Anonymous "Dear Neighbor" letter

[Choc_marg]

I was talking to my daughter's teacher earlier this week about an incident with a psycho father & how he had accused me of something I didn't do. She told me, "Don't let him rent space in your brain for free". Same with the anonymous letter writer. Not worth it!

 

[CTdiznymom]

HOW RUDE! I would be so mad I'd be banging on doors to find out who wrote it. If it was me, I would be out there re hanging my Xmas decorations!

 

[McKelly]

I would be super mad too!! People have some nerve!! When we first moved here our neighbors told us we didn't mow our lawn short enough!! My DH was sssoooooooo mad!! Meanwhile, they have a boat, camper, and a trailer parked in their yard, and we have a city lot, we do not live in the country. And they were worried about what our property looked like?

Can you lay a bunch of garbage out front for a few days? Just to irritate them a little more? Put it away before it would get you into any trouble with the law, but long enough that you know whoever sent you that letter was going completely insane!!!

 

[LIFERBABE]

That's why I stayed in Da' Hood!

Everyone was moving off to these Master Planned communities and I know my husband is too country for that. The HOA would have run us off the minute he drove up in his old pickup!

I think this person is a coward and a bully. I agree, dont let them occupy another moment of your time. That's what bullies do. Suck up all your energy. I hate passive behavior. You want me to do something, just tell me! Then I'll decide if I am going to do it or not. A note would just make me mad

 

[marlynnp]

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

 

[loco4dis]

Honey, I'm sorry you felt you had to explain your situation in your posting. You don't owe ANYONE an explanation for the condition of your yard — particularly a perfect stranger. It is YOUR YARD. Use the letter as an opportunity to teach your children that the world is peppered with small, petty, unhappy people — and that every effort should be made to avoid them like the plague. Life is way too short to be explaining ourselves to people who don't matter.

 

[sardanem]

I so agree with the posters who say to let your grass grow 10 feet high, but I guess this is because I am also very spiteful. We have a crazy next door neighbor. She actually has a camera set up in her upstairs window to watch the kids. A few weeks after she moved in, my husband had to park in front of her house because parking can be limited here. Keep in mind that it is a city street. No reserved parking. No association. I had just had my 3rd child a few weeks ago. She rang my bell at 11:00 at night. I remember because ER had just gone off. Now the dog is barking, waking up the baby who had just fallen asleep. She is telling me to have my DH move his car from in front of her house. She said she needs to put her garbage there for pick up. I nicely told her no. She threatened to call the cops. I handed her my phone and laughed at her. That was 6 years ago and we have never spoken a civil word to her. I am fine with that. I am also now thrilled because a few weeks ago the FOR SALE sign went up in front of her house. Can I get a round of Happy Days Are Here Again?LOL


Lisa

 

[tileman]

Wow sorry to hear you got some crazy neighbors.

Need to get your self a old refrigerator take the door off and make it a nice dog house

Then maybe put up a few Christmas lights.

A old boat will work good to just make sure its off the trailer, Then load it with some trash.


I found this here funny stuff please read. http://www.joespc.com/carlos/redneck.htm

Ron.

 

[minniebeth]

I think everyone has at least one in their neighborhood...
I have one friend who planted really pretty flowers last year in her yard. Like a LOT of pretty flowers. Her neighbor told her she liked the color of last year's flowers better.
I have another friend who just build a house and her neighbor told her she wasn't sure she liked the color of the brick they chose!
Our next door neighbors went on vacation last year for a week and the grass grew long. A neighbor mowed it for them while they were away. Seems like a nice gesture enough, but they would have been back a few days later and it would have been done. Uninvited, it was over the borderline of insulting (or so they took it that way.)

I agree that if someone writes it anonymously, they are just busybodies with nothing better to do with their time and unkind in what should be neighborly ways. If only we could all walk a day in each others' shoes and see that we each carry our own burdens and we hopefully would be inclined to be more kind, gentle and helpful to each other.

to you and your family. Take care of your important needs like your family and don't worry about the things that won't matter in life in the long run.

 

[kimluvswdw]

I can't believe the nerve of some people. My grass would be as high as I could stand it just to make that person mad. I would normally never do this, but what ever happened to getting to know your neighbors. Being ordered around by a letter is going to far.

 

[kjetjl]

I think some people "worship" their yards. I have more important things to do in life. We cut weekly and try to keep a handle on the weeds; but you know what? It is just a lawn.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I agree with alot of other posters that I would let my grass really get long, but....

You could really make the letter writer feel guilty or friends with other neighbors by typing up your own letter and putting it in everyone mailboxes, explaining that you've received a complaint about your yard and you apologize, but due to health issues with your husband you will get to it when you can and you hope everyone can understand.

I'd give no more of an explanation as it's none of anyone's business, but maybe they'll leave you alone next time.

I heart goes out to you.

 

[Monte Cristo]

I would go out and buy 10ish pink flamingos and stick them on the front lawn and then not mow it for 2 weeks.

Good luck with the new neighborhood.

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

Our neighbor across the street go a similar letter in their mailbox and I'm pretty sure I knew who did it. Their lawnmower had broken and was in getting repaired and the grass got tall. The woman I beleived did it lived around the block, it was'nt even close to her house. But she's a bit of a control freak and I guess it was bothering her, but that was her problem not theirs, shortly after that they got the mower back and mowed the grass and while seeing this woman at the bus stop which is across from this house this woman seemed quite smug when talking about them finally mowing their grass. The person who left you this letter has a problem, don't let them take up space in your head I'm sure you have bigger concerns than this, this is their issue not theirs. I would do your yard work because you want it to look good not because they do. I would hang on to the letter, was it written or typed? If it has handwriting on it you may come across it again someday and be able to match it to find out who the culprit is. Linda

 

[sunnyday123]

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

Not only would I let my grass get as high as I could get away with, but I would take the wheels off my car and put it on blocks. And when I did cut the grass, I would do it in a bikini in cowboy boots with the radio blaring. At 7am. ( when I was growing up a lady on our street did this and we found it hysterical. Our parents did not.) THEN I would find out who left the letter.

 

[cocowum]

I'm so mean and spiteful. After I got that letter my grass would be ten foot tall and I would have friends come and park there cars in the culd sac

My thoughts exactly!!!!

 

[2Blue1Pink]

I read once that sometimes lawn care companies will put these "anonymous neighbor" letters in people's mailbox to drum up business. I would watch carefully over the next few weeks and see if by chance that letter is followed up by ads for lawn care service!!

 

[eclairemom]

You shouldn't have to deal with that after all you have been through. I can feel for you because we have gotten 2 letters from our dear neighbor over lawn care. Right after we moved in we had noticed the lady next door worked all the time and was never home so one weekend she didn't have time to finish the upper corner of her lawn. My DH noticed and thought he was being neighborly and completed cutting her grass when he cut ours the next day. We got a letter in the mail stating she didn't appreciate us cutting her grass and to not do it again . So two years go by and we get a certified letter about cutting a strip of grass on her property (we had been cutting that same strip for the last two years) removing property markers and stealing her no tresspassing sign. She informed us that she had been to the sherrifs office and if we tresspassed on her property again we would be charged. We hadn't done any of the things she accused us of and hadn't tresspassed. Wanna know the kicker?????? She uses our driveway to access her property, she doesn't have one off the main road. So I went down to county courthouse and researched to make sure there weren't any easments in the deed books and called our lawyer. He drafted her a nice letter telling her to stop slandering us and the driveway was on our property and if we so chose at any point in the future we would put a fence up. End of problem .

 

[design_mom]

If this was truly sent by a neighbor, then I agree... ignore it. That's totally tacky.

But -- I was just going to offer another thought -- especially since the letter was sent to "Dear Neighbor," not "Dear Bob and Cindy" or "Dear Smith Family."

Is it possible it's a marketing thing? I got a note a couple of years ago from an anonymous "friend" who told me that there were lots of good weight loss programs out there and she thought I could use one. (I am not super-skinny, but I'm not overweight either.) I was shocked and somewhat devastated. Lo and behold, a few days later I got a call from a weight loss program who said that a "friend" had referred me. I demanded to know which friend... and I wasn't very nice about it. After a while the caller acknowledged that there was no "friend," that was just part of their marketing script. I am almost positive that the note was from the same company -- a one/two marketing punch.

I don't know how that explains the car in the cul-de-sac, but is it possible it was push to get you to purchase landscaping services? Still totally tacky, but it might make you feel slightly better about your neighbors. (Good luck to you, by the way -- and with your husbands recovery.)

 

[melcan]

Do you live in an Association? Depending on your covenants, you could be fined. But the letter has to come from the association, not a homeowner.
Our association has some rules that are inconvenient at times, but if you have a hardship you can explain your situation to the board and get an extension. I can't really complain about the covenants, I was given a copy to read before I bought my house. Good Luck!!!!