Ramapo, NY Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Town Code § 178-4 makes it unlawful for anyone to "throw, deposit or place or permit to be deposited or scattered" litter, garbage or rubbish on any street, lot, sidewalk, other public place, or on private property, except in an authorized receptacle or an official Town dump. Section 178-6 separately requires every property owner to keep the premises free of litter, and requires gas stations, auto-repair shops and auto-parts stores to store loose vehicle parts such as tires, mufflers and batteries in a fenced or enclosed area at least six feet high, approved by the Building Inspector, so nothing is visible from the street.

Section 178-8 extends the dumping ban to park property, ponds, lakes and streams. When a property is found in violation, § 178-9 lets the enforcement official designated under § 376-140 of the Zoning chapter serve a notice giving the owner 10 days to clean it up; if the owner ignores the notice, §§ 178-10 and 178-10D let the Town Board hold a hearing, do the cleanup itself, and assess the full removal cost as a lien on the property, collected the same way as Town taxes.

Enforcement under § 178-11 runs through the Police Department or the § 376-140 enforcement official, who may issue an appearance ticket under Article 150 of the state Criminal Procedure Law rather than only referring the matter to court.