Loose Trash Question
I have an apartment building near me that is horrible about its garbage. The cans are stored on the sidewalk, not in any container, typically with no lids, with garbage piling up beside them. Needless to say the trash gets everywhere, and passersby feel fine about adding their own litter to the mix (loose trash…
I have an apartment building near me that is horrible about its garbage. The cans are stored on the sidewalk, not in any container, typically with no lids, with garbage piling up beside them. Needless to say the trash gets everywhere, and passersby feel fine about adding their own litter to the mix (loose trash begets more trash, and new yorkers love to use their own city as a garbage can).
I have called 311 and made a report about the offending building, but I have two questions I’m hoping you can help me with.
The offender’s (building A in the drawing) trash, spreads behind building B. B is a commercial building that does not have an entrance on the same street as A. There is typically trash (non-household) thrown on the sidewalk behind B, adding to the blown household garbage. Who is responsible for keeping that clean? I don’t want to punish building B unfairly for a situation that seems to be started by building A, but the situation is ridiculous.
What is the most effective way to utilize 311 to get this building to comply with sanitation laws? Loose trash and containers with no lids, and never sweeping the sidewalk are against the law, period. It’s a daily problem with this building, and it affects our entire block. I have thus far only made one call to report it, and I have a report number. I have photos, but 311 says those are of no use to them. Should I make a new report every time I see a violation? This would mean basically I am calling once a day.
Thank you for any help.
I think I know what building you are talking about and used to live there. Is building B a bank? The building manager will be of no help. It’s mostly rent stabilized apartments and the manager refuses to pay anyone enough money to properly manage the trash, among other things.
The space inside where the cans could possibly go is not accessible to tenants (thus they cannot get there trash to the cans), and is under one apartment’s window so that might be why the cans are on the walk. I just thought they should build some storage for the cans on the sidewalk and have enough cans (properly marked for trash or recycling) to make the situation better.
A universal problem-sometimes ya just gotta laugh.
Rom bom bom bom. . .enjoy!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DorX8bDXr28k&v=orX8bDXr28k&gl=US
I have a similar problem, like yours, I’m more like building B, but I pickup the trash. only problem is the other building trash always overflows. and blows my way, its horrible but I have to constantly pickup their trash that blows to mine building.
My neighbors thought about calling 311 only problem is if they come at a time when we are not there, garbage would be at my building and others, since the wind blows it down wind to us and we all get tickets.
flophouse- it sounds like a lot of trash and a constant problem. I don’t think we’re talking about an errant coke can or the occasional strewn newspaper here.
You may also pick up said trash and dispose of it yourself. The amount of garbage around the city is surely heartbreaking. Why not do some community driven action as opposed to city ticketing b.s.
someguy, didn’t your parents tell you? Life isn’t fair.
In the interest of fairness, why not call 311 or sanitation every time you see trash in front of every building you pass during your travels through NYC?
Property owners are (stuck with being) responsible for litter on their sidewalks regardless of origin.
Information about adding photographs to 311 complaints can be found at:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/311/html/picvid_faq
You may also want to contact your local community board. Sanitation Enforcement visits district offices in person regularly, asking about complaint locations.
It’s an building owner’s or tenant’s responsibility to keep their trash under control. I agree with Rosy about DSNY, but if you do use 311 again, report it on their website, that way you can do it quickly and it gets into the system.