Cuisine of India Next Door

[Fashion Lad!]

So, I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood.

All the houses are single family houses owned by the people who live in them. All of them except for one, the people right freakin' next door.

The house next door is a rental. Since I've lived in this house, there's been about 3 renters. These renters take the cake though... they're from the middle east (relevent). We all know that sometimes in order to eat, we have to cook. (Well, I never cook.) It doesn't bother me that they cook, what bothers me is that they air out the house and I have to smell it. Yesterday morning (yes, morning) after class, I get home and smell Cuisine of India. (If you're from my area, you'll get that reference.) Automatically, my gag reflex kicks in.

Now, I can handle that. People need to eat, I just hate the smell... but it's tolerable.

HOWEVER! Cuisine of India has garbage ALL OVER THEIR FRONT LAWN! THAT I CANNOT stand at all! It pisses me off to no end... seriously. They have two garbage cans in in their driveway... why can't they throw the garbage in there? It's not hard... it's not hard at all. Walk over, lift lid, drop in... NOT HARD! ARHGHEOIURYHKAIOPUYTU()*%$EHJIKEW#@!QWSERDFGHJOW!! !!!!!!!!!!

I wonder who I call for this. I'm seriously going to complain...

If I'm bold enough, I'll take a pic.

[Emrld]

If in US - there should be a City Code Compliance Department.

Where I live they send notice to tenant and landowner with it ultimately being the responsability of the landowner. (as in if the tenants blow it off - landowner can end up with a fine if the city has to clean it up)

You might see if there is a way to file online . . .or you may call it in . . .you shouldn't have to give any identifying information about yourself . . .just the address of the property to be evaluated.

[Jester]

I wonder who I call for this. I'm seriously going to complain...

Wow! The easiest question I've gotten all day! WOO HOO!

The person you call is their landlord. Politely express your displeasure with the way his current tenants are treating HIS property. :)

[Emrld]

Jester - that is a good idea if the Landlord gives a flip.
Here is Texas we have some delightful people that are known as slum lords. (There was a movie in the late 80's/ early 90's with this concept) Basically they sit back and do nothing while collecting enough rent to cover the mortgage and taxes and then to live off of.

So depending on the type of landlord . . . if they care and want good tenants - great talk to them. If they fall under the slum category or even they just want tenants and do basic maintain of property - check with your city.

[Jester]

Emrld, well of course there is the possibility that the landlord won't care. But the OP really should start with him. If he cares, that could be that. If he doesn't, then the OP has a little more work to do, naturally.

[Emrld]

True but, there is one advantage of going to the city code compliance department - can make the complaint without giving any information about who is complaining.
Whereas if one goes to the landlord directly . . . then it is known who has the issue.

Fashion Lad - do you ever feel like you are being left out? I know that I want what is best for you and easiest . . . most likely / I have a feeling/ risk stepping on his toes here - think that Jester and I do agree on that part of the sitution. (want as little work for you with as much satisfaction as possible that is)
Jester - I do not mean to come across as argumentative with you . . .different parts of the country handle these situations in different ways. . . my experience in working in Real Estate has been the best, fastest, no reataliation way - anonymous call to city.

[Jester]

Emrld, no worries here, mate. I take your comments merely as another point of view, and I don't necessarily disagree with you.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again....I always reserve the right to be completely and embarrassingly wrong. :D

[Fashion Lad!]

See... I don't know who actually owns the house. I took a picture, the trash is actually growing since I noticed it this morning. And it's blowing into my yard! ARGH_)P(YTUOSDGFTRGWIERFDSR$EYUIOJR!!!!!!

I'm a neat freak, this isn't sitting well with me at all.

[Jester]

There are many ways to find out who the landlord is. You can ask the offending neighbors without explaining why. You can ask other neighbors who may know the answer. You can check with various city bureaus. (I wouldn't know where to begin, but I am sure city hall can turn you in the right direction.)

Oh, and you might want to talk to other neighbors anyway, as I am guessing you aren't alone in your disgust with your messy neighbors.

[gunsage]

So how does it smell anyway? Never had Middle Eastern food.

[Emrld]

Central Appraisal District for the city where you live should have a website to search. Gotta love public information laws.

basically go to Goggle type in your city and then Central Appraisal District. The information will match up who pays the taxes on the property.

If you want some extra assistance from me - please feel free to pm any info that you don't want public on the site. As I mentioned I have dealt with this type of situation on more than one occassion.

[Fashion Lad!]

Umm... I don't know how it smells, but trust me when I say it smells awful.

Emrld and Jester, thanks for the advice. When the roomie gets home, I'll talk to him about what we should do for sure. I'll bring up both of your guys' points though. :)

[MamaMootz]

My husband had the same issue with his next door neighbors - he lived in a duplex and the other 1/2 of the house was rented out. They threw garbage in the back yard, and piled it up on the front porch.

DH called the Municipal Health Dept. in his city and they took care of everything.

Good luck getting this fixed - I'd be flipping out too, if my neighbors were just throwing trash on the lawn.

[Boozy]

So how does it smell anyway? Never had Middle Eastern food.

I'm just guessing here, but I suspect Fashion Lad is referring to Indian food, not Middle Eastern. Middle Eastern cuisine uses a lot of dill, oregano, mint, and parsley, all of which tend to smell quite lovely to our North American noses.

Indian food (from southeast Asia, not the Middle East) contains a lot of curry, a spice which is quite pungent and unfamiliar to many Westerners. I have developed a taste for it and enjoy it in my food, but I still find it difficult to cook with. The aroma is very overwhelming for people who aren't used to it.

[gunsage]

These renters take the cake though... they're from the middle east (relevent).
That's why I didn't specify Indian. Never had either anyway, but I enjoy trying new and exotic things, so that's why I was wondering. :p

[gunsage]

Edit: I'm speaking about food, btw. ;)

[Boozy]

Never had either anyway, but I enjoy trying new and exotic things, so that's why I was wondering.

If you like spicy food, you should definitely try Indian! Most of it is really good for you, too.

Some Middle Eastern food contains meats I'm not particularly fond of (can't bring myself to eat sheep) but I like the vegetarian dishes.

/thread hijack ;)

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

About 15 years ago our neighbors renting the house next door used to toss their bags of trash behind the garage.

Which just happened to be right next to the fence between their property and ours.

During the summer you couldn't stand to be outside. The stench and the flies and wasps were unbearable. Landlord didn't really care.

[gunsage]

Yeah, I like Thai and Mexican, so most likely I'd enjoy it. I remember one time that I added EVERY hot ingredient available at B.D.'s Mongolian one time with pork. WHEW...ate a few bites and couldn't eat anything else the rest of the night! I can't remember all the ingredients, but here goes...

- Kung pao
- Carribean jerk
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Peanut sauce

Eh...I can't even remember what all they have because I haven't been there in several months, but you get the idea. I was sweating after the first bite...and my stomach hurt after the third. I won't even bother going into the after effects. :p But yes, I love spicy food, so I'll have to give it a shot. I'm especially fond of curry flavoring and also turmeric (which I believe is in curry). I add turmeric to my green tea, sometimes with a hint of cinnamon.

[Jester]

But yes, I love spicy food...

You would have LOVED the Ten Habanero Salsa From Hell I made for a recent salsa cookoff. I made it just to be obnoxious. My Serrano-Tomatillo Salsa, which was quite tasty, would already have been the hottest salsa there, but the THSFH was so far beyond the STS as to be ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, it had great flavor, and at first you were wondering why it wasn't that spicy....and about 10 seconds later, your eyeballs would start to melt. A friend of mine came over to me when things were under full swing and told me, and I quote, "You've wounded many people this evening." :devil:

[blas87]

Eww rotting garbage blowing about!

Aye, the crackwhore elephant next door (at my old complex) used to really procrastinate in taking her garbage out. After all, walking down the stairs and 100 feet to the dumpster is so extreme and straining.........so she'd bag up weeks worth of garbage and toss it out her door onto the walkway of the upstairs. I'd nearly trip over it when I'd get home every morning. There it would sit until she finally got off her fat ass and threw it away several days later. Well, I guess I should be thankful it was bagged, but it was so crammed that sometimes stuff fell out and strewed about the walkway.

Stinky stinky stinky, icky icky icky!

I feel for ya!