Bay Area business owner re-dumps mountain of trash on customer driveway after broken promises on payment. Was he right?
Imagine renting a dumpster just to throw trash back into your driveway. This is what transpired on San Pablo’s 19th Street after a lease dispute between a cleaning company and a customer got complicated (1).
According to Express Rental Dumpster, which bills itself as the Bay Area’s top-rated dumpster company, a group moving out had arranged for a dumpster to haul away the trash. Ring camera footage shows the vehicle being delivered and located as requested, but owner Martin Perez said payment was never made.
“They keep saying, ‘Oh, I’ll pay later. I’ll pay later. I’ll pay later,’ but they never did,” he told KTVU News. “Or say, ‘I’ll put money on your card so you can charge.'”
After multiple pickup attempts, the company returned to pick up the bin, which was full by then, Perez said. Rather than carrying it away, its contents spilled back onto the property.
A neighbor said the situation led to police being called. Officers then instructed the driver to remove the debris from the curb and return it to the property.
“He says he paid $700 for it and then all of a sudden I see him stand up again and throw it all on the ground. I don’t really know what this is about,” said a neighbor identified as Mary.
The situation worsened as scavengers began sorting through the debris, spreading the waste further into the area.
Under San Pablo’s municipal code (2), property owners are required to keep adjacent sidewalks and surrounding areas clean, including the removal of illegally discarded items. This means the responsibility for cleaning may still fall on residents, even if they don’t make a mess.
Neighbors eventually intervened to cover the debris and contain it, but the situation later came to the attention of local authorities. San Pablo Code Enforcement has filed a lawsuit (3) that may go against the tenant who neighbors say still lives in the area.
While the dumpster drop came as a surprise to everyone, and even seemed like a trivial thing to some, Perez said it ultimately came at a cost.
Renting a dumpster in the San Pablo area typically costs around $600 to $770, depending on the size of the dumpster and the length of rental (4). However, prices can vary greatly when factors such as delivery charges, weight limits and disposal costs are taken into account.
