a good question. There really is no good place for it off of their property b/c of the really busy state road (steep hill around a blind corner w/ driveway at the end = bad accident waiting to happen for trash collectors).

I'm glad you posed the question that way. I'm basically doing them a favor by allowing them to put their garbage out down here, and they do the absolute minimum (or less at times if that is possible). So asking them to do what I ask shouldn't be an issue. We had a few services stop service b/c their driveway was too dangerous - the trash collectors refused to stop.

The reason they are allowed to do it is I've known one family my whole life and all of our properties abutte each other at some place, but they have to drive on the road to get my house, not far, just around the corner or so. Most would walk if they didn't have to lug garbage bags.

The police would have nothing to do with this. They would simply say to stop allowing them to put garbage there, which is what is about to happen. I'm trying to avoid that and bad blood, I'm not asking much, nothing more than common courtesy and to follow the rules by the collection company.

If no service will pick up where they are, a 25-30 minute drive (plus 15-20 minutes in line and to dump) + $25-50 dumping fee, would be more than they spend in 3 months since we pool the service.

We've talked to the 3 other familes at least 10 times over the years, but they just don't care to change. It's often pointing fingers at other families or "it's the wife and I'll talk to her" type of answer. When you get those responses you kind of know nothing is going to change but unless you start to be a real dik about it, it seems they won't care.

I think I'll tell them if it happens again, the next time the can's aren't brought back in, none of them can bring anything down and if they do, I'll press charges for illegally dumping. This is after I notify them in person and in letter (I'll get them to sign it in person so they know i'm serious).

a reply to: 3n19m470

You are funny. This gave me an idea. If they have the stickers to throw away larger items put a sticker on each of their cans so they take the cans with them as trash.

Here there are 3-6 collection companies, you pick your own. It kind of sucks b/c there are can't out every day at one house or another (b/c they all have different services). I can't see how that is economical, but it's actually less expensive somehow.

The large bins on wheels (that like 2-4 people can fit inside - stuffed of course) is trash, smaller round 45-55gal is recycling around here. We also have the rectangular tubs for recycling, but for smaller houses, not a 5 house pickup.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Simple solution then... Build a wall.

originally posted by: drewlander
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Tell your trash collectors to get off their dead asses and pick up the trash when there are high winds. Why is it they can put you on notice but not them?

One time i had a small drop-in bathroom sink on top of my garbage. No joke I watched the trash truck guy get out and throw it in my lawn, despite it was pink-stickered (prepaid for pickup). I called the waste authority and said id call the police to file a complaint for littering if it was still in my lawn in 1 hour. They sent his ass back to my house to pick it up.

Honestly though, it sounds like your neighbors are disgusting losers. Id tell them they need to respect your property or they can walk further down the block to put their cans out.

Wow, good call on the sink dumper.

As for me calling out the service for trash blowing? It's not really their fault. If the neighbors put their stuff in bags instead of dumping loose debris on top of an already full trash can, that stuff wouldn't blow out. The wind (30-70mph is common 5 months of the year, esp from evening to morning) plus the semi's driving 55mph 8ft from the cans while it is windy, the tops blow open and the # comes out. putting the stuff in bags would stop that. They are good at picking up stuff THEY drop at collection time, so it's not a bid deal as far as they are concerned. I actually have ZERO complaints about the service except when they miss a day but it's usually b/c of flooding, snow or ice, so....

I deal with similar situation and have tried all kinds of things over the past 8 years I've lived at this location. Bottom line is you can't change other people's behavior. Even if you can somehow get through to them they will inevitably devolve back to the unwanted behavior after just a short time. If they are slobs, careless, or just lazy, nothing you can do or say will change them. You just have to either figure out a way to remove the problem from your life or adapt.

Good Luck!

Thanks for all the good suggestions, there are some that might actually work. I like the idea about leaving a note, I personally would like to confront them and see what they say when I ask them "why have you never once brought a can back in in 10 years, especially when you saw I was on crutches" - they way they answer that might determine the way the rest goes, but I think it would put some things in perspective. Walking 1/4 mile on crutches to bring in other people trash cans (and then 6 trips from the road to storage, another 280+ yards) was not a fun task for 4 weeks and I made sure I took my trash out the same time they were dropping theirs off (I really wasn't dropping off much, just making an appearance).

What is sad is that the neighbors I've known since I was 2yrs old, grew up with their kids, allow their kids to hunt on OUR land, snow blowed their driveway (1/4 mile long) in big snows 12-30+ inches (theirs doesn't do more than 6-8"),deal with their problem child (just enters the house unannounced), etc, all w/o asking for anything in return and they often treat us as the bad people. Boggles the mind..

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Letters come across as passive aggressive, and just piss people off. You have to talk to them face to face, its the only way to properly convey what you are dealing with. Maybe all of you can come up with a solution that everyone feels good about. You definitely need to voice your problems and concerns, and ask how they would feel in the same situation. If there is a HOA involved maybe approach them as well, see if there is a way to get a community dumpster in a location that works for everyone. Im sure the neighbors would like a closer place to put the garbage cans other than your driveway. Put it to them as having a closer garbage collection would be benefit them. A "win win"

Have a plan "B" If all else fails, sell and move. Its no fun being miserable and angry all the time. Every time you have clean up someone elses garbage it will just raise your blood pressure and piss you off. Forever.

a reply to: drewlander

It's not their job to pick up pieces of trash on lawns. They have a route to do. Do you even understand schedules?

ETA go yet and put the notice on a trash collector.. he will either laugh in your face or put his fist into your face. They aren't great folks

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

It seems the dilemmas occur so frequently due to a particular level of agreeableness that may be harmful for all parties involved. They know you want to say something, but balk at it... they're using it against you to their so-called benefit.

After asking once and telling a second time didn't jive well with the neighbors, the third occurrence would have found each neighbor's trash spread across their own front yards for non compliance. If the yards seem too tall of a drama to dredge up, then consider moving the pile to the middle of the road, so nobody can get by... just moving off of your property.

Being too neighborly could be a possibility here. Practicing the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) principles a little more may cause ill feelings by another, but you will feel a lot better about your own property I presume. Not knowing your true feelings on the matters may have yielded you a different chosen action over the past five years.