What to Do When Someone Dumps Rubbish on Your Property

10 October 2018
 Categories: , Blog

Share

You know where your household rubbish is. You know because you put it in the rubbish bin yourself, and so it can be a shock to see someone else's rubbish dumped on your property. For ease of access, whoever did this probably just dropped the waste on your front garden and then hurried off. It's not quite the crime of the century, but it's still a considerable inconvenience for you. What can you do when someone dumps their rubbish on your property?

Small Amounts

A small amount of waste on your property could conceivably (and hopefully) be a mistake rather than a deliberate act. It could have been part of an improperly secured load and has quite literally fallen off the back of the truck. With a relatively small volume, it can be practical to clean up the waste yourself and dispose of it in your household rubbish bins. Having to clean up someone else's mess can feel like a burden, and yet it's the most pragmatic way to solve the problem, and ideally, the issue won't happen again in the event of an honest mistake.

Large Amounts 

What about when it's a large amount of waste, and you can't quite believe that someone could have dropped it there by accident? The wilful dumping of rubbish on your property can feel upsetting and insulting. It's your garden, not a rubbish dump. When the mess is too considerable to be speedily cleaned up and disposed of in your rubbish bin, you need to get in touch with your local council. Why should you do this?

  1. You need to make a formal report of the dumping so that they can investigate as needed.
  2. This report can also protect you from accusations of accumulating waste or littering (while you wait for it to be removed).
  3. The council will advise you on the best process for removal.

The best process will vary from council to council, but professional rubbish removal will be needed. The council might dispatch their own provider, but it might also be that the onus is on you to make your own arrangements by contacting a local rubbish removal company. Have a word with your council about their procedures with regards to who needs to cover the cost. It's certainly an annoyance, but the rubbish needs to be removed as quickly as possible, with the perpetrator being located and issued with an infringement notice.

Locating the Perpetrator

When it has been an opportunistic dumping, it could prove difficult to locate the perpetrators. While the council might make their own investigations, you can also consider the matter. You could ask your neighbours if they happened to see anyone dumping the waste. You could also think about any suitable candidates in the local area, such as building projects. If you should have any suspicions, the only action you should take is to report the information to your council so that they can pursue the matter.

While it can be an annoyance when someone dumps rubbish on your property (even just once), any instances of ongoing dumping might cause you to rethink your garden's access and security, whether with motion activated lighting or even fencing.