Homeowner seeks advice after mystery dumper repeatedly targets their property: 'We can't just leave it there'

A homeowner is facing a frustrating problem of someone routinely leaving trash on their corner, pushing them to seek advice from the internet.

The Brooklyn-based resident posted in the subreddit dedicated to the New York City borough, asking, "Somebody keeps dumping garbage on our corner. What can we do?"

They said it happens about once a week, usually during the night, but they have no idea who it is. 

"Usually, we just bring it in and put it with our trash to be taken on trash collection day. We can't just leave it there on the corner as it will attract both tickets and wildlife," they wrote, adding, "Does anyone have any ideas on how to stop this from happening?"

Redditors had plenty of advice for the frustrated OP, like adding warning signs or cameras, but others had stronger recommendations. 

"Hang a sign on that post that bluffs you have Ring camera footage of the person dumping it and this is the final warning before you share it with NYPD. The threat will likely scare them off to another corner," one person offered.

One person wrote that they should not bring the trash in at all and instead call 911 to catch the culprits. 

"You don't know what they are throwing away. Dumping trash is shady AF, It could be evidence for a crime like body parts or meth lab components," they warned. 

Another suggested calling 311 instead to contact sanitation services, saying they "will in fact investigate and do a sting operation to observe." According to the New York City Department of Sanitation, illegal dumping can cost you up to $18,000 in fines and the possible seizure of your vehicle if you used it to do the dumping. 

New York has had an ongoing trash problem, according to a report by The New York Times, with 800,000 residential buildings producing about 24 million pounds of waste a day and commercial businesses producing another 20 million pounds daily, with infrastructure issues making effective collection and containment an issue. It also, the outlet suggested, contributes to the city's rat problem. 

Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely 🙁 Not sure 🤷 No way 🏘️ Only in some cities 🏙️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Even with those problems in mind, dumping trash bags on the corner doesn't help the problem any and leads to headaches for the homeowner. Neighbors can cause similar issues, like filling up recycling bins that aren't theirs, making them unusable and cutting down on effective recycling solutions.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.