Here is a little backround. My wife (26) and I (25) just bought a house in the "country" 3 years ago. The previous house I had built on a 1/4 acre lot [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] We moved when we got married because I couldn't stand being able to see/hear the neighbors. We bought a 3600 sq foot house on 11 acres. It has 2 tobacco barns, a cinderblock chicken house, one regualr barn to house the tractor and a stable plus a two car garage with a mother in law suite attatched. We have a neighbor who is less then 200 feet from us. He is single, drinks himself to sleep everyday and is just a plain slob. His trailer is plain ugly and he has SIX yes SIX vehicles, 4 of them running,and a boat parked right on our property line. He mows about 10 feet onto our property line and to be honest it ticks me off. So far I've planted 30 Leyland Cypress trees but I still have a couple of years until they provide me the physical barrier I desire. So am I wrong to want to put a 10' high fence up ; 2' in on our side of the property line. Right now he has a decent view across our property and the fence would be all he could see if we put it up. He seems decent enough but he just won't pick up his junk. I knew when I bought this place he was there so I really don't feel right just putting a 10' high (150 ft long) fence up overnight. I think I'm going to ask him yet again if he needs help cleaning up. Give him a week and them BOOM. 10' fence. What should I do? BTW. The county won't cite him for the excess trash because we live on a road maintained by me and my tractor. The county says the trash would have to be seen from the state road. Thanks Chris
It seems to me that it is not so much a matter of whether it is right or wrong to fence out your neighbor's ugly property as it is a matter of you being worried about what he will think about you for fencing him out. To me, it should not matter that you knew he was a slob when you moved in. It sounds like you bought a really nice place and it is only normal that you would not wish to look at your neighbor's eyesore excuse for a homeplace for the rest of your life. Answer this question: does your neighbor seem concerned that you have to look at his pile of crap every time your head faces his direction? Apparently it doesn't or he would not live the way he does. If he wants his place to look like Fred Sanford's that is his business but he should not get his feelings hurt because you choose not to look at it. Let's face it, your place looks nice, his looks terrible. You want to enjoy pleasant view and that means nothing to him.
I think it would be neighborly to offer to help him clean up his mess but don't expect for him to take you up on it. It obvously does not bother him to live the way he does. If help is offered and refused, by all means put up the fence. If he has anything to say about it tell him it is nothing personal but you prefer to look at a fence over the mess in his yard. If he gets his feelings hurt, too bad. In the end I doubt both of you will be happy with the outcome so you can figure it this way. Either YOU can have a chapped butt every time you look at his mess (for years to come) or HE can have a chapped butt because you have fenced him out. Which is better? You unhappy or him? I think we both know the answer to that question, don't we? [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
Sure fence it but put it on the property line. There is no reason to give that property away and in the future if you haven't claimed it now someone could. I would pay for a survey so there aren't any mistakes.
Depending on the mess and how much you want to tick him off complain to the health dept. about rats that usually gets them moving. Just throw one on their desk to prove it.
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Right now he has a decent view across our property and the fence would be all he could see if we put it up.
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Since he doesn't seem to be bothered by the sight of all the junk around his place, I doubt that savoring the view of beautiful sunsets is all that important to him. And based on your description of his drinking himself to sleep, I doubt if he is ever awake to see the sunrise. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Unfourunately, I have a neighbor with similar habits. His un-mowed grass has now grown tall enough to hide a couple of the trash piles. My problem is compounded by the fact that he has three dogs. He has fenced a portion of our property line to keep the dogs in but we still can't do anything on that side of our property without putting up with the constant barking. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]
To me a 10 foot fence would be almost as much of an eyesore as his junk [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] so, for now, we heavily fertilize and pray that the leyland cypress will grow quickly. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
Yeah I really don't want to look at a fence either but it would only be short term until the trees grow. Today while driving home from work I saw a sign on the side of the road that said "FREE BAMBOO". I'm thinking of putting some shoots in. I know I can control it with my tractor (on my side of the property). He has a worn out craftsman riding mower that won't even cut the grass. I'm going to offer my help soon. It is terrible to drive up and get in a bad mood before I even walk in the door [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
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So am I wrong to want to put a 10' high fence up ; 2' in on our side of the property line.
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First check to see if there are any local ordinances that govern fence placement and height. Second if you choose to or if you have to put the fence 2 feet inside your property line then put a line of landscape timbers right on your side of the property line to define that as well. That way you have a clear property line definition and if you maintain that 2 foot walkway between the fence and the landscape timbers he can never claim rights to that area.
Cambridge, NY, in the beautiful foothills of the Green Mountains.
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Re: Am I wrong??
be careful of bamboo. If it's the running kind it will take over your property, even with mowing it down. The root will just run until it can come up somewhere. Bamboo will work as a screen, but plant it in a container. You can use 55 gal drums or the like. If you plant it in the ground you can have problems- it's almost as bad as kuduz.
I would put up a fence- he's not worried about you, so why worry about him?! Depending on where this fence will be- plant a garden, fruit trees, put in animals, pasture, etc. This way you'll have a "reason" for the fence.
Keep checking on local ordinances-someone has to listen.
Good luck.
You bought your place with your neighbors already there right? O.K.,put up a fence to keep him on his side,if you need to,but he WAS there first,you got what you bought,and lets not forget,another mans trash is another mans......... RICHARD GAUTHIER
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