A Queens man is very upset after trying to put his trash out for collection and ending up with a ticket.
He, and others, are getting snared in an enforcement of a law that few people even know exists.
The scrooge award goes to the New York City Sanitation Department for the $100 tickets.
Raymond Janson says he received the $100 fine for putting his garbage cans at the curb 30 minutes early.
“I can’t say how incensed I am over this,” Janson says. “Not only at the excessive amount, but the nature of the summons.”
The Failure to Store Receptacle summons from the agent stated: “I did observe three 30 gallon plastic can(s) placed out on the public sidewalk on a non-collection day.”
Janson says, “We’ve lived here 30 years and always put the garbage out Monday and Thursday for Tuesday and Friday pickup.”
It is legal to put out the trash cans the day before pick-up but the time of the day matters. City sanitation rules say the cans can be put out no earlier than 4:00 p.m. from October 1st to April 1st.
Janson’s ticket was written at 3:27 p.m.
“What, do they sit down the block waiting so they can go catch all of those criminals?” Janson asked.
He wasn’t aware of the city ordinance and was upset that he didn’t get a warning. He plans to fight his ticket.
“I know the city is looking for money but this is ridiculous,” Jansen says. “With all of the things wrong with this city, this is what we crack down on! Hard working, law abiding, tax paying citizens putting out their garbage 39 minutes early!”
Fox 5 News has learned that a number of other Queens residents have also received $100 tickets for putting out the trash too early. A state senator is investigating the actions of the Sanitation Department.
A department spokesman told Fox 5 News that the law is intended to keep trash cans from blocking the sidewalks.
Last week, an elderly Brooklyn woman was ticketed for not having a lid on her trash cans. The woman says she doesn’t even own trash cans and her nephew takes her trash from her home. She is fighting the $300 ticket.