Neighbors are disgusting slobs (Plano: HOA, houses, neighborhood)

[aquietpath]

I have a yard that is totally fenced in. My backyard faces an alley that holds garbage cans for my side of the street and the folks on the street behind me. Our backyards face each other and are separated by the alley.

The two houses directly behind me never put the lid on their garbage containers (one container is without a lid), and animals keep getting in them and dragging the garbage out of the container and scattering it in the alley. I'm not talking about a few items; whole bags and their contents are all on the ground. Neighbors don't clean it up, even though it is their garbage and they must walk through it every time they deposit another bag of trash in the can. While the garbage can't get in my yard because of the fence, I have to see it when I go in my backyard and I absolutely hate it.

Is there any kind of ordinance about keeping that area clean? I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem and how they handled it.

[jennifw]

have you tried talking to them? Asking them to get a lid for their can?

[aquietpath]

Well, no. I have never seen the adults; they send their kids out to the cans with the trash. But the trash is visible from their backyards as well, so I know they are aware of the problem.

[BigDGeek]

Call the city. If they're really behaving like you say they are, they are well aware of the problem and don't care.

[MckinneyOwnr]

My parents went through this with some bad neighbors behind them a few years ago. The neighbors are still there, they absolutely hate my parents at this point.

My parents tried to talk to them personally, my mom went over to their garage one day when she heard the woman outside. Understandably, people who live like slobs and have trash everywhere aren't exactly receptive to feedback regarding how their behavior affects others. This woman screamed at my mother and called her every dirty word in the book.

At that point, my mother contacted the HOA (which in her neighborhood, doesn't have any teeth.) They sent the homeowners a notice of "possible fines." Nothing happened. Finally I believe the City of Plano was contacted, who DO have the authority to fine them. Not sure whether they were actually fined or not, but the trash scattered across the alley stopped.

I'd advise not to deal with the neighbors at all. I'm usually in favor of trying to work out disagreements and such between the two parties without escalating anything to an outside source, but if they are obviously aware of what they are doing and simply don't care, then I think talking to them is a waste of time.

[TheOverdog]

If you mean the garbage containers you get from the city is missing a lid, you can simply call the city, give their address, and they will replace or repair defective trash recepticles.

[skids929]

Originally Posted by MckinneyOwnr

I'd advise not to deal with the neighbors at all. I'm usually in favor of trying to work out disagreements and such between the two parties without escalating anything to an outside source, but if they are obviously aware of what they are doing and simply don't care, then I think talking to them is a waste of time.

Totally agree with this..In theory "hugging it out" is a divine concept, but in practice it rarely produces amicable results. Think this through, put yourself in their shoes for a minute, as difficult as it may be.

Let's say your a filthy inconsiderate slob and someone knocks on your door and points it out verbally. No matter how well you deliver your message, it's probably going to a) fall on deaf ears, b) elicit a defensive response and c) get a passive aggressive result. e.g. they look you in the eye and say one thing and do another.

Your best bet, if you have an HOA or City Code enforcement is to take advantage of using that resource. The reason governing bodies like this exist, (courts, city code enforcement, Police etc) is because people can't always talk it out and agree. These days it almost seems rare.. I would strongly advise doing it anonymously, or you will more than likely create many years of tenuous feelings between you and them for years to come. And giving someone who behaves like this the ammo of knowing this bothers you is ill-advised.

[ChristieP]

Totally agree with Skids here. I've had much better luck allowing the Code Enforcement department to do what my taxes pay them to do than I ever had by confronting neighbors myself.

[debtex]

You say you only see the kids out back putting trash in. Is it possible that the parents don't know the state of the alley because the kids are doing trash duty?

[pharpe]

There is often trash in the ally behind my house and it's not due to lids being on the trash cans. It's because the trash collectors do not bother to pick up anything that spills when they are emptying the cans. It pisses me off every time I go back there and have to pick that crap up. Should be the trash collectors job to pick up ALL trash.