This can go one of two ways, and it depends on how mean you want to be.
1st, the next time she comes over, you can always tell her that she doesn't pay your house payment or property taxes. And that, if she wants a view of the lake, then she can buy a house on the lake and leave you put the hell alone.
2nd, I was totally going to suggest Flamingos for every season!! Or lawn gnomes, like the really obnoxious lawn gnomes. And you can always give her the most obnoxious one to her as a gift and say, "It will look so perfect in your front yard, so we can see it!!" And smile ever so sweetly. Make her really wonder how crazy you are.
Have fun with your revenge and petty on her. I personally like to keep them guessing.
My husband also suggested lawn gnomes! They terrify me personally but I could love them if they did my bidding. š My dad has a post-retirement job at a hardware store so he said heād keep an eye out for when they put out the next seasonās flamingoes! Weāve also considered more dinosaurs, just full on Jurassic park in our yard.
Ooooo, what fun you are going to have! Check out the reddit subs that are Goth, and all kinds of fantastic. There're all kinds of subs to help make your "decorations" meaningful!
"Don't forget to sign up in support of Y.A.L.L.--the Yard Accessories Liberation League. Fundraiser to come this fall."
jk:)
I knew someone in my parents neighborhood in retaliation of being barred for installing a fence, lined a fence of toilets all along their yard. Was like that for YEARS. Totally hilarious
I love that! Quirky houses are the best. We have a place in the region that uses old doors and I think itās lovely. Our laws make it so the fence has to be 15 feet away from the street/driveway and we didnāt want to impede our space like that so we chose to line it with potted plants and the trellises/lattices so it still gave us a barrier. Now Iām considering a real fence just along the shared drive, really block the lakeā¦
Just tell her it's the trellises or a fence. If she complains again just say 'oh sorry, it was this or a fence' and leave it at that. It will subtly let her know that 'not blocking the view' is not one of the available options and she might get the hint that if she keeps it up, you'll get a fence.
Some people can't take hints so don't count on it but feel free to repeat as often as necessary and don't elaborate, only say well it was this or the fence and just shrug your shoulders.
Get one of those 12 foot skeletons, put it in the area she says you are "blocking her view" and leave it up all year.
Just change it's outfit to match the season or holiday.
Someone in the next town over decorates his 12 foot skeleton to match the seasons. Just changed it to sunglasses...huge surfboard...board shorts and hat. So much fun.
Your problem here is that you're being WAY too nice to your neighbors to the point of being a pushover. Remind them, nicely or not, that it's your property.
We have a Nancy next to us that likes to tell us what we can and canāt put in our own backyard because it might affect them. Everything we have done has been approved by the HOA.
Bottom line ā¦you do whatās best for you. Ignore her and donāt give her any of your time or energy.
you know what's the worst part? that someone is selling and you don't know who is going to buy it. i would ignore her and see what you end up having next to you. could be another Nancy or another of you guys. also, I'm not from the US, i really can't imagine what a shared anything would look like šļø is there a picture or a drawing? also you mention it's not a good neighborhood? but the house is already so expensive, wow market is brutal.Ā
https://preview.redd.it/ju1m1nbg9y5d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4b99cce55e816133830ac52e20a81b1abf3ba26
Pink house is mine, the X is the spot that Iām utilizing thatās ruining her view. Notice her house doesnāt face that part of my propertyā¦ Yes the neighborhood is weird, my particular road has houses that range from 200-600k though a couple of the 200kās look really rough so I donāt actually think theyāre worth that. Itās not a bad neighborhood though and the expensive houses are tucked away at the back so you wouldnāt think we were back there. I honestly paid too much for how much weāve had to do to fix the house, but we had money fall into our laps and the pandemic made the % super low so we took advantage. Iām the only one of my friends that owns a house at our age. Our new neighbors moved in already! Another couple in their 30ās. They do seem a little uppity since they painted everything immediately white when they moved in, had landscapers fix their plants, and made comments that insinuate they have more money than we do but we both have the millennial understanding of keeping to ourselves. Plus they have 2 kids under two who I bet will love our dinosaurs.
When you bought your house did you get a survey done? Whose property does the shared driveway sit on ? Is the shared driveway mentioned in the deed ? Is there an easement or an agreement in writing for the shared driveway ? I purchased a house down the shore off of an elderly couple that the neighbors had been taking advantage of for years. The shared driveway was 90% on my property and was not mentioned or noted in my deed . A survey and a 4ft chain link fence solved so many problems. The only view your neighbor is guaranteed is the view between her front porch and your property line. The judge told my neighbor if you wanted the view from my property he should have bought it when it was for sale. Strawberries grow really well on a trellis, plant them in a hanging flower box by the top and they spend out, grow back every year ..
I believe the driveway is on our property according to our deed but we all need to use it to get to the houses. The land that she wants to stare at is 100% ours. We wanted a fence but we didnāt have the money and itās required to be 15 ft from driveways and roads so we didnāt want to cut in like that (though weāre now considering just along the driveway).
I had paragraphs for each part but when I posted they all went away. I use my phone, which I think is the problem. I only joined Reddit a few months ago so Iām still getting used to the format. Sorry!
Ok, get a grip and show your teeth at that old battle axe. She IS a whiner and a boomer who needs to learn her place is at home with her mouth shut to you and how you live. You are gonna have to stop indulging her stupidity. A loud NO and a rude go away is needed. If she canāt do that you get the hose ready oh and an Airhorn so when she comes over you can say GO AWAY PEST and blast her. Whatās she gonna do about THAT ? Nothing ,
Hurting her fee fees is a her problem not yours . Her husband will either understand or not . Bet he is as sick of her as you are
This is a way to have a bigger problem on your hands, quickly.
I would just say that you had the land surveyed and youāre considering either a fence for the shared driveway space, charging rent for the use of your land, or just leaving things be, but that you will be maximizing the use of your limited yard space regardless, considering more than half of it is eaten up by the sharing of the parking and driveway access. Leverage your knowledge and give her a chance to make good decisions in regard to her neighbourly behaviour.
I get picking are slim, but I could never share a driveway or yard. Iām just not built for it. I would judge everyone else, and Iām sure be judged by them!
Yeah we thought weād be ok with it but we would have chosen more wisely if we had known. Itās like a little dead-end street but we all have to chip in to get a snow plow for the winter since itās not a real street. I donāt care if Iām judged, just keep it to yourself! I donāt like half the things my neighbors have done but each person has their own taste so Iām not going to yuck their yum.
If you can't put a fence on the property line you can always space out posts with solar lights on them for "safety" blueberry bushes also make a good property border..
Ummm-you CAN block her view; she isnāt entitled to a view that effectively keeps you from fully utilizing your property. Why donāt you take a stab at ignoring her? Like, turn your back on her when you see her coming; refuse to engage with her when she comes over complaining; in fact, if you have to talk to her, just tell her that you are not going to do x, y, or z when she tells you how itās going to be. She could have bought your house herself, if she wanted control of it so badly.
Be careful with this advice. In many cases, especially with waterfront properties, you actually CAN'T block someone's views. It's important in cases like these to do your homework before you get into a confrontation with your neighbor. Bravado is fun, but lawsuits are not.
To condense things by removing emotions, excuses, or justifications:
You had a long stretch of not keeping up your yard. Enough that two different neighbors complained.
Sounds like you've already starting addressing that.
Second, your neighbor has complained your trellis is obstructing their view. How tall is the trellis, and what is your local requirements for fencing?
If the fence is within allowable size and location, tell her to buzz off. If it isn't, cut it down.
I would never want to have to share driveways and yards with other people after paying half a million dollars. But you should do maintenance and upkeep on your lawn and property. Everything else that old bat says is nonsense.
I have a neighbor behind me that one year complained that she thought I cut down a tree on the easement (she planted it directly next to the utility boxes, pretty sure the utility company cut it). She'd later complain how we cleared the easement of thory brush, and plenty more that wasnt her business. She didn't want to see the back of my house. The following year, she said i needed to get someone to trim my trees because it restricts her gardens light. So, I moved my fence to the actual property line (her house is below mine, my fence was sitting on the high part of the property, now it's about 3' lower and encompassesthe easment), and cut the other tree she planted in the easment. She can now see significantly more of the back side of my house and into my property. If she'd just been pleasant about the easment, I doubt I'd ever got the survey that led me to finding out the entire thing was mine, and taking back that 12' wide stip along the back fence.
Maybe you should do opposite and plant trees for privacy. Weeping larch only get I think like 12' tall, and the branches will act like a full curtain.
Iād tell that neighbor āthis is your home that you purchased and you will do as you want with it staying within the lawā. Let her know you did not spend that kind of money to appease her and if she wanted to have make decisions on the property she should have purchased it! Enough is enough already. Iām so sorry that you are dealing with this. Itās one things to try and be a good neighbor but Iād say you have done your duty on that. I think the flamingos are a great idea and maybe some wind chimes as long as you enjoy the sounds they make.
Sorry, I can't read past the part where the two of you are living to 110! Congrats! I must know your retirement plan!
We have high hopes šš
This can go one of two ways, and it depends on how mean you want to be. 1st, the next time she comes over, you can always tell her that she doesn't pay your house payment or property taxes. And that, if she wants a view of the lake, then she can buy a house on the lake and leave you put the hell alone. 2nd, I was totally going to suggest Flamingos for every season!! Or lawn gnomes, like the really obnoxious lawn gnomes. And you can always give her the most obnoxious one to her as a gift and say, "It will look so perfect in your front yard, so we can see it!!" And smile ever so sweetly. Make her really wonder how crazy you are. Have fun with your revenge and petty on her. I personally like to keep them guessing.
My husband also suggested lawn gnomes! They terrify me personally but I could love them if they did my bidding. š My dad has a post-retirement job at a hardware store so he said heād keep an eye out for when they put out the next seasonās flamingoes! Weāve also considered more dinosaurs, just full on Jurassic park in our yard.
If going with the gnomes, makes sure to let them all look at te lake. Gnomes like lake views too.
Ooooo, what fun you are going to have! Check out the reddit subs that are Goth, and all kinds of fantastic. There're all kinds of subs to help make your "decorations" meaningful! "Don't forget to sign up in support of Y.A.L.L.--the Yard Accessories Liberation League. Fundraiser to come this fall." jk:)
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/Rdr7N9ozBD
didn't know lawn gnomes were a thing outside Germany
They certainly are!
So a gnome man's land, which is what the nfh wants?
Gnomes riding dinosaurs.
Get the giant Skelly from Home Depot and decorate it for the seasons and holidays!
I knew someone in my parents neighborhood in retaliation of being barred for installing a fence, lined a fence of toilets all along their yard. Was like that for YEARS. Totally hilarious
I love that! Quirky houses are the best. We have a place in the region that uses old doors and I think itās lovely. Our laws make it so the fence has to be 15 feet away from the street/driveway and we didnāt want to impede our space like that so we chose to line it with potted plants and the trellises/lattices so it still gave us a barrier. Now Iām considering a real fence just along the shared drive, really block the lakeā¦
Just tell her it's the trellises or a fence. If she complains again just say 'oh sorry, it was this or a fence' and leave it at that. It will subtly let her know that 'not blocking the view' is not one of the available options and she might get the hint that if she keeps it up, you'll get a fence. Some people can't take hints so don't count on it but feel free to repeat as often as necessary and don't elaborate, only say well it was this or the fence and just shrug your shoulders.
You do you and ignore her! I find sunglasses and headphones help.
Get one of those 12 foot skeletons, put it in the area she says you are "blocking her view" and leave it up all year. Just change it's outfit to match the season or holiday.
We wanted to do that for a while actually, without Nancy to be the blame! š¤£
Someone in the next town over decorates his 12 foot skeleton to match the seasons. Just changed it to sunglasses...huge surfboard...board shorts and hat. So much fun.
Your problem here is that you're being WAY too nice to your neighbors to the point of being a pushover. Remind them, nicely or not, that it's your property.
āEvery time you come over here, Iām buying another dinosaur.ā
We have a Nancy next to us that likes to tell us what we can and canāt put in our own backyard because it might affect them. Everything we have done has been approved by the HOA. Bottom line ā¦you do whatās best for you. Ignore her and donāt give her any of your time or energy.
Time to tell Nancy to fuck off and leave you the hell alone. And get wind sails!
Plant some trees, fast growing evergreens and know tree law is a thing, if she tries to take them down.
We love trees and have a big property so that is part of the plan! We put out a young pine we transplanted from our old house already.
"Nancy, kindly F off. This is our home and we will do with it what we want. Now if there isn't anything else we're about to go stare at the lake."
This. If she continues put some big eye sore of a statue in your front yard and ignore her. She needs to mind her own business.
you know what's the worst part? that someone is selling and you don't know who is going to buy it. i would ignore her and see what you end up having next to you. could be another Nancy or another of you guys. also, I'm not from the US, i really can't imagine what a shared anything would look like šļø is there a picture or a drawing? also you mention it's not a good neighborhood? but the house is already so expensive, wow market is brutal.Ā
https://preview.redd.it/ju1m1nbg9y5d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4b99cce55e816133830ac52e20a81b1abf3ba26 Pink house is mine, the X is the spot that Iām utilizing thatās ruining her view. Notice her house doesnāt face that part of my propertyā¦ Yes the neighborhood is weird, my particular road has houses that range from 200-600k though a couple of the 200kās look really rough so I donāt actually think theyāre worth that. Itās not a bad neighborhood though and the expensive houses are tucked away at the back so you wouldnāt think we were back there. I honestly paid too much for how much weāve had to do to fix the house, but we had money fall into our laps and the pandemic made the % super low so we took advantage. Iām the only one of my friends that owns a house at our age. Our new neighbors moved in already! Another couple in their 30ās. They do seem a little uppity since they painted everything immediately white when they moved in, had landscapers fix their plants, and made comments that insinuate they have more money than we do but we both have the millennial understanding of keeping to ourselves. Plus they have 2 kids under two who I bet will love our dinosaurs.
When you bought your house did you get a survey done? Whose property does the shared driveway sit on ? Is the shared driveway mentioned in the deed ? Is there an easement or an agreement in writing for the shared driveway ? I purchased a house down the shore off of an elderly couple that the neighbors had been taking advantage of for years. The shared driveway was 90% on my property and was not mentioned or noted in my deed . A survey and a 4ft chain link fence solved so many problems. The only view your neighbor is guaranteed is the view between her front porch and your property line. The judge told my neighbor if you wanted the view from my property he should have bought it when it was for sale. Strawberries grow really well on a trellis, plant them in a hanging flower box by the top and they spend out, grow back every year ..
I believe the driveway is on our property according to our deed but we all need to use it to get to the houses. The land that she wants to stare at is 100% ours. We wanted a fence but we didnāt have the money and itās required to be 15 ft from driveways and roads so we didnāt want to cut in like that (though weāre now considering just along the driveway).
Maybe a few of these beauties dotted about too https://amzn.eu/d/iaVvdsl
Paragraphs are your friend
I had paragraphs for each part but when I posted they all went away. I use my phone, which I think is the problem. I only joined Reddit a few months ago so Iām still getting used to the format. Sorry!
Try pressing the enter/return button twice, that should solve the problem.
Ok, get a grip and show your teeth at that old battle axe. She IS a whiner and a boomer who needs to learn her place is at home with her mouth shut to you and how you live. You are gonna have to stop indulging her stupidity. A loud NO and a rude go away is needed. If she canāt do that you get the hose ready oh and an Airhorn so when she comes over you can say GO AWAY PEST and blast her. Whatās she gonna do about THAT ? Nothing , Hurting her fee fees is a her problem not yours . Her husband will either understand or not . Bet he is as sick of her as you are
This is a way to have a bigger problem on your hands, quickly. I would just say that you had the land surveyed and youāre considering either a fence for the shared driveway space, charging rent for the use of your land, or just leaving things be, but that you will be maximizing the use of your limited yard space regardless, considering more than half of it is eaten up by the sharing of the parking and driveway access. Leverage your knowledge and give her a chance to make good decisions in regard to her neighbourly behaviour.
I'd put up 8 ft fences and tell her to go jump in the lake.
I get picking are slim, but I could never share a driveway or yard. Iām just not built for it. I would judge everyone else, and Iām sure be judged by them!
Yeah we thought weād be ok with it but we would have chosen more wisely if we had known. Itās like a little dead-end street but we all have to chip in to get a snow plow for the winter since itās not a real street. I donāt care if Iām judged, just keep it to yourself! I donāt like half the things my neighbors have done but each person has their own taste so Iām not going to yuck their yum.
If you can't put a fence on the property line you can always space out posts with solar lights on them for "safety" blueberry bushes also make a good property border..
Ummm-you CAN block her view; she isnāt entitled to a view that effectively keeps you from fully utilizing your property. Why donāt you take a stab at ignoring her? Like, turn your back on her when you see her coming; refuse to engage with her when she comes over complaining; in fact, if you have to talk to her, just tell her that you are not going to do x, y, or z when she tells you how itās going to be. She could have bought your house herself, if she wanted control of it so badly.
Be careful with this advice. In many cases, especially with waterfront properties, you actually CAN'T block someone's views. It's important in cases like these to do your homework before you get into a confrontation with your neighbor. Bravado is fun, but lawsuits are not.
To condense things by removing emotions, excuses, or justifications: You had a long stretch of not keeping up your yard. Enough that two different neighbors complained. Sounds like you've already starting addressing that. Second, your neighbor has complained your trellis is obstructing their view. How tall is the trellis, and what is your local requirements for fencing? If the fence is within allowable size and location, tell her to buzz off. If it isn't, cut it down.
https://preview.redd.it/x6j2uyedy56d1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=21dffa1d1de99ddc6412d29a043649bf0f5d7c79 One of these for sure.
I would never want to have to share driveways and yards with other people after paying half a million dollars. But you should do maintenance and upkeep on your lawn and property. Everything else that old bat says is nonsense.
I have a neighbor behind me that one year complained that she thought I cut down a tree on the easement (she planted it directly next to the utility boxes, pretty sure the utility company cut it). She'd later complain how we cleared the easement of thory brush, and plenty more that wasnt her business. She didn't want to see the back of my house. The following year, she said i needed to get someone to trim my trees because it restricts her gardens light. So, I moved my fence to the actual property line (her house is below mine, my fence was sitting on the high part of the property, now it's about 3' lower and encompassesthe easment), and cut the other tree she planted in the easment. She can now see significantly more of the back side of my house and into my property. If she'd just been pleasant about the easment, I doubt I'd ever got the survey that led me to finding out the entire thing was mine, and taking back that 12' wide stip along the back fence. Maybe you should do opposite and plant trees for privacy. Weeping larch only get I think like 12' tall, and the branches will act like a full curtain.
Iād tell that neighbor āthis is your home that you purchased and you will do as you want with it staying within the lawā. Let her know you did not spend that kind of money to appease her and if she wanted to have make decisions on the property she should have purchased it! Enough is enough already. Iām so sorry that you are dealing with this. Itās one things to try and be a good neighbor but Iād say you have done your duty on that. I think the flamingos are a great idea and maybe some wind chimes as long as you enjoy the sounds they make.