[rusnak]

We have some property that is pretty much located centrally in a nice neighborhood. I'm building stuff on it later this year, so I'm concerned about the very recent explosion of "Urban outdoorsmen" in our area. The neighbors all know to call me if there is a problem. So I get calls if someone dumps a sofa, or a load of trash in the part that is a dirt field. I probably spend about $1,000 each year hauling tires, sofas, and junk that some idiot dumps in the property or in the dumpsters that the city won't haul off.

Recently, I've been getting complaints about homeless guys sleeping on the lawn, in the bushes, or in the parking lot. By recent, I mean since February. We are on the property 24/7 from September through December, and I am sure to shoo them off during that time. I've since hauled 5x that amount of garbage, and around 30 shopping carts back to stores. Talking to them didn't do anything to deter them from using our property as a home.

I went from somone who would give them a few bucks, to trying to offer them a ride somewhere else, to politely asking them to leave. But now, I've gotten fed up. I just dump their stuff, and tell them to get out. They've pretty much all gotten the message. But 1 or 2 refuse to leave. Actually, they leave and I find them the next day sleeping in the bushes with customers having to walk around them and their shopping carts full of stuff.

It's become a real problem. One of them decided to threaten me. So I think I effectively explained to him in ways that he understands that this is not his brightest idea ever.

The source of the problem is Prop 48, which prevents the county jail from keeping certain drug offenders locked up. The neighborhood is not going to put up with it much longer either. I was talking to a cop last night who I called on one of them, and he agreed that I could remove them by force, and if they get violent, I would be within my rights to deal with it as a violent act on their part. I find myself still ambivalent. I'd rather just tell them to be gone, and keep throwing their bottles and cans and stuff in the trash. But customers and neighbors are losing their patience and no one wants to deal with them face to face. I find that I have to be the tip of the spear so to speak.

What would you guys do?