I thought this would be amusing. Its been a while since I had an honest complaint about one of my neighbors, but I just watched a mut take a dump at the foot of my mailbox. This ‘event’ is on the heels of my stepping in a previous dump in my back yard.
Now, I like dogs just fine even though I do not own one. Wife has a pair of cats and they are strictly indoor pets. I try to keep my yard attended to and this now recurring condition is starting to bother me greatly.
I just left a message about the witnessed defecation. lol, which is not something one looks forward to in the morning while sipping (ok, gulping) one’s coffee. I rattled on the window to scare the mut away, but now I am having second thoughts. I should have grabbed a camera and ‘documented’ the sighted
. Pardon my french.
Anyway, I got curious after leaving a message to the HOA management company about what are some of the most common complaints you have about your neighbors?
Replies
Nuke,
A while back there was a 'neighbor from hell' thread on Breaktime which was pretty amusing. As I recall though, I got the prize for the worst (at least as goes with construction - he's actually a nice guy).
We've been here for 7 years. The year we moved in he tore off the roof of his house for a remodel. That winter the roof was tarp (he was still living in the house). Then he framed in a new roof. The next winter the roof was tarp. The winter after that the roof was OSB with mastic in the cracks. The winter after that the roof was tar paper. The winter after that the roof was partially shingled (same old tar paper). The winter after that the roof was fully shingled. He has decided against gutters, which I understand because his house is about 2 feet from the property line (built before setbacks) and about 20 squares of roof is dumping water into our yard. He had OSB siding for 3 years, at which point he put on the leftover pink wrap we gave him from our addition - upside down (put on the upper floor first). Last year he took some cedar fencing and nailed it onto the house (same old pink wrap) - it has since shrunk so we can see the pink wrap beneath. Once it grays out I think the color will be a nice effect. He left the bottom portion free of fencing so he could apply stone - which is actually half done so he is making definite progress. Flashing at the stone/fencing intersection? We don't need no stinkin' flashing. His second floor deck has a 2x4 support every 4 feet or so, and fencing lattice nailed on to give it extra structural integrity. He built the new garage and second storey, then decided that some footings were in order to he poured those later. The footings have a marvelously ingenious base of grass clippings and crumpled beer cans that I know will hold up for many years. During this time he has been doing the plumbing, electrical (shudder - did I mention that he's only 2' from the property line?), and drywall.
OK, I could go on, but I'm tired of typing. Did I mention that he's a nice guy? He tells me that he's willing to sell his house for 300K (mine cost 123K). So if you're interested, please feel free to call.
I was just informed by the HOA management rep that unless I am 100% positive on which home the mut is from that she wouldn't approach it to the animal control officer. No problem, I've interacted with those two guys before, especially when talking about FNLs.
22 rifle + shovel = peace and quiet
Thought I'd make a comment regarding the dog...have the neighbors responded? I have a dog and always pick up after my dog when I walk it. (Our yard is fenced so it can't wander on its own.) A friend was being hounded (pun maybe intended) by a dog for which the owners were, shall we say, less than responsive. So my friend started saving up raw carrot butts from cooking and grabbed a sling shot and popped the dog. It startled the dog, but didn't hurt him and was biodegradable. In not to long, all he had to do was open his door and the dog would run. Not much after that, the dog gave up using his yard. Good luck! Eat lots of veggies!
I think I'll try that with the deer, LOL. Now, where did I put that old Wrist Rocket?
saving up raw carrot butts from cooking and grabbed a sling shot and popped the dog...
I prefer ice cubes. They melt before anyone can make a complaint to the cops..."Honey, will you please make some sawdust and track it across the carpet?"
"Yes, dear..."
I live in a "modest" working class community, and while I and my other neighbors take care of our homes and yards, the guy across the street's house looks like a DUMP! There are still shingles missing from Ivan, the grass is knee-high, and the exterior looks older than the house is. I would cut his yard but I'm afraid I would bend my blade on all the trash that's accumulated. Yet about three nights a week, two or three different cars show up with a bunch of partying teens. I haven't seen the HO himself in a month or more.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Jason, I know what you mean. I good friend of mine has problems with certain elements moving into his community. First he dealt with several families living in a single-family home across the street. Now, some of their kids are writing (using spray paint) graffiti on the subdivision's sign at the community entrance. And on top of all of this the county (Gwinnett, Georgia) had the nerve to raise is assessed property value 40%.
And what does the adjoining houses look like? No where near as well-kept as his own. Could he ever sell his house for less than the recently assessment? Only if he sold it for 40% less.
I now understand why people in this part of the country buy & sell every few years. Once the bad elements move in the neighborhood goes from mediocre to trashed and one has lost their entire investment.
Nuke, tell me about it! My wife and I have owned our house for almost 2 years now, and we've put over 8K into it (materials only, not counting my labor) and this is an 80K house. Several of our neighbors have tried to sell their homes at "assessed" value or "market" value with no success--they end up adding on versus moving up b/c they can't get what their house is worth due to crappy neighbors.
We've discussed renting out our home when we decide to move up (under strict rules, of course), because we would make more equity that way than by trying to sell it. The house is 1400 SF 3/2 that's a "brand-new" 26 year old home. Everything's updated, and we plan to gut the master bath this winter, not because it will raise the value, but because we want to and because I'll be bored by then.
BTW, my neighbor had someone come over to his house today and mow his lawn--I think he went over it 3 times with a riding mower before he got it well enough!Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
My county loves doing everything it can to raise assessed property value in order to generate as much tax revenue for its over-priced and over-burdened public school system. Not only is it the biggest county expenditure, but to the tune of consuming 77% of the county's tax revenue--and it has continuously gone up, percentage-wise and in raw dollars, over the past 20 years.
But this get's me off-topic. I really do wonder sometimes if troublesome neighbors are as much an inconvenience as the builder is. I got home Friday night (early, it was 11:38PM) and a tractor-trailer full of sod was crawling through my neighborhood looking for a lot to drop his load. And I've caught workers running dozers at 12:45AM in the middle of the work-week.
Yeah, I complain to the builder and the police department. It still happens, and the last time I took a camera and their pictures. Next time its the .357 :)
In the dead of summer I try to start close to 6 am so my guys can leave before they all die from heat exhaustion--literally-- here on the Gulf Coast. Last week I and my employee worked from 7 to 7 to get a roof finished, but that's rare--normally 6 pm's the cutoff regardless.
And I know what you mean about taxes going to schools...my county is desperate for more school funding--I think its the kids and parents, not the lack of school money--but that's another story.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
jason, you might not remember but last thursday afternoon, I stop and talk to you a couple minutes. It was about 4:30 maybe later. Home depot on schillger rd, you was loading your truck at the contractors entrances. A red color truck with your company name on the back window I think it was a Ford.
Are you from Allen's home improvements or are you Paul's old buddy? (Sorry I talk to many people at HD :-))
Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
EDITED: P.S. You should see what we're doing to my next door neighbor's house right now. I'm in Ponderosa, BTW
Edited 5/17/2005 9:59 pm ET by Jason Pharez
You might want to check with the city or the county. Some places have regulations regarding that kind of thing. A neighbor next to my prev house was "turned in" by someone in the neighborhood for the condition of their yard and the city came out and went over the place - front, back and inside (turns out they had illegally converted garage to family room and it was not up to code - they had to get it redone and city certified within 90 days or get a steep fine and be required to teear it out) the result was an order to clean up and get rid of/cover or move the junker car in the back yard that could be seen from the street and to mow the lawn or be cited and get a fine.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
My hubby's Dad inherited our house and yard from his Aunt. Its a good size piece of property, at least on our street. Its three city lots. At one time the back yard of three residents was an open area, with a country feel. People walked across it to get to the other block. But after my DIL's Aunt and Uncle passed on, there was a lot of vandalism and theft, as his Uncle ran a shop on this property, and the garage and house still held their person belongings. So my DIL put up a wire fence.
There was so much resentment when he did that. When my in-laws came in to improve the property they recieved out and out hostility from neighbors on every side. After many years, the obvious anger died out, as people found the same necessity to put up boundaries to protect their property.
One hold out remained. An elderly gentlemen to the side of us. When my MIL tried to plant lilacs well within the plot as a natural fence, she arrived the next week to find them all withered. She wondered what had taken them all, and saw yellowed streaks in the grass where the neighbor had sprayed poison, standing on his side of the fence. She said nothing as she is not a confrontational person.
Since we've been here, a beautiful tree on the edge of our property and his mysteriously withered and died. We've been trying to befriend him, with gifts from our garden.
We are a couple who treasures privacy and peace, but the trees that provide that for us on the edge of our property are being pruned and cut for clear view into our yard.
I understand that the neighbor has the right to prune back anything that comes into his property. The trees have been there many years. We even gave him permission to cut a few limbs that he said were in the way of his street wiring. But he ruthlessly cuts, and sprays poisons into greenage that is in our yard!
The biggest surprise ever. When we were away for the weekend, he had a someone come in and take a large top off our trees! :(
We plan to plant high greenage all the way around our yard. My husband says he is going to warn him that if we lose anything else on our property, we will notify the authorities.
Gi
You poor thing. If you can prove that he sprayed the poison or did the topping I would call the authorities now - why warn him so he gets sneakier? Damaging trees is such a vile thing to do, that I can't imagine a person like that could be won over. I'd also consider a real hardscape 6' fence on that side. You can still plant greenery in front of it, and he'll have to stand on a ladder to spray the poison (unless he wants it all over himself). The vindictive side of me would say to plant an invasive bamboo as your screen. Serve him right and will survive many attacks. Luckily I'm not really vindictive, because you'd suffer from the bamboo as well.
Aimless, thanks!
We thought about the 6ft fence, but worried that we'd be even less able to tell if he poured the poison into the ground from his side. Hubby thought of notifying the authorities right away, but we don't know who he used to top the trees, and we haven't caught him in the act. But there's a curious blue stain splashed on the trunks of the trees, and everything else that was growing there has withered back.
Our greenery mostly faces the back of a garage on his property, so we don't know why it is such a problem to him. We wouldn't mind if he clipped anything back that went towards his side, but poisoning what is on our side is just too much to bear. He does mean to keep the areas where he can see into our yard very clear.
I do try to run outside and make a presence when I hear him hacking away in our area, and at least once that put a quick end to his pursuit. He ran into the house before I could have a chance to speak with him.
Oh, we are thinking about the bamboo! Timber bamboo? The tall evergreen kind, all the way around. Hubby has the same reservation you mention, that it is hard to control once planted, but he said he could just keep the part of the yard we wish to keep cleared mowed down? We'd probably have to start it deeper in the yard to avoid his spraying.
Feel the same way you do about trees. Part of the joy of living up here in the NW is to enjoy their beauty. We have only a few on our property, but they are so treasured.
Thanks again! The bamboo suggestion gives us one good alternative.
gi
Ah yes urban warfare......:>) You could put up a block wall or stone wall fence that would stop the poison from coming on to your side and you wouldnt have to look at him... Thats the peaceable way
The urban warrior would go get a chipper and everytime something died (because of him) fire up the chipper early in the morning when he is sleeping in and make mulch outta what he killed.....
when he complains about the noise..tell him something keeps killing your plants and your gonna dispose of them this way everytime.....
Its best to wait for him to entertain his guest or his favorite sporting event is on if you dont want to do it in the morning.....
Chippers and chainsaws..... "The Urban Warriors Friend"
BTW i have a neighbor who has a little yip yip dog..started barking all night starts at about 10 Pm goes to about 1230-1AM I already talked to him about it very nicely.... he kept it quiet for a couple of days......
He works nights so If it keeps up Im gonna roll my jointer and planer outta the garage near his bedroom window and fire it up about 730AM ..his bedroom window is right next to the fence that seperates our property..
I did it once before about 3 years ago when He would let his kids play out in the back yard til 1230AM-130AM in the summer, I get up at 5 AM and they would be yelling and screaming going up and down the street....
The router and planer solved that issue very quickly.....
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*LOL* Sancho Ron! Thanks for the additional advice. Hubby's Dad keeps a wood toy making shop here so we've plenty of equipment to run some counterwarfare. ;)
*sigh* we've got a yapper too, but its somewhere down the street. It likes to start about sunset, when the dog authorities close for the day, and run till 2 am. I think its a spoiled dog that wants to be inside. Obviously, the owners leave it out when they go out. Why can't they just leave it inside when they do? :-/
Gi
you can also add some bright security lights that will shine right into his bedroom..when he complains mention the trees dieing again
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Maybe you should put up some security cameras. There are cheap ones that attach to a card in a PC, and software controlled motion sensing recording. A neighbor gets them from ebay for about $30. Coax connection. Then you could catch your neighbor in the act.
Wow! Both are great ideas Bryan and Sancho Ron. I didn't know the cameras could be so reasonable. PC would be great. At least we could catch him at it and would have something to show the authorities. Maybe even a fake one(?) aimed at the area might make him think twice *lol*
He's got a solid wall facing us, but we could do something with lights in the backyard facing slightly (heh) near his glassed in rec room? (don't really know what is in that room, we live and let live here, don't usually look)
Hubby said looks like he's done in another tree. He's going to leave it for a little bit, let him look at the dead thing he's made at the perimeter of his manicured lawn.
I'm itching for the chipper. ;)
Thanks!
Chopp the tree up get to know the neighbor a little bit talk to him occasionally..find out when hes going to entertain and then wait until it get started B B Q ect then turn that chipper on and loose....hehehehe the lights will do the trick to
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*LOL* K! Sancho Ron, thanks
Give the guy another few gifts. I recomend mosquito zappers. That way, he could attract all the mosquitos to his yard. Might keep him inside a bit more.
One of those deerstalker cameras would collect you the evidence you need.
*LOL* Now there's a thought! A cloud of mosquitoes outside his door might convince him to stay in and watch Jerry Springer and leave our trees alone.
Thanks Sternberg, that's another camera option we hadn't thought about. :)
Gi
This doesn't rate as high as some other complaints ... but ....
I call my neighbor "Mr Noisy Man" because he LOVES his leaf blower. That high-pitched whine can be heard year round, achoing through through the area, as he blows small specks of dust off his porch. Then he's onto the driveway, blowing every inch clean. Keep in mind, this is spring time, the leaves have barely started growing. If I had the money, I'd buy the sound barriers they put up on the highway.
I'm not anti-power tools .... I have a chainsaw, weedwhacker & lawnmower like everyone else. But he just seems to have a little too much time on his hands.
You mean there is such a thing as a quiet leaf blower? I didn't know that.
I could handle the noise if he was a little more reasonable about when & how often he uses the thing.
"I could handle the noise if he was a little more reasonable about when & how often he uses the thing."
Maybe he's implementing Ron's suggestions for dealing with an annoying neighbor. Just where did all the dirt on his property come from, hmm? ;)
even if the guys does it a couple of times a week for 1/2 to a hour or so that isnt bad.
What I got is a neighbor wioth a teenage or maybe early 20's who drives a surbuban and cranks the stereo up. His sub woofer so loud it vibrates my window on my house He does it all hours of the night..usually about 10 -11 pm he drives by going home.
We've (other neighbors and I) complained to the dad but to no avail.
So I went out and got a flow master 60 muffler put on my truck and a new stereo system , soon to have a sub woofer added.
I fire my truck up in the morning 5 am before I go to work and idle out of my driveway then get infront of their house and jump on it......
It didnt totally stop the moron from playing his music but it slowed him down.
Also when a neighbor called the police on him for riding a ATV up and down the street and the cop ticketed him with about 4 or 5 citations Im guessing close to 1000 bucks ( driving an unlicensed/ unregistered vehicle, no helmet, no brake lights ect ) didnt hurt either..
My next step is walk into the barrio near my house I know most of the people who live their and tell some of them about how nice this guys stereo is and where he parks..he he he
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I guess I should be thankful that I only have that to gripe about. I'm in a semi-rural area, so I don't have many neighbors. I expect a "McMansion" to go up across the street one of these days, so I may have some more gripes in a while.
Hi everyone,
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Oh, boy, have I got stories: First, my current neighbor--well actually his wife divorced him while he was in prison for robbing a bank (drove up to the drive thru window in his own car). He apparently used to sell coke or something because about three a.m. his driveway was like a fast food drive up.
Had a friend who knew his neighbors were selling crack, so he just tucked an unregistered .38 in the wasteband of his pants under an untucked shirt and knocks on their door. They answer and he tells them he has nothing against drugs or whatever people do in the privacy of their own homes, but when they start selling and it affects the neighborhood where his wife and kids live, he has a problem. He lifts his shirt to show them the butt of the pistol. Then he asks if he is understood and they said he was. No more dealing out of that house.
But the topper is the guy who lived next door to my Grandpa's cottage. The guy was a barn burner-type and everyone including the local sheriff feared him. Let's call the guy Bill. Bill decided he wanted a fence and wanted my grandpa to pay half (there is a law that requires this if you both have cattle or such, but only Bill had cattle) and G-pa refused. Bill began cutting trees off of G-pa's property. G-pa complained, Bill burned several acres of the trees on G-pa's property. G-pa prosecuted and Bill burned down the garage and lit the cottage on fire, but it burned itself out.
No one will investigate, so G-pa hires a PI and the guy gets evidence and Bill finally gets tossed in the slammer. Several years later, G-pa found out that Bill was up for parole and was all sweetness and light at the hearing, and with a psychologist testifying how Bill had reformed, it looked like he was going to be paroled. G-pa's lawyer then asked Bill how he felt about my grandparents and Bill snapped and said he was going to kill the SOB's. He didn't get paroled. Later he died of syphilis.
"Later he died of syphilis."
A lot of Bill's behavior could be explained by your last sentence. Not that an explanation does your Grandpa any good.