Lurting Avenue hit hard with DOS fines

The Department of Sanitation has residents of one local Allerton Avenue street talking trash.

It appears that DOS enforcement personnel are over saturating one street on Lurting Avenue, being overly punitive for what residents claim are nothing more than honest mistakes.

According to resident Peter Amgrisani, DOS personnel have hit area homeowners with tickets for minute offenses. Amgrisani wonders if DOS has a grudge against someone on the block, which runs between Mace and Allerton avenues. 

“How finite can we be? There is no way we can be 100% compliant with regulations,” said Amgrisani, who despite a serious disability, says he always separates his recyclables and puts his garbage neatly at the curb. “It cost me $100 a year just in garbage bags. They have got to give a little.”

Amgrisani received a $25 fine for not having a clear enough bag for his paper recyclables. His neighbors across the street, who are also seriously disabled, received a fine for having one or two items mis-categorized in their garbage.

“A lot of us have gotten tickets. My neighbors across the street are over 65 and have grandchildren who are 10 or 11, yet they got tickets for having plastic baby bottles mixed in with their non-recyclables,” Amgrisani noted.  “I got a ticket because my bag was not clear enough, and another one because I had cardboard that wasn’t cut up. I had a translucent bag.” 

While a DOS spokesperson did not comment about the late pickup, they did offer residents an option if they feel they are unfairly written up with a citation. 

“I would have to look at copies of the ticket,” explained Keith Mellis, a DOS spokesman. “Really, the best thing to do if you feel you have relieved a ticket in error is to call 311, and we will send someone to look into the matter.” 

Department of Sanitation, Lurting Avenue, fines, unfair, recycling, mistakes