DEAR HARRIETTE: I live in an apartment building that has strict rules about trash disposal. Tenants are supposed to separate their trash and put it outside in the hallway between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. each day. The guy who picks it up is always on time.
My next-door neighbors commonly put out their trash at any time of the day or night. They don’t use strong trash bags, either, so depending on what they ate that day or week, the garbage smells regularly fill the hall. I have asked them to follow the directions of the building, but they scoffed at me. Would I be wrong to bring this to management? One time I had guests, and when they got off the elevator they were greeted by rotting food smell. -- Yuk, Detroit
DEAR YUK: Yes, you can speak to management -- but only after reminding your neighbors once more. Point out how bad the hall smells when it is hot and the garbage is sitting out there for hours. Add that roaches and rats gravitate toward such rank smells. See if your appeal works. If not, go directly to your building’s leadership and ask for help. Supplying them with photos and times for when the trash is languishing in the hallway may help.