# Oh boy these HOAs!!! - hiding trash cans



## HouseBuilder328 (Dec 9, 2014)

All the neighbors and myself have been getting hammered for keeping the garbage and recycling cans outside around the house. Now I agree, this is unsightly. So I hid the cans behind the house behind trees (no way you can see it from the street) and still got an email! The actual rule says you cannot be able to view the trash cans from the street level. I lived in old neighborhoods from a state where no one cared. 

I can barely put the trash cans in the garage due to our family hauler vehicles. Not only that, we have daily diapers that go in there and they stink up the cars!

Anyway, I'm tired of fighting these HOA people who seem to not have any other jobs or life. How do the refuse sheds (where they can hide the cans completely) work with our ridiculous HOAs that we have in the Triangle neighborhoods? I would put one on the side of the house and I have a corner lot, so obviously it would be visible. But it seems to look fairly nice and would hide the trash cans completely. I think they are tough and all-weather and could take a beating from being outside. What do you guys think if your neighbor had one of these visible outside the house from the street?

https://www.amazon.com/Suncast-BMS4...F8&qid=1473626227&sr=8-3&keywords=refuse+shed


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

I have chosen to live somewhere free of HOAs for some of the very reasons you are describing.

Before you buy anything, check with them (or, of course, move ).


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

I would not only check with them, but also insist that they give me the approval in writing. That way you have a chance of keeping it after the next board election.

I've had enough friends/family with HOA problems, that I will not live in one. If I were to move, I would instruct my agent not to show us anything in an HOA.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

You will need to consult your HOA for a complete answer. But if your HOA deeds say 'cans' not visible then you could fight them if you wanted since the 'cans' are not visible. Sometimes these people need to be brought down a notch with a good suit.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

That is a very good looking box, I would not complain if neighbors had one.

That said I live where there are not any neighbors for a few thousand yards, and we all do not complain about each others messes unless a horse dies and is left to rot, then the county gets a call, and things are cleaned up.

I too refuse to be ragged by neighbors about the way I do or do not maintain my environment.


ED


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

We ain't got no stinkin' HOA rules where I live. Sometimes I wish we did.

My next-door neighbor keeps his trash can right on the curb 7 days a week. They have 4 young kids and they generate A LOT of trash. Their trash pickup day is Friday and by Monday, their trash can is overflowing. Fortunately it isn't very windy here so most of the trash stays in front of his house. 

This isn't Beverly Hills, but it is a nice neighborhood with median to above median priced houses. (I have the ugliest, cheapest house on the block, which I am about half way done remodeling from the studs.)

The trash can on the curb 24/7 doesn't bother me personally so much as I almost never drive by their house. (The street is a cul-de-sac and I go the other direction out of the subdivision.) But my other neighbors up the street have asked him nicely a few times to put the trash can away and off the street, but nooooooooo! He says it's too much of pain in the arse to move it.

One neighbor is a retired cop and he says there are no town or county ordinances that deal with this, so apparently we're stuck.

So sometimes basic, *reasonable *commons sense HOA rules can be a good thing.
.
.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

ZZZZZ said:


> We ain't got no stinkin' HOA rules where I live.
> 
> 
> So sometimes basic, *reasonable *commons sense HOA rules can be a good thing.


Or a friend that needs/collects/accepts unclaimed garbage cans.


(Could not agree with you more ZZZZZZZ. Yes, sometimes you get a few pedantic authoritarians (untill voted out) in charge, but resonable controls seem preferable to me rather than some neighbors that don't give a darn about others.)


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> One neighbor is a retired cop and he says there are no town or county ordinances that deal with this, so apparently we're stuck.


Not sure the cop is the right source, he may not be aware of all ordinances. I'd check with the dept that is responsible for garbage pickup or contract for it.

If an ordinance doesn't exist, ask if the city council or board of supervisors if they will make one. Many cities/counties have a specified time limit of when you can place the cans out/have to bring them in. Some also prohibit them on sidewalks versus at curb.

The other similar one is regulation of those basketball backboards that some people park at curbs.

Most of these ordinances are not enforced by driving by them but by receiving a specific complaint of occurrence.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

ZZZZZ said:


> We ain't got no stinkin' HOA rules where I live. Sometimes I wish we did.
> 
> My next-door neighbor keeps his trash can right on the curb 7 days a week. They have 4 young kids and they generate A LOT of trash. Their trash pickup day is Friday and by Monday, their trash can is overflowing. Fortunately it isn't very windy here so most of the trash stays in front of his house.


Overflowing garbage cans can lead to rats / scavengers. Have you contacted your Board of Health?


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

Thanks for all the suggestions and to the OP, sorry, I wasn't trying to hijack the thread.

As I mentioned, I'm not leading this fight as I am not impacted by it as much as my other neighbors, but I'll pass on some of your suggestions.

We're out in the country. We have all kinds of critters all over the place: mice, snakes, skinks, Gordon gekkos, tarantulas, bats, raccoons, monster javalinas, deer and so on. So the extra trash isn't really what's attracting them. (Don't think I've seen or heard of any rats though.)
.
.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

Back to the OP, as others said, it doesn't matter how good the trash can enclosure looks, you have to look at the covenants to see if such an enclosure is permitted. My guess would be no. Sounds like you don't want to keep the cans in the garage because of Jr's diapers. If you can't keep them outside, double bag the diapers and hope Jr. potty trains early


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i think that can container looks just fine. in fact, i was given one. i keep my firewood in it = nice and dry.

i used to be the vis-pres in a HOA. like anything else, there are +'s and -'s to them. and there are reasonable managers and nazi managers.
but mostly, the goal is to keep things running AND looking well.
if not for them, you would have chitheads leaving the cans at the curb 24/7.


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## KarenStein (May 30, 2016)

Around here cans are not left out all week long for a simple reason.

We need to purchase them from the trash company. (Not strictly true- plenty of folks have similar cans they brought with them when they moved in from another town).

In any event ... leave your can out, and some jackalope will steal it, toss it into the back of his truck, and you get to go buy another. So, folks are pretty prompt about bringing in their cans.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

round here = call the city. they WILL take care of it.


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## jproffer (Mar 12, 2005)

HouseBuilder328 said:


> All the neighbors and myself have been getting hammered for keeping the garbage and recycling cans outside around the house. Now I agree, this is unsightly. So I hid the cans behind the house behind trees *(no way you can see it from the street)* and still got an email! *The actual rule says you cannot be able to view the trash cans from the street level.* I lived in old neighborhoods from a state where no one cared.
> 
> I can barely put the trash cans in the garage due to our family hauler vehicles. Not only that, we have daily diapers that go in there and they stink up the cars!
> 
> ...


I don't see the problem. The rule that THEY wrote says it can't be visible FROM THE STREET, yes? And you said it can't be seen from the street. SO, I wouldn't do anything more than you've done already. You are following the rule.


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

In some neighborhoods, freestanding buildings of any type are not allowed so that closure for garbage cans wouldn't be allowed. In many cases I believe that rule makes sense more than many others.

As ZZZ... said earlier, having some rules in many cases much better than not having any. As long as they aren't overly restrictive and enforcement is reasonable. They


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