[media-credit name=’CHARLIE GORICHANAZ/Herald photos’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]They ride out each summer from the West, traveling from city to city more like Gypsies than modern-day cowboys. The New York Times has classified them with the neat neologism "freegan"; they see their scavenging as a civic duty, if not a moral imperative.

What brings them, dressed in ruffled chenille and black, to this heartbeat of the Upper Midwest, roaming the streets for the other man's treasure?

Dumpster diving.

Every year, students and others moving within Madison find themselves forced out on "Homeless Day," beginning Aug. 14 at noon. They can't move any of their belongings into their new homes until the 15th at noon, allowing their landlords to inspect the rooms.

In past years, this has led to dozens of residents sleeping on their disassembled beds in the streets. Even more people scour alleys, sidewalks and Dumpsters for that elusive free armchair, bookshelf or living-room centerpiece, even as they put their old furniture out for the taking.

"A lot of people have too many things," said one dumpster diver, Ashley, who was traveling from the state of Oregon.

Ashley and fellow diver Matti, both of whom refused to provide their last names, said they were not just looking for end tables and lamps for their home, but also things like furniture and clothing to set up a "free store" — a street-corner selection of rescued garbage — and a free meal at State Street's Concrete Park. They advertised downtown with posters reading "Feed Your F*cking Neckhole."

Matti said he preferred their methods to giving discarded items to area charitable stores.

"It's more than a little bit silly," he said.

Ashley and several friends make annual trips across the country, always stopping in Madison — a city they agreed is definitely unlike any other because of its move-in day.

"I've never seen this before," Ashley said.

Madison's move-in day

About 80 percent of campus area leases are up each Aug. 14, said Brenda Konkel, executive director of Madison's Tenant Resource Center.

"This has been a problem since [at least] the '60s," she said.

Lease end dates in other college towns are spread over the summer months and are not all on the same day. The phenomenon is "absolutely unique to Madison," she said.

This year, fewer residents spent the night on the streets. Konkel, who is also a Madison alder, said this was partially because of new apartments being built.

"When we have more units available, there are more options," she said.

Many students interviewed by The Badger Herald avoided the move-in and move-out days altogether, often by moving things back home first or renewing their leases. Several cited headache-filled tales that steered them away from Madison during move-in week.

University of Wisconsin senior Becky Peterson described her move-in experience as long and hectic.

"We had a lot of garbage in our apartment that we had to just throw out because we didn’t have room for it — about 20 garbage bags full," she said.

Another student, UW sophomore Henry Weiner, moved to a house because of the early renewal decision the dorms require, the increased freedom and privacy, and because it is "kinda sexy to say you live in a house."

He and his seven roommates took a 26-foot moving van from St. Paul, Minn., to their new home in Madison and didn't end up throwing much away. They also acquired many cheap and free items from friends, Goodwill and Craigslist users.

Their main problem, Weiner said, was the former tenants who left the apartment extremely dirty, littered with abandoned goods like laundry detergent and a broken gas grill.

Where does it all go?

The city has prepared for move-in day for so many years that it is nearly a routine.

Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckman said the city's main concern is determining what day of the week leases are up.

"Once we've got that taken care of, we then just decide when we're going to send out the extra people," he said. "We start people early. … Typically we start a day or two before (move-in day)."

Since the city knows move-in day is coming each year and preparations are made, it doesn't affect the city too greatly, "but it does contribute to the volume of trash," he said.

Waste Management, which handles much of Madison's garbage, also does a lot of preparation for Madison's move-in day.

According to Ken Corbett, a district manager for Waste Management, the disposal company prepares for the week by placing many 30-foot containers in the city, some of which replace smaller containers.

It is also the only time Waste Management must hire temporary labor to assist with loading material.

"Our trucks are normally operated by only the driver," Corbett said.

With the extra help, both the city and Waste Management collected at least double the typical amount of garbage and other items during move-in week.

The city picked up 500 additional tons of refuse and large items, according to Dreckman.

While Waste Management typically picks up 2,500 cubic yards of garbage per week, Corbett said more than 5,300 cubic yards were collected during move-in week. He said that number should be even higher because it does not include many large containers that had yet to be picked up and accounted for.

However, several other periods of the year have a high volume of garbage, he said.

"Lease change is the big one, but also certain holidays, especially Christmas," he said.

Waste Management of Wisconsin-Madison general manager Carol Kubly said she "would imagine other college towns have similar situations, but not to this extent due to the leases [being up on the same date]."

"But officer, I was about to move that!"

When the streets are clogged with U-Hauls and three-legged dining tables, many are left wondering where they can park.

Parking officers try to be as flexible as they possibly can, according to Erin Stenson, parking enforcement supervisor for Madison.

"We are more lenient during move-in week," she said, but added they cannot ignore safety concerns.

In some cases, drivers are allowed to park in no-parking zones.

"If we see that you're actively loading, we don't bother you," a parking enforcement official said.

Parking enforcement is also more lenient at night and when traffic is low in a particular area.

With enough preparation, city officials do not think move-in week causes any major issues.

Sgt. Tim Strassman, a supervising parking enforcement officer, said move-in day "doesn't really affect the city. We just prepare for it."

Come together

While Aug. 14 is easiest for those who renew their leases, many tenants choose to relocate each year.

"When you treat them really well, they tend to stay a bit longer," said Steve Moss, who owns 10 campus area apartment units.

Despite landlords' good intentions, thousands of tenants move anyway.

"You're always hoping you're going to find a better place," Konkel said.

The main reasons people move, though, usually involve roommates. Sometimes students have a bad roommate, and everyone wants to live with friends, according to Konkel.

Tenants often work with the new landlord and the old tenants to find storage space, be it in a room, basement or attic.

"It's really all about cooperation," Konkel said. "Some landlords are a lot more accommodating than others, but it's usually in their interest."

Moss said he would "certainly" help an incoming or outgoing tenant if it didn't inconvenience others.

"Generally speaking, the large management companies won't be as cooperative, but it depends on the staff at the time," Konkel said, and Moss agreed. Scott Watson, community manager for the downtown properties of Steve Brown Apartments, said his company is not able to store tenants’ belongings but tries to be as accommodating as possible.

Steve Brown Apartments, which owns 446 Madison units, sometimes grants requests for cleaning waivers, where the apartments would not be cleaned between tenants, but those situations are highly discouraged."We don't want an apartment to have a cleaning waiver for two-to-three years in a row," Watson said.

Is there a better way?

Madison has experienced the move-in mess for years, but the situation has begun to improve.

"The more new units are built, the more flexibility they've had in changing the moving date," Konkel said. However, there is "no willingness to change on the part of landlords. … I think they both like it and hate it," she said.

Having most leases end on Aug. 14 is likely more efficient, according to Moss.

"It's probably a necessary evil. Scattering the dates would present more work for the landlords," he said.

According to Watson, if some leases ended a few days earlier or later, just as many students would be stranded longer.

Despite such concerns, some students this year were able to move earlier or later than the traditional Aug. 14.

Konkel said spreading out the lease end dates like in other cities "would be a huge improvement to the market."

"It would smooth itself out, and in the last few years it has started to do that on its own," she said.

Several large apartment complexes were built this year, contributing to extra vacancies and more flexibility for tenants. "Five-to-10 years out, however, I'm sure we'll still have this issue," Konkel said.

Nothing changes until something changes

It was a motley crew assembled in Concrete Park Monday night before move-in day. College students playing hacky sack, a middle-aged couple and one busker with a life-size Bart Simpson stuffed toy, among others, waited patiently for their neckholes to be fed.

Then, an hour-and-a-half after the 7 p.m. start time, Matti, Ashley and several Madison residents arrived with a free meal. About 15 people took part in the dining event, which included a tall pot of chicken and creamy pasta and a pan of vegetables — the only food not found in the trash — and tomato sauce.

The group said they would most likely be hosting "Feed Your Neckhole" again.

"Unless we all die of food poisoning," Matti said, laughing.

Satisfied with their finds outside several apartments on the 400 block of Henry Street, Matti and Ashley said they definitely would be back for years to come to rescue trash for the needy, at least as long as Madison continues to throw it out each Aug. 14.