South Bend resident may pay for trash dumped in yard

SOUTH BEND — Behind Barbara Brown’s tidy backyard is a giant pile of trash, left behind by strangers apparently too lazy to go to the dump. The debris includes a full-size sofa, ceiling tiles, window blinds, countertop pieces, and cardboard tubing. The items were dumped near Brown’s back alley. But Brown’s not just angry at those who dumped the trash. She’s also mad that the city of South Bend might charge her to have the heap taken away. “Why should I have to pay for this?” she said. “It’s not fair.” Brown and her husband, who live on east Victoria Street, discovered the pile Saturday afternoon. Brown called South Bend Department of Code Enforcement Monday morning, assuming the department would send someone out to take the pile away. Instead, code enforcement told her to call the city’s Department of Solid Waste, which said it will pick up the debris next week — but not necessarily for free. Solid Waste provides one free large item pickup per month. Anything beyond that is charged per cubic yard, meaning Brown could have to pay for the ceiling tiles, cardboard tubing, countertop pieces and everything else. "The city tries to assist the community as best it can.... But as a whole, if someone dumps something on your property, it becomes your responsibility," said Catherine Toppel, code enforcement director. Code enforcement has neither the manpower nor time to pick up every piece of trash illegally dumped on people's property, Toppel said. With just eight inspectors, the department is kept plenty busy citing various code violations around the city, Toppel said. Of course there are some exceptions, Toppel said. If the debris is in an alley and blocking traffic, code enforcement would act quickly to pick it up, Toppel said. Or, she recalled an elderly woman who could not drive up her driveway because someone had dumped a mattress in the middle of it. “In that case, I would authorize a code enforcement inspector to go out there and get it for her,” Toppel said. But on the whole, complainants are advised to call Solid Waste for a pickup, even if it will cost them money, Toppel said. She said people should call Solid Waste as well as South Bend police if someone dumps trash on their property. Meanwhile, Brown is hoping Solid Waste doesn’t charge her. If the cost becomes “outrageous” she plans to raise the issue with the city, she said. Staff writer Mary Kate Malone: mmalone@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6337