var json_comments = new Array("

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Sounds a little like theft to me. I know our trash guys won't even take our normal trash if the bin isn't to the immediate right of the mailbox, with the back facing the street. I'm sure these guys have protocol for where things have to be put for it to be considered \"trash\", and if it was 70 feet away from the bin, it's definitely not for them to take.

7 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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The article doesn't make it clear that anyone witnessed the trash crew taking the dryer, if there were no witnesses there's really no basis to claim that the trash crew took it imo. It's nice that the city is considering reimbursing them but they're in no way obligated to.

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duncanblackthorne

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@Toffeecake: Seriously, how could they not notice it was brand new? And 70 feet away from where the obviously old one was?

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The Porkchop Express

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@Toffeecake: most cities/counties have a policy on where the \"trash\" should be. Generally it would be based on a certain distance from the curb or an exact location in relation to mailbox/driveway like you have.

I really doubt that the distance is much more than 10'

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Andyf

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Toffeecake: I suspect that appliance pickup might be a bit different. In my town, you have to call and schedule an appliance/large item pickup, if you just drag it out to the curb, out at the curb it'll stay; a separate crew picks up the large items on a scheduled basis only. In that case, they are somewhat more flexible on where they'll pick up from, as the crew of burly guys picking up used appliances sometimes realize that the homeowners are often a bit less capable of moving the appliances around. My guess is they showed up to pick up the washer, thought they were picking up a dryer as well, and saw a dryer that (they thought) the homeowner was working on dragging to the curb, but had taken a break from. I'm sure they thought they were doing the owner a favor.

of course, that begs the question, how quickly did they feed these things into the crusher that it couldn't be recovered?

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Toffeecake: Well, I wouldn't consider it theft. They are authorized to take trash from the residence, and I think they thought it was trash.

The best approach to this would be to get the city to correct its mistake (or company, if it was a private entity), and communicate with the shippers of the NEXT dryer/appliance/item that wherever they left it last time was not a good place to leave it.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Scuba Steve: and communicate with the shippers

In the linked article, it sounds like it was the owner that took the new dryer off the truck, not s shipper.

Matthew said he had just unloaded the new dryer from the truck and then went looking for someone to help him carry the machine into the basement. When he came back, both the new dryer and the old washer were nowhere to be found.

Also, I think Toffeecake meant that someone else could have stolen it. Since the article doesn't say that the guy actually saw the trash guys haul the new dryer away. He just unloaded the new dryer, left it there, then came back and found it gone, then assumed that the trash guys had gone out of their way to take it as well.

/the trash guys won't even haul appliances away here. You have to take it to a dump yourself or get someone to haul it away. Personally, I always just have the company haul away the old one for $30-$50 when they deliver the new one. (But that was a big heavy $1300 fridge, not a $400 dryer).

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@lordargent: That's a good point. While the trash people might have not have taken it, someone else could have.

Might be good to get a police report then, I guess. Its really up to the police to determine whether they want to persue it further.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Scuba Steve: This could legitimately be the shippers fault. According to the UCC it is the shippers responsibility to make sure the buyer gets the item in question. I do not think this particular issue has been brought to court so I do not know if it applies here, but I know it does apply if your shipment gets lost or is damaged, which is why it is silly for the buyer to pay for insurance on an ebay bid. The seller is legally obligated to get it to you as described anyways.

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RPHP

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@sonneillon: In this case I don't think that would apply. The buyer bought the item, picked it up, and brought it home themselves. This would seem to meet any delivery requirement set forth by the UCC. The seller certainly is not responsible for your negligence after you have picked up the item and hauled it away.

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Nicole

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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They're considering whether to compensate them? There shouldn't be anything to consider, it should be a given.

7 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Nicole: According to the article:

'Matthew said he had just unloaded the new dryer from the truck and then went looking for someone to help him carry the machine into the basement. When he came back, both the new dryer and the old washer were nowhere to be found.

\"I had just unloaded it. I can't believe they took it,\" he said.'

So how do they know for sure the city garbage service took the dryer? It appears no one saw the garbage men take it.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Nicole: Damn straight, they owe that couple a dryer. Although I wouldn't be surprised if the city comes up with some BS reason to try to get out of paying.

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mmmsoap

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Nicole: I dunno, why would you store your brand new dryer next to a trash bin? Sounds like some culpability on the part of the homeowner...couldn't they put it in the garage/porch/basement/anywhere that's not right next to the trash?

Seems like an honest mistake on the part of the trash guys, rather than theft. Since when is it their job to decide if someone was making a good decision when chucking something?

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senrath

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@mmmsoap: Except that the new dryer wasn't near the trash. That's part of the problem.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@mmmsoap: \"I dunno, why would you store your brand new dryer next to a trash bin? \"

Didn't the article say the new dryer was on a concrete pad 70 feet away from the washer to be picked up?

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@MinorAnnoyance: 70 feet in what direction? I seriously doubt the garbage folks walked 70 feet away from the street and hauled it all the way back. Sounds like it was done the block, but still in front of the street. Where garbage goes.

The sanitation service is not your personal liquidation service.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Moonshadow101: 70 feet is the length of the average semi truck and trailer here in the U.S.

Contrary to popular belief West Virginia does have cities, so it could have been on a sidewalk extension thing. Mistakes happen, but you can definitely tell the difference between a brand new dryer and a used one, unless maybe it's scratch and dent.

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November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@SexCpotatoes: You mean that Charelston W.Va. isn't a ghost one horse hick town where Bob Denver lived? You mean West Virginia has cities? Whoda thunk?

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Nicole

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@mmmsoap: I got the impression that it had just been delivered.

I never said it was theft, just that it should be a no-brainer that the city should replace it since it was obviously not with the rest of the trash. The OP says it was sitting 70 feet away from the trash put out to be picked up. It sounds to me like the trash was at the end of the driveway and this new dryer was right up by the house waiting to be installed.

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coren

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@mmmsoap: Next to =/= 70 feet away, on some sort of delivery pad. Obviously a mistake, but at the same time, pretty avoidable

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madog

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@coren: It may have been 70 ft away from from the couples trash bins, but depending on the area they live in it could have been in front of another house leading the garbagemen to believe it was someone elses trash.

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Yoko Broke Up The Beatles

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Here in Madison, WI, we need to purchase and attach a pick-up sticker for selected appliances in order for them to be scrapped. I couldn't easily find any requirements similar to that online for Charleston, WV, but I'm thinking that if there were this requirement, then not having the sticker would be pretty telling that it shouldn't be hauled away.

Pay up, Charleston, WV.

2 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Yoko Broke Up The Beatles: Even in the picture for the article it looks like the to-be-picked-up washer has one of those said stickers on it

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Yoko Broke Up The Beatles: I think the sticker is an excellent idea. It's not even expensive. More municipalities should look into it.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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The dryer should be replaced, and a search warrant should be (actually, should have been) issued against the residences of the trash guys that worked the route that day for \"new dryers\" matching the make and model of the one that went missing.

2 replies

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absentmindedjwc

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Wireless Joe: sounds a little much to me... this does not sound as if it were intentional.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@absentmindedjwc: Where does a garbage collector store a dryer he wants to keep on a garbage truck? I doubt there's room in the cab, and the \"storage\" area of the truck tends to turn them into tuna cans.

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HalOfBorg

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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I call shenanigens.

I live in West Virginia, and as it happens our washer and dryer are on concrete pads - raises them about 1 foot, keep mild flood/storm drain backup out of them.

BUT

They are NOT outside where the garbage men can take them! Who installs a dryer outside?

And if I need something non-hazardous but large picked up, just put it out with usual things. No special tag required.

Hazardous they set up collection point every few years.

4 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@HalOfBorg: actually, a lot of folks do just that out here in the SW. got enough heat as it is, don't need the dryer adding to it.

however, no one does so in the front yard. . . .

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witeowl

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@HalOfBorg: Try reading the linked article. It wasn't installed outside.

Matthew said he had just unloaded the new dryer from the truck and then went looking for someone to help him carry the machine into the basement. When he came back, both the new dryer and the old washer were nowhere to be found.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@HalOfBorg: You need to re-read the actual linked article. The dryer had just been delivered, and the owner went to try and find some help to bring it in when it \"magically\" vanished.

They had a washing machine installed a few days earlier.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@HalOfBorg: it wasn't installed outside. It was sitting outside while they went to get help bring it in. The washer that the new dryer matched had been installed inside already which is why only the new dryer was sitting next to the house not a washer and dryer.

I was confused on that to till I read the article.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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I feel bad for the OP but honestly, if I have a $400 dryer sitting in front of my house, I wouldn't leave it unattended. Maybe a better course of action would have been to have one of the couple watch the dryer while the other looks for help? Or if only one of them was around, keep watch on the dryer and call someone. Just as you wouldn't put down a small stack of Jacksons in front of your house unattended, same should go for any brand new appliance.

3 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@thumbmaster: Come to think of it, major appliances aren't throw into regular garbage trucks. Hence they're not crushed at the scene. Shouldn't the city be able to easily track down where the dryer was hauled to? There's a good chance one of the garbage crew saw that it's in \"good\" condition and decided to recycle it into his own house.

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Nicole

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@thumbmaster: Not even for five minutes to ask someone from inside to ask you to carry it in? If you don't live in a high=crime area, there's no reason to expect it to vanish when you go in to ask someone to help you carry it.

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coren

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@thumbmaster: Yeah but your stack of Jacksons is light weight and fits in my pocket.

The dryer, not so much (hence going for help)

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pmcpa4

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Just a question.... who has a drier installed on a pad OUTSIDE????

6 replies

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Aladdyn

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@pmcpa4: Wow amazing amount or reading comprehension failure in the comments on this story.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@pmcpa4: Absolutely nobody in this article.

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pmcpa4

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@MinorAnnoyance: \"The new washing machine had been delivered and installed several days prior, Donyell said.\"

Earlier in the article, it says the just brought it home minutes before. Conflicting info!

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JulesNoctambule

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@pmcpa4: The washing machine was newly installed. The dryer was newly delivered. As my husband commented, 'If you confuse the two, you'll never get any laundry done.'

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DH405

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@pmcpa4: Nobody. Read.

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Nicole

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@pmcpa4: It wasn't installed. He had just had it delivered (or had picked it up, I don't recall) and had left it momentarily to get someone to help him bring it in.

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swedub

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@pmcpa4: Actually, I know quite a few people who have their washer and dryer installed outside here in South Florida. They are usually under a overhang to avoid direct rain fall. Though they usually get some surface rust after a few years. Of course that wasn't the issue in the OP.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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The garbage men disconnected the unit?

\" The new washing machine had been delivered and installed several days prior, Donyell said \"

The garbage men disconnected the unit?

Yea, right. BS.

2 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@StanTheManDean: It's the DRYER that went missing, not the washing mashing.

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atomw7

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@StanTheManDean:
You are correct. Keeping that in mind, re-read the headline. :)

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TPK

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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I can't believe there haven't been any West Virginia jokes on this yet... is everyone asleep today?

\"Interesting story, I wonder why this doesn't work for the cars on blocks in the front yard?\"

There, I feel better now... And half my ancestors are from WV, so before you complain... :-)

1 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@TPK: I just inserted a slag on West Virginia upthread. There you go.

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wvFrugan

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Just so all you folks that live in areas where getting your trash disposed of is a big deal and suggest things like a fancy\"appliance garbage sticker\" understand, this IS West Virginia.
Actually I live in South Charleston, for $6.25 every 3 months/quarter, the city haulks everything an antything away at least 3 times a week and will even get the can from behind the house. They pick up regular trash Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, as well as recycling on Monday and god-awful big shit on Wednesday. I literally bought the house next door and tore it down years ago over a couple weeks and the city picked it all up with me just dumping it at the street (they sent up a front-end loader & open trucks). Here in WV I think they know that you just about have to bribe people to throw shit out: years ago the state gave people $200.00 for each clunker they let the sate haul off their property to pretty things up a bit!

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nstonep

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Now if I could only find a way to trick the garbage men into hauling away my old exhaust manifold and downpipe without paying a dime...

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A_smilodon

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Reading the article it seems it was only the drying and the old washing machine that were taken. The dryer had been left out for a little while while the owner was inside looking for someone to help him move it down to the basement. There's nothing in the story about it or the washer being set up outside. Really the city needs to either cough up the washer (as one of the comments on the article says appliances are supposed to be recycled so where is it?) or pay them for it.

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anachro882

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Definitely sounds like theft considering washers and dryers can usually sit around for decades in WV front yards.

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NaomiK

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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The garbage collectors in my city (Minneapolis) will haul away practically anything short of nuclear waste; you are supposed to put a sign on it saying that it's garbage, but I could totally see this happening here if you had your appliance delivered at exactly the wrong time.

During yard waste pickup season one year we left two large bags of leaves in our yard where they were visible from the alley. We did NOT leave them in the trash pickup spot because we were intending to use the leaves as mulch. The garbage guys walked through our yard to grab the bags and hauled them off. That was a trivial annoyance and their intentions were good, but you can see why I can imagine them collecting a brand new appliance along with the broken one...

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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I can understand why they thought they had to take the dryer.

\"Oh, they're throwing away their old washer. Must have gotten a new one. Wait, there's a dryer over there. I bet they bought a whole new set! Guess they couldn't get it all the way to the curb.\"

It's understandable, but a costly mistake. The city needs to reimburse them for the cost of the dryer.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Whether your city is safe or unsafe, never leave ANYTHING unattended.

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Verucalise (Est.February2008)

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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After reading the article, then the comments...

Does ANYONE ACTUALLY read the FULL LINKED article anymore??

2 replies

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DoubleBaconVeggieBurger

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Verucalise(countingcalories): Seriously! Just reading the entire blog post would be a start. I haven't read the linked article and I see about 10 comments I can correct. No, they did not install the dryer outside. No, they did not put the dryer right next to the old washer. No, it didn't sit there for 4 days. People are very anti-OP today.

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tbax929

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@Ayarkay:
You mean every day, don't you? I swear some folks read a headline and immediately jump to the comment button. RTFA, people!

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kexline

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@tbax929: Sure a few people do, but I haven't seen this level of stupidity on a Consumerist post in a long time. The vast majority of comments here are ardent declarations of poor reading comprehension, ugly \"jokes\", or horrible combinations of the two.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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The washer was installed 4 days earlier? Who leaves a new dryer outside by the curb for 4 day?! Stupid hurts!

3 replies

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November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@millertime1211:

I agree 100%. Who leaves a dryer outside??

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@millertime1211: Read the f***ing article. The washer and dryer were delivered separately. The dryer had been left outside for just a few minutes while the new owner went inside to get help to carry it in. It wasn't out there for four days.

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JulesNoctambule

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@millertime1211: No one does -- and it appears no one reads the article, either.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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anyone, want to bet that new dryer is now in the home of one of the trash collectors?

2 replies

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JulesNoctambule

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@greatgoogly: That was my first thought, actually.

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tbax929

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@JulesNoctambule:
I hate to admit it, but I thought that, too.

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November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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It's pretty much understood that anything left within shouting distance of the street will be taken by our trash collectors if they 'like it.' I lost my kids portable mini basketball hoop that way and my neighbor lost an 8' step ladder.

Did it piss us off? YES. But what are we going to do? Call and complain? Then the next time they come they \"won't be able to take our trash because there was a car parked in the way.\" Or \"we came to get your trash but an animal had already strewn it about your yard. Honest.\"

2 replies

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katia802

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@backbroken: Yup, think you live in the same city as me. Never never never complain where it can be traced back to you, amazing what can happen. Neighbor's trellis was taken out of her front walkway (guess they thought it was trash) last year. Of course the fact that my neighbor is a sincere jerk stopped me from doing anything more than smirking when it happened, (yes, i am bad person sometimes. Later I heard she complained about them being too loud when they were picking up her trash.

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kexline

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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@backbroken: Three days in a row, I saw garbage operators cruising around neighborhoods stop-start-stop-start, and not actually picking up any garbage. I eventually called to ask if there was some kind of garbage strike going on. I made sure not to call from home. :)

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MeOhMy

November 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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In my neighborhood we have \"salvagers\" who drive around the neighborhood and pick trash. Which wouldn't be so bad except they are known to employ a somewhat loose construction of what must be trash (i.e. they will steal something from your yard and if they get busted they say \"oh sorry, we thought that was on the trash\" as if something on the side of your house 40 ft from the curb could possibly be mistaken as being curbside).

If this happened in my neighborhood, I'd have to wonder if it was really the garbage men...

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sli

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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Uh, considering? They'd better get right on it.

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Stiggy

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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So, wait, am I missing something here? The washer was installed outdoors?

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YourEveryDayAdam

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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Sounds like an honest mistake by both the resident and the trash collection people.

Stupid mistake by the resident to leave a washer, unattended, near the junk one. And an honest mistake by a trash collection person who's just doing their job and trying to clear the street of trash. If I saw a washer on the side of the road on bulk trash collection day, i'd probably haul it away too.

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HeavyMental

November 23, 2009 5:32 PM

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how do they know it went to garbage ... what was their new dryer doing outside ... was it just delivered ? could somebody else passing by (usually looking for talking stuff out of trash) leave with the new one

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