HOUSTON – After two months of waiting for heavy trash pickup — and after receiving a warning letter from her homeowners association — a Southwest Houston resident finally saw her overflowing curbside pile disappear Wednesday, just minutes after a visit from our newsroom.
The resident, Diamne Angert, says the trash was originally scheduled for pickup on October 2. When nothing happened, she filed a 3-1-1 complaint on October 20, only to see it incorrectly closed under the wrong category and address. She filed a second complaint, which was escalated, but the trash continued to sit outside her home weeks later.
In that time, Angert says strangers continued adding to the pile.
“People keep adding to this pile,” Angert said. “The mattress, the chair, the wine bottles, the yard clippings — none of it’s mine.”
As the heap grew, her HOA sent a courtesy notice demanding she remove the trash within ten days or face action. The letter, dated November 6, left her racing against the deadline.
“The Homeowners Association told me I needed to do something about this trash,” she said. “It has a 10-day limit on it… and we’re at 10 days.”
City Council Office: 400+ Cases Escalated, Few Updates
After receiving Angert’s concerns, our team contacted the office of Councilperson Tiffany Thomas, which confirmed it has escalated nearly 400 cases of missed heavy trash pickups. The office says it has received minimal updates from Solid Waste regarding when the cases will be resolved.
A Truck Finally Arrives — But Wider Problems Remain
Moments after we arrived at Angert’s home, a City of Houston heavy trash truck pulled up to begin collection.
“It’s mind-blowing!” she said. “My calls were useless, but your calls to the city and heavy trash and the councilperson are what did it. Thank you… I can’t tell you what a relief it is.”
Her neighbor, who did not want to appear on camera, also had her long-delayed heavy trash picked up that same hour.
But as we drove through the surrounding streets, it was clear that piles remained — some even larger than Angert’s. Nearby blocks were still lined with discarded furniture, debris, and yard waste.
Angert says the dangers extend far beyond appearance.
“My concern is that it’s an eyesore. My concern is that it’s going to bring vermin,” she said. Her husband added that in flood-prone areas, uncollected trash can quickly become a hazard.
Solid Waste Responds
Houston Solid Waste Management tells us it is investigating the cause of Angert’s delay and plans to work with additional contractors over the next several weeks to address the citywide backlog in heavy trash pickup.
We have followed up to ask how long those contractors will remain in place — and how the city fell so far behind to begin with. We are still awaiting answers.