The first duplex I bought years ago I had something like this happen. The "mixologist" that lived there trashed the joint before she moved out. She left a mattress that looked like someone had pissed the Olympic Rings on it, a crockpot full of rotten cabbage, and in the basement there were waste deep piles of wet clothes.

We put that crap outside, including the golden painted mattress and someone came and took all of it. I feel bad today, but we laughed at the guy that took all the wet clothes. He told us he takes it and sells it and makes $150,000 a year--and we laughed in his face. LMAO

That was a strange night.

:eek:

You should have edited the part about the olympic rings of piss.

I used to live in SF and had a problem with trash divers.

When commodities were priced high last year we would have at least 5 groups a day come through on trash day.

It would start at 5 PM when an old Chinese lady with a rolling cart would come through and dig through every blue can out. That would be followed by a few South of the Border neighbors. Some had pick up trucks outfitted with plywood extenders on the bed.

They would leave a mess of what was not valuable. Make a bunch of noise. Cause ID theft concerns and drive up the cost of my trash service.

I would have to go out and yell at them to get out of my trash at least twice a month.

The funny thing is that the people walking down the street looked at me as the bad guy in this.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=002&sc=418


A San Francisco judge has ordered a dozen of the city's most prolific recycling scavengers to stop looting bottles, cans and cardboard from curbside bins.


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The court's order, which came at the request of the city's garbage company, aims to crack down on a problem that residents say creates litter and noise and Sunset Scavenger says costs it millions of dollars a year.

The preliminary injunction is the latest effort to stop a wave of recycling theft sweeping California amid rising metal prices and falling employment. Violators would face maximum fines of $1,000 and up to 6 months in jail for each violation.

Sunset Scavenger, San Francisco's official waste hauler, went to court after receiving thousands of complaints from consumers who said organized crews of recycling "poachers" were becoming hostile and dangerous.

The company, a division of giant Norcal Waste Systems Inc., investigated the crews and handed over the details to the San Francisco Police Department - paying overtime for the agency to conduct its own investigation.

"It's an affront to the community. I've seen stacks of complaints by residents whose neighborhoods are ravaged by these guys coming through," said Russ Giuntini, chief assistant district attorney for San Francisco.

Typically, organized recycling theft works like this:

Small groups converge on a neighborhood on the night before regular weekly trash and recycling pickups. Runners go from bin to bin, gathering glass bottles, plastic and aluminum, which are thrown into a pickup truck - often rickety and modified with tall, wooden boards to carry bigger loads.

When the truck is filled, the drivers take the cargo to a recycling center or scrap yard.

Depending on the prices offered for the material, the crews can net hundreds to thousands of dollars on each load.

The garbage company says those figures add up quickly - totaling $2 million to $5 million a year. Ratepayers ultimately pick up the tab through higher trash bills, said Robert Reed, spokesman for Sunset Scavenger.

"When poachers steal these materials, they're reaching into the wallets of our customers," Reed said.

Although the recycled goods can bring in needed cash amid a faltering economy, a shortage of jobs and the soaring costs of food, gas and rent, recycling theft is illegal under state law and San Francisco health codes.

As soon as customers put their beer bottles and soda cans in the recycling bin of the city-authorized firm and take it to the curb, the recyclables become the waste company's property.

The injunction, handed down last week by Superior Court Judge Charlotte Walter Woolard, adds another enforcement tool to the mix, prosecutors say.

"It has a great deterrent effect and should make (recycling theft) much easier to prosecute," Giuntini said.

Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill sponsored by San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma aimed at curbing recycling theft. The measure requires scrap dealers and recycling centers to ask for identification, such as a driver's license, from anyone who brings in more than $50 worth of newspapers or $100 worth of bottles and cans.

Sacramento and New York City recently passed similar measures designed to thwart recycling raiders.

Unfortunately, this is true.

I have people rummage through my trash every week. In Los Angeles, we have three trash containers where I live: One for "trash", one for recyclables and one for lawn and forestry.

Before trash day each week, my "trash" bags have been displaced and completely rummaged and my recyclables are gone.

It makes me far more sad than angry, but I always shred anything that could possibly contain personal info (bank and credit card invites, etc.).

I have a shredder, too, but I just don't trust people not to tape stuff back together.

I've put a basketball hoop out front and no one ever took it. Go figure.

You need an atomizer. :D

I've actually burned some stuff on my barbe.

Hmmm.

That's a LOT of work. As long as you check your balances monthly for any unwanted charges, you should be fine.

90 days is the limit on schnitzengruben.

I have bank statements and pay stubs going back for years. I just keep the shit in boxes in the basement.

Why do they have to put SSNs on pay stubs? No wonder identity theft is so rampant.

No shit.

Not to be "Dad" or anything, but I'd highly suggest a fire-proof safe with a combination like those sold at Costco. I think it cost like $400 and has insurance but it could save your ass someday. It's a worthwhile investment.

I'd rather just get rid of the shit at a secure facility of some kind.

Not at all relevant, but this reminded me of an episode of Trailer Park Boys (only the greatest TV show ever):

Tax deduxtions don't help the poor. I found that out this year. Since the divorce I don't make enough and I don't own anymore. So my personal deduction is more than anything I can deduct.
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Shred documents along with old newspaper, divide into 3-4 bags, and deliver to the dump yourself.

Also, I believe, they make double shredders.