Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,380
|
Post by Tiny on Jun 20, 2013 13:14:54 GMT -5
And this is when you plant a line of 'conifers' or evergreen trees/bushes along the property line. It's not a fence, it will screen you from the neighbor and it will keep them off your property.
Choose you 'greenery' carefully, choose where you plant them carefully. Problem solved.
|
|
formerroomate99
Junior Associate
Joined: Sept 12, 2011 13:33:12 GMT -5
Posts: 7,381
|
Post by formerroomate99 on Jun 20, 2013 13:21:37 GMT -5
People have lost all sense of common courtesy. I second the notion that you either have it fixed/get a quote, and present the neighbor with the bill. This sounds like it is kind of an on going problem with this guy. On the other hand you have to decide if its worth going to war with him over, since if he sees no issue with his actions he is likely not going to respond well to being billed. In the wife's defense, she isn't the one who drove a truck over somebody's lawn, but she's the one getting torn a new one over it. For all we know, the huband's actions could be some passive agressive game he's playing with his wife. She nags him into finally getting off his ass and cleaning up the property, so he messes up the neighbor's lawn, and then is conveniently 'running errands' when he knows the neighbor is going to come home.
|
|
973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
|
Post by 973beachbum on Jun 20, 2013 14:05:11 GMT -5
And this is when you plant a line of 'conifers' or evergreen trees/bushes along the property line. It's not a fence, it will screen you from the neighbor and it will keep them off your property. Choose you 'greenery' carefully, choose where you plant them carefully. Problem solved. I planted a row of bushes once as buffer between our property and a neighbors. Nothing like not being able to drive or walk through our property to keep us from fighting about it.
|
|
Gardening Grandma
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 13:39:46 GMT -5
Posts: 17,962
|
Post by Gardening Grandma on Jun 20, 2013 14:51:30 GMT -5
Barberry makes a nice, attractive (but thorny) hedge.
|
|
Wisconsin Beth
Distinguished Associate
No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
Posts: 30,626
|
Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 20, 2013 14:55:50 GMT -5
I'd go with butterfly bushes or lilacs, personally.
|
|
The Captain
Junior Associate
Hugs are good...
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 16:21:23 GMT -5
Posts: 8,717
Location: State of confusion
Favorite Drink: Whinnnne
|
Post by The Captain on Jun 20, 2013 15:30:41 GMT -5
We have heavy deer populations so I'm somewhat limited in my choices.
Barberry and Lilacs are good choices...
Butterfly bushes are good choices for deer candy...
|
|
Wisconsin Beth
Distinguished Associate
No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
Posts: 30,626
|
Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 20, 2013 15:41:10 GMT -5
Too bad you can't train the deer to eat and poop on his side of the bush line, once you get it in.
|
|
tskeeter
Junior Associate
Joined: Mar 20, 2011 19:37:45 GMT -5
Posts: 6,831
|
Post by tskeeter on Jun 20, 2013 16:09:23 GMT -5
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 2, 2024 8:14:26 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2013 20:45:17 GMT -5
If you don't plan to drive across the problem area yourself, a nice set of nail boards (2X4's with really big nails protruding through them) buried so the nail tips are about an inch below the surface of the grass do wonders. You can walk over them safely but the weight of a truck..... What's he going to do, complain that he got a flat tire while illegally driving on your property? These do wonders for drunken neighbors, careless paper carriers, texting teens, etc. Just saying.
|
|
Peace Of Mind
Senior Associate
[font color="#8f2520"]~ Drinks Well With Others ~[/font]
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:53:02 GMT -5
Posts: 15,554
Location: Paradise
|
Post by Peace Of Mind on Jun 20, 2013 21:25:58 GMT -5
I highly recommend Viburnums. You can buy them little for about $10.00 a plant and they grow quickly, thick, and as high as you want. They can handle extreme heat and freezing temps and once a year they bloom little white flowers that smell good. Also the deer don't like them. Just be sure to space them about 5 - 6 feet because they really get wide if you want them to so it saves money. This is about 4 or 5 plants total.
|
|
toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 15,978
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
|
Post by toomuchreality on Jun 20, 2013 22:08:03 GMT -5
No matter how trivial a matter is, it NEVER feels good to be taken advantage of! Hang in there. You'll figure it out.
|
|
bookkeeper
Well-Known Member
Joined: Mar 30, 2012 13:40:42 GMT -5
Posts: 1,710
|
Post by bookkeeper on Jun 21, 2013 8:01:16 GMT -5
We have a similar problem with the lot across the lane from us. Local businessman turned slumlord bought the two empty lots across from our home. He bought some houses to be moved for $1 and they were delivered to the lots. The basement foundations are done and one house has been lowered on, the other one is still up on blocks. The contractors drive on the lane and my driveway and my yard since the empty lot is still wet and squishy from a weekly rain. DH was venting about it and I told him to put up a rope across one end of the drive (we have a circle driveway). Turns out he would rather vent than drive fence posts. It is literally a parade of people who could care less what happens to my property while they are busy doing their jobs. I have decided not to get my panties in a wad over it, because it will be a long summer if I do. I often wonder what a yard rutting contractor would say if I went over and did a few burn outs on their front lawn. Maybe it's time to get the dirt bikes out of the shed for an outing.
|
|
bean29
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 22:26:57 GMT -5
Posts: 9,985
|
Post by bean29 on Jun 21, 2013 10:22:07 GMT -5
Well, I would immagine you could complain about the code violation on the fence and no one would ever know it was you that complained.
I was on my city's web site this week looking for something and found a "code violation complaint form". It was really just an e-mail to the appropriate individual but it is there to make it easy to file a complaint.
The info on the city building code requirements is also there for things like sheds and fences and pools.
I guess I am just a dumb woman and b/c I don't know everything there is to know, I know how to research stuff. When we put a shed up at our old house I went to city hall and got the code. (I don't think it was on the web then).
So my DH is the last member of our subdivision committe that is still living in the neighborhood (we need to reelect new board members) So a few weeks ago one of our neighbors drove up to DH and complained that someone had reported them for having a shed too close to their house. The code says it has to be something like 5 feet off the lot line and 5 feet from any existing structure. Their "shed" is one of those prefab plastic thingies. and placed right up against their house. I walked over and told her well not only is it against the city code it does not meet the subdivision requirements either. Subdivision code says sheds must have same roof as the house and the same color siding as the house. There are multiple sheds in the neighborhood that don't meet the requirement but theirs is the most blantant. We never made an issue of any of them. I figure if we got people living in the houses and maintaining them, I don't want to make waves.
DH says well her husband is a contractor and DH feels there is no way he did not know it was not code. I said well hell, that shed was there when they bought their house so their inspection report should have told them that it was not code. She was whining that they spent $3,000 to put cement around it. I looked at it when I was walking the dog- they poured an approach to the shed - they probably used "extra" cement from the other work they had done. The sidewalk goes from the driveway to the patio and runs right past the shed. Other than the approach very little of their $3,000 is wasted. The woman is a drama queen. She caused me an my DH to have an argument so I don't like her. But we didn't report her. Can you immagine going through the neighborhood and asking everyone if they reported you?
I figure they pissed someone off or more likeley someone wanted to do the same thing and they said well so and so has their shed placed like this and they got the other people in trouble.
My Mom had a tree cut down a few years ago and they drove the truck on the neighbor' s driveway to get to it. But they sure as heck got pre-approval. Same with him...he needs to access Mom's yard to do maintenance on his garage. He asks permission.
I feel for the wife though. She probably asked him to get your permission. He said no and left her to deal with your wrath.
Rocks arn't a bad idea, but I was admiring my MIL's landscaping recently. She has a high stockade fence around her backyard up to the side front of the house. They were going to run it right up to the front lot line, but someone saw the fence post and complained to city hall. So DH and his brother's put arborvites and other planting from the side fence line to the sidewalk. It looks really nice and MIL got lots of compliments.
So MIL tells me she had a really big rock on the front corner and someone stole it from her. Apparently they just drove a truck up and took it. She did not "buy" it my neighbor gave it to her but it just amazes me the entitlement of people to just take what they want out of someone else's yard.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 2, 2024 8:14:26 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2013 9:50:11 GMT -5
Gosh I'm old. When you live long enough you can see shifts in the way people think & it's kind of depressing. Back when I was a kid stuff like property rights was stressed just as part of teaching your kids how to act. Now days individual rights are stressed & it's like people believe that they can do what they want because they "are". I would never casually walk across someone's property much less drive a truck across it. Heck I wouldn't even ask if I could drive a truck across someone's property because I know that it could screw up the land. Yet here in this example people didn't even think about it. Gosh I'm old.
|
|
moneymaven
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2010 10:05:04 GMT -5
Posts: 1,864
|
Post by moneymaven on Jun 23, 2013 12:17:29 GMT -5
I am thankful that we know and love all of our neighbors.
Yes, rude that he did that. I'd like to give the benefit of the doubt that maybe he didn't realize it. You owe an apology. If someone did that to me, even DH (very laid back and knows I can handle my own) would be mad. Also, on that size lot/acreage, is it grass lawn or native landscape?
Pick your battles, you have to still live there.
I think planting trees/bushes is a great idea.
|
|
formerroomate99
Junior Associate
Joined: Sept 12, 2011 13:33:12 GMT -5
Posts: 7,381
|
Post by formerroomate99 on Jun 23, 2013 19:52:09 GMT -5
My inlaws have always had neighbor issues. I never really have. But then again, I don't get offended at every little thing my neighbors do and tear them a new one over it. I'm not going to spend an extra 20-30 hours a week commuting because the sight of my neighbor barbecuing offends me. I won't get dragged into a war with someone over some dog poop in a part of the lawn I don't use. I'm just not that territorial.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 2, 2024 8:14:26 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2013 20:54:38 GMT -5
I hate my neighbors right now although we are all very much laid-back. I never liked that he had two toilets in his backyard that my house fronts to, but there are only five families on this road. I've thought about stealing his toilets and putting them curbside (our city will pick up anything), but I don't have the guts.
Anyway, I have rope (ok, leash) burns on my fingers because their dogs were unleashed and jumped my leashed cocker spaniel in our own yard today. Our dog wouldn't stand down because it was her territory. The kid across the street slipped on the wet grass in our yard (dew, but probably a lawsuit waiting to happen?) as he was trying to corral them while I pulled our dog to safety. It was a cluster (new word that our principal taught us). He was walking into the house a little later so maybe I won't be sued.
I am now walking the dog with a fly swatter. DH suggested a cane he has, but I couldn't hit a dog with that. I could definitely hit a dog on the nose with a fly swatter to get him off my dog. I just can't REALLY hurt one.
I'd rather my neighbors drive on my lawn than hurt my dog. The property is too big to afford a fence, though.
Sorry to hijack your thread, but it was an upsetting morning.
|
|
8 Bit WWBG
Administrator
Your Money admin
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 8:57:29 GMT -5
Posts: 9,322
Today's Mood: Mega
|
Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Jun 23, 2013 21:10:09 GMT -5
For me its an issue of respect, coupled with the fact that if I don't do something about it, then people will know I'm an easy target. I was bullied so much as a kid, and I never stood up for myself, so it kept happening. Now, whenever I feel bullied, I feel like I have something to prove.
Everyone loves to say stupid stuff like "just let it go, its not a big deal". I always try to wait until those people get upset about something and then parrot that back to them.
The commute may have made you more short tempered, but that doesn't mean its OK for people to treat your lawn like a driveway.
I have a lot of neighbors who let their dogs pee near my lawn. I hate that, but I know that short of turning my lawn into a toxic swamp, or chaining an alligator to the tree as a sentry, there really isn't much I can do. It doesn't make it any less frustrating.
I'm thinking of taking up archery. Although really, its the owners that allow their pets to behave that way.
|
|