Jneighbor's Backyard Mess (Sorry, Long)

I agree about calling the city officials and complaining. That has to be against the law....it would at least violate health regulations.

it's a genuine concern. this will absolutely stink, and attract vermin.
the sunset aesthetic is real, but i'd be sketched out at knowing people were peering into my yard, so i wouldn't bring that up.
since you don't know them, i agree it's too risky to knock on their door. i'd let the city know, and keep my fingers crossed. i think it's at least the best place to start.
khairete
S.

Added: I know you see them tossing things so you're assuming they're not handicapped or disabled, and they may not be -- physically. But please don't assume they are just fine. If they have other issues that you can't see physically (anything from mental health issues to drug issues to hoarding issues, whatever), that's all the more reason to have someone else approach them and not approach them yourself, because you can't predict their reaction to you. I have two friends with "invisible" issues (mental health) whom others would think are perfectly fine because they're not elderly or physically disabled but they can't cope with everyday life like normal people can, and have done some things that neighbors would think weird. So I'd try both to have some sympathy and at the same time to let professionals handle this rather than yourself.

Original:
To be really frank with you, please don't mention your sunset gazing to them or the city either. Don't get into aesthetics of your view. I know you won't and are just venting for us on here! :-)

Stick very strictly to the idea that this trash is likely to attract vermin. You do need to alert someone to that. It is a problem that must be handled. You'll all have mice or worse in your own houses if the pileup continues.

Please consider that these occupants might have physical or mental issues that are behind this - hoarding, or other things that cloud judgment, or maybe they're elderly and not coping well, or....there could be many things that are explanations. Not excuses, no, but explanations that may mean they're not just dirty, careless people but troubled people who can't see what's going on in their own back yards because they are consumed by something else going on in their lives. I'd try to approach it from that angle until you know anything different.

With that in mind: Call the city or town hall and explain the situation. Say you do not want to be identified to these homeowners as you do not know them. Ask if the local government has an office that can send someone to homes where neighbors have concerns about the occupants' welfare. That may or may not be the police. Say that you are concerned about vermin for sure, but also about whether the occupants have some issue that might mean they are unable to cope with their household needs.

I live in a tiny, older house that as of last year is overlooked by new, two- and three-story houses that replaced the one-level houses like mine that used to fill this area. Three houses now loom over our lot on both sides in in the back. From the perspective of someone in the smaller house who is directly overlooked now by taller houses' upper stories, I can say that these neighbors are probably well aware you can see them and their yard, and may feel unnerved by that. (Yep, that's how I feel, I admit it.) So involve a professional third party like the city and don't approach them yourself as you do not know them. They might get defensive if you approach them yourself, but they'll have to at least hear out someone in authority. If it's approached as "the town's concerned about your welfare" and not as "We've had complaints about your garbage" that would be the best start.

This is probably a violation of a city or county code. I know the garbage is. Garbage not in a lidded container attract vermin. I know a family in Phoenix, AZ, who had to remove trash from their back yard. It may have been because the grass and weeds were over a foot tall. I'd call the city or the county to see what they can do. When we don't know the neighbor and how they will react it's usually best to involve the authorities?

Our city has an Office of Neighborhood Livebility. That is who I'd start with them.

Call town hall. This is a health code violation.

If you have a neighborhood association, sic the association on them.
If you don't have a neighborhood association then report them to your local health department.

I have no difficulty in talking to nice reasonable people, but people who've piled up a trash heap in their yard are not showing signs of being nice reasonable people.
You don't know if they are hoarders or are having some sort of mental difficulty - you don't want to start up a neighborhood feud/civil war.
But people tend to respond to authority - and/or the fines that sometimes comes with thumbing their collective noses at authority - so let that authority do it's job and handle it.
Just let the powers that be know that they have an issue that needs to be dealt with.

Additional:

Ok, since you're a renter you probably can't contact the HOA, but the owner/landlord of your house can and should.
Trash building up in neighbors yards will bring HIS property values down not to mention that rats and cockroaches are horrible to get rid of and HE'LL be the one who hires/pays for an exterminator if your rental has an infestation problem.
Some people just can't be bothered to take their trash out to the curb.
Our property manager (and old friend of mine) use to flip properties and he'd have to pay for a dumpster to be left in the driveway so he could throw away the piles and PILES of trash he'd find in some of these houses.

I agree that the approach is through the authorities - not because of the esthetics, but because of the health implications of attracting rats, raccoons, coyotes, dogs, etc. This creates the additional problem of animal feces.

I don't think anonymous notes are the way to go. Besides the fact that they would know it was you - or at least one of the residents of the 5 homes - it can create real defensiveness or animosity. Start from the assumption that they cannot do any better - it's winter time, they may be impaired in some way, and sometimes just tossing stuff out into the garage or yard is the best that some people can do to get it out of their own line of sight. People with depression, for example, often cannot complete tasks that seem simple to others (like organizing the stuff, bagging it up, transporting it to the dump, etc.). And hoarding disorders are even tougher to combat.

But I think you can address it with the authorities as a wellbeing check as well. In your town, it could be a combination of the Board of Health and Animal Control that could handle this. If there's an indication of mental incapacity, perhaps additional social services need to be called in.

But your approach with the town needs to be from the standpoint of everyone's wellbeing, not the appearance.

Once things are cleaned up, if this family needs additional help, perhaps there's a buddy system that can help. Our town is pairing up volunteers with seniors and disabled folks who can't shovel all the snow we have in the Boston area - driveways, walks, paths to the oil fill pipe, mailboxes, hydrants, etc. The high school has long had an after school community service club that does things for senior citizens and others, while giving the kids some hours to add to their "activity resumes" for college. Sometimes the Eagle Scouts are looking for a project, although usually that's on public land.

Sounds like this could turn into a health hazard very soon. Are you in the city or in the county? What compliance codes are in effect for the community that you live in? I would find out and possible call and complain about the house. Then someone can come out and inspect it and investigate it. Perhaps then the code inspector can approach them about cleaning it up nicely or issue a citation. Perhaps the people are just slobs or maybe they need help (elderly, injured or mentally or physically impaired or just totally overwhelmed). Then the code inspector could let you know and maybe some neighbors could pitch in to help out. Although the others may not be able to "see" into their yard, they will be impacted by the bugs or varmints that will be attracted by garbage. Good luck. If there is no "code inspector" I think I would let them know that I can see the yard.

I would just report it to the town or city. They can take care of it, including searching for the owner if the people that live there are not. Also, the city would have more influence over a "nosy" neighbor.

Honestly, something like this does not make you a nosy neighbor, unless of course you sit there just to watch. It is called neighborhood watch.

You refer to the people who live in the house as "occupants". Are they renters? If they don't own the home, can you track down the owners? I doubt the people who own the property would want to see it treated this way. Good luck - this situation would drive me crazy.

Ok, way strange thought here, but perhaps you could contact your village, or city and see if these people can be contacted and then find out if there are kids on a list who want to do community service who would help clean up when it gets better. Of course request to be anonymous....if they don't want help, then well, violations are in order.

I think when the weather gets warmer, it will attract all kinds of critters - large and small. At that point, I'd start calling animal control and other like agencies. "There is a funny smell... there are lots of critters around all of a sudden..." Just report how it's effecting you and don't mention the neighbors at all. Once they come to check it out, it will be come clear what the problem is. And be persistent if nothing is done.

There is probably a problem in the house - wife says "empty the trash" hubbie doesn't do it wife says "it's your job - you need to do something around here!" hubbie doesn't do it. wife gets pissed and refuses to take trash out to the curb so puts it in back yard because house is getting gross. hubbie is stubborn and won't budge.

The mess is probably representative of the mess going on inside the house.

Good luck!

You definitely do no want to start a war w/a neighbor.
It could be very scary (you don't know if they have mental health issues).
Also, I wouldn't trust how they would react.
Instead I would, call the city anonymously & just say you smell rotting
garbage in the neighborhood giving them the address it's coming from.

After that, I'd let it go. Don't look down. You don't want to start something with neighbors you have to live next to for however long. It
could be very scary. I just ignore stuff. And let me tell you....we have
worse things going on. It's just not worth it.

Ugh, I don't blame you for being upset, this isn't a good situation. And you're right, if it isn't just furniture but garbage, there could soon be a situation with mice and other critters/bugs that could make it a bigger issue than just messing with your view.

I also think you are really sweet to not just turn them in. And I say this because, this could really be my parents. My mom is a hoarder. So far, she is mostly about papers, mail, and stuff- not garbage (I thank God for this, I know it could be worse). But I know their back porch is full of patio furniture and pots and decorations. Don't even get me started on the house...

So I guess I totally get that you can't have rotting garbage that close to your house, and something should be done. But as someone who could easily be related to those people, I really appreciate that you don't want to be mean to them. They may really just have issues that the rest of us can't understand.

You mention not wanting to leave an anonymous note, and I get that. Here's a sneaky tactic- what if you knock on their door and tell them that you were outside or just coming home or something and there was a HOA rep/county inspector or some type of official (whoever handles these things in your area) in the neighborhood and they stopped and asked you questions about them? This way you are being the nice guy to warn them- tell them the person said that their backyard was whatever kind of violation and they would be back in 30 days (or whatever) to see about filing a report. This way they are on "notice" that something might be done soon, and they should clean up before this happens. This gives them a chance to take care of it themselves.

If they don't handle it, I guess you do need to actually report it- but start at the lowest chain possible- HOA before city?

What about the health department? This could attract rodents and cause the spread of disease. I'd try that.

Hi L.,

I feel for you. It's one of those situations that if you don't act now, it will likely get worse. I would go the city or neighborhood route and let them deal with it. My family growing up had to do this because we had a neighbor who was a senior, and although we were friends with them, they couldn't keep up and wouldn't accept help, so eventually there were vermin. It was a nasty situation. The city came in and had social services help and it worked out well in the end. They also helped in other ways.

Keep in mind, these neighbors are not intentionally trying to bother other people - they are probably clueless, or as others have said could have mental health issues.

If you don't go the city route, there is another option but I don't know if it would work in your situation ... we had a neighbor at our old house who collected tin cans for recycling in plastic bags. They put them on their deck and I guess were waiting for some big day to come to do it - but it was filled to the brim with cans. It was a real eyesore. One day a bag tore and the cans flew everywhere. We had to pick some up from our yard, so that was the opportunity my husband had to go over and talk to them (very nicely). The cans were gone the following day. I honestly don't think people realize sometimes their behavior affects others.

So .. is that option? Can you say some garbage has blown over? You don't want to lie but if there is the potential there for it to come over to your yard .. you could use that as a way to nicely go over and just say you have concerns. Really depends on the neighbors though. It sounds like you don't know them so might be difficult to gauge their reaction. We knew our neighbors were decent people, just had some odd tin can collection habits.

Good luck :)

I'd dig through city ordinance and then call it in on something.

I'd call the hoa and complain. That's one of the things they are supposed to do as far as I know. I'd never live in a community that was controlled by someone else. I hope, in this instance, they perform to your advantage...

Could you come from a 'help' approach? It is not your job by any means, but it is an eye sore to you.

Say hey, I am going to the dump with a truck is there anything you need me to take? They may be very cheap and lazy and by you paying and taking it away could temp them. Actually, I would never do this, but it is an idea. I would be scared the neighbor would have some drug/illegal stuff mixed with the trash.

You can call (email your view )the city/HOA. Like you said, you have a feeling they would know it was you.

Could they be sick or elderly and too unwell to handle it.

It's their yard, so it's not your business. If you don't want to see it, don't look at it.