A neighbor dumping trash in your yard can be really frustrating, especially if it’s leading to damaged property or other serious issues. Dumping trash wherever it is not permitted, including your property, is illegal. Depending on the circumstances, your neighbor may not be aware they are throwing trash onto your property. In this article, we’ll discuss some tips on how to handle a neighbor throwing trash into your yard.
What to Do if Your Neighbor Throws Trash in Your Yard
Depending on how much trash is being thrown in your yard, it could be considered littering or illegal dumping. Both are considered illegal and multiple offenses can result in some pretty heavy fines for the culprit. Let’s take a look at what you should do if your neighbor throws trash in your yard.
1. Figure Out Who is Dumping Trash in Your Yard
Wrongfully accusing someone of dumping trash into your yard can cause issues between you and your neighbor if they actually aren’t the ones dumping the trash. The first step you should take when someone is dumping trash in your yard is to find out who exactly is doing it. You can do this by keeping an eye on your neighbors and anyone who comes around your property.
Your neighbor could be the culprit, but other individuals in the area might be traveling to your yard to dump their trash or litter. Unless you witness your neighbor throwing trash in your yard, it is best to try and catch the person disposing of the trash first before you take further action.
2. Set Up Security Cameras Around Your Property
If you’re unable to spot who’s dumping trash into your yard, setting up security cameras can help you find the culprit. Not only will this help you figure out who is dumping the trash, but it could also deter the person from doing so if they see they are being caught on camera. Having security footage is also good evidence if the situation escalates and you need to get law enforcement involved.
3. Put Up “No Dumping” Signs
Placing “No dumping” signs around your yard will warn whoever is throwing trash on your property that they will face consequences if they continue. This method is less confrontational and may resolve the problem as it will make the person dumping aware that you will take action if the dumping continues.
4. Enclose Your Property
Enclosing your property with a fence can prevent people from coming into your yard to litter or dump trash. This process will take some time and can be pricey depending on how big your yard is. Fences are a great way to outline the perimeter of your property to prevent trespassing. Adding no trespassing signs to your fence may also help deter people from coming into your yard.
5. Talk to Your Neighbor
Before getting law enforcement involved, the easiest step to stop your neighbor from throwing trash in your yard is to talk to them. This can be a difficult conversation depending on the relationship you have with your neighbor. However, discussing the issue with your neighbor may be the easiest way you can solve this problem.
It is best to approach your neighbor with an open mind. If the neighbor is unaware of the proper property lines, they may think they are dumping the trash in their own yard and it could just be a misunderstanding. If speaking with your neighbor doesn’t work, it may be time to get local authorities involved.
6. Contact Local Law Enforcement
Sometimes the above measures won’t deter someone from throwing trash in your yard. If this is the case, you will have to get law enforcement involved. Be sure to call the non-emergency local law enforcement number and report that someone is illegally throwing trash in your yard.
This step may take some time before the situation is fully resolved. If you do not have evidence of the person throwing trash in your yard, police will have to investigate the issue.
Putting in a police report on the matter will also help law enforcement keep a record of the incident if it continues. Depending on the circumstances, the person littering or dumping may be fined and multiple offenses could lead to larger fines.
7. Contact Your Health Department
Each state has different laws and procedures in place for illegal dumping. How much trash or litter thrown into your yard will determine how the person will be fined. If you do not want to contact the police, you can also reach out to the health department. You can look up the correct number to call for the health department on your city or county government website.
What Legal Action Is Taken for Illegal Dumping or Littering?
Littering and illegal dumping are two different things. Littering involves only small amounts of trash, while dumping involves a larger amount of trash. Legal actions for littering are fairly mild and may often start off with a warning or small fine up to $500 depending on your location.
Illegal dumping, however, will result in a much larger fine up to $50,000 depending on location and how much trash was dumped. If someone is illegally dumping onto your property and they have been reported to local authorities several times, they may end up spending some time in jail after multiple offenses.
