[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Futurevillager2013

It happened to us and I called community watch services and was told that once you put something on the curb it is public property and they can't do anything about it.
I know longer put my garbage out at night we put it out during the day of the trash pick up. It's really pathetic that this is happening in The Villages and community watch things it's all OK.

FV, I would suggest you might call your local police and ask what they think about this practice in your community. You might find that they can't do anything about it either.

I don't think it's so much that the community watch thinks it's okay; I think there's nothing that they can do because of the law.

[Karron]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Blue"]I saw a sweet little wicker tea set made for a child one night.... rather that just "take it", I went to the front door and asked if I could have it to repaint and use....
The gentleman was gracious and said, "well of course"! (I wasn't cruising, just driving home with my little girl Maltese, Molly, and happened to see it in the driveway!
Karron & Molly

[mrf6969]

Tell that thief to come over to Tall Trees this Fri early morning as I have a grill I am putting out!!

[TraceyMooreRN]

Originally Posted by Futurevillager2013

It happened to us and I called community watch services and was told that once you put something on the curb it is public property and they can't do anything about it.
I know longer put my garbage out at night we put it out during the day of the trash pick up. It's really pathetic that this is happening in The Villages and community watch things it's all OK.

I am sorry that you think it is pathetic that the community watch thinks it is okay for someone to pick up another's person trash that is being disposed already. I am not sure what you want the community watch to do? They already patrol every street in the villages, check pools, assist residents, check rec centers to make sure everything is okay, attempt to locate all the reckless drivers who damage their gates EVERYDAY. This list is only a few things they do. If you didn't have a community watch who would you call? It is not a crime to remove debris/trash from the street once it is on the curb. If you concerned for identity thief-then shred all your documents as several people have posted. If you see someone suspicious in the neighborhood-attempt to safely obtain description and call the police.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Futurevillager2013

It happened to us and I called community watch services and was told that once you put something on the curb it is public property and they can't do anything about it.
I know longer put my garbage out at night we put it out during the day of the trash pick up. It's really pathetic that this is happening in The Villages and community watch things it's all OK.

Pathetic? This is the way it is in communities all over the country.

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Pathetic? This is the way it is in communities all over the country.

The key word is curb and not end of your driveway. Trash sitting on the end of your driveway is not fair game to be taken. As the Villages really does not have a curb if the trash is still on the end of your driveway it is still on your property and it is no more legal to take it than anything else in your driveway. A curb would be an area where multiple trash containers are placed for pickup. Once again Community Watch is dodging responsibility for anything, what is it they really do for the residents except give us reasons why they cannot do anything? Checking pools, rec centers, gates, etc. is done for the developer at our expense since we don't own these properties but we do pay them for checking them.

[Regor]

I'm not going to read through this whole thread but I don't see a problem. You set trash/junk/garbage to the curb and someone takes it! Super! Don't put junk in your junk that you don't want someone to see/have. Maybe there was a some aluminum cans in the bag. Recycle them dudes for 3.5 cents each.

[Villageshooter]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Once you put anything on the curb it is fair game for anyone who wants to take it away.
What would the Sheriff do?

my wife has made me set out at the cub many times,,,, wanting someone to take me ,,,, she has told me : next time i have to get in a huge white bag!

[Pa & Giggi]

My husband was out walking the dog last night around 6:30 or so, and he saw this guy picking up recycle bags from our neighbors driveways and put them into his golf cart. We live on Ashville Ave and my husband recognized him from the villas in the back. His golf cart was nearly full of recycle bags. What concerned me was if someone had not shredded any important documents, they could be in serious trouble. Why would someone collect recycle bags? My husband thinks this guy is in his 40's so maybe this is his source of income.
We try to put out our bags as late as we can as to avoid this sort of problem and I shred everything. I would hate to see the front of his house on trash day. I guess that is how we could find his exact house.

[57ChevyFI]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

The key word is curb and not end of your driveway. Trash sitting on the end of your driveway is not fair game to be taken. As the Villages really does not have a curb if the trash is still on the end of your driveway it is still on your property and it is no more legal to take it than anything else in your driveway. A curb would be an area where multiple trash containers are placed for pickup. Once again Community Watch is dodging responsibility for anything, what is it they really do for the residents except give us reasons why they cannot do anything? Checking pools, rec centers, gates, etc. is done for the developer at our expense since we don't own these properties but we do pay them for checking them.

The Supreme Court seems to disagree with your interpretation of the law'

The Supreme Court has defined curtilage, or lands immediately surrounding a home, according to distance, what a fence encloses, the nature of the land�s use and if the space can be easily observed. State constitutions may define the term a little differently, but, typically, trash left by the curb or at the end of a driveway is considered outside curtilage.

[KeepingItReal]

If my trash is on my property it is of no concern to the Supreme Court. If I sit it out on public property then anyone can take it. Otherwise a golf cart or any other object at the end of a driveway could be considered set out for collection and removed without penalty.

From a Florida Judge:

In my view, a homeowner, upon placing items in a closed garbage container and placing the container in a position on his property where the container can be conveniently removed by authorized trash collectors, is entitled to reasonably expect that the container and the trash therein will be removed from his property only by those authorized to do so, and that such trash will be disposed of in the manner provided by ordinance or private contract. By sealing the containers in a secure manner and placing the containers on his own property, the owner has done everything within his own means to insure the privacy of the contents thereof, short of delivering the containers to a central disposal site himself.
State of Florida v. Schultz, 388 So.2d 1326, 1330 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App. 1980) (Anstead, J., dissenting)

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

The key word is curb and not end of your driveway. Trash sitting on the end of your driveway is not fair game to be taken. As the Villages really does not have a curb if the trash is still on the end of your driveway it is still on your property and it is no more legal to take it than anything else in your driveway. A curb would be an area where multiple trash containers are placed for pickup. Once again Community Watch is dodging responsibility for anything, what is it they really do for the residents except give us reasons why they cannot do anything? Checking pools, rec centers, gates, etc. is done for the developer at our expense since we don't own these properties but we do pay them for checking them.

These are recreational amenities that the developer sold to the VCCDD.
There is a good explanation of this here:
http://www.districtgov.org/images/wh...ews2009031.pdf

[TraceyMooreRN]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

If my trash is on my property it is of no concern to the Supreme Court. If I sit it out on public property then anyone can take it. Otherwise a golf cart or any other object at the end of a driveway could be considered set out for collection and removed without penalty.

From a Florida Judge:

In my view, a homeowner, upon placing items in a closed garbage container and placing the container in a position on his property where the container can be conveniently removed by authorized trash collectors, is entitled to reasonably expect that the container and the trash therein will be removed from his property only by those authorized to do so, and that such trash will be disposed of in the manner provided by ordinance or private contract. By sealing the containers in a secure manner and placing the containers on his own property, the owner has done everything within his own means to insure the privacy of the contents thereof, short of delivering the containers to a central disposal site himself.
State of Florida v. Schultz, 388 So.2d 1326, 1330 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App. 1980) (Anstead, J., dissenting)

So- Are you saying that because your trash is on your property it belongs to you, even if at the end of your driveway? I certainly think you would be calling the trash collection department to complain if your trash remained on your property and not on the public portion or roadway. Do you really put your trash on the street to pick up or is it in the partially sealed trash bag at the end of driveway with the other almost 100,000 people in the villages on collection day?

[TraceyMooreRN]

Once again Community Watch is dodging responsibility for anything, what is it they really do for the residents except give us reasons why they cannot do anything? Checking pools, rec centers, gates, etc. is done for the developer at our expense since we don't own these properties but we do pay them for checking them.

IMHO- The Community Watch is no more responsible for your trash than you are when you set it out for trash collection. Take responsibility and shred documents. Place your trash on the curb, end of your driveway, in the grass (wherever you want) the night before or in the am if you prefer.

From Collection service, Frequently asked questions: "Where do I place the trash bags on collection day?" Place the bags at the end of your driveway, at the edge of the street. Bags must be placed for collection before 7:00 a.m. on your collection day or the night before.

What exactly do you want the Community Watch to do for you about missing trash?

[perrjojo]

I am so confused. You put it out on the curb, driveway or whatever. To me that means you no longer want it...you are releasing ownership. Some one comes along and decides to take it. You have signaled that you don't want it by placing it for disposal. They take it. What is the problem?