Q . What are the laws about someone putting their garbage into your Dumpster or trash can? At the apartment building I live in, neighbors from surrounding houses are always putting their trash in our Dumpster.
A. In Grand Forks, putting trash into a Dumpster or trash can that is billed to another property is essentially a theft of services because it takes up space in that paying customer’s trash can, according to Sharyl Simeone, city spokeswoman.
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The fee for that violation is up to $500, she said.
If anyone living in Grand Forks has extra trash, Simeone said he or she is encouraged to call the city at 311 or the sanitation department at (701) 738-8740 to arrange a special collection at a minimum fee of $15.
In East Grand Forks, it is also illegal to put trash into someone else’s Dumpster or trash can.
The maximum penalty for that violation is a $700 fee or 90 days in jail, said Erika Azure, administrative assistant for the Public Works Department.
Q . Can residents discharge sump pumps on public sidewalks?
A. Since the sidewalk area is part of the public right of way, not part of private property, all runoff and sump pump discharge must be kept on the homeowner’s property, according to Simeone.
All runoff should be kept on the property in which it comes from, including sump pump discharge, water from eave troughs or just general melting, Simeone said. This means properties must be correctly graded as not to drain to a neighboring property, she said.
But, with permission, the city does allow a sump pump hose to discharge underground and then through the curb, Simeone said.
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“It is very important to remember that all sump pump discharge must not be piped or allowed to discharge into the home’s sanitary sewer in the home,” she said.
For additional questions on this subject, contact the city Inspections Office at (701) 746-2631 .
