My neighbours and why I don't like them...
By hvedra
@hvedra (1619)
November 8, 2010 7:22am CST
I do not appreciate having to retrieve my dog from the road because they can't be bothered to maintain their boundary fence.
I say "fence" but what is there is a few well-rotted planks of wood. Some fool thought that planting a conifer hedge was a good idea. It isn't. You shouldn't have one within 100 yds of your house. EVER. This has destroyed what wasn't a good fence to start with. It has more gaps than Tory Housing policy. Hence we have been frantically trying to block these to contain the dog.
The woman who lives next door would happily have a new fence but she doesn't own the house, her sister does and she lives next door but one. They keep saying they are going to fix it but as it was supposed to be done back at Easter this year, I think you can see why I'm getting fed up and no longer believe anything they say.
I can't even put a proper fence up our side because we cannot afford to do so and the conifers would soon be destoying that. I can't afford to take the neighbours to court - if I had that kind of money I'd cheerfully offer to pay for a new fence. We're pretty much at their mercy over this.
I spent all day Friday, in the rain, hacking back the conifers, trying to plug holes and digging out the composters. DH and I both spent all day Saturday [1] putting up some chicken wire and picket fencing panels (that we need for another job) along the fence line as that at least blocks off the lower gaps in the fence. It looks rather like a junk yard but at least it is keeping the dog in our garden.
We have offered to help cutting down and digging out the conifers - something that would cost a fair amount if you had to pay someone to do it (probably more than erecting a fence, these things are 30-40 years old). We simply CANNOT contribute finanacially and it isn't our responsibility. I'm also not willing to listen to a tale of poverty from someone who owns two houses and five cars...
The fence on the other side of the garden is our responsibility and it is in a good state of repair. We had that done when we could afford it a good few years back and have had to replace a few panels since. We had a shock the other morning when a panel was missing but that was only because the neighbour had removed it because he needed to reposition his shed and was worried he might damage it. You see, some of our neighbours are lovely and considerate.
Any ideas, suggestions? Share your own tales of bad neighbours, please!
3 people like this
10 responses
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
8 Nov 10
I empathize with you. I have had some of the worst neighbors that you can imagine, and just a few days ago, new neighbors moved in across the street from me. Now, I think that everyone here has heard about my last neighbors and how bad they were, well, these new neighbors aren't looking any better.
I cannot wait until I get all of the money that I need to move out of the place that I am living in because I cannot stand my neighbors any longer.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
8 Nov 10
We had a neighbor years ago (we and the neighbors have all moved away) who didn't like my brothers. He came over and threatened to beat them all up. He was in his 50s and my brothers were in their 20s. So they each picked up an end of a car and moved it. Then they said, "Old man, if you really feel you must, then bring it on, but can you pick up a car?" He went home swearing all the way.
@smacksman (6053)
•
9 Nov 10
As temporary measure you could lop the conifers down to 6 foot, trim off the branches and use the stumps as fence posts for your wire netting. The stumps will rot away in time but it is a lot less work than rooting out the stumps and trying to dig in new fence posts where the old roots were and the loose soil.
If your relationship with them is not good them maybe they are trying to get rid of you!
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
8 Nov 10
Im so sorry you have to go through this.
We had the same problems a few years ago. We all have large lots where I live and nobody had a fence until these new neighbors rented the house next to mine. One of the kids threw a tree branch into our pool and broke it. I called the city to ask about their laws for putting up a fence and the woman told me I could have the owner of the house pay for half. I called him and he agreed. We didnt really had the money to do it but we had no choice, the kids next door were real monsters.
Now all our yard is fenced in. All the neighbors agreed to pay half since they knew they HAD to. Now we can let our dog roam freely as our yard is secure from the inside AND the outside.
Hope you find a way to fix this problem. A chicken fence should solve the problem for now.
Good Luck!!
1 person likes this
@smacksman (6053)
•
9 Nov 10
Giving the kids a fat smack when they were naughty would have been a better alternative to caging them in.
1 person likes this
@saqi78 (1402)
• Malaysia
9 Nov 10
Hi Hvedra
Really very sorry for your neighbors, I think good neighbors are gift of God. If they are bad then this type of things appears which you stated. Personally I didnot have this type of experience because at my home town every house has their own fence wall and we over here before starting the house, build our fence first, and I think this practice is good.
I can wish good for you and may God give your neighbors the ability to think about your situation....
Be happy and be the reason of happiness in others life and be good neighbors...
1 person likes this
@suyanchan (6)
•
22 Mar 11
Anywhere in the WORLD have bad neighbours, its so difficoult to deal with that...
I live in a small building with only 40 apts, of course, we have THE bad neighbour. When i was young isnt allowed children to play within the common area of the building and one day when i was talking through the window with my friend the gentle men pour some creosol, which is a very strong chemical, in a drain nearby, sooo i almost faint because of the smell...
And now that im all grown up his grandsons plays soccer in the building....
FANTASTIC!
Well... at least im not low enough to pour some creol...
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
8 Nov 10
It's really hard having neighbors that don't maintain their property to the same standards as everyone else in the neighborhood. Ultimately, though, you should bear in mind that it's not your neighbor's responsibility to keep your dog in your yard :( If you cannot fence your property at this time (which is understandable because it's definitely an expensive job), you might have to keep the dog tied up. In my case, I'm the neighbor that did put up the fence. I had a 6 foot high fence put up to fully enclose my back yard. As soon as it was finished, my neighbor in back and her husband jammed all kinds of junk, garbage, bits of fencing, trellis, wire and all sorts at the bottom of my fence on their side. They have three dogs and don't want to tie them up. She doesn't like to go outside so she just wants to open her door and let the dogs run (and they live on a busy street on that side so her dogs have nearly been hit a few times already). Needless to say, I had my fence erected fully on my own property... it is inside my property line so they had no right to put all that garbage under it. It looks like a real disgrace, to be honest. However, until now, I have left it there because I TRY to be a good neighbor and not argue with those around me. But I am really mad that I saved up for a long time and spent a lot of money on a nice fence (my other two neighbors actually took the time to come and tell me how much they like it and how it makes their side look good also) and they instantly made it look bad. Being good neighbors can be a lot of work... it's not an easy relationship at all.
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
12 Nov 10
Ok, you have a dog so his containment is your responsability. The neighbors fence is just a convenience. If they want to tear it out completely there's nothing you can even say. It's theirs. Your responsable for containing your dog so your responsable for keeping up a fence on YOUR property to do it. You have no right to even be mad at them. Sorry but if your finances don't allow you to properly provide for the pooch perhaps you shouldn't have gotten him.
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
15 Nov 10
Your original post says absolutely NOTHING about a covenant. Perhaps you should reread it yourself. If you mentioned it later on then I missed it since the daily digest only shows your ORIGINAl post which is what I resoponded to. You also don't list the details of that covenant. How would anyone else know that they were required to put up a fence or on which side of their yard? Also I can almost bet that covenant doesn't say that the fence has to be able to hold back the neighbors dog.
Sorry, but you just made yourself look like the one being the big jerk.
@hvedra (1619)
•
15 Nov 10
Actually, the covenant on these houses states that the each householder is responsible for the fence to one side of the property. Legally they ARE obliged to provide and maintain a fence. Legally. The law.
I have EVERY right to be mad at them.
Even if we had no dog they are still obliged to put up and keep up a fence.
I explained this situation in my initial post but obviously you did not read this. Too busy knowing everything already?
@celticeagle (167017)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Nov 10
I was brought up at my grandmother's and the neighbors there were like family, infact, I called her my Auntie. I have always rented just for this reason. I know I can't afford to do maintenance and being single with one paycheck it could get nasty so I have always rented. Owning has a lot of pluses but alot of headaches too.
1 person likes this
@asendud (318)
• Indonesia
9 Nov 10
i don't really think i have a bad neighbor. but my neighbor always parking at my house, that is ordinary but i hate if he come at midnight. my gather must get up and open the door to let he parking in my home. i hope he care about my family too.
1 person likes this
