Ithaca College and Cornell University students living off campus are finding that trash disposal in the City of Ithaca can be costly for those who don’t adhere to regulations.

Kristen Kennedy, a senior at Cornell, unknowingly accumulated $1,800 in fines for leaving her trash uncovered last semester. Kennedy and her roommates were fined first for leaving their trash uncovered by the side of their house Nov. 13. Before the property owner, Nick Lambrou, notified Kennedy of the fine, five more violations piled up that she and her roommates said they didn’t receive until weeks later.   

The city fines landlords, and then, in most cases, landlords pass the fines on to their tenants. The lag in communication between tenants, landlords and the city can cause violations to continue and fines to pile up, as in the case of Kennedy. The Rental Housing and Advisory Commission recently began work on a proposal to reform Ithaca’s garbage policy, Alderman Scante Merrick said.

The City of Ithaca picks up trash weekly and recycling every other week. All trash barrels must have tags on them indicating their type and weight. Failure to use the proper tag or an overweight trash barrel can lead to a fine from the department of sanitation.

Fines for trash violations begin at $50. The second offense is $200; each subsequent offense within that calendar year is $300. Under this policy, Merrick said students who sign a lease for the fall semester could be fined as though it was their second or third offense based on violations of previous tenants. Merrick said the way the City of Ithaca currently deals with trash is inconsistent.

Kennedy said the amount of their fine was increased because of the violations received by previous tenants that same year.

Though fines are issued to property owners rather than the tenants themselves, most landlords include stipulations in leasing agreements requiring tenants to pay all fines issued to the property. Kennedy said she thinks property owners should be required to inform tenants promptly if they receive a violation.

“In my case, our house was not aware of our fine situation until six of them had built up,” Kennedy said. “Since most leases say that tenants have to pay the fine, there is no incentive for the landlord to tell the tenants right away or make an effort to be more aware of the fines since tenants will bear the burden regardless.”

Lambrou said the fining system targets student housing, especially in Collegetown. Though he said timing is an issue, he maintains that the city often fails to send fines immediately after processing them, which leads to misunderstandings between property owners and their tenants.

“They try to turn it on the property owner because it’s easy pickings,” Lambrou said. “But the fines began to pile up before any of us had a full knowledge that they existed.”

Lambrou said Kennedy and her roommates were aware of the violation and failed to obey the rule in the first place.

The proposal, which Merrick said would be presented to the Common Council in the following months, would change the way the fine structure works to prevent new offenders from being penalized for violations they never committed.

Recycling pickup is free, while tags for 35 pounds of trash are sold in sheets of six for $19.50. Tags are available at most supermarkets and at City Hall.

Dan Spencer, supervisor of the sanitation department of the city, said he prefers the tags costing a flat fee because it adds an incentive to generate less trash. For example, a family generating six bags of trash per week would pay twice as much as a family that generates three bags.

“This is the best way for Ithaca,” Spencer said. “That way you are only paying for the amount of trash you dispose of.”

Two different city departments give out fines for garbage. The sanitation department deals with garbage disposal while the building commission handles garbage violations on private property.

Sophomore Seth Ecker, who lives off campus, said cash-strapped college students usually find a way around buying trash tags like tossing out their trash on campus, which the college does not allow.

“A lot of students take their trash to dumpsters on campus instead of taking it out,” Ecker said.

Junior John Davis, who lives on Coddington Road, said he commends the city for making recycling pick up free, unlike in his hometown of Salem, Mass. Davis said he did have an issue with recycling after a truck forgot to pickup the cardboard he and his roommates left out by the road. Davis was eventually fined $20.

Davis said he often disposes of trash in dumpsters on campus.  

“None of us have the time to go and buy tags,” Davis said. “They’re expensive and a hassle to go get.”

Kennedy said she hopes the new city policy will emphasize landowner accountability.

“Until landlords are held more accountable for their actions, these rental housing issues between tenants and landlords will only continue.”