What Can I Do About This 78 Year-Old Neighbor?

Be watching for him and when he comes back from the store and throws his discards into your yard come rushing out of the house and ask him politely if he would pick up his discard and take it home with him, being he lives right across the street, would his effort be too strenuous for him physically?

Explain to him, that he doing this forces you to have to do extra effort to clean your yard up. Why doesn't he throw the discards in his front yard? If he doesn't seem to get your message put a little open trash can out in your front yard. Have a video camera ready and waiting. When he comes back from the store and dumps his discard on your yard instead of the trash can have the video camera rolling and try to catch him in his arrogant, intolerable act. By the way it would be advisable to put two signs that say "Dump trash here Mr. Doe "(What ever his name is.) on the trash can. One facing the road and one facing your camera. If he continues to throw his can in your yard and not the trash can video it. Try to get several incidents of this. Once you have these call the police and show them your videos and tell them that he is interferring with your right to peaceable enjoyment of your property. Get videos of him throwing his discards in your yard without the trash can first. Then you have evidence of the original compliant. Use the trash can after this in order to get him to try to have compassion, respect, and courtesy of you and your family. The signs 1.) direct him to the trash can 2.) by putting his name on it lets the neighborhood know who is doing it. Of course if for example he goes right on with his habit, you have the evidence needed to squawk and you also show the community that you were willing to meet him more than half way. After awhile of doing this pull the trash can from the front yard and use it in the garage. Should he start up again you may want to consider putting the trash can in the front yard again and start collecting his discards if he continues.Collect several plastic garbage bags full of his trash. When you have this, wait until he goes to the store for another bottle of chocolate milk. Then take the trash bags out of where you were storing them and take them over to his front yard, put one good size slash in each and with a sweeping motion scatter his trash all over his front yard. Have the video camera on as he approaches his scene of his crimes. Get a video of his reaction when he sees his yard. He will probably be really heated up and may call the law on you. You know what to do. Another thought, you may want to send your video to one of those Amateur T.V. Video shows. You may even win some money out of it. (You Mercenary!) Best Wishes - GDH

Hmm. First you make an issue of his age, and then you assert (rightly) that littering laws are applicable to everyone regardless of age. So perhaps what you're looking for is validation for your desire to call the police on one of your older neighbors who you think is eccentric and strange? It seems you're leaning in that direction. If you feel that strongly about it, then just do it.

The answering officer will likely question you fairly extensively, and if you press the issue hard enough, he/she will probably go to the neighbor and talk with him. It's unlikely that he'll be issued a citation immediately. So you'll have to keep calling, because he'll likely do it again. At some point, yes, a citation could be issued. Then the old man gets to either pay a fine (which could be difficult to manage on a fixed income) or appear in court -- and if the latter occurs, you may have to show up too, unless a police officer happens to actually observe him littering.

Seems like an awful lot of energy to expend on the issue, but if your tolerance level for minor irritations is low, you are certainly free to pursue it -- with or without validation from anyone else.

Or you could continue to pick up the bottles and cans right along with whatever else you normally pick up in your yard that the wind blows in, tell yourself that it's just one of those things, and have a lot more peace of mind.

Really, it's just a matter of how important it is to you. And you're the only one who can answer that.

You said you've spoken with him, were you specific about the problem? How did he respond? It seems to me if you have done all that, you should tell him the litter is becoming a big annoyance for you and you are going to speak with the police and code enforcement if it doesn't stop now! Then, follow through.

I think it would be more politic for you to place a recycling bin on your front lawn--and ask him to use that instead of littering. It doesn't matter who this man is or used to be--he doesn't have the right to deface your property. But equally, you don't have the right to make a huge deal over such a small problem! (If he was breaking glass and causing a hazard it would be another thing.) You have a problem with him--confront him personally in a calm manner. Don't involve the police when it is not a police matter!

Well I see you are or maybe a bit reluctant to speak to the elder man. That's ok, but you really should try. You know it never hurts being friendly with your neighbors. Maybe that's what he wants. Or perhaps you could speak to one of your other neighbors about this problem. When communication fails, you can call the police. However, be aware that just might backfire. It is good you are recycling the cans, in many places you can also recycle the glass and plastic.

You say you've talked to him but you didn't say what his response was. Have you confronted him directly about his littering? If he has refused to answer or continues to litter on your property in spite of your feelings, you have every right to involve the authorities. I have to say he must have some kind of mental disorder to act out this way, and perhaps some intervention by the police will motivate him to get some help in some way.

What Can I Do About This 78 Year-Old Neighbor?

Does he have family you could talk to? Is there a medical issue? Is he becoming senile? He might be reaching out for help and this is his way of doing that.

Have you spoken with him yourself? Sometimes old people act like little kids. It may be that some attention, even for something negative, is what he wants. Go talk to him. If he's a jerk... at least you tried. Don't forget that at his age he may be getting a bit senile.

You reelin interior the years there Edna? ,that's probably your super Granddaughter, and yeah enable love go that's distance, the race will quickly be over and you hold supervising, shop that zing on your existence. lol

His little gesture is personal and territorial. Call the police and let them speak to him.

This could escalate in to something big if you don't nip it in the bud right now.