Friday 30 March 2012

Will barb wire keep away the dumpster divers?

This is our garbage and recycling area, which is in a corner of our parking lot.

Our condo corporation is charged for the removal of our garbage which impacts our maintenance fees ... the more garbage bins we use, the more we are charged. Our condo corporation encourages our residents to recycle. Not just for the environment but because the City collects our recyclables for free. The more we recycle, the less we throw in the garbage so the less we we pay.

We've had two problems. One was non-residents dropping their garbage off in our bins, thus having us incur the extra cost of the extra garbage. Also, dumpster divers come in digging through our bins and making a mess. A couple years we put a fence around the area. You could only get in through the gate (which has a passcode) ...

Or the gates, which are only opened when the trucks come to clean out the bins twice a week.

The dumpster divers were still getting in by climbing over the fence or under the gates ... still making a mess.

Last week the gates were extended up and barbed wire was added. We had talked about doing this when I was on the Condo Board and our then property manager said we couldn't put up barbed wire because it was a liability issue ... if dumpster divers get hurt climbing over, the Corporation would be liable. I guess the current property manager doesn't feel it's an issue.

And no climbing under the gate either!

It should be interesting to see how effective this is ... I hope it is. It's creepy dropping off garbage and recyclables when there is a guy in a bin.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow! with some patrolling German Shepherds, strobe lights and sirens, it could be a concentration camp movie set! Sure hope it works for you.
Rosemary

Suburban Princess said...

WOW! Your condo board didn't think about negotiating a better rate?

It chaps my a$$ to know that if someone hops my fence, trespasses, gets in my pool and drowns...it's my fault! I don't get the logic - if someone is stupid enough to climb the fence and barbed wire, they get what they deserve.

Adaptable Kay said...

Oh man, that's scare the bejezzus outta me if I went to drop of my garbage and someone just popped up and said 'Hi' o.O

I honestly think it shouldn't be a liability for you guys-I mean these people are CHOOSING to try to go over the fence and risk it.

Hopefully it works out for you guys!

Fizzgig said...

wow, im all for driving around the ritzy neighborhoods and taking peoples trash to treasures on the curb, but i really can't imagine immersing oneself into a dumpster....what good could really come of that?