Trash help

So we live in a townhome, with a neighbor who does not use a garbage can. They put all of their trash out in bags, regardless if it's 2 or 15. My husband goes to work at 5:30am, thus, he puts our can out in the morning. After he put it out this morning, our neighbor put their two garbage-can-free bags out in front of our can (which is clearly labeled with our address on it, for windy days), in front of our garage. They've done this on a few occasions (~5). My husband will usually just move their garbage bags to in front of their driveway. Right now, that neighbor's bags of trash have been dug through by animals and is laying all over in front of our home and road. This neighbor has had their garbage dug through numerous times, and it seems they think the wind "cleans" it up for them. What am I supposed to do here? As far as talking to the neighbor, there is a bit of a language barrier.

 

Not sure on the official HOA rules, someone else will probably reply with those. If there aren't any rules regarding trash that gets torn up by animals or isn't properly secured and blows away, I think there should be. I live in a townhouse with the big steps which serve as a great collection point for everyone elses blowing trash.

In your neighbor's defense though, when the trash men don't return your bin to your driveway and it gets lost, you shouldn't have to go buy a new one ($50 from Patriot).

 

I'm not sure of the specific rules either, but we figured eventually common sense would kick in and they'd realize we don't care to "share" our garbage/driveway area with them (by moving their bags back to their own driveway). Also, I just wanted to say their bags aren't simply blowing over to our area, they are placing them there. When they blow around they blow all over, not just in a neat pile in our driveway. We have the tall steps as well, which makes collecting the loose trash better/worse.

I have no idea if they have a can or not, they don't use their garage. It's rarely open.

 

Our experience has been that the more expensive trash bags do not get torn up. We also do not have a lot of tempting garbage.

 

There is no specific requirement to force owners to pick up their trash when it has blown around the neighborhood and short of finding trash with someone's name on it, enforcement would be impossible. Like many other issues of consideration, associations cannot legislate good manners. I picked up 20 plastic water bottles from my front yard last Monday night - and I never buy bottled water! The association can send a letter to remind residents that trash must be secured and picked up should animals or the wind scatter it. Please call the office with the address of the offending party.

Regarding the trash containers; the contractor provides a trash receptacle to each residence. Replacement receptacles are offered at cost. The collection people cannot remove trash cans because there is no room for them on the truck, so unless stolen by a local "delinquent" the receptacle is usually close by. We offer a service whereby you can register the number printed on your receptacle with the HOA office. If goes missing or ends up at the wrong address you can check with your neighbors to see if they have mistakenly claimed your receptacle as theirs or you neighbor can check with the office to find out to whom the receptacle belongs. We advertised this service in the newsletter for quite some time but participation was rather low. With windy March approching we will again note it in the newsletter and on the forums.

 

County Code requires a "proper receptacle":

1088.05 UNLAWFUL DISPOSAL OF LITTER.
(a) General Restrictions. No person shall drop, cast, sweep, deposit, discard, or otherwise
dispose of any litter in or upon any exterior public or exterior private property within the County
including but not restricted to any street, sidewalk, park, body of water, or vacant or occupied lot,
except by placement in a proper receptacle or in an area designated and approved by the County as a
permitted disposal site.


State Law:


§ 33.1-346. Dumping trash, companion animals, etc., on highway, right-of-way or private property; penalty.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or otherwise dispose of trash, garbage, refuse, litter, a companion animal for the purpose of disposal, or other unsightly matter, on public property, including a public highway, right-of-way, property adjacent to such highway or right-of-way, or on private property without the written consent of the owner thereof or his agent.

 

The County Code that requires a "proper receptacle" needs to be enforced including leaving trash out the evening before collection.

 

Thank you for your responses, they are very much appreciated. We will call the office and ask about the letter. Hopefully if they do start using their trash can, they won't feel the need to put it in our driveway.