Surprise 40 yard empty dumpster in my yard ...

[vacationhopeful]

A new neighbor has been remodeling their HUD foreclosure house using a contractor. Been about 2 months of tearing it apart, accumlimating debris in the back yard and on Sunday hauling it to the front curb for the municipal trash provider to pickup. I was surprised as construction debris is not permitted in bulk. Will take a door or some scraps, but not the interior of the house from property line to property line on the curb week after week.

Last two Mondays, the trash pile in the back yard just got bigger and bigger. So, driving by Saturday at 9:30AM, there sits a 40 yard dumpster in MY YARD. Delivered over my curb and sidewalk; without my permission and totally in my side yard - which is 60 feet wide. 7-10 construction guys working away; 2 big panel trucks sitting in the street.

1) First construction guy says, it was just there in my yard when they got there in morning. Waste Management did it.
2) Boss construction guy (Ervin) with broken English says, dumpster not allowed on State Highway, yard is part of house they working on.
3) Owner/Husband starts to load stuff into dumpster and I have to tell him 3 times to STOP - nothing goes into dumpster as it is on my property and a loaded/heavy dumpster is not going over my sidewalk and curb.
4)I call Waste Management dispatch to come get their dumpster as the tow company will scrap it. Ask what address did they deliver to - the neighbor's.
5)I call police as all these persons don't seem to understand (want to understand), it ain't my problem as to your construction debris and you are not making further damage to my yard and property.
6)Wife appears to try and sweet talk me about not knowing where her property line is; I suggest she pay for a survey.
7)Police arrive and the sargenet tells me I am not being a NICE NEIGHBOR in front of everyone by demanding dumpster be taken empty off my property; tells owners to NOT block the alley behind the house with the dumpster. Police continues to say, "I hear that they are going to fix your yard, so be a good neighbor and let it go". He is not going to do anything. I ask him IF I will be able to pick up the police report on Tues or Wednesday? He tells me it is NOT a police matter; there will be no report as these people are stating they will fix everything. Yeah, right!
8) Call Waste Management dispatch back again, am told driver on route, and ask if they delivered w/o meeting someone. Nope, driver waited 30 minutes for Ervin to arrive and authorize placement according to their log.
9) WM Driver arrives, wood gets put down to protect curb and sidewalk, picks up dumpster, to move thru alley to rear of their house.
10) Ervin tells driver to leave the dumpster in alley; driver objects and Ervin states, he will pay the ticket IF the dumpster gets caught.
11). I tell the WM driver, the police already told them to NOT put the dumpster in the alley; his dispatcher told me that if driver can't deliver it onto their property, to bring the dumpster back to the yard.
12). Driver can't get dumpster in front of their 3 car garage, out of the alley, tells Evrin such and leaves after seriously trying. Evrin uses cell phone to videotape driver pulling out of alley and going down the street.

Okay, I have an issue with this police officier and his attitude. I have owned this property for 25+ years and never have any of the owners or residents of this house be good neighbors. Last owners had 60 pitbulls in the yard and basement; tore my 6' chain link fence out over a Holiday weekend, parked their vans and semi-truck cab in my yard until the cops got on their case. Prior residents used this yard for teenage beer parties for 100's of kids attending including former police chief son. This is not an area where you let anything go; give an inch and people take a mile. Kids are not allowed to play, cross, and stand around in yard. The yard is POSTed.

One of my friends suggested I see town adminiatrator about the officier comments and to get a police report.

Any other comments appreciated. This is a 6 unit apartment building, 2 storefronts, and is a grass yard for the property. I do not live there. Building is in very good shape and yard is clean. (New neighbor said one of the big reasons they brought that foreclosure to live in was my nice building).

Personally, not impressed at all with this contractor ability or level of skill.

 

[wauhob3]

I don't believe this would be a police matter but a civil matter which they won't get involved in. Take pictures before and after removal and if damage occurs then you can take to small claims court. Hopefully though there won't be damage and in the end you will benefit from the debri being gone and not visible to you or your tenants anymore.

 

[hvsteve1]

The fact "Ervin" speaks broken English makes me wonder if this is a licensed contractor if one is needed in your town. Also makes me wonder if these neighbors have pulled the requisite permits. Nothing against broken English but this, plus their apparent lack of concern for laws and regulations concerning the dumpster, makes me wonder about other stuff.

On the other hand, as you have had the "neighbors from hell" over the years, do these people seem more normal? Are they going to live there or use it as an income property? If that's the case, I would stay on top of all their permits, inspections, etc as you don't want them to feel they can put low-lifes into the house to make your life hell and do all sorts of illegal stuff before disappearing into the unkown.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Steve,
This is one of those rehab FHA loans where Evrin is employee/foreman of a larger firm. I was looking at the 2 guys working on "fixing" the front concrete steps. First, they made a "form" to pour cement over the old steps from scraps of wood out of the backyard pile. Not a level or tape measure involved. Those guys spoke with a Eastern Europe accent; more pointing than words. They mixed up either concrete or cement which they poured into the "forms". No binder used on the old concrete steps. The back deck was built by last set of "owners" who took 4x4's and sat them on the dirt. This crew is "building" new PT steps to the swayback deck.

There were permits pulled; the new owners are from the big city; currently have a duplex with both sides rented to PHA (Phila Housing Authority) and going to rent their 6 bedroom "lovely" home to similiar PHA tenants. Family consists of H, W and DD15. She has a cleaning business which she plans are running from this house (small 2 room office in this house).

The roof on this house is shingles - really old GREEN shingles. It has been those same green shingles all 25 years I have had my building; wife was making small talk about what color trim should she use with those shingles. My comment was, you are NOT redoing the roof? Well, maybe 3 or 4 years down the road as the roof is NOT LEAKING. I mean GREEN (lime green) has to be 35 or 40 year old roof. I bet there is cedar shake shingles under those green ones or more than 2+ layers.

I could see her using this "house" as her office in NJ location while renting out the residence to qualify for small business loans and certain small business contracts; there is a 3 car detached garage in the rear. I did not get the impression she has family in this area.

This house was rough 20 years ago when I went thru it. Bad layout, too. Old electric; old plumbing; plaster walls; lead paint no doubt; already dumped the kitchen cabinets and bath fixtures into the outdoor trash pile along with all the doors in the house. Windows are all single pane 80+ yo wood with 1960 storm windows (are replacing the windows) but capping the wood trim (the pockets for the old lead weights).

 

[Talent312]

It's not uncommon for the police to try to smoothe over neighborhood disputes, so I'm not surprised by the officer's reaction.

However, the use of and damage by the dumpster on your property could be construed as trespass and criminal mischief (intentional damage). You could research the criminal statutes and be prepared to recite them the next time there is another "visit."

OTOH, getting worked up over the nature of the work being done is a bit of a stretch.

 

[vacationhopeful]

...On the other hand, as you have had the "neighbors from hell" over the years, do these people seem more normal? .....

Not the good neighbor type, IMO. Husband who is 100% born here did not hear the woman (me) tell him to NOT put stuff into the dumpster until I said the POLICE are coming. Then his wife came over to smooze me with family talk and asking color scheme advice ... she thinks of herself as a real estate investor with 2 rentals and converting her current lovely home into another Section 8 rental. Said when she brought her current home, they were going to make it into a TRIPLEX rental.

The other neighbor on the other side is a rental duplex owned by the mayor of this town as is the other property on the other side of that. And the mayor lives on the other side of my building (across the street). And the mayor did bid on this HUD foreclosure.