Anonymous "Dear Neighbor" letter

[sunnyday123]

The fact is that I can't put them anywhere else because we live in the mountains of NC. The only spots that are not steep are where my house is and up on that piece. We were leasing some land to put them on but the price doubled and we can't afford it anymore. And FYI 3 or 4 acres is actually a small area for horses. They are not like dogs that you can kennel!!There won't be a big cloud of dust!! We will plant pasture grass!! I'm not going to argue the point! It is my RURAL land and I will do with it what I see fit! When we bought that parcel we did so to put our horses up there. Once again, this is rural land!! Why should I change my plans? I guess that means that if I have neighbors move in that don't like the noise of my kids then I should put them up for adoption or keep them inside so they don't bother the neighbors!!! If you don't like animals then make sure you live where there are restrictions against them. If you don't like kids then live where there are restrictions against them!! That's the way I feel! I may get flamed for it but it is what it is.

Personally, I would try to move the horses over a bit ( 1/2 for concern for them-what if this nutcase tries to do something to them-1/2 for spite ) and put about 4-5 pigs in there. Theres got to be some sort of pig rescue where they could live out there little life in content on your piece of property that is ZONED FOR FARM ANIMALS!!!

 

[labdogs42]

rent some pink flamingos...

or around here we have these places that rent yard 'signs' for birthdays and what not.... like "holy COW looks who's 40" and there will be 40 cows in the yard that should push them over the edge

Is this a PA thing? We get those signs in our neighborhood ALL the time! I happen to think they are really funny! They even have one with a bunch of toilets that says "Holy Crap Look who's 40!" That would be WAY cool to put on your lawn!

Oooh, even better, if you can figure out who the neighbor is, have the signs put up on their lawn for their "birthday"!!

 

[sunnyday123]

I would, when time and health allowed, garden like there was no tommorrow. Whatever you could stick a plant in, I would. My grandparents had house down the street where the people did just that. Shoes, boots, bathtubs, toilets, if it had a hole they stuck a plant in it. Then they decorated around all that with fountains, statues and windmills. And this was a tiny tiny yard. It was hysterical when we were little, we couldn't wait to see what was new in the yard! Adults didn't find it so amusing, but my g-parents thought to each their own and left it alone. I miss that house!

 

[Mary2e]

The fact is that I can't put them anywhere else because we live in the mountains of NC. The only spots that are not steep are where my house is and up on that piece. We were leasing some land to put them on but the price doubled and we can't afford it anymore. And FYI 3 or 4 acres is actually a small area for horses. They are not like dogs that you can kennel!!There won't be a big cloud of dust!! We will plant pasture grass!! I'm not going to argue the point! It is my RURAL land and I will do with it what I see fit! When we bought that parcel we did so to put our horses up there. Once again, this is rural land!! Why should I change my plans? I guess that means that if I have neighbors move in that don't like the noise of my kids then I should put them up for adoption or keep them inside so they don't bother the neighbors!!! If you don't like animals then make sure you live where there are restrictions against them. If you don't like kids then live where there are restrictions against them!! That's the way I feel! I may get flamed for it but it is what it is.

I've seen the cloud of dust from the corral as the horses kick it up, and it does cover everything in my parents yard - from the porch to the windows to the barbeque.

This isn't about liking animals or not. It's about people who live somewhere for 6 years and suddenly, someone puts horses less than 100 ft from the backdoor without any provisions to keep them from impacting the lives of those around them.

If you don't want to end up in court for impacting your neighbors lives, you should reconsider where you put them. They also have rights to the use and enjoyment of their own property. Just offering some friendly advice.

 

[Mary2e]

Horses don't typically kick up dust unless obiviously they are standing in dirt. Even then for a dust cloud to waft 30 feet is stretching it. I've never seen a pasture ( and you're right 3-4 acres is small for them ) without grass. And a pasture won't smell! Horses ( at least mine did ) tend to go in one area ( usually the hardest place to get your wheelbarrow! and are not dirty animals.

It's a corral with fine dirt and is over 1/2 acre large. Their barn is closer to the home and a different set of neighbors.

You have no idea the amount of dirt on my parents patio patio furniture and everything else in the backyard. It was clean before the horses were put there.

I probably was not clear that this is not a barn nor pasture land. It was a wooded area in which the owners took down the trees and put up a huge corral. The horses are put there for most of the day when it is warm outside.

We used to have people just stop and watch them. Horses impacting your quality of life? I really can't imagine how that is possible. No offense, but that sounds like like it's up there with the "I spilled my hot coffee and you're responsible" law suit. If a property is zoned for farm animals, guess what you're going to get. Maybe the owner isn't keeping the barn clean enough or have grass for them ( which is a shame ), and then something should be done ( although I don't beleive that is against the law ) but my motto is, if you don't like it, don't look at it.

Please see above

I know I'm going to get flamed for this.

No flames, because we're talking about 2 different things. The barn isn't causing the issue the corral is.

I'm just trying to help the poster out here... if those horses start making a mess such as what happened to my parents, she just may end up in court because surrounding homeowners also have rights to enjoy their property without being negatively impacted by a neighbor.

FWIW - my family are all animal lovers and aren't anti-horse or any other animal. The area is also not zoned rural or farm. The rules are 1 acre per horse for any homeowner.

These people were plain old inconsiderate - they had plenty of other flat land to use and did not.

 

[snowbunny]

I think everyone has at least one in their neighborhood...

Yeah...we purposely moved into a house on 2 acres that is not part of a homeowners association to avoid it. But we still got a neighbor (moved in 4 years after us) who thinks the whole place is his.

At least he speaks to us directly rather than through an anonymous note (how lame). One time he asked if my DH was planning on going to mow soon (the grass was a little high), and another time, he came up to the door and asked if my DH would please mow so that no clippings blow onto the lane. (I didn't even tell DH about that one until a long time afterward, he would have blown his top.)

The kicker is, the neighbor had tons of time to leaf blow the lane and keep it pristine and worry about everyone else because he was unemployed, and his wife was working her tail off to support their family. They are moving this week

I did not read the entire thread so don't know if this has been said, but keep that note and if you get another anonymous one, I would consider taking them to your local police. This is a form of harrassment.

 

[Magic Mom]

OMG!!! Priceless!!

Personally, I would try to move the horses over a bit ( 1/2 for concern for them-what if this nutcase tries to do something to them-1/2 for spite ) and put about 4-5 pigs in there. Theres got to be some sort of pig rescue where they could live out there little life in content on your piece of property that is ZONED FOR FARM ANIMALS!!!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Now, i'm wondering what our neighbors think of us - I don't think we have ever "edged" our lawn - and sometimes it used to take my husband more than a week to mow the lawn, and we kinda like dandelions, and
if i ever got a letter like that - I'd put BIG BIG PINK FLAMINGOS IN MY FRONT YARD.

My mom passed away 3 months ago tomorrow - Life is much too short to worry about mowing lawns and whose lawn looks best.

I want to remember, sitting on the porch with my mom and my kid rolling down the grass....

I so agree with you! They would kick us out so fast if they were worried about un-mowed grass and weeds. My daughter loves making "flower arrangements" out of the dandelions and creeping charlie. My mother passed away 6 years ago, and you know: I've never cared to remember about the condition of the grass in our lawn. It's the memories of sitting with her in our porch swing that linger.

 

[Magic Mom]

My parents have neighbors who did exactly the same. The result - The people who own the horses don't have to deal with the dust and dirt kicked up, much less the smell, and my parents have to look at their horses and deal with a dust cloud of dirt every time it is windy and/or the horses are there. The owners of the horses have 4 acres and they could have put their horses anywhere, but chose to put them where they could bother 4 other families.

They are in the process of taking the neighbors to court for impacting their quality of life and not allowing them to enjoy their own backyard. FWIW - my parents, and their neighbors, were there for at least 6 years before these people bought the house and decided to keep horses.

A little consideration goes a long way.

I would think there has to be some middle ground for your parents and their neighbor so it doesn't have to go to court. Perhaps your parents could put up a privacy fence (maybe split the cost with the horse owner.)....or plant a large hedge row on their side of the fence. There are plants that grow very quickly. It just seems a shame to go to court with a neighbor all over not want to see horses over their fence. I hope they can work it out so that EVERYONE gets to enjoy their own land.

 

[Magic Mom]

I know I'm going to get flamed for this.

Not from me....

 

[Mary2e]

I would think there has to be some middle ground for your parents and their neighbor so it doesn't have to go to court. Perhaps your parents could put up a privacy fence (maybe split the cost with the horse owner.)....or plant a large hedge row on their side of the fence. There are plants that grow very quickly. It just seems a shame to go to court with a neighbor all over not want to see horses over their fence. I hope they can work it out so that EVERYONE gets to enjoy their own land.

They tried - for 2 years now. It's not seeing the horses that cause the problem - it's riding and leaving the horses in the corral. It's actually enjoyable to see horses without people on their backs.

The town even tried to ask them to keep the dirt in the corral watered down so the dirt stops flying around to no avail. They claim to "rescue" horses, yet they own 2, and every few hours, different people show up to ride these horses. It's starting to look like a business to us and using "rescue" as an excuse.

Unfortunately, as we can see from from some posts here - there's a pretty big "it's my property & I'll do what I want" issue going around. Well, my parents own property too, and now they can't do what they want, which is sitting or cooking outdoors, without wiping everything down first.

It is a shame. Consideration goes both ways.

 

[LegoMom3]

This is kind of budget related since lawn care in my area is outrageously priced. I am so pi**ed right now I can't stand it. I received an anonymous letter today from a neighbor. It stated "As you know spring is here and it is time to clean up your yard. So please mow and get rid of the weeds, edge along the drive and sidewalk and flowerbeds. Be proud of your new home and considerate of those who live around you. Thank you." We just mowed our grass a week ago and our shrubs need to be trimmed and there are a couple, literally, of weeds in the flowerbeds. We have several rosebushes that just got to the point of needing to be trimmed back, but I haven't researched yet the best way to trim them. We have not bought a weedeater yet, our old one was stolen at our previous home. So we haven't edged as we don't have an edger either. My husband had a total hip replacement on March 31, he just went back to work after not working since the beginning of March, so we have really cut back on our spending. Add that to the fact that since his hip replacement he can't do much in the yard so all of the laundry and inside of the house is mine to do as well as the yard. He is now working at a commission only jobs so we still need to watch our spending. We recently received a flier from a neighbor who has a landscaping business and charge 150/month with a year contract and these are small yards. If this concerned letter writer had made an effort to get to know us since we moved into this home in October, they might know all of this and maybe would have offered to help out when my husband. We also have 4 children, which makes it difficult to spend a lot of time to have a perfect yard. I think we obviously moved into the snobbiest neighborhood in town. Another neighbor received a note on his car for parking in the cul-de-sac. "That is why you bought a house with a garage. Use it" UGGHHH. But my thing is, Yes I realize our yard could look better, and I see that every day. And we are working on it. But we have other issues, including my husband's recovery from his surgery, his change of jobs, child care issues, and my recent identity theft that are taking precedence. And our yard does not really look bad, and there are other homeowners who haven't edged their yards. I'm sure that the concerned neighbor let them know about it too....Well, just wanted to vent

I haven't read the entire thread (the end seems to have gone off on a tangent about horses, but I want to reply to the OP).... But this is what I would do if I got an "anonymous" letter like that...

Get a piece of big white poster board. Draft your own reply in Sharpie on the poster board. Say whatever you want but definitely make the point that if this person needs to hide behind an "anonymous" note, then what they have to say means nothing and is just a bunch of hot air, and that until such time as you are actually collecting junk in your yard, your yard is YOUR business!

Then stick the poster board on a wooden stake and put THAT in your yard!!!! (maybe a big 'ol pink flamingo to boot!.... )

People like that annoy me. We don't have letter-writers in our neighborhood (I doubt some of them can even write.... ) but they like to yell out their car widow as they drive by. Too coward to actually stop and speak to your face!


.

 

[Magic Mom]

They tried - for 2 years now. It's not seeing the horses that cause the problem - it's riding and leaving the horses in the corral. It's actually enjoyable to see horses without people on their backs.

The town even tried to ask them to keep the dirt in the corral watered down so the dirt stops flying around to no avail. They claim to "rescue" horses, yet they own 2, and every few hours, different people show up to ride these horses. It's starting to look like a business to us and using "rescue" as an excuse.

Unfortunately, as we can see from from some posts here - there's a pretty big "it's my property & I'll do what I want" issue going around. Well, my parents own property too, and now they can't do what they want, which is sitting or cooking outdoors, without wiping everything down first.

It is a shame. Consideration goes both ways.

I agree consideration goes a long way, but if the area is zoned for horses and they have horses...what are they doing wrong? Honestly, if you are outside there is going to be dirt blowing around (LOL I cleaned my patio table last night....it was YUCK! and I live in a subdivision) and I can think of a lot worse things then a riding corral outside my back porch...like say a dirt bike course, or as another poster mentioned a big hog pen, or a rooster breeder. Can you imagine how horrible that would be.
I guess for me, if I'm going to sue my neighbors for something, I'm going to pick very carefully, because you never know what you are going to get instead.

 

[Magic Mom]

I

People like that annoy me. We don't have letter-writers in our neighborhood (I doubt some of them can even write.... ) but they like to yell out their car widow as they drive by. Too coward to actually stop and speak to your face!
.

My mother has neighbors like that and they are scary. Their pitbulls attacked her elderly golden retriever and almost killed her. My mother called animal control, but in the end was afraid to press charges, because they kept driving by her house very slowly staring at her. They also walked by the house late in the evening and just stopped and stared at the house. She is terrified of them, but there is nothing the police can do because they haven't really done anything. The family has lived there as long as I can remember. The oldest son moved back in with his Dad (original owner) with his own family about 18 years ago, and they were so awful that the dad gave the house to them and moved out of the state. Their house is a shambles, there is junk strewn around, dead cars in the drive, nasty dirty children beating the hell out of eachother in the yard.
Boy I wish my mother had moved before the housing bubble burst....

 

[ncmtnmom]

Personally, I would try to move the horses over a bit ( 1/2 for concern for them-what if this nutcase tries to do something to them-1/2 for spite ) and put about 4-5 pigs in there. Theres got to be some sort of pig rescue where they could live out there little life in content on your piece of property that is ZONED FOR FARM ANIMALS!!!

I actually had thought about this!!! My Dh thinks it's too extreme!! I am concerned for my animals and I am considering selling them because the man up there has said that if I put any animal up there then I better hope they never get out on his land because he will shoot them!! I wouldn't put it past him to harm them in some way!!

It's a shame that I have to get rid of 2 of my friends. Yes, they are my friends!! My horses seem to know me better than my people friends. They are always happy to see me. They seem to know when I've had a bad day. And I can always depend on them to take care of me when we are on the trail! Plus, my kids have learned alot from them. They have learned that you have to care for your animals. That you have to do the work before you have fun. And that all that work pays off in the love of your animal!!

 

[ncmtnmom]

and my parents have to look at their horses

You did imply that just seeing the horses was a problem for your parents!

 

[Mary2e]

I agree consideration goes a long way, but if the area is zoned for horses and they have horses...what are they doing wrong?

It's not specifically zoned for horses. It's zoned residential. The rule is you are allowed to keep 1 horse per acre.

Honestly, if you are outside there is going to be dirt blowing around (LOL I cleaned my patio table last night....it was YUCK! and I live in a subdivision) and I can think of a lot worse things then a riding corral outside my back porch...like say a dirt bike course, or as another poster mentioned a big hog pen, or a rooster breeder. Can you imagine how horrible that would be.

As I said, my parents were there 6 years before the horses. They know the level of dust/dirt they had before and can see a major difference now. A corral with horses running/being exercised isn't a whole lot different than dirt bikes - particularly if it's windy. Dirt is going to fly - a lot of it.

I guess for me, if I'm going to sue my neighbors for something, I'm going to pick very carefully, because you never know what you are going to get instead.

It wasn't their first choice. They really did not want to go the route of getting lawyers involved. All they want to do is be able to sit outside without having to clean the porch/chairs every single day.

These people had plenty of flat land in which to put their corral. They chose to put it as far away from their house as possible and as close to their neighbors as possible. They could have put it just as far away from their house but on the other side where there are no people, yet they did not. That's the real issue here. They didn't have to impact other people, yet they did.

Funny, how the neighbors on my parents other side managed to get them to stop for 2 years - probably by sending a lawyers letter. When those people moved away, magically, the horses reappeared. We tried to be nice, but nice, when dealing with these people, simply doesn't cut it - particularly if they're using the "rescue" excuse to try to get their way.

Now, they either have to stop/move the corral, or pay for lawyers. I suspect they'll stop again.

 

[Mary2e]

You did imply that just seeing the horses was a problem for your parents!

I mispoke and I apologize for that. It's the dirt and dust that's the real issue - if they were just in pasture there wouldn't be any problem at all.

I really am terribly sorry you have to get rid of your horses if the only place to put them is right next to your neighbor and he has threatened them. That's awful, and definitely not a length that would ever cross our minds.

I was just trying to give you advice because I thought you were talking about a corral as well, not out to pasture.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

This is kind of budget related since lawn care in my area is outrageously priced. I am so pi**ed right now I can't stand it. I received an anonymous letter today from a neighbor. It stated "As you know spring is here and it is time to clean up your yard. So please mow and get rid of the weeds, edge along the drive and sidewalk and flowerbeds. Be proud of your new home and considerate of those who live around you. Thank you." We just mowed our grass a week ago and our shrubs need to be trimmed and there are a couple, literally, of weeds in the flowerbeds. We have several rosebushes that just got to the point of needing to be trimmed back, but I haven't researched yet the best way to trim them. We have not bought a weedeater yet, our old one was stolen at our previous home. So we haven't edged as we don't have an edger either. My husband had a total hip replacement on March 31, he just went back to work after not working since the beginning of March, so we have really cut back on our spending. Add that to the fact that since his hip replacement he can't do much in the yard so all of the laundry and inside of the house is mine to do as well as the yard. He is now working at a commission only jobs so we still need to watch our spending. We recently received a flier from a neighbor who has a landscaping business and charge 150/month with a year contract and these are small yards. If this concerned letter writer had made an effort to get to know us since we moved into this home in October, they might know all of this and maybe would have offered to help out when my husband. We also have 4 children, which makes it difficult to spend a lot of time to have a perfect yard. I think we obviously moved into the snobbiest neighborhood in town. Another neighbor received a note on his car for parking in the cul-de-sac. "That is why you bought a house with a garage. Use it" UGGHHH. But my thing is, Yes I realize our yard could look better, and I see that every day. And we are working on it. But we have other issues, including my husband's recovery from his surgery, his change of jobs, child care issues, and my recent identity theft that are taking precedence. And our yard does not really look bad, and there are other homeowners who haven't edged their yards. I'm sure that the concerned neighbor let them know about it too....Well, just wanted to vent

I didn't get a chance to read the whole thread but I did have a similar experience to yours. We had just bought our house and received a couple of those kinds of letters. Not to mention a few "neighbors" yelling out of their cars. Here is what I did. After finally buying a lawn mower, I mowed my yard at 9pm (after 10 would have violated noise ordinance) using spotlights and decorated with gnomes. Lots and lots of gnomes from dollar general. Yes it was juvenille but it just ticked me off to no end that rather than introducing themselves and seeing if maybe we needed to borrow a mower; the welcome was rolled down windows and yelling.

 

[sunnyday123]

I actually had thought about this!!! My Dh thinks it's too extreme!! I am concerned for my animals and I am considering selling them because the man up there has said that if I put any animal up there then I better hope they never get out on his land because he will shoot them!! I wouldn't put it past him to harm them in some way!!

It's a shame that I have to get rid of 2 of my friends. Yes, they are my friends!! My horses seem to know me better than my people friends. They are always happy to see me. They seem to know when I've had a bad day. And I can always depend on them to take care of me when we are on the trail! Plus, my kids have learned alot from them. They have learned that you have to care for your animals. That you have to do the work before you have fun. And that all that work pays off in the love of your animal!!

Good luck with this mess. It's a shame that you are allowed to have these animals, but someone feels they can dictate what you do on your property. These are things you need to check out BEFORE you purchase land/home. If there is a chance something like this could go up, no matter how long you have lived there-6 years or 60 years- then you should question purchasing there. Just because they weren't there before, doesn't mean they can't be there now. Dirt happens. Sometimes people make a big stink about something that really isn't that much of a problem. I know if I had this problem, there would be no way I would give up without a fight to protect my rights.