A 26-year-old woman in Feltham, west London, has been issued a £1,000 penalty notice by Hounslow Council after placing a cardboard envelope next to communal rubbish bins outside her flat.
The resident, Loretta Alvarez, said the bins shared by about 25 properties were full, so she put the envelope on top of cardboard beside the bin area. She says only the envelope was left by her and not any larger boxes.
Ms Alvarez, a single mother, said the situation has left her under strain. She told reporters she would "never intentionally" leave rubbish out in the open.
She added: "It's been so stressful. I didn't want this to happen, I wouldn't want it to happen to someone else," and: "I've been trying to juggle this alongside work and being a mum - it's been hard."
Facing the council's deadline to pay, she said: "I don't have that money to give, I can't afford getting into debt to pay it, and I don't want to get a mark on my record." She also described her background: "I'm a mental health nurse, I went to university for three years." Ms Alvarez criticised the size of the penalty, saying: "They're fining me more than someone gets for speeding."
Hounslow Council says fly-tipping is defined as leaving waste anywhere in public other than in a bin, regardless of whether bins are full.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports the council temporarily put the fine on hold while it conducted an investigation, but the penalty has not been cancelled and remains in place.
In a statement, councillor Pritam Grewal, cabinet member for community safety, said the council "remains committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach to littering and protecting the local environment".
He added: "We have done the right thing in issuing the fine, because littering includes leaving waste anywhere in public apart from in a bin, regardless of whether bins are full. While we accept that no one likes receiving a fine, residents expect us to tackle the offence and the offenders."
Hounslow Council informed Ms Alvarez she had until 5 November to pay the fine in full; if she does not, she could face legal proceedings that may include a criminal charge. Ms Alvarez has said she cannot afford the payment.
The case highlights tensions that can arise when communal waste facilities are full and residents try to find short-term alternatives. The council maintains its enforcement position under its definition of littering, while the resident says she did not intentionally dump waste and cannot meet the penalty.