Alerts are a great way for you to stay up-to-date on things you care about. We will email you a list of the new items that match your criteria at a time of your choosing.
Take him some cookies. that is always cool.
It would be good if you could find a way to bring the subject up casually. Like while you are both outside doing some yardwork. Wave and walk over and strike up a conversation. Maybe tell him that you are thinking of "trying" some landscaping.....you are considering planting some (insert type) trees right about there (pointing). Ask him if he knows anything about (insert type) trees since it is all "new" to you. People tend to respond positively when their opinion is sought.
If he seems surprised that you are looking to plant in that area, then you can open the subject of lot lines.
If he is larger than you, don't sucker punch him.
Good advice K. He is definitely the type that would respond to that. I have to talk to him anyway, he brought our cat Oscar over to us the other night (the night before he died). He was so out of it (the cat) and I think he was looking for a place to die. He read his tag and brought him over after giving him some chicken juice :o) We need to thank him for that.
Gallo... I happen to be one hell of a baker :o) My cookies rock, it would definitely win me some points!
Threaten to put a car up on blocks in your drive-way (if you think that would actually offend of course). I side with K101, bring it up casually, heck even ask him exactly where the property line is, tell him you have a survery and want to make sure not to intrude.
ohh yeah, if I was encroaching and someone brought me some cookies that rock- well things would get strait real fast like.
LMAO Jarrod! I'll remember that...
LC, unfortunately that would probably not offend him. He has a Vette in the garage (2 car but only puts that one in there), a HUGE pick-up w/ cab, his wife has an Explorer, and his daughter has some sedan that when she's home they park it on the lawn. Charming. Thankfully she's away at school a lot. I did ask him where the line was (there's a big boulder closer to us, then a big pine tree in line w/ the other pines which is where the property line is) and he said the boulder is the line. Not.
Well, you could always take the dumb tack... you know... where you act stupid about somethin even though you know you know your $hit, bring out the survey and ask him to look at it as a just making sure so when I want to plant some plantings, cause well I have never lived on a property quite like this and I just ain't sure about it.
(((rolling my eyes))) they park a car on grass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There should be an ammendment to the Constitution making that illegal. Has a Vette in the garage........that summed it up well enuff.
Yes, uber-cheesy. (Almost as cheesy as uber LOL) The funny thing is, there are rules in the development that you can't park RV's or more than 2 cars in the driveway except for occasional parties or whatever. I guess they get around it by using the grass instead? LOL
You better mark your territory NOW! So there isnt a issuse later.
I would just plant the trees show some territorial marking on your own land!!
I can bore you to tears with the storys of my former land grabby neighbors. Just hold you head high and plant your trees. if you have your survey. piss on em' then, with a smile.
pinks, are the survey posts still visible? alot of times if you have a pretty good idea where the property line is you can find the metal peg beneath the grass. this way there wouldnt be any question.
My wife mowed one 21 inch strip too much and the neighbor came over banging on the door and reapeatedly ringing the doorbell until she answered. When she answered the door he began yelling at her of how DARE she cut his grass and how it was not hers to cut yadda yadda.
I saw the guy later that evening and warned him if he ever talked to her again like that let alone for something so stupid the grass would be the least of his concern.
He also tried to steal my PDA phone once and I caught him.
I have stop you at the fact that SHE mowed the lawn Scott. I could never. Even if I could (I'm sure I can) I don't want that option out there... not opening that can o'worms! LOL
I have not seen the posts, but I have the paperwork from the cosing w/ our house on the plot and the boundaries. I will review it closely before planting. Your neighbor sounds like an arse
julia, you crack me up! I will hold my head high and piss on them... LOL
My neighbor casually brought up our property lines... he said they redid the property lines because they didn't make sense and he couldn't get in his own driveway. I still wonder if the fence line is right... wonder if I should survey. On the other hand, he's a great neighbor, and we just put up a gate between our properties because our son's are such good friends. I'll probably let things ride. On the aerial view online, it looks good, which makes me think that he did do it right, which he said he did.
Every property owner should have a survey if then dont know EXACTLY where the monuments are expecially if you have any kind of weird easemnts. I have had to pay for 2 surveys due to neighbors!
My sis is paying to have one done next week because the whack off neighbor cut her hedge clear down for a better "view" of the valley. The guy doesnt have a view, she does not him.
Debts, I am obviously not an expert in this area but isnt there such things as "free and clear use" in some states. i.e. if you allow a neighbor to put a fence up, openly use, and maintain a piece of property for a certain amount of time he/she can push to have the property line moved? I have heard this mentioned on more than one occasion but dont know if it's an old wives tale relating to squatting. but I your situation I think I would want to know for sure.
Julia, here is how I caught him with my cell phone.
After we made the home a rental I went over one day to do some yard work and dropped my phone. I realized I didn’t have my phone once I got home and went back looking for it but it was nowhere to be found even though I was SURE I dropped it along the side of the house. So I grabbed the Bluetooth headset out of my truck and kept trying to link it to the phone in an attempt to find it. All of a sudden in linked up but no phone in sight. I kept linking the Bluetooth until I was sure it was in his garage. So I knock on the door and politely ask if he had seen my phone. He replies no, which is when proceeded to tell him that I knew it was in his garage and I will be calling the police to report the theft. My phone has a locater on it so I can tell within a few feet of where it is at all times and I KNOW it is in his garage. (Which is a little bit of a stretch but true ) The look on his face when I said this was priceless, similar to someone wetting their pants. He then opens up the garage and retrieves it from a 5 gallon bucket full of grass clippings and begrudgingly hands it to me. what an azz.
I'll take a look at my paperwork today and see what's up. I'll let you know what I find...
Cookies sounds like a good idea! And, yes, you should talk to him about the trees you wish to plant. Remember when you plant a tree near a property line, it is a very good idea to set it back far enough from the property line that most branches don't go into his yard (to help neighborly relationships in the future). In other words, ask the nursery for the mature radius of the tree and set it back that far from the property line. If you plant close to the property line and branches hang over his property, then he (in most states) can chop those branches off and that's not particularly healthy for most trees.
I'd review the survey with him and walk the line with him in a friendly manner.
The other poster's point about use is very valid. You need to know the laws in your state. For example, if a fence was 1 foot inside my property line for 20 years, a new owner of my property can't suddenly move the fence over 1 foot to "reclaim" the official property.
Good fences make good neighbors!
Good luck
I haven't found my paperwork yet (I hid it from myself...) but I DID find the blueprints for the house, so that was a good find! If I can't locate it, I may call the Town Hall and see if I can get a copy of their survey.
LC Writes -
"Well, you could always take the dumb tack... you know... where you act stupid about somethin even though you know you know your $hit, bring out the survey and ask him to look at it as a just making sure so when I want to plant some plantings, cause well I have never lived on a property quite like this and I just ain't sure about it."
Haha, ohh yeah. This one is funny. You know it takes a genius to act stupid sometimes. It takes a lot of humility though. especially if you are 20 times smarter than the person. Judge Judy once said- "On my worse day I am still smarter than you on your best day" haha.
I spoke to the previous owners of the house (she still comes walking here w/ her friends) and she said some of his front lawn is ours too. We're an interior lot on a cul-de-sac and our driveway drives passed his house on the way to ours. i don't care about the side of the driveway, but between our front yards and backyards, I'd like more clear definition. And privacy, and to not look at his wood piles! lol
Zillow® Advice depends on each member to keep it a safe, fun, and positive place. If you see abuse, flag it. More on our Good Neighbor Policy
How would you approach your neighbor about....
pinksandbaby
Contributions: 8579
View full profile
our new neighbor doesn't seem to quite understand the perimeters of the property lines. It's not something I'd make a big stink about, but I want to plant some trees along the property line to block his unsightly woodpiles. Do you think I should mention the plantings to him or just do it? We have a survey, so I'll review it thoroughly before planting so I can show it to him if need be.
I bring this up because he recently mowed a HUGE strip of our lawn on OUR side of the obvious tree line property divider. That wouldn't be so bad (especially if he finished the job lol) buuuut, he buzz cuts it SO short. I don't know how it lives!
If you find this content is in violation of our Good Neighbor Policy, please let us know and we will review it.
We will review this content. Thanks for helping make the site more useful to everyone. To learn more, read Zillow's Good Neighbor Policy.