Neighbours garden full of dog muck

Naf

Our neighbours almost never cleans up after their dog. Looking out of our window this morning I can count more than 40 separate "deposits" in their garden. In the summer it has been known to smell, and when it rains both our gardens get flooded, so some is bound to wash through the rubbish fence too.

I would try and talk to them, but they have never answered the door in the past. I've been round to ask about hedge cutting, the fence, parcels, parking... I know they're in, but there's never been a response,

So who could help? I think it might be a council house, but I'm not sure. Can environmental health do anything?

sevenhills

Naf wrote: »

So who could help? I think it might be a council house, but I'm not sure. Can environmental health do anything?

If it is a council house ...

You must obtain permission from Housing Services before you can keep a pet, pets or other animals in your home, garden or any shared areas.

Permission can be withdrawn if your pet, pets or animals are causing a nuisance or compromise health and safety for your or others.

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s101773/Annex%20D%20-%20City%20of%20York%20Council%20Housing%20Services%20Pet%20Policy.pdf

discat11

You could try putting a letter through the door - unlikely to be any use from your communication attempts so far, but at least it proves you've tried everything that could be considered 'reasonable'.

Obviously if they are keeping an animal without the LL's permission (if it is let) then this may well have the desired effect.

After that, get the fence fixed or build your own alongside the crap one.

Environmental health -I'm not sure, you'd have to make someone listen to you from the council and have a reasonable claim it affects someones health.

rach_k

As well as the council, you could try speaking to the RSPCA. I'm not a fan of theirs in general but they seem to consider poo-filled gardens an animal welfare issue, at least when they have cameras on them!

Bigphil1474

OP, depending on who your council is, it will either be the Environmental Health Service, or possibly anti-social behaviour teams, for private rented properties. If the tenants are council tenants, the Housing Office should have some sort of tenant liaison officer. If it's a housing association the same would apply.


It is a nuisance issue and can be dealt with by the local authority as a matter of public health. If their approach is the same as where I work, they will attempt to work with the occupants first to improve the situation, with the ultimate sanction being court/eviction. Your best hope is that it is a council house, as the council as a landlord is more likely to resolve it than as an enforcement function in a private rented property. If it's not social housing, see if your council has an anti-social behaviour team - at my local authority they tend to ride rough shod over the law and just do what they want on an 'outcome based approach' lol - but they do get results. They'll have the tenants and the dog running for the hills in no time.

kirkofski

At our old house the neighbours back lawn was exactly the same. I remember seeing their young kid out playing football in his white socks amongst it all. It wasn't the only issue we had with them and we eventually moved somewhere nicer.