Neighbours and trash

[princesss]

Okay, this is driving me nuts and I want to know if I have a leg to stand on if I file a complaint with my community.

I live in an apartment complex/neighbourhood. One of the things that drew me to it was how clean and neat it looked. It is generally well maintained, and looks neat and like someplace you''d want to live. Pretty buildings, grass, big windows, etc.

There are some pretty strict rules we are expected to adhere to when it comes to the community appearance, and one of those is to do with trash. We have a valet trash system where they give us trashcans and pick up trash Sunday through Thursday. We are expected to keep the trash cans indoors during the day, and leave them out between 6 and 8 if we want trash picked up. One morning I was almost late for work and left my trashcan out, and I got a note on my door that if it happened again there would be a $25 fine. Okay, fine. It seems slightly excessive, but it keeps things looking neat.

What drives me nuts is that my neighbours leave their trash can out all the time. All day, every day. And it is often accompanied by bags of trash. They generally just drop bags of trash outside of their door and leave them there, including on weekends.

Now, I wouldn''t have a big issue with this if the community hadn''t made such a fuss the one time I left my trash can out. It drives me nuts that the rules seem to be selectively enforced. To be clear, my issue is not with my neighbours (though that is kind of gross), my issue is with the fact that the rules are not consistently enforced.

So, do I have a leg to stand on if I go into the community office tomorrow to complain? Or should I just keep quiet about it?

 

[neatfreak]

Are they really selectively enforced? Or are these people getting tickets and just not caring? I would make sure you have your facts straight before you go in accusing them of selectively enforcing rules when they might be just as PO'ed about it as you!

If you know they aren't getting tickets, I wouldn't go into the office and say "Why me and not them?" because it sounds like whining. Instead, just go in and ask if they are aware that trash is often left outside all day at some of the apartments. Gets the point across without coming across as whining IMO.

 

[princesss]

When we get tickets about rule infractions, they put them on our door. But very good point.

I would talk to my neighbours about it, but I can never seem to get in touch with them. I''ll try to contact them before I talk to anybody else about this. There just doesn''t seem to be a good way to say, "You guys leave your trash out and don''t seem to get in trouble, is there any way to get out of the fine in case I forget some time?"

I appreciate the perspective. This is my first time living away from home when I''m not in a dorm, so I don''t really know how all of this works.

 

[VRBeauty]

Normally I'm a pretty straightforward, talk to the person you're having problems with kind of person. But... you don't know these neighbors or how they'd react to your concerns. All you know is that they seem to believe that the neighborhood rules don't apply to them. You're paying good money to live in a community that has neighborhood rules and an enforcement arm. So... I see nothing wrong with talking to the folks in "the office" about the situation rather than approaching the neighbors, whether your concern is with the trash or the selective enforcement.

 

[jewelerman]

i would not talk to anyone right now...not the office,or the offending people next door...document everytning with pictures...pictures and dates of the people around you...keep the warning you recieved...if they fine you then show them the pictures and show them the evidence that they are being selective and that you assumed that because the others are doing it then the rules have changed...make sure everything is dated and documented.

 

[HollyS]

The rules are probably clearly stated in your lease; therefore, I would be in the office, in person, with lease in hand, to discuss with the manager, not any other employee, just what they were planning to do about your neighbors garbage.

Be firm, be polite, be adamant, but most of all, be proactive. Immediately.