Neighbor moved, left junk in my front yard

[fletchlives]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Delaware

My neighbor moved recently and left a pile of old mattresses and other junk on my front yard. The people were gone before I knew it, and a week later, the junk remains. I have emailed them, (nicely, not accusing) with no reply, asking when they were going to finish moving, as they had left this pile of stuff in my front yard.

I do not have trash removal service, so I can't just have the garbage men take it. I don't want to have to pay to have it removed, but what are my other options? Can I call the police? If I did, would it just call attention to me and then they would make me pay to remove it? Would they be able to track the ex-neighbors down and have them remove the stuff? Would they just blow me off for something so "minor?"

Any advice?

Thank you.

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Delaware

My neighbor moved recently and left a pile of old mattresses and other junk on my front yard. The people were gone before I knew it, and a week later, the junk remains. I have emailed them, (nicely, not accusing) with no reply, asking when they were going to finish moving, as they had left this pile of stuff in my front yard.

I do not have trash removal service, so I can't just have the garbage men take it. I don't want to have to pay to have it removed, but what are my other options? Can I call the police? If I did, would it just call attention to me and then they would make me pay to remove it? Would they be able to track the ex-neighbors down and have them remove the stuff? Would they just blow me off for something so "minor?"

Any advice?

Thank you.

Pay to have it removed and then send them a demand for payment. This is a civil matter so the police will not get involved.

 

[NC Aggie]

When you say the left it in your front yard...did they share a common yard with you? Is the junk entirely on your property or theirs as well? I'm just trying to figure out how and why someone could move out of a residence and leave junk in their neighbor's yard?

 

[fletchlives]

The house is a duplex - 2 in 1 - but we each have our own property and lots. When they were loading their trailer, they had a lot of stuff piled around both front yards, staging it for loading onto the truck. When I next came home, the truck was gone, the neighbors were gone, and all the stuff was still in my yard. I was out of work for 11 months, so money is short - that's why I don't want to get stuck paying to have it removed. I can't believe they just left the stuff there.

 

[FarmerJ]

Flet since this is a rental you have not stated if your lease clearly defines who gets exclusive use of what parts of the yard , if your lease doesnt exclude part of the yard to be your use only then send to your LL a certified letter , outlining what the tenant did requesting that the LL make arrangements to have it cleaned up and to bill the former tenant or take it from deposit funds. Then while your at it learn what your towns junk in a yard ords are. Take pics of this mess and consider contacting the police to learn if this mess meets a written definition of `illegal dumping` if it does file a report. As i see it this is the LLs problem to deal with and if LL wont address it then if your city has a junk in yard ord they can write up LL , then in combination with a copy of that citation and your police report your LL would not fairly win a claim that you are responsible to clean it up.

 

[fletchlives]

Neither halves of this duplex are rentals - I own the right half and a double lot, and they owned the left half with a single lot. I appreciate the input though - I will take pics and check into the illegal dumping laws.

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

The people who left - were they RENTERS for the other half's owner? or were they the owners who just left?

 

[fletchlives]

Both houses have been owner-occupied - NO ONE has or is renting. The people who owned the other house sold it and moved last week. Now there are new owners. The previous owners dumped a big pile of junk in MY front yard, which is clearly my property, while they were loading a truck - then left and never came back. There is no question in anyone's mind WHOSE property the junk was dumped on. It was OK with me (even though they didn't ask) that they used some of my property while they were moving stuff out of the house and onto the truck, so I only became upset when they left AND NEVER CAME BACK FOR THE STUFF.

Still no reply to the email I sent to them and the voice mail messages I've left.

 

[154NH773]

Move the stuff to their side of the property.

 

[Silence_Dogood]

Move the stuff to their side of the property.

Pretty sure that would be grounds for a suit by the new neighbors plus illegal dumping if there's an ordinance... not to mention piss them off. Not the right foot to start on with them.

I'd have it removed, and send the bill to the ones who left it there. If they won't pay (likely) you could file in small claims and get a judgment, but collection would likely be a problem.

Know anyone with a pickup truck? Prolly worth a case of beer to just get past this.

 

[154NH773]

Pretty sure that would be grounds for a suit by the new neighbors plus illegal dumping if there's an ordinance... not to mention piss them off. Not the right foot to start on with them.

I'd have it removed, and send the bill to the ones who left it there. If they won't pay (likely) you could file in small claims and get a judgment, but collection would likely be a problem.

Know anyone with a pickup truck? Prolly worth a case of beer to just get past this.

Everything you have mentioned costs the OP time, money, and aggravation. There is no reason why.
I doubt you could be cited for dumping, by placing someone's items back on their property. Simply tell the new owners that they will have to deal with the problem, IT's NOT THE OP's problem.
If the OP tried to trash the items, he could possibly be cited for theft or destruction of property.
I stand by my comment.

 

[John_DFW]

I recommend paying attention to your states laws regarding abandoned property.

I would send a crr to the last known address demanding removal of the property, or they will be billed for the removal. Inform them of the timelines in the states abandoned property laws.

I would inquire with their realtor for the current address, and also send it to that address if provided. You may need this address to pursue the costs incurred for removing the property anyway.

 

[JustAPal00]

Everything you have mentioned costs the OP time, money, and aggravation. There is no reason why.
I doubt you could be cited for dumping, by placing someone's items back on their property. Simply tell the new owners that they will have to deal with the problem, IT's NOT THE OP's problem.
If the OP tried to trash the items, he could possibly be cited for theft or destruction of property.
I stand by my comment.

Unless I'm missing something, you don't seem understand. The old owners of the house next door placed items in the op's yard. They then moved and left the items there. There are now new owners of the house next door. They or their house have nothing to do with the property left in the op's yard.

 

[LeeHarveyBlotto]

I do not have trash removal service, so I can't just have the garbage men take it.

What do you do with the household waste you generate?

Do you live in a city? Not having such service is not possible in any city in which I've ever lived.

 

[JustAPal00]

What do you do with the household waste you generate?

Do you live in a city? Not having such service is not possible in any city in which I've ever lived.

In a lot of rural areas, trash collection is an option. I used to live in a house where all wet food was placed in the garden, all paper was burned, and all plastics and metals were taken to a recycling center.