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My husband and I have lived in our apartment building for nearly 4 years. Recently we started receiving notices from our building manager for leaving property outside of our apartment. Our lease states that we rent the inside of our apartment only and that outside space is at the discretion of the owner. We make a very concerted effort to keep our apartment, including the courtyard space around it, neat and attractive. The items he has complained about include gardening tools and a cigar, but he has also complained about things that were left by a handyman. Several other tenants have things around the courtyard such as an empty rabbit hutch, empty flowerpots, rusted metal bookcase, ashtrays, tables and chairs. No one else has received a notice and the tone of the notices has been very harsh and threatening. He has never spoken to us about this in person, even though we regularly see him around the building. We have been very good tenants and have never received any complaints before this. We frequently clean the courtyard, wipe down the communal washers and dryers and do our best to keep the entire apartment building in good order. We feel singled out and harassed. Our best efforts to comply have been met with another notice. What is out best course of action? Can our building manager evict us for this? If he does evict us, do we have any recourse? How can we protect ourselves when we feel so singled out and attacked?