CLEARWATER, Fla. — Disgusting, embarrassing and smelly: those are just a few of the words Tamara Pickett used to describe the unsightly mess that sat at the end of her driveway.
Pickett said her trash hauler started skipping her address back in October.
She told ABC Action News the family had no choice but to pile up their garbage at the end of the driveway.
"It's left on the end of my driveway for everybody else to see," Pickett said.
The stench was so pervasive that the family had to keep their windows closed to keep it out of the house.
Pickett contacted ABC Action News at the end of October and said the trash had not been picked up for four weeks.
When we visited the Pickett home 10 days later, the trash pile had grown larger than the photos Pickett had sent us in an email.
Bags were piled on top of bags, some torn open and leaking due to being left outside.
Pickett told us she'd tried to resolve the issue on her own.
"I keep calling, and I keep getting the same excuse, and then nothing comes up," she said. "They're going to send somebody out, but nobody comes."
Pickett showed us statements indicating that she'd paid her bill for the last three months. ABC Action News called and emailed Waste Pro asking about the trash pile.
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention," the company replied in an email. "Service is of utmost importance to us at Waste Pro. It appears there was a disconnect with service at Ms. [Pickett's] home this week."
The statement went on to say that there were "a few action items that we are working with on the operational side to ensure she continues to receive proper service. I was informed by the local management that they have been in touch with Ms. [Pickett] and verified service occurred."
All of the trash was picked up within a day of our phone call.
