would you consider this "dumping" ?

broadway

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My house and the neighbors back to protected woodlands.

My neighbor dumped his broken basketball hoop and large buckets and planters into the woodlands.

I reported it to the township.

Am I overreacting?


RN1NX2Y.jpg
 
It's not his property, right? So yeah, dumping, and cr@ppy-looking to boot. What if everyone decided to do it? How far back would the junk go into the woodlands before it became an issue?

I am not big on telling others how to live, but you all pay HOA fees and he's freeloading on everyone else's.
 
We don't have a good relationship with that neighbor and his pals on the court.

If the township does something, I am sure they will know it is me who reported them.

The township will pick up big items for free.
All you have to do it drag it to the curb and let them know.
And as for the planters and buckets, all he has to do is put them in big garbage bags and the garbage company that picks up 2x a week will take it.

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That's garbage, and they are garbage for doing that.
 
Be a good neighbor pick it up haul it to the dump . Pay your five dollars and shame them .
 
That's garbage, and they are garbage for doing that.

These neighbors are South Asia Indians.
I remember the day the basketball hoop was dumped.
The men were all laughing and giggling and having a good time.
 
A little different view here.... even though it is unsightly, it is their property and if they want to "store' broken items that might or might not be used someday on their property then unless there is an ordinace that prohibits it then they have the right to do so.

At the same time, IMO it is not the neighborly thing to do.

If it really bothers you, put up a fence so you don't have to look at it.

I have a similar problem at home... at times, neighbor has "junk" all over their property... in fact for many years she parked a piece of junk sailboat right near our property line and we had to keep looking at it... but it was on her property and her right to park it there. No HOA where we live.

OTOH, DW frequently had her gardening junk (wheel barrows, buckets, etc.) floating around our property so it is hard for me to complain too loudly.
 
No, it is not their property.
It is protected woodlands.
I was told this when I purchased the house 7.5 years ago.

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Ah... well than that is a horse of a different color. If it is not their property then it is definitely dumping and they should be required to properly dispose of their crap.
 
My house and the neighbors back to protected woodlands.

My neighbor dumped his broken basketball hoop and large buckets and planters into the woodlands.

I reported it to the township.

Am I overreacting?

If it is not their property, then of course this is dumping.

If it is their property, they are disgusting neighbors. No matter how easy or hard it is for proper disposal.
 
To be perfectly blunt, that's the kind of behavior that starts turning an otherwise good neighborhood into a ghetto. Put a stop to it. Now. Protect your property values.


Even if that was on their property, it still makes the neighborhood look trashy. YOU have to look at it, when you're looking out your back door. You can get away with stuff like that, to a degree, in the country, but not in a close-knit neighborhood like that. Where I used to live, I'll admit that anything that was wooden, and would rot down, I'd throw in the woods behind my house. I would also store things outdoors, but at least try to place them so it wasn't so obvious to the neighbors. But, I was also on 4 1/4 acres, mostly woods, so it's not like it stuck out like a sore thumb.
 
I would consider you a good neighbor for reporting it. Absolutely not overreacting.
 
To be perfectly blunt, that's the kind of behavior that starts turning an otherwise good neighborhood into a ghetto. Put a stop to it. Now. Protect your property values.
To be perfectly blunt, 90% of the neighborhood is South Asian Indians.
If I was to sell my house and price accordingly, the next buyer will be South Asian Indian and would not care about the dumping.

Besides the eyesore, I am concerned about the woodlands.
Those things should not be back there.
They leave their recycling bucket on their deck, and sometimes plastic bags will fly out into the woodlands and get caught. I would go out and retrieve them. That's just how I am.
 
These neighbors are South Asia Indians.
I remember the day the basketball hoop was dumped.
The men were all laughing and giggling and having a good time.

I don't see their nationality/ethnicity as having any relevance, and I'm a bit disturbed that you brought that up, and felt the need to quote my response as somehow related to that? My original comment was related to the behavior, no matter what other factors you might add.
 
I don't see their nationality/ethnicity as having any relevance, and I'm a bit disturbed that you brought that up, and felt the need to quote my response as somehow related to that? My original comment was related to the behavior, no matter what other factors you might add.

It is relevant because of what is considered "normal" in India is not "normal" in the USA.

And for what it's worth, my parents immigrated from another country.
And they always are impressed with the general lack of trash dumping in the USA compared to our country of origin.

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Back in 2010, a county inspector came around our neighborhood, and started writing up people for housing violations. I got hit for having "untagged/inoperable/dismantled/wrecked vehicle(s)" on my property, along with a few other violations. The car in question actually WAS tagged...however in Maryland, we have a front and rear tag. I bought this car, a 1979 Chrysler, in Pennsylvania, which doesn't have a front tag. As a result, there was no bracket on the front bumper to put the tag, so I just kept it in the trunk. On the day this guy came by, the car was backed into the driveway, so the front was visible.



A bigger problem, however, is that Chrysler would not always start. And in the citation, it said something like "vehicle must move under its own power for at least 150 feet". So, one day I went out and, luckily, it started. I moved it up really close to the road, with the back facing outward, and called the county inspector back. Next time he came by, he said he was happy.


Also, at the time, I actually WAS storing a car for a friend...a 1952 Benz that was inoperable, and untagged. I just happened to have it very well-hidden. I'd had it for about 6 years at that point. I took it as a sign to have him come get the car and haul it away, before I got into any real trouble. Plus, I'd heard other people talk about this guy, and they said I'd better watch out, because he's a real procrastinator, and I might run the risk of him dying of old age before he did anything with that car!


Sure enough, I asked him the history of the car. He said that he bought a similar Benz, a '54, back in the 60's while in college. But then in 1968 when he graduated, he bought a brand new Javelin and thought he'd restore the '54, so he took it off the road and started taking it apart. At some point, he had acquired this '52 as a parts car. He had parts from the '54 scattered in boxes all over his basement and garage.


So, at this point, this car had been a project for 42 years! (1968-2010). And now, 6 1/2 years later, I have a feeling he isn't any further along than he was back then. Talk about procrastination!
 
Cultural norms vary. I found that out in France when I tried to order un cafè with my dessert. I was told in no uncertain terms, the coffee would come after the entire meal was finished.

Years ago Americans would travel to Europe and other parts of the world and complain about anything that wasn't like home - lack of hot water, oddly prepared foods, slow service in shops and restaurants, small bathrooms with squat toliets, native citizens who did not speak English, etc. etc. etc. In addition they were often loud and demanding. They were known as Ugly Americans and we were advised not to be that way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_American_(pejorative)

Back on topic..... If it is public and/or protected proptery then the city should be informed. This may also be a potential fire hazard in a wooded area. Think Paradise, CA.
 
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It is relevant because of what is considered "normal" in India is not "normal" in the USA.

And for what it's worth, my parents immigrated from another country.
And they always are impressed with the general lack of trash dumping in the USA compared to our country of origin.

.

I think that is fair... social norms vary widely from continent to continent. IME, many part of Asia are dumpy looking, meanwhile Switzerland is generally neat as a pin. It is a cultural thing.

We notice a difference even going from rural norther Vermont across the border to southern Quebec... the Canadian side properties are generally much better kept... the properties on the US side vary... some are neat others are dumpy.
 
If the trash is not on their property then I would consider it dumping.
 
When I was a kid, it was common to dump trash in the woods in rural parts of the country. I'd imagine it is still that way in less developed countries and your neighbors may not be aware of American norms. I wouldn't put up with it, but you might explain it in a kindly way to allow them to save face - a cultural misunderstanding vs a criminal act.
 
What response did you get when you reported it to the township?

These things take a little time to work through the system.
For example, there were a couple of folks who let their hedges grow to the point where they blocked most of the sidewalk on one street. I got tired of it after a while (I walk there regularly) and reported it to the city. They said they would send the homeowners a letter directing them to comply with the law and trim their bushes.

Nothing happened for a while, but within the next couple of months the shrubbery was neatly trimmed back and all was well, so the letter clearly had the desired effect.

I suspect you might have a similar result. Obviously, the quick and simple approach of talking to your neighbors and asking them to take care of it would be best, but if you're reluctant to do that, then just wait for official action. I couldn't do that myself because it wasn't clear who owned the properties (vacant lots).
 
My neighborhood is increasingly filled with people that immigrated from India and surrounding countries. For the most part, they came from educated upper class backgrounds, hold professional jobs and are as concerned about property values as everyone else. Not a lot of problems.

However, they do seem to socialize exclusively with other people from their countries/regions, and are not much interested in neighborhood-wide functions. That makes it difficult to maintain a neighborhood level of friendliness and cooperation.

If that is the back of your property, I would certainly talk to the people involved and if they did not correct the problem after a friendly conversation, then I would report it.
 
One of our neighbors throws junk in their backyard. No HOA so nothing can be done plus they are nice people and we get along. The fence is only 4ft so if we are on the far patio with the fire pit we can see it. They have vines growing on the fence. DH built a trellis and the vines grew up it so problem solved. In winter we don’t sit out there. The neighbors said she couldn’t figure out why the former owner of our house put up a 6ft fence in front of their short fence once they built the patio close to the house. I couldn’t believe she didn’t get it that no one wants to sit on the patio and look at their junk.
 

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