To use dead neighbours bins

I was the executor for a relatives house. Once they died I binned all the food stuff that wouldn’t be used and offered the rest of it to the neighbours; they had been friends for 40+ years.
for the next few months I had said they could use the driveway and bins if needed and that I’d let them know when they needed to
stop. They were grateful for the offer, rarely used I believe but they had been lovely friends over the decades and I have fond memories of them from childhood.
I didn’t live locally so arranged a house clearance to come and deal with everything inside so didn’t need the bin space myself (or the driveway).
I’d have been pissed off however if I turned one day and discovered someone had been using the drive or the bins, it’s just a bit rude. I think if you’ve genuinely not been able to catch anyone in months despite knowing they go a couple of times a week then a note through the door to check if it’s okay is the best way to go.

I'm sorry, but I'm having a little chuckle to myself at the thought his relatives might find the sight of his bin upsetting. While meanwhile other people think he'll be looking down and smiling on you, glad that his legacy lives on through his bin. It's a bin OP. As long as you don't inconvenience his relatives by making it smell of gerbil wee, I don't think it needs elevating to symbolise respect or lack of for his passing.

Ah, I stand corrected re the extra bins then! I've never known anywhere that will let you have another general waste/landfill bin, but it sounds like plenty of councils do.

We can request another recycling bin if we ask, as they obviously want to promote recycling; and there's a separate scheme whereby you can pay annually if you want a garden waste bin (or double for two).

I thought councils were punished financially if they send 'too much' to landfill over the year, hence they guard access to extra landfill bins jealously... but it would appear not everywhere!

I'm not saying that this is the case for OP, but I know a few people who never bother recycling and just chuck everything into the landfill bin - unsurprisingly, they tend to struggle for space in the one bin for what most people use two bins for!

I think it’s disrespectful to his relatives to continue using them. His grieving family could see it as you taking advantage of his passing, even if they knew he’d previously given permission. It could also be upsetting to them, to see his bins out.

Yes, after my dad died I absolutely needed access to his bins to dispose of waste from the house clearance and all the cleaning I had to do. If I'd found someone else's rubbish in those bins I would have been pretty damn cross. When this chap died whatever arrangement op had has ceased, to continue using the bins is bloody cheeky.

I think op needs to get her arse in gear NOW and make her own arrangements, whether that's to go to the tip, get a composter, or pay for a larger bin.

Not sure you would get away with a tip run once a week in my council.

I think they monitor how many trips you do and have a reasonable use policy.

The solution here is to produce less waste.

Our council allows us to purchase extra bins so maybe you could do this? Or have some sort of system where you store the waste safely and do a tip run once a week or something?

Sounds like something I’d do and regret it and feel guilty. I wouldn’t use his bin after today, it does feel a little disrespectful and if I was his family and a neighbour bothered me asking if they could continue using his bin I’d find it a bit insensitive. If the bin has been collected and put back and nobody has noticed then I’d leave it there and find an alternative plan

Don't me to derail but sone councils do have systems in place to charge on top of council tax eg garden waste collection - I think we pay £45 a year for this every 2 weeks but not over Xmas/NewYear and we are given stickers to put on the reverse if the bin to show were in the scheme

My father-in-law's neighbours started using his drive and his bins after he died and when we asked them to desist, got quite arsey about it! When we turned up to clear his house, they shouted, 'Oh, we suppose you want us to move our car, then?'

Well, yes.

This ^

Glad someone else has said it.

When my Dad died, the council gave us a council tax break but in turn we couldn't use the services so no bins were emptied. So its not just as simple as using his bin and then it being emptied and putting it back. If you want to council to empty your bin you have to pay for it. So be prepared for the fact the council may not empty it. The bin men, of course, may not realise the council tax for the property is not currently being paid and empty it anyway. But I would be worried that it won't be emptied and the family will then have to get rid of your rubbish.

That aside I do think its a little cheeky using his bin without even asking the family for permission.

You should ask permission from the relatives, as they may need the bin to help empty the house out or fill with their own rubbish. You sought permission from the previous owner, not the owner now who may have different requirements.

Long term you will need to find a solution anyway if someone moves in who does not have the space available to give to you.

My dm died last year and the council advised me that no council tax was due until 6 months after probate was granted. Bins were emptied as normal, but as I was clearing the house I would not have wanted neighbours to fill them with their refuse. If there was space on the day of collection - no problem at all, but as our refuse is only collected one every three weeks (recycling weekly) I don’t think there was a time it wasn’t full.

Use them. It’s what he would have wanted.

Blimey - imagine all that crap going into a landfill every week.

We use a neighbours bin as the house is empty but the condition is we don’t use it till it’s due to be put out. So we put it out and take it in every week and if there is space/it’s empty we can fill it. As they are clearing the house and some weeks nobody comes to continue clearing other weeks maybe one bag.

But we did ask first. On their side they don’t have to worry about bin day while clearing and the house looks used as the bins go in and out.

To those on about smell we have 5 cats, their have their own bathroom for their litter trays which are also hooded, that’s off a corridor of the house nobody but us residents would need to use as it only leads to the catio, cats bathroom and outhouses.

You are as others said going to need to find a long term solution, ours isn’t pet waste it’s general rubbish or rather mostly loads of recycling. Come winter we will just move to burning all paper/cardboard in the incinerator.

I really don't understand animal hoarders.

OP you need to find a suitable solution to getting rid of all of your waste. Did you not take that into consideration when you chose to have so many pets? I wouldn't be happy if I was his family. Having the bins used for animal waste can bring rodents to the property.

No it would be really cheeky. Of course you can't put stuff in his bin now. What on earth will the new owners think. Dreadful idea. And it may impact on the council charges due on the house.

They certainly do! We have to pay an extra £50 a year to get our green bin emptied.

Thank you! I would not expect an ill person to be dragging bins around if mine was already out for collection and half empty. I probably wouldnt even notice.

A few weeks later all her bins went "walkies" down various back alleys so she had to hunt for them. They did not get emptied that week. But then I can be petty too and I enjoyed the idea of her stressing over her bins.

You sound delightful.

The bins belong to the local authority and are assigned for use by the house. You can hardly ask your neighbours permission where he has gone!

I would carry on using them until the house appears to be sold. So long as you put nothing messy in them and bring them back in I cant see a problem.

Some people are very petty and territorial about their bins. One time I was ill with noravirus. I put a small bag of (neatly tied up and non drippy) rubbish in my neighbours half empty bin so I would not have the hassle of going out when I felt ill. The bin was already out for collection but she found it and dumped it the bin bag by my gate. A few weeks later all her bins went "walkies" down various back alleys so she had to hunt for them. They did not get emptied that week. But then I can be petty too and I enjoyed the idea of her stressing over her bins.

Some people are vile saying ops house must stink! What would compel a person to be so unnecessarily rude ?!

Indeed.

My brother and I were executors for our late mother's estate.

Our mum had owned her bungalow and as executors, we applied to the council for a six month grace period while the house was being cleared of contents and prepared for being put on the market, during which time no council tax would be charged. We managed to sell the house and complete the conveyancing within six months and the property remained council tax free until the new owner took possession.

The water company also froze her account and no water rates were charged to the estate during the period when the house was empty.

Over the years, my mother had allowed various neighbours to use her drive to park their cars or their visitors' cars as she had a garage but no car, herself.

Had any of them continued to do this after her death, I would have expected them to have discussed this with us first as the executors are responsible for the safety of the property until it has been sold and we had to take out a special unoccupied house insurance policy until the sale of the property had been completed.

If a neighbour had continued to make use of her bins for disposing of bags of animal waste (or any kind of waste) without discussing with my brother or with me a) whether the bins would continue to be emptied and b) whether we were happy for them to continue to do this, I would not have permitted this to continue.

I am also surprised that so many posters think this is OK when the OP has not spoken to the relatives about this.

I wouldn't do it, OP.
The relatives of your neighbour are probably dealing with the estate and will be paying a reduced council tax that may mean no bin collections. Two possible outcomes here 1) the bins don't get collected and the family has to deal with a big bin of smelly animal litter 2) the council gives them a fine (council in our area is pretty strict on this)
Speaking as someone who is dealing with wrapping up a relative's estate at the moment this bin situation would just be an extra headache that I could do without. Grief and sorting out someone's affairs are super draining.
I know your neighbour was being kind but unfortunately I think the decent thing of you to do would be to make alternative arrangements for your household waste.

They may not be collected, you get an exemption
in council tax when someone dies, but that means they don’t collect the refuse.