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Is it possible to contain the smell from a smokey backyard BBQ?

In Florida, one man had a run-in with an official over the scent wafting from his grill.

The video of the exchange between the homeowner, his friend, and a Pinellas county environmental specialist after a neighbor once again called to complain about the barbeque odor is making the rounds on social media.

Allegedly, that same woman has also called police to report the so-called nuisance, only to have the officers side with the homeowner.

That's when the county stepped in.

After complaint number 15, they sent out an inspector to document the "grill byproduct" and issue the homeowner a warning about somehow keeping his smoke from wafting into the street.

NSFW (language)




Why I avoid living near people

This is just ridiculous... but it is Florida, so what do you expect?

Had I been in the person in authority, I think I would have cited the complainent, for wasting the governments time and resources.

Can't say that I haven't been at barbecues where the up themselves neighbors have turned their noses up at us because they were vegan. ...My argument though to people complaining in those grounds is that they need to live in a bubble if they want to live in a world where people don't eat meat everyday. However, in this case I'm assuming that person was complaining for the sake of complaining. There may of course be more to the situation, though its a bit petty to call the authorities over a barbecue of all things. ...Or were these people grilling meat 24/7 or something?

Theoretically under good old common law, the smoke is a trespass to his neighbors.

Me, if someone nearby is grilling and their barbeque smoke is wafting over, they are just being neighborly and allowing me to partake in this joyous event. Mmmm so hungry now.

There was a lady like that in my parent's street. She used to call the cops every time a dog barked. Ever. Even once. Then once the cops got tired of coming out she started wandering onto peoples properties and provoking the dogs, then recorded it and sent it to the county. One family had to move because they were getting fined so much. Eventually she stumbled into the wrong yard and got bit.

Maybe he is using tires as fuel for the barbecue?

Thank god I get along good with my neighbors. I would bbq everyday and invite by buddies over to tune up their Harley's all day if that was my neighbor.

It could be understandable depending on how frequently it is a problem. Smoke smell is just like any other smell, be it from trash, burning brush, pile of poop, and it can become a nuisance.

 Inquisitor Lord Bane wrote:
There was a lady like that in my parent's street. She used to call the cops every time a dog barked. Ever. Even once. Then once the cops got tired of coming out she started wandering onto peoples properties and provoking the dogs, then recorded it and sent it to the county. One family had to move because they were getting fined so much. Eventually she stumbled into the wrong yard and got bit.

I looked into the noise law in pa and it would have to be constant noise for 2 minutes if I'm remember right. I own a dog kennel even though my dogs have very good kennel manners and don't bark very often I was concerned about noise.

 d-usa wrote:
It could be understandable depending on how frequently it is a problem. Smoke smell is just like any other smell, be it from trash, burning brush, pile of poop, and it can become a nuisance.

Look everyone, d-usa thinks wholesome American cookouts smell like trash and poop. d-usa thinks the heart and soul of the American summer is nuisance. It's all coming out now.

Just for that you ain't getting none of my tasty brisket next time I smoke me some meat!

 Frazzled wrote:


Me, if someone nearby is grilling and their barbeque smoke is wafting over, they are just being neighborly and allowing me to partake in this joyous event. Mmmm so hungry now.

Yeah, here in Texas, real men use mesquite smoke as cologne.

 Chute82 wrote:

 Inquisitor Lord Bane wrote:
There was a lady like that in my parent's street. She used to call the cops every time a dog barked. Ever. Even once. Then once the cops got tired of coming out she started wandering onto peoples properties and provoking the dogs, then recorded it and sent it to the county. One family had to move because they were getting fined so much. Eventually she stumbled into the wrong yard and got bit.

I looked into the noise law in pa and it would have to be constant noise for 2 minutes if I'm remember right. I own a dog kennel even though my dogs have very good kennel manners and don't bark very often I was concerned about noise.

Yep, dogs can't bark outside is the law in many areas. Mostly Outside persistent barking dogs can be paired with animal abuse, as in lack of shelter/water, not enough space, overexposure and violating nighttime laws. If your dog barks outside and your neighbors can hear it, you probably breaking the law in many places.

I have had to move my Smoker because my neighbors don't eat Pork. So I smoke on the far side of my house. If your property isn't large enough to not impact your neighbors, then you don't get to do it. That means noise and smells. Don't like it? Get your own property and don't intrude on your neighbors. Luckily my neighbors were very nice about it and instead of making a stink we came to a solution.

There is no way that lady across the street was being impacted by these guy's smoker like that unless they had one hell of a set up. My Green Egg contains most of the smells until I open it. I know we have had EPA lawsuits due to cigarette smoke which banned people from smoking outside their own homes, so I totally believe they can and will say stuff like 'no meat smell at your property line'.

 Tannhauser42 wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:


Me, if someone nearby is grilling and their barbeque smoke is wafting over, they are just being neighborly and allowing me to partake in this joyous event. Mmmm so hungry now.

Yeah, here in Texas, real men use mesquite smoke as cologne.

Eu de Fajitas!

 Inquisitor Lord Bane wrote:
There was a lady like that in my parent's street. She used to call the cops every time a dog barked. Ever. Even once. Then once the cops got tired of coming out she started wandering onto peoples properties and provoking the dogs, then recorded it and sent it to the county. One family had to move because they were getting fined so much. Eventually she stumbled into the wrong yard and got bit.

Sounds like she was trespassing.

 djones520 wrote:
This is just ridiculous... but it is Florida, so what do you expect?

Had I been in the person in authority, I think I would have cited the complainent, for wasting the governments time and resources.

I've been in discussions about the situation in the OP on the facebook, and a buddy of mine used to do "complaint work" for the county he lived in, and this was usually what he did.


Honestly, IMO, the only time something like this should be not-OK, is if it is before/after "normal" hours, or if it is constant, as if the person using the BBQ were running a home business.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 djones520 wrote:
This is just ridiculous... but it is Florida, so what do you expect?

Had I been in the person in authority, I think I would have cited the complainent, for wasting the governments time and resources.

I've been in discussions about the situation in the OP on the facebook, and a buddy of mine used to do "complaint work" for the county he lived in, and this was usually what he did.


Honestly, IMO, the only time something like this should be not-OK, is if it is before/after "normal" hours, or if it is constant, as if the person using the BBQ were running a home business.

I'm in agreement here.

To be fair there is nothing crueler than having BBQ Smoke around with no way to get to it and enjoy delicious BBQ meat together.

Fethers on the other side of my office grill every once in a while but the whole place they are at is restricted so we cant enjoy any. :/

Im going to play devils advocate.
1: I have a smoke intolerance, If I get smoke in my lungs, I get ill
2: I have had neighbors who dont so much as BBQ, but put meet on the grill, ith to much lighter fluid and charcoal, fill the whole block with smoke and the the smell of burnt food.
3: BBQs are sometimes an excuse to act like a Jackass, like how over here, they had a July 4th bbq, then lit of a bottle rocket that set fire to our law(we share a lawn)

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Honestly, IMO, the only time something like this should be not-OK, is if it is before/after "normal" hours, or if it is constant, as if the person using the BBQ were running a home business.

Yes, I agree. Obviously with particularly noxious odors, like industrial ones, or what have you it's a little different, but having to smell your neighbors occasionally smoking or grilling on their property is essentially the cost of living in society, just like I have to smell people burning leaves or the smell of paint when they're doing their houses, or the smell of grass when they're mowing.

I feel like if the smell of someone grilling a steak or smoking a brisket is so problematic, the onus is on you to move to Alaska or Montana or some other place far from other people. The idea all normal and usual cooking smells must end at your property line is an unreasonable one, in my opinion.

In Florida, this could be a HOA issue, which is something that they've brought upon themselves.

Yeah, that's a whole other mess, and why I would never buy into a HOA. I don't care how nice the place is, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

Yeah, they aren't. When I lived in Florida, twenty-some years ago, the rules and regulations for the HOA in our area weren't so bad, pretty standard stuff (like "don't pile garbage on your lawn"). I moved away, my mother still lives in that house, and now they dictate the color of the flowers you can have outside.

The lady making the complaints needs a gun to defend her property from the smell of bbq...



The only truely American solution!

 Psienesis wrote:
Yeah, they aren't. When I lived in Florida, twenty-some years ago, the rules and regulations for the HOA in our area weren't so bad, pretty standard stuff (like "don't pile garbage on your lawn"). I moved away, my mother still lives in that house, and now they dictate the color of the flowers you can have outside.

As I said before, its my damn property, Unless the HOA is paying my mortgage, they can bite me.

 SilverMK2 wrote:
The lady making the complaints needs a gun to defend her property from the smell of bbq...



The only truely American solution!

We have one. You want to annoy a dog, stand on top the stairs and shoot it at the dog. Dog hears noise then whump. Oh they get pissed!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Yeah, they aren't. When I lived in Florida, twenty-some years ago, the rules and regulations for the HOA in our area weren't so bad, pretty standard stuff (like "don't pile garbage on your lawn"). I moved away, my mother still lives in that house, and now they dictate the color of the flowers you can have outside.

As I said before, its my damn property, Unless the HOA is paying my mortgage, they can bite me.

Under old British Common Law Hotsauceman is correct. This is actually how its supposed to work. What really happens is that commercial users tend to get "overlooked"

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Yeah, they aren't. When I lived in Florida, twenty-some years ago, the rules and regulations for the HOA in our area weren't so bad, pretty standard stuff (like "don't pile garbage on your lawn"). I moved away, my mother still lives in that house, and now they dictate the color of the flowers you can have outside.

As I said before, its my damn property, Unless the HOA is paying my mortgage, they can bite me.

They can put a lien on your house and have your property taken from you in most cases. And in most cases, it isn't your property, it is the Banks property.

When you live next to someone who has decided to build a house on his townhouse's back yard, does illegal dumping or is housing farm animals on a property not zoned for it, you will care.

County zoning and HOAs serve a purpose... The trick is to move somewhere which has rules you can live buy, not move into a community with rules and then demand special behavior because 'AH OWN MAH LANDZ!' because you will lose.

I dont care if they do that, it is there property, and im sure "Illegal dumping" and "Not Properly Zoned" is something I can bring up with the city.

Ouze wrote:
Yeah, that's a whole other mess, and why I would never buy into a HOA. I don't care how nice the place is, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

I miss my Galveston County TX based Home Owners Association.

Red Neck Neighbor that STILL hadn't fixed his fence 2 years after Hurricane Ike: "Not only do they say I gots ta fix mah fence this month, but they won't let me get Chain Link!*"

Me: "Because this isn't the Getto, jackass."

He never spoke to me again...

*Note that every house in this subdivision has the same 6' cedar fence. Period.

Up here, I see cars on blocks (for 2+ years), an old mattress on the side of one house, uncut lawns...

Clean up your fething yards, donkey-cave. That, or move the feth out into the country.

Property values. Eye sores. Rabble, rabble.

Point being, that "it's my landz!!11one!! eleven!!" doesn't fly in large parts of Florida, because a significant portion of the state is housing developments and suburban sprawl.

You might own the physical building of the house, but you don't actually own the land it sits on. That's owned by whoever owns the subdivision, so when you move into that area, you're signing a contract with the HOA, and generally paying dues to them for things like lawn maintenance and such.