Imagine renting a dumpster only to have the trash dumped right in your driveway. That’s what happened on San Pablo’s 19th Street after a rent dispute between a cleaning company and a customer turned messy (1).
According to Express Rental Dumpster — which bills itself as the top-rated trash removal company in the Bay Area — a moving out group set up a dumpster to dispose of the debris. Camera footage shows it was delivered and ordered, but owner Martin Perez said payment was never made.
“They kept saying, ‘Oh, I’ll pay later. I’ll pay later. I’ll pay later,’ and never did,” he told KTVU News. “Or say, ‘I’ll put money on the card so you can charge it.’”
After multiple collection attempts, Perez said the company returned to pick up the bin, which by then was full. Instead of taking it away, the contents were dumped back into the property.
A neighbor said the situation prompted the police to be called. Police then instructed the driver to move the debris off the sidewalk and back to the property.
“She said she paid $700 for it, and then suddenly, I saw him turn around and throw it all on the ground. I don’t really know what it was,” said a neighbor identified as Mary.
The situation worsened when scavengers began sorting through debris, further spreading the waste throughout the area.
According to San Pablo municipal code (2), property owners are required to keep adjacent sidewalks and surrounding areas clear, including removing any illegally dumped items. That means the responsibility for cleaning up could still fall on residents, even if they didn’t cause the mess.
Neighbors eventually stepped in to cover up and contain the debris, but the situation has since attracted the attention of local officials. San Pablo Code Enforcement has opened a case (3), which is likely against the tenant, who neighbors say still lives in the area.
While trash dumping may raise some eyebrows and even be seen as trivial, Perez said it comes at a cost in the end.
In the San Pablo area, renting a dumpster typically costs between about $600 and $770, depending on the size of the bin and the rental period (4). However, prices can vary widely when factors such as delivery fees, weight limits and handling costs are taken into account.