Resident reports neighbor to HOA after neighbor keeps taking their trash cans, claiming they are communal neighborhood property: ‘They're MY trash cans with MY address on them’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Mar 4, 2026 4:00 PM EST

Who would have thought that people could get so possessive over trash cans?

The older you get, the more you realize how precious your belongings are to you. You grow up, you accumulate things, and they become irreplaceable. That is why the older we get, the more space we need; It starts with a bedroom, continues to a studio apartment, and if you're lucky, down the road, a full-blown house with enough bedrooms and closet space to safekeep everything you hold dear in your heart.

So where do trash cans go into this mix?

Well, once you reach the final level of owning a nice house in a nice neighborhood, you also become the proud owner of your own trash cans, which apparently are just as precious to some people as their childhood stuffed toy. In some neighborhoods, especially those with an HOA, each resident is responsible for their own trash cans. This means they have to ensure the cans stay presentable, that they are always in the right place at the right time, especially when trash pick up is nearing. Every slight misstep regarding these rules can lead to a fine, and a very stern disipline hearding from the HOA, and no one wishes to experience that.

This leads people to guard their trash cans like their lives depend on it.

When the neighbor below decided to claim a resident's trash can as his own, it immediately led to a confrontation. While the neighbor claimed the cans are communal property, the resident knew that they are the only ones responsible for these specific trash cans, which even had their address painted on them. This led the resident to report the neighbor's behavior to the HOA, to ensure they put a stop to the neighbor's unneighborly behavior.

Unfortunately, even though the HOA got involved in this dispute, it did not end there. The neighbor continues to play tag with the trash can and ignores each and every one of the neighborhood rules. What can put a stop to him? Keep scrolling to read the full story…

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  • Neighborhood trash cans
    via Christian Schröter

    Neighborhood trash cans.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Neighbor keeps stealing my trash cans and says they're "communal property"

    I have trash cans with my address painted on them. Every week after trash day they disappear and end up at my neighbor's house three doors down.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • First few times I just walked over and got them back. Now it's happened 8 times and I'm tired of it.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • Last week I confronted him. He said the trash cans are "communal neighborhood property" and whoever grabs them first after trash pickup can use them.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • I said no they're MY trash cans with MY address on them! He said addresses don't matter and I'm being possessive over trash cans.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • I chained them to my fence. He complained to the HOA that I'm "hoarding community resources." The HOA told him trash cans aren't communal.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • So he bought the exact same cans and painted MY address on his! Now there's two sets with my address and he's using one set!
    via No_Assistance8840
  • When I confronted him about this he said "See? Problem solved! We both have cans with your address now!" That's not solving anything!!
    via No_Assistance8840
  • I reported him for harassment and he reported ME for the same thing. I put an AirTag in my trash can to track when he takes it.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • He found it and threw it away saying I'm surveilling him. This is absolutely insane. It's TRASH CANS.
    via No_Assistance8840
  • Garbage truck picking up trash bins on suburban street side
    via Bilanol

    Garbage truck picking up trash bins on suburban street side.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • OutrageousPair2300 I don't know how it is where you are, but I have to pay the trash service for the cans I use. They even offer different sizes and the larger ones cost more. Is the HOA paying that bill, and so your neighbor perhaps doesn't realize these are paid for? And that using your address on cans he purchased himself may actually be illegal (because he is now defrauding the trash collection service?)
    via OutrageousPair2300
  • No_Assistance8840 Original Poster's Reply Yea we absolutely pay for our cans through the service, different sizes and everything. Painting my address on his feels shady and possible fraudulent honestly..
    via No_Assistance8840
  • SaneForCocoaPuffs >So he bought the exact same cans and painted MY address on his! This isn't about trash cans. Your neighbor has some kind of obsession with you. Start a paper trail and try to get a restraining order, this could just be the start of some stalking thing. EDIT: Also, you need to stop engaging with him. You are feeding his belief that you two have some sort of connection every time you go there. He isn't a healthy rational human and you have no idea how he will react when you meet
    via SaneForCocoaPuffs
  • No_Assistance8840 Original Poster's Reply Right?? It wast never about the cans.. the whole thing fees weirdly personal at this point.. i am going to stop engaging directly and just document everything
    via No_Assistance8840
  • stormtreader1 Do you have to pay for replacements? What he wants is that if his go missing, he can take yours, claim they were his, and make you pay for the replacements
    via stormtreader1
  • No_Assistance8840 Original Poster's Reply That's exactly what Im worried about sir. If his go missing, he can just grabmine and pretend they we're always his..
    via No_Assistance8840
  • Complex Spirit_4848 "So he bought the exact same cans and painted MY address on his!" Call your waste management company and make sure you aren't getting charged for the extra cans. Where I live, you get charged based on how many cans you put out.
    via Complex Spirit_4848
  • Boring_Ad1981 Better yet, take his and hide yours. "These are mine they have my address on them."
    via Boring_Ad1981
  • lechitahamandcheese He's not paying his trash bill, using yours instead. Call the refuse company.
    via lechitahamandcheese
  • SnooChickens9974 I would have just called the police and accused them of repeated theft.
    via SnooChickens9974
  • distributingthefutur My city has penalties for removing trash cans from the assigned address.
    via distributingthefutur
  • OddSocks Why can't people be normal
    via OddS0cks
  • Total-Active-1986 Why go through all the trouble of buying trash cans and marking them, but NOT put his own address on his new trash cans?!? He's either working some sort of angle or he's next level petty. Do you live in a city that will fine you for not properly disposing of certain items? Is he trying to ride in your sanitation bill, if you have individual accounts
    via Total-Active-1986

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Tags

hoa neighbors trash house neighborhood neighborhood-drama neighborhood-stories petty entitled trash can entitled people
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