SAN DIEGO — Who pays when a City of San Diego trash truck destroys your garbage bin or takes it altogether?
CBS 8 is Working for You to get answers from the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department.
“It’s frustrating, it’s very frustrating. I was like, ‘Oh no, not again. Not again, here we go again,’” said Clairemont resident, Lee Ann Ramsey, whose had three bins destroyed by a city garbage truck.
“Oh they destroy my cans, they destroyed the last ones I had, and my dad actually bought me two to help out and I’ve only had them a couple years, and they’ve already destroyed one of the trash cans already.”
Ramsey showed CBS 8 her neighbor’s bin, which has also taken a beating with half of the lid missing.
“I find them in the middle of the street, and there’s trash that falls down or falls out of it because it’s broken up. My other one was so bad, like I said, I had to duct tape it,” said Ramsey.
On Friday, CBS 8 showed you video that homeowner George Bacon caught on camera in Pacific Beach when a City of San Diego trash truck mangled his black bin by grinding and slamming it into the concrete repeatedly before tossing it aside and driving off with all the garbage left on the ground.
“It was a full-on beat down on my trash can,” said Bacon.
Environmental Services told CBS 8 Bacon was going to be on the hook for $49 to replace the 7-year-old bin, according to their prorated warranty system.
A viewer sent CBS 8 video from La Jolla, showing a city truck dumping not only his trash, but the entire bin with it before driving off. So who pays then?
The viewer filed a report with the City of San Diego's Environmental Services, and they responded with an email that read, “A report was created for it having fallen into the truck. The supervisor is doing a mandatory review, in which if there have not been any previous reports for replacement to the container, they will replace it for free.”
As for Ramsey, since her black bin is less than two years-old, it would be $14 dollars to replace at their office at 8353 Miramar Place.
“Why should I have to do that if they screwed it up, if they broke it, if it’s under warranty? asked Ramsey.”
- Replacement lids and wheels are free, but if a customer wants those replacement parts delivered, an extra $25 fee would apply.
- Brand-new black bins cost $70, but the blue and green bins, on the other hand, are free to replace.
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.
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