City sues man for canceling trash service – Examiner.com — In some cities like Berkeley you get fined for not doing enough recycling. So this guy takes it to the max and gets sued by the dipshits in San Mateo County.
A man who claims to have reduced his waste to nearly nothing out of concern for the environment now faces a lawsuit from San Carlos for canceling his garbage-collection service.
Eddie House, 53, says he was shocked when he was served with a lawsuit Sunday at his Cedar Street home.
The lawsuit, filed by San Carlos Deputy City Attorney Linda Noeske in San Mateo Superior Court on Jan. 22, seeks a permanent injunction forcing House to maintain garbage service. City officials are also seeking to recoup from House the costs of the lawsuit.
found by Aric Mackey
You’ve got to love California.
Why not put in the last few lines of the article? They require all properties to contract for at least a once a week pickup with a particular company. So all he has to do is move into an apartment complex. Given the number of places that make recycling mandatory, this should also be valid.
Apparently he was burning his trash in his fireplace. He did this even in the summer. It is more of a nuisance issue.
I tend to fill about two garbage bags a month. My garbage is mostly packaging, food scraps, and mail.
I don’t recycle because I return pop bottles and cans for a deposit in my state, I don’t take the newspaper because it is biased, and I hoard my magazines.
JCD,
Uh… you know this article is 363 days old, right?
In fact, I bet its somewhere on your blog from last year.
@Named
John is just recycling.
In every other state in the country, if a truck loses speed climbing a hill, it is either required or recommended that the driver turn on the Hazard Lights to warn other motorists of the dangerous speed difference.
In California, they don’t call them Hazard Lights, they call them Emergency Flashers, and if you don’t have an emergency, you are subject to a ridiculous fine.
Of course, the statewide speed limits themselves (70 for cars and 55 for trucks) are California’s way of thumbing their collective noses at the laws of physics.
I assume it’s because the folks who are running that state now were druggies in the sixties and their brains are addled.
Recycling is economically unviable due to the influence of the economic crisis. There are mountains of plastic, glass, waiting to be sold. Two of my local recycling collections have gone out of business in recent weeks. I have a feeling that this poor fellow’s situation is going to solve itself.
The only thing better than being forced by your local government to pay for a service you don’t need is to have that service provided by a government granted monopoly.
If we don’t get some rain quick! north of San Francisco, we’re going to have to limit our ‘flushes’ to one a day…
OK, will I get fined if I just go out back and use the Bus Stop?
Maybe I’ll just put it in the ‘recycling bin’ to be made into alternative energy!!!
right?
Can I have my bail out now, please?
Nice troll. If I pay property tax which largely goes to support schools but I don’t have any kiddies, should I get a rebate?
If my house is hooked up to the sewer but I only go at work and use a composting toilet at home, should I get a rebate?
If there is an assessment to build a levee system should I be exempted because I put my house above a first floor garage?
Its called a “system” and it doesn’t work if every tom and harry dick get to modify the billing and the compliance check programs with their unique druthers.
Get off the crack pipe.
Read the article at the link and then read the comments below it. There are some weird things going on in this city.
#6 I drive a truck and you cannot be more right about California. Regarding 4-way flashers, I only know of Virginia sharing CA attitude towards their use at slow speeds. In fact, many states have roadsigns asking drivers to use 4-way flashers when operating below the posted minimum.
California also has their own way they want flatbeds to haul coils of steel. The other 49 recognize a different method and the driver cannot change how the steel coil is loaded at the state line.
There are any number of CA laws similar to this and the vast majority of the fines begin at $500.
# 10 bobbo said, “Nice troll.”
Yes, you did well.
This isn’t about taxes. This is about forcing a private citizen to contract with private company to pay for services, from that company, that he’s not using.
So, it is fine for you if the gov’t forces you to pay the oil companies for gasoline you don’t use?
Got it.
Well, the guys an idiot. He complained about the apartment complex next door having bad smells and lemme guess who complained about him having bad smells. I’m sure if he looked hard enough he’d find some government handout that would offset his garbage cost because he’s avid at recycling.
Again, he was burning his trash in the fireplace of his home. It was a public nuisance.
# 14 Benjamin said, “Again, he was burning his trash in the fireplace of his home. It was a public nuisance.”
Tree branches or paper. What’s the difference?
#14, Benji,
he was burning his trash in the fireplace
Apparently he wasn’t. The problem is he uses a catalytic converter on his fireplace. That recycles the unburnt gases in the unit to get more heat from the fuel. His fireplace can’t burn trash. His chimney is right below some of the apartments. The smoke from his chimney is obviously disturbing the renters. His fireplace can’t burn trash
#16 – Mr Fusion
Where does it say anything about catalytic converters or his fireplace not being able to burn trash?
The article says:
“Moura said House’s lack of garbage service was brought to the attention of city officials after neighbors complained that House was causing foul smells by burning his garbage.
House acknowledges that the fire department was called to his house several times, but says that each time he was simply burning firewood.
Not sure what kind of trees they grow around HIS house, but I’ve never mistaken the smell of burning firewood for garbage.
#10, Bobbo,
A very good point and normally I would agree with you. That is the Libertarian excuse why they shouldn’t pay taxes.
In this case though, it is not a tax levied by the municipality. It is a private company that has a contract that they can collect from every house, even if the home wants to or not. If there was a municipal law that hired this company to pick up waste then it wouldn’t be a problem. It isn’t though.
The difference is if the homeowner doesn’t like the service they can complain to the city, their city councilman, or change haulers. It appears he doesn’t have those options.
#17, Mustard,
Earlier I researched this trying to find out what had happened to the case. I came across a CBC Radio interview where he explained his fireplace used a catalytic converter and couldn’t burn garbage.
CBC Radio: As It Happens
It starts around 1:30 and the catalytic converter is around 3:00.
http://tinyurl.com/canrpn
#19 – Fusion
OK, but that link
http://tinyurl.com/canrpn
does not work….
#20, Mustard.
Don’t ya jes hate it when that happens.
Try this one,
http://cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20080130.shtml
It is Part Two and starts about 1:30 minutes in.
I hate cops. I hate cops. I hate cops. I hate cops. I hate government “officials”. I hate “government officials”. FUCK THEM ALL. But that’s ok. I really love cops. And I love fucking government administrators, really I do.
#22, dingbat
Get a life.
What if all the junk mail and newspapers converted to ePaper? And people bought their food in bulk, and brought their own bags and containers for it? You’d pretty much kill the trash business. Once a month pick ups wouldn’t be enough to keep anyone but illegal immigrants employed. Are our local governments so afraid that communities might start taking care of themselves, without needing these expensive services, the gov.s resort to suing the pioneers?
What would happen if all the crime ceased? Would the gov. sue communities for not resorting to some violent acts, now and then?
Sometimes I think that gov. doesn’t want to educate the kids about drug abuse early on, because it would kill such a cushy job they have busting their heads later.
The guy can’t have 100% zero trash at all times.
#25, Alix,
He explains in this radio interview how he does it.
http://cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20080130.shtml
It is Part Two and starts about 1:30 minutes in.
#26 – Fusion
>>Don’t ya jes hate it when that happens.
Huh. Right you are. EPA-approved stove, catalytic converter, can’t burn garbage.