'I felt sick whenever I threw the rubbish': Bukit Batok residents raise stink over new neighbour's clutter along corridor

Their home, their rules — but when this couple began cluttering up the common corridor, their neighbours weren't too happy.

A couple living in a Bukit Batok HDB block earned the ire of their neighbours after they allegedly began using the corridor outside their flat as their personal storage space, Shin Min Daily News reported on Tuesday (May 7).

Items outside their flat and in the common areas include fish tanks, pails, strollers, bicycles and more.

Speaking to Shin Min, a 59-year-old resident surnamed Zheng (transliteration) who has lived at Block 289C along Bukit Batok Street 25 for 26 years recalled how there had never been issues with the neighbours on his floor.

In March last year, however, a young couple whom Zheng described to be in their 30s moved in, leaving items piled outside their flat.

Thinking that the clutter was because the couple — and their four children — were still settling in, Zheng didn't have any concerns at the time. A month later, however, he found the mess still around.

"Seeing no changes a few months later, I contacted the Town Council," Zheng said.

"They've always had three baby strollers parked outside their home and they've never kept them in their flat. Not only does this obstruct the walkway, if someone throws cigarette butts on them, they might catch fire."

He also took issue with their potted plants placed around the garbage chute area, claiming that they dirtied the place.

While other residents on the same floor also have plants, they keep the area clean, Zheng said.

He added: "A neighbour also got into a quarrel with them because water flowed into the neighbour's home while they were changing the water in their fish tank."

'He didn't bother to do anything'

A 56-year-old neighbour surnamed Lin (transliteration), told Shin Min that although the clutter didn't directly affect her, she found that the mess around the chute area attracted lizards.

"Every time I take out the trash, I see a lot of lizards. Before this, the fertiliser emitted a bad smell and I felt sick whenever I threw the rubbish.

"This is the first time in my 27 years of living here that I've encountered something like this," she said.

Another neighbour told Shin Min that he had confronted the male resident before, asking if he could tidy up the area as he was worried that the place might become a breeding ground for mosquitos.

"He didn't bother to do anything," the neighbour recalled. "I didn't want to escalate the situation, so I didn't bring it up again."

A Shin Min reporter who went down to the block confirmed that there were many objects left along the corridor, including strollers, a clothes rack, multiple pails of soil and other items near the garbage chute.

However, none of the items obstructed the walkway area.

Common area 'shared by everyone', resident says

Speaking to the Chinese evening daily, the resident in question stated that he would be willing to clear the items within a month if requested by the Town Council or his neighbours.

He explained that because of his interest in botany, he makes his own fertiliser from composting kitchen scraps, which he then uses for his own plants or gives away to others.

"This is my hobby, so if anyone has any issues, they can talk to me and I'd be more than happy to remove [the clutter]," he said.

"I have tried my best to keep things tidy, so if it really affects the neighbours, I am willing to clean it up within a month."

The resident suggested that his new neighbours might not be accustomed to living near a family with so many children, adding that individuals may have differing tolerance levels. He also shared that he'd never faced any such issue with previous neighbours. 

He also told Shin Min: "I don't wish for the matter to escalate and hope it can be resolved through the appropriate channels… the Town Council had said that the common area is shared by everyone. If the neighbours don't agree, then everyone's belongings have to be cleared away."

According to him, the clothes rack near the garbage chute doesn't belong to him, but acknowledged that the other items there are his.

Most items already cleared: Jurong-Clementi Town Council

Responding to queries by AsiaOne on Wednesday (May 8), a spokesperson from the Jurong-Clementi Town Council shared that they are "actively working with the resident to maintain a clutter-free common area" at their floor.

"The resident has been cooperative and has already cleared most of the items from the common areas," the spokesperson said. "They are currently making arrangements to clear the remaining items, to ensure that the common area remains free from clutter."

The spokesperson added that the Town Council will continue to monitor the situation.

ALSO READ: 'I don't dare to go home early': Yishun resident living in fear, claims female neighbour harassing him for past 5 years

khooyihang@asiaone.com