Joined Nov 2005
L10: Grand Master
Forum Thread
New neighbors - don't appear to be very bright - how to help?
May 28, 2020 at
11:07 AM
in
Question
I live on a shared driveway with 2 other houses. I am the most senior of the owners (been here 10 years) - the house immediately next to mine (the middle house on the driveway, I live at the end) just sold at the end of Feb. The prior owners were great, guy knew how to take care of his house and were self-sufficient. When we moved in 10 years ago, I took his lead on things like - where the property line is/who mows the lawn to which point, how snow is handled, etc.
The new people I have met once, stopped by at the very beginning to say hello. Mid-40's, no kids, 2 cats. I got the impression they weren't very social people, which is OK, but this whole covid shit has really kicked that into high gear.
Anyway, they came from an apt high rise. Everything I've seen from them all points to the idea that they don't know what they are doing. Problem is, it's rolling over into my property, like how they didn't bother to mow the lawn for 2 weeks until it got a foot high and now there are clumps everywhere (they hired someone to do it). top top it off, our property lines are not obvious and they are leaving an entire area unmowed - you'd think that they'd get the drift that they should mow it if I'm not mowing it, but apparently they don't.
They made a small garden in their yard which we are still debating if it's a garden or a pet cemetery as it's just a circle of sticks with some dirt in the middle and some kind of plants.
I've previously dropped a note in their mailbox just offering our contact info (cell #'s) and names of everyone - even if you're antisocial it's still good to know who your neighbors are and how to contact them.
I am wondering how else I could offer some suggestions without seeming overbearing. Another example - when they first moved in they had a generator delivered (it was obvious as it was delivered on a flatbed. Also since I have been working from home, the computer sits right in front of a window with direct view of their house, so I notice any cars that come up the driveway). It just so happened that a few weeks later our power was out overnight due to a storm. I had my generator running, and I could see the guy struggling from 250 ft away, or at least I'll say he was fiddling with the generator with a can of gas nearby and not once did I hear it running. He didn't want to message me then apparently, and I didn't want to just roll up and offer help (overbearing again).
Did I mention they also have a pool? That's going to go well I know it right now...
The new people I have met once, stopped by at the very beginning to say hello. Mid-40's, no kids, 2 cats. I got the impression they weren't very social people, which is OK, but this whole covid shit has really kicked that into high gear.
Anyway, they came from an apt high rise. Everything I've seen from them all points to the idea that they don't know what they are doing. Problem is, it's rolling over into my property, like how they didn't bother to mow the lawn for 2 weeks until it got a foot high and now there are clumps everywhere (they hired someone to do it). top top it off, our property lines are not obvious and they are leaving an entire area unmowed - you'd think that they'd get the drift that they should mow it if I'm not mowing it, but apparently they don't.
They made a small garden in their yard which we are still debating if it's a garden or a pet cemetery as it's just a circle of sticks with some dirt in the middle and some kind of plants.
I've previously dropped a note in their mailbox just offering our contact info (cell #'s) and names of everyone - even if you're antisocial it's still good to know who your neighbors are and how to contact them.
I am wondering how else I could offer some suggestions without seeming overbearing. Another example - when they first moved in they had a generator delivered (it was obvious as it was delivered on a flatbed. Also since I have been working from home, the computer sits right in front of a window with direct view of their house, so I notice any cars that come up the driveway). It just so happened that a few weeks later our power was out overnight due to a storm. I had my generator running, and I could see the guy struggling from 250 ft away, or at least I'll say he was fiddling with the generator with a can of gas nearby and not once did I hear it running. He didn't want to message me then apparently, and I didn't want to just roll up and offer help (overbearing again).
Did I mention they also have a pool? That's going to go well I know it right now...
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Their return letter was kinda odd and basically just said "k thanx". It was typed, but not spellchecked (?); These are "professionals" - one works in a law office and the other is a headhunter (recruiter).
We too have property we still own (another foot behind our back fence, a foot on the one neighbor's side) but do NOT maintain. On the side that is shared with a neighbor weeds and bushes have grown up from underneath their old collapsing sidewalks and have taken up about 2-3 feet of my yard. Yet I let them grow because between my fear of stinging insects and bad allergies I just don't care to cut them.
Heck. The city in it's infinite stupidity tried fining us for "blight" for not maintaining our back lot beyond our back fence. Yet according to our deed we DO NOT own it. So why would I maintain it? So my shithead neighbors with 12 cars and only spaces for 4-6 of them can have a free parking lot (like people did prior when I cut it)? Yeah. No thanks.
Or is that supposed to apply to corn and not grass?
Or is that supposed to apply to corn and not grass?
Lol.😁
Or is that supposed to apply to corn and not grass?
I'm sure mlv would know them
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When we first moved here it was an old couple and one of their adult kids living in an old house on one side and a vacant lot on the other. The vacant lot got sold to an older couple wit an adult kid living at home. The new people were quiet and I think I can count on one hand the number of times we exchanged pleasantries in the time they lived there.
Meanwhile from day one the old man of the couple on the other side was bossy as fark. A real joy to get along with. Both of the older folks in that house passed away and their daughter that lived upstairs (and used to sun herself on the roof in a bikini
So then a couple that I guess flips houses for a living (moved from CA to CO to here in PA) moved in and stayed there for two years. I think I talked to them maybe three times in two years. Now it's a bunch of younger kids living there (think renting the place) and I had a brief conversation with one of them for 5 minutes in the two months they've lived here.
The lady on the other side who bought the house from the old couple with the adult kid living at home? Yeah. Let's not get into that c word (RIP).
I think that's why I'm so standoffish with new neighbors and people in general. Because every time I try being friendly it bites me in the ass or people think they can walk all over me (ain't happening, got that enough in school for 10 lifetimes).
As for the OP's neighbors, I too wait a long time to cut my grass and there are indeed clumps left on it. It's MY lawn. I have bad allergies and practically choke to death. But I'm too broke (and/or cheap) to afford a lawn service. So I cut it when I feel like it.
respectfully, mind your own business.
this is how problems become bigger then they need to be.
After that she asked (practically demanded) I keep my dog from going to the bathroom in the upper back corner of our yard. The whole point of us having a fenced in yard was to allow him to run free and be a dog and enjoy himself. So after the weed killer and now that I told her off (with some 'words you can't say on television'). She called the cops, who told me I probably shouldn't talk like that, but they agreed they would've told her off too and how would she like having his dog (a Husky) doing its business in that corner.
So a little after that she proceeds to plant a bush in that corner to try to stop our dog from going in there. Eventually it grew high and far enough that it was encroaching on our property. So after becoming sick of getting whacked with the branches in the face I 'trimmed' (more like mangled) it the one day with hedge clippers and a machete. Again she called the cops. The cop that showed up this time said she wanted me arrested for 'vandalizing her bush' (I chuckled under my breath when they said this). In the end she had it chopped down to the roots and those roots received a final special plant food (bottle of Clorox) the one night from me.
The funny thing is I have to wonder if her excessively using Roundup led to her own death as she died of cancer eventually.
After that she asked (practically demanded) I keep my dog from going to the bathroom in the upper back corner of our yard. The whole point of us having a fenced in yard was to allow him to run free and be a dog and enjoy himself. So after the weed killer and now that I told her off (with some 'words you can't say on television'). She called the cops, who told me I probably shouldn't talk like that, but they agreed they would've told her off too and how would she like having his dog (a Husky) doing its business in that corner.
So a little after that she proceeds to plant a bush in that corner to try to stop our dog from going in there. Eventually it grew high and far enough that it was encroaching on our property. So after becoming sick of getting whacked with the branches in the face I 'trimmed' (more like mangled) it the one day with hedge clippers and a machete. Again she called the cops. The cop that showed up this time said she wanted me arrested for 'vandalizing her bush' (I chuckled under my breath when they said this). In the end she had it chopped down to the roots and those roots received a final special plant food (bottle of Clorox) the one night from me.
The funny thing is I have to wonder if her excessively using Roundup led to her own death as she died of cancer eventually.
Ugly side always goes in.
Ugly side always goes in.
If they footed the whole bill, then I'd say they get the choice of sides.
On a different aspect of this, I see houses that back up to a road that is next to the RR tracks, that they put the good side towards the house.
The negative part is not the visual impact, but this now puts a climbing structure facing to the opportunistic public...practically inviting them into your yard to "shop" the yard or your house should you have left your back door unlocked.
Being next to the tracks you get a lot of mobile population that stop buy on their way north or south via the Hobo ride method. Word gets around if your house is an easy target.
/end aspect tangent
Being next to the tracks you get a lot of mobile population that stop buy on their way north or south via the Hobo ride method. Word gets around if your house is an easy target.
/end aspect tangent
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