Trashy neighbors... (Long)

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:35 pm

Just a little vent until I get up the gumption (if I ever do!) to go talk to

the neighbors...

The neighbors on one side of me are very nice people. Not noisy at all

and loan me their chain saw for some tree-trimming... BUT they are almost

constantly leaving things out in the space between the houses and it drives

me up a wall! My husband and I first looked at this house during an open

house and these neighbors have stuff out there that was there on March 3,

2002! Last year during our community's "toxic round-up" I went to them

(and some other neighbors) and said Hey, I'm goin' to this thing, got plenty

of room in the truck for motor oil, flourescent bulbs, what have you. They all

were very appreciative, but when I opened up my truck the afternoon before

and puttered around for 3 hours, not a single person showed up. So I thought

heck with it, and the next morning collected this guys 5 GALLONS of used

motor oil and one dead car battery and hauled 'em off. I felt good for about

3 weeks, until apparently these people remodeled their kitchen and decided

to make a couple stacks out front of the old drawers. A falling over and now

rained on stack. This was last June. They put whatever out there, including

plastic bags of out-and-out TRASH. I thought maybe they needed room in

their garbage can, but nope, peeked one morning and there was plenty.

Also a coupla large containers that I finally dumped the water out of because

we have West Nile around here. AND I've weeded the spot in front TWICE

now, but the one time I didn't do it yup we had 3 foot tall dead weeds in

there. I did once offer to do all the work for a small veggie garden and he

told me he was going to pour concrete and make a parking pad. (Wishta heck

he WOULD!)

I know I could call the city and they would cite him but I sure don't wanna

go that route and have bad blood. He would know it was me.

So here I sit (and fret) thank you all so very much for letting me get that off

my chest!!

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:06 am

Its horrible to have neighbors who are slobs. I feel for you. What can you do?

You have to tread gently, not to make an enemy.I have a guy and his wife across the street from me here. Their big mangy dog leaves their yard to come and*****

on my property. I walk in it, customers step in it... Ive even put my hands in it while gardening. Ive tried everything to get them to stop him. Even have called animal control to cite him. No good. Im trying to think of something creative to make my point. Ive thought of throwing the loads on their front lawn..but I havent been able to stoop that low. Perhaps you should start adding to his pile, for a while... to make a point. Or set the pile on fire? Just a thought. Its early.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:02 am

valerie wrote: The neighbors on one side of me are very nice people. Not noisy at all

and loan me their chain saw for some tree-trimming... BUT they are almost

constantly leaving (rubbish) out in the space between the houses and it drives

me up a wall!

Are you a gardener? Ask them to move it so you can have a ton or so of manure delivered and dumped there, which you will use up over the next few months....

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:06 am

Thats a great idea Bill. That smell is wonderful. I might try that myself to treat the dog family as well.

LottomagicZ4941 · Post by **LottomagicZ4941** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:56 am

Perhpas we should all invite our neighbors over here to forum garden:)

A guy down two houses down is also up.

Just took the dog for a walk is how I know. Then again he could just be asleep with his TV on but it does appear like he might be awake.

Lotto

http://www.flalottomagic.net/cgi-local/ ... elcome-344

MagicZ4941A

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:23 am

That is so cute.... You make me think of me. Poking my nose out the back door at 3

am. Looking around to see if there is any movement at all on the block. The world is an interesting place early am. Glad Im part of it. Yes we should invite them.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:00 am

Bill Sikes wrote: Are you a gardener? Ask them to move it so you can have a ton or so of manure delivered and dumped there, which you will use up over the next few months....

Excellent idea, they may want to play in it though? You don't need a BIG pile, just some, for the smell! hahahaha...then the flies, oh my god. :-6

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:55 am

Maybe if you asked them if they needed you to haul to the dump for them. You have a truck, but do they have their own truck? If they have a truck, they should take the hint if you offer to help take it away for them. I think it would make them angry if you call the city and complain, even anonomously, they might guess who it is :-3

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:06 am

Ooh, I just thought of something better! Tell them you've seen an ENOURMOUS Rat in the mess, and you're scared the neighborhood is going to get populated with them.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:48 am

I think they grill Rats, i would be careful if invited for a cook-out!

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:27 pm

Hi Valerie,

Your section should be under CC&R's. (Covenants, Codes, and Restrictions.) Check your documents when you bought your house. You can contact the managing entity and they *have to respond to a complaint. There isn't a cc&r in the world that allows for junk and garbage to be left in front of your/their residence.

Good luck!

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:30 pm

Bill Sikes wrote: Are you a gardener? Ask them to move it so you can have a ton or so of manure delivered and dumped there, which you will use up over the next few months.... I love it Bill :wah:

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:37 pm

I had that problem some years ago. Thought of calling in the Enviornmental Health Dept, calling the police or going up to their door and doing the Irish bit on them. Until It was suggested I call a community meeting in my area and discuss it with my neighbours at large. It worked. The noise coming from my neighbours house was a DIY male- Jack-of-all-trades punk.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:15 pm

rachelg wrote: Maybe if you asked them if they needed you to haul to the dump for them. You have a truck, but do they have their own truck? If they have a truck, they should take the hint if you offer to help take it away for them. I think it would make them angry if you call the city and complain, even anonomously, they might guess who it is :-3

Yeah, I think they would guess it's me. They do have a truck as it so happens.

I would even be willing to just parcel trash out for a few weeks in my garbage

because I think that would be all it takes. But I think it's more a mind set

on their part than anything else, they just don't SEE the stuff. And if I went

ahead and removed it (like I did with the toxics last year) I think in another

3 weeks there'd be something else unsightly (or worse) stacked out there.

I actually had my husband take a pic of the oil and the battery last year so this

guy couldn't say I hauled away valuable stuff or anything!

And your idea about seeing the rat... really makes me wonder if that wouldn't

be a "fib" at all!! :-3

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:19 pm

weeder wrote: Its horrible to have neighbors who are slobs. I feel for you. What can you do?

You have to tread gently, not to make an enemy.I have a guy and his wife across the street from me here. Their big mangy dog leaves their yard to come and*****

on my property. I walk in it, customers step in it... Ive even put my hands in it while gardening. Ive tried everything to get them to stop him. Even have called animal control to cite him. No good. Im trying to think of something creative to make my point. Ive thought of throwing the loads on their front lawn..but I havent been able to stoop that low. Perhaps you should start adding to his pile, for a while... to make a point. Or set the pile on fire? Just a thought. Its early.

Hey, I have an idea for YOUR problem... you can get a motion sensor and hook

it to a sprinkler and when the dog comes over, he gets a shot of water in the

face! Won't hurt him but might deter him!

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:23 pm

Tombstone wrote: Hi Valerie,

Your section should be under CC&R's. (Covenants, Codes, and Restrictions.) Check your documents when you bought your house. You can contact the managing entity and they *have to respond to a complaint. There isn't a cc&r in the world that allows for junk and garbage to be left in front of your/their residence.

Good luck!

Nope. No Homeowner's Association, I made sure because my experience with

'em has caused me to HATE 'em. But now I'm wondering if one wouldn't

have helped in this case!

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:54 am

So, what do you guys think of this... I go over there, and pretending I didn't

peek and see they had room in their garbage container... offer to let them

put stuff in mine if they need to? Maybe say I "noticed" they had stuff out

on the side of the house? Not saying anything about what an eyesore (now

THERE'S a word!) it is. :-3

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:12 pm

valerie wrote: So, what do you guys think of this... I go over there, and pretending I didn't

peek and see they had room in their garbage container... offer to let them

put stuff in mine if they need to? Maybe say I "noticed" they had stuff out

on the side of the house? Not saying anything about what an eyesore (now

THERE'S a word!) it is. :-3
That could work. Here's another thought I had. Maybe this is too far fetched, but you could say you and some neighborhood members (see if anyone else would be interested first )had decided it would be cool to do a "Make Your Neighborhood Beautiful Award" and have a list of qualifications for the homeowners to use as a guide. One of the guidelines could be "no trash accumulations in yard" or something to that effect. The winner gets to have the little sign in his yard for the month. This is really a nice thing to do, if you can get all involved :-6

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:45 pm

valerie wrote: So, what do you guys think of this... I go over there, and pretending I didn't

peek and see they had room in their garbage container... offer to let them

put stuff in mine if they need to? Maybe say I "noticed" they had stuff out

on the side of the house? Not saying anything about what an eyesore (now

THERE'S a word!) it is. :-3
What about just talking to them and telling them that they need to clean up? Their stuff is an eyesore. Otherwise, I'm afraid that they would just take advantage of you.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:26 pm

Tombstone wrote: What about just talking to them and telling them that they need to clean up? Their stuff is an eyesore. Otherwise, I'm afraid that they would just take advantage of you.

I decided to go with option number 246 (

)... I'm going to just slowly toss

it all myself. First drawer went in the trash (mine) tonight. And if he comes

over and says anything, well then I'll just play dumb!! That way I don't

hafta worry about psyching myself up to go talk to them. And they will

probably never even notice... after all, he never noticed when I took away

the motor oil and battery!!

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 9:52 am

valerie wrote: I decided to go with option number 246 (

)... I'm going to just slowly toss

it all myself. First drawer went in the trash (mine) tonight. And if he comes

over and says anything, well then I'll just play dumb!! That way I don't

hafta worry about psyching myself up to go talk to them. And they will

probably never even notice... after all, he never noticed when I took away

the motor oil and battery!!
That 's probably the best thing to do, unfortunately. Hopefully they'll notice and feel guilty and start taking care of it themselves.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:00 am

They are everywhere, WHite Trash People! They have ADHD, they are unable to sort and organize themselves? Lazy, unwilling to have PRIDE for themselves...drive down the road anywhere, and there it is, Trashy yards? It is a DIS-ability to be a Slob, just like an eating disorder, Drug Abuse, a disablility? Basic skills in life, left unattended---picking up after yourself? lOOK THE OTHER WAY, YOU'LL BE "MUCH" better off---really....

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:11 am

Paula wrote: They are everywhere, WHite Trash People! They have ADHD, they are unable to sort and organize themselves? Lazy, unwilling to have PRIDE for themselves...drive down the road anywhere, and there it is, Trashy yards? It is a DIS-ability to be a Slob, just like an eating disorder, Drug Abuse, a disablility? Basic skills in life, left unattended---picking up after yourself? lOOK THE OTHER WAY, YOU'LL BE "MUCH" better off---really....

Boy, you said it... did you happen to see that woman they had on Oprah a

while back? They had those two ladies from England with that program

where they go clean up people's houses. They went to this one place where

I can't even describe all the stuff in her house... but one thing that stuck in

my mind was a flat of strawberries she had left on the kitchen counter for

I think it was two or three YEARS.

I'll never understand the mind set. I mean, I have some piles of things, but

no actual trash and the outside things (like those spare 2X6's I always

think I'll have a need for

) are stacked neatly on the side of the house

where nobody else has to see them.

I was once asked to take care of someone's house while they were on

vacation, you know turn lights on and off stuff like that, and this person

gives me the key to her house knowing how it looks! Didn't even bother

to pick up before I was going to be there. I had to leap from bare spot to

bare spot in her whole house... empty cereal boxes left on the kitchen floor...

felt like I needed a shower after every time there!

YUCK!!

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:23 am

Well seeings as you have to live with these people quite literally in your own back yard, might I sugges a kind annonamyous note in their mail box that states at the end of it, a time limit to clean up and if you see no improvement you will have to call the city to intervene.

Here in our city they suggest you settle things between yourselves first and then call them to act if nothing is done.

Unfortunately crummy neighbors last longer than bad room mates, crappy co-workers and lousy boss's and generally short of moving yourselves away there isn't much you can do, you either live with their "issues" or you make enemies.

Also sometimes setting a precident allows them to think "you mean business" and they will smarten up.

Good luck in what ever action you take my dear.

Minks

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:27 pm

I never thought of an anonymous note!!

Yeah, moving is not an option. At least for the present. Would that it were!

jahamaa · Post by **jahamaa** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 2:43 pm

weeder wrote: Thats a great idea Bill. That smell is wonderful. I might try that myself to treat the dog family as well.

Weeder there is always a creative solution. Let me give an example, even thou I don't along with the guy's revenge motive in this case.

Neighbors got together and managed to change the zoning and ban a gentleman in a small rural community near me from keeping chickens. They said they made too much noise and even tho this guy had been keeping chickens long before his neighbors built near him somehow they got around the grandfather clause and he had to give up the birds. There are however no noise restrictions in this community between the hours of 6 am and midnight. Guess who now has a favorite recording of roosters crowing that gets a lot of play time.

There is always a bargaining chip that can be played if you think long enough.

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 2:48 pm

valerie wrote: I never thought of an anonymous note!!

Yeah, moving is not an option. At least for the present. Would that it were!

This makes me think of a friend of mine with a noisy West Highland White Terrier. One day she found a sale ad with bark collar circled on it in her mailbox :wah:

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:01 pm

rachelg wrote: This makes me think of a friend of mine with a noisy West Highland White Terrier. One day she found a sale ad with bark collar circled on it in her mailbox :wah:

Bwahhh hawww hawww that is cute as heck.

Sometimes that is all it takes and honestly some folks just don't see themselves as being problimatic and even appreciate the gentle approach.

Mind you I must confess, I have on 2 occasions phoned the police on my neighbors on both sides due to riot like music and partying. Yeah who is the cruddy neighbor now.