Topic: Share your worst compactor trash stories

I have a resident that sends me scathing emails if residents are putting bagged trash bags/furniture outside the compactor area regards of all the signage and notifications that we have sent out so she is justified in her complaints.
I know that this is an on-going problem at almost all communities and am asking to have a meeting in person with this resident to discuss in a civilized manner. I would love for you to share with me your worst compactor trash pictures and any suggestions outside of having "24 hour trash police" on how you resolved this problem.

I’ve heard of companies that will try to identify who the trash belongs to (yes, this requires going through it to try to find anything with their name on it) and will fine the resident.

Could you put a camera there? Easier way to see who the offenders are & if they know they will be caught on camera, could deter as well.

We do that, my boss and maint guys are not afraid to go through a garbage bag haphazardly tossed next to a dumpster to identify the tenant too lazy to get the garbage actually into the dumpster. It's a $25 maint charge to them. We also use video in other buildings to identify. when they see themselves on video just throwing stuff that clearly doesn't make it in OR leaving large furniture at the dumpster, boom. Can't deny your face on video. It kills me when they are too lazy to actually open up the cover of a second dumpster so i have one just overflowing and mountainous and the other empty. COMMON SENSE...does not exist.

Looking into this but compactor doesn't have a good power source outside to have camera

We have one PT maint who cleans our laundry, and around dumpsters.. She goes through trash and photographs evidence and we send out letters (1st as a warning, 2nd with a fine and 3rd with a no resolution option + fine)

You need to fine and I would put up a camera also they are cheap now

I feel until you fine the people leaving trash, it doesnt stop. We go thru the trash and install cameras.

I've slapped on the rubber gloves to dig through until I find something with their name/address, then give them a lease violation. Let those pile up a bit, then you can decide to evict, or raise the heck out of their rent.

We will bring the bags in the office, go through them to find a piece of mail then we send a letter under that residents door stating we have a package in the office for them, we give them their bag of trash along with a copy of their ledger where we charged a 25 dollar fee so this does not happen a lot anymore

The struggle is real EVERYDAY! We dig through each bag and I get addresses, take pics and fine $25 per bag. Now they make sure no mail

Battery operated game camera: $20-40 in the Walmart sporting goods section. This is how I busted people not picking up after their dogs.

Regarding installing cameras, are you sure you need power?

I had a friend who used to work security at a large retailer. Sometimes he suspected an employee was stealing but he had no evidence. So he would call the employee into his office and they would sit down at a table and on the table was a stack of VCR tapes (this was a while ago). The tapes were either empty or might be from cameras in a different part of the store. My friend would look the employee in the eye, tap the stack of tapes and say, "This will go a whole lot better if you tell me what you have been doing than if I have to tell you what you have been doing." Oftentimes the employee would confess. If they didn't confess they stopped coming to work. Either way, no more theft.

So . . . what about getting a non-working (or very cheap, working) security camera and have it installed so that it points to the trash area? Install a dummy outlet as well, or some type of junction box so that it at least appears the camera has power.

Then send out a notice that cameras have been installed near the trash area (which is true - the notice just won't say that they have no power).

Working cameras provide incentive for residents to put the trash where it belongs, and then provide evidence if they do not comply. But the primary goal is the incentive (and putting an end to the scathing emails). A non-working camera may help you get that.