Just got a NASTY letter from by neighbor....need opinions ...Warning Long!!!..

[mum4jenn]

OK let me fill you in on what happened. On Monday I came home to find that a package I had ordered (nurses scrubs) and an order that my neighbor had ordered (2 pr. pants) had been dragged out to our yards and the packages ripped open with the clothes all over the yards. I am positive that one of our dogs did this even though I did not see it happen. We have a fenced rear yard but this dog has learned to climb the fence anytime she wants to. She is over out of the yard dozens of time in a day and she just won't stay in back.

I brought the neighbors order into my house to inspect them and did not see any damage at the time so I waited until she came home from work and took them to her and explained what happened and told her if she found any damage I would be happy to replace them. Sounds simple right???WRONG!!!!

She came to my house later and showed me a few places where the teeth broke through the fabric belt. OK fine I did not see it so I still told her I would replace them and just let me know how much. Tha next day she came over with the invoice to show the price and said she looked at the Old Navy website and could not replace them in her size because they were out of them(they were a clearance item). I knew this was true because I had also looked it up to see if I could order them for her myself. The ones that were damaged were black pinstripe but they did have solid black in her size. I almost ordered the black ones anyway because I felt bad about what had happened but I was afraid to in case she did not want the solid color. She went on to say that "I just don't know what I am going to do with these pants... I can't wear them" I told her I would get the money to her the next day.

I looked up on the website what it would have cost to replace them along with the full shipping and the sales tax and I gave her cash to cover that plus a little extra. I added a page from the website showing the solid pants in case she wanted those and a note saying again that I was sorry it happened and since she could not wear the pants and did not know what to do with them that she could just give me the pants and I would save them for when I get to that size and just cut the belt loops off. Sounds reasonable to me...NOT!!!

She left me a really NASTY letter on my door this morning( I found it when I got home after work) In a nutshell she was "confused and amazed" that I would order her the other pants...I was not entitled to the damaged pants and she would NOT bring them to me( to me that says she is planning on still wearing them herself)

So what is your opinion on this??? I apologized, I paid for the replacement ,tax, and full shipping (for the original 2 pr pants) and offered to also buy her another pair of pants.

 

[Jeafl]

I'm confused as to why she would leave you a nasty letter. It sounds to me like you went out of your way to apologize and make restitution. At this point, I think you've done all you can, and I would just drop the whole thing. If she isn't happy, then there probably isn't anything more you can to do to change her mind. Hopefully she'll get over it soon.

 

[KristaTX]

Is that your neighbor standing behind you in the picture?

 

[floridafam]

It sounds like you did what you could and she should be satisfied that she has the money. It is her choice to do with the pants what she wants, IMHO, just as a matter of courtesy.

I don't thin she needed to write you a nasty letter. Maybe she misunderstood your intentions about keeping the damaged pants.

I would let it drop because she'll probably try and go after you for having your dog out all of the time.

 

[DoeWDW]

How strange! It sounds like you wrote a perfectly nice note and she somehow took something you wrote the wrong way - a simple mis-understanding. I'm not sure what you could do next - I mean you've done all you could to make the situation right.

Maybe she thought you were insinuating that since you paid her for the pants she should give them to you (I know that's not what you meant, but she could have taken it that way?).

Maybe she was just really looking forward to wearing those pants and enjoying her "bargain" purchase, and her disappointment is getting the better of her sanity?

Hope there's a happy resolution to all of this.

 

[mum4jenn]

Oh I am going to let it drop.... I had to get my frustration out somehow so that is why I wanted your opinions!!!! Otherwise I would be responding to her. I figure this is a better way to handle it!!!!

We never were close neighbors anyway. They are quite a bit younger than we are but we have always been nice to them. They even recently had a big furniture order delivered by Rooms to Go and they were not home and the drivers of the trunk were going to leave it all out in the rain but my dh went out of his way to get in touch with them at their work places.(Wish we could do a "do-over " on that one!!!!LOL!!!

 

[luvdzny]

While I agree you may have done everything you could have this time, I would suggest that you do something to make sure you dog does not get out of the yard again. I don't know what the laws are where you live, but it is illegal to have a dog running loose in our town. Even if it gets out of the fence you can still be ticketed. Hopefully your neighbor will calm down and things will go better.

 

[mum4jenn]

My dh called earlier and told me he would fix the electric fence. We used to have it on all the time but this same dog chewed through the wires and actually chewed the plug off!! To look at her you would never know she would do this though. She is a fairly smallish dog that has alot of cocker spaniel in her.

 

[pnelson]

You've done everything to correct this situation, except address the matter of the dogs. I think you have a serious potential liability issue, and next time it might be worse than a pair of pants. If someone hits one of your dogs, aren't you liable for the damage to the car? I think so.

Sorry, but I would be mad if this happened to me and I would probably pursue making sure you find a way to contain the dogs.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Hi Sheila! First, I would definately get the fence problem fixed. If your dogs get over the fence perhaps they'll have to be on a leash inside the fence. 2nd...How long has this lady been your neighbor??? I think you did everything reasonable, and then some, to make amends. You just can't please some people!
BTW...Are you going to WDW this Spring Break?


TC

 

[mum4jenn]

Tuffcookie...Hey there!!! Yes we will be there this Spring Break again!!!..We have the fever for sure. We went to Universal in Nov and Dec and now we are going for MLK weekend (Pop Century) and then again inn April. Our Spring Break is April 5-9. When is yours??


Hopefully by the first of the week we will have the fence fixed where she will get zapped. Dh is working this weekend so it will be Monday before anything happens. We moved in 3 years ago so we have't been neighbors for very long but this is a new subdivision so no one has been here for long.

I could get nasty about their motorcycles keeping us awake but I will just stay away from her totally. I will be the grown up in this situation!!

 

[Kallison]

You were very nice and reasonable. My dog has destroyed my neighbor's gulf umbrella (we bought him a new one), my other neighbor's son's bike helmet (offered to write a check but they refused), ripped another child's jacket -- they thought it was cute. He is 5 now and has calmed down considerably but everyone knows to park their bikes and leave their helmets outside the invisible fence line, not to leave their shoes outside the door, not to leave their pool towels on the fence. He is a chewing lab, what can I say?? He has the whole neighborhood trained. Geez stuff happens, my neighbors lab jumped all over me once, knocked me over I was covered in mud from head to toe. This is when he got out and we were putting him back in their fence when they weren't home. Sounds like they are young and immature. I wouldn't bother with them in the future and next time let their furniture get wet.

 

[peg2001]

You have gone above and beyond to be a good neighbor. To be perfectly honest, I would not have been happy if it had been my new pants, but if I could still wear them, I would not have even accepted money from you. An apology and assurance that you were going to take steps to try to contain your dog would have been enough.

If the electric doesn't work, you might look into a jumping harness. This allows the dog full run of your fenced in yard but doesn't let him jump, which is presumably how he's getting out.

Good luck.
Peggy

 

[DISshopkeeper]

Originally posted by skporter
Is that your neighbor standing behind you in the picture?

LOL! Good one!

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd let it lie, but I also would no longer go out of my way for these neighbors.

I'd also fix the fence ASAP, because once the neighbors realize that you've kind of written them off, they'll be looking for ways to get you. People can be very vindictive.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that your neighbors have to be your best friends, or that you have to have anything to do with them. I have neighbors who moved into my neighborhood and 2 weeks later called me on the phone to tell me that my dog, who had barked 3 times because a truck went by, was bothering them at 2:00 in the afternoon. I told them when my dog was bothering them at 2:00 in the morning they could call me, but until then, don't bother me. Short, sweet, to the point. They stay on their side of the street, I stay on mine, and life is good. All my other surrounding neighbors are wonderful, so I don't nned those 2 to be my best friends.

 

[FonFon]

Sounds to me like you went out of your way to address the problem and alleviate the situation. I'd also just let it drop...sometimes people get mad just to get mad. And the next time you feel like being a nice person (i.e. the furniture), pretend that you don't really live next door. She's probably not going to go out of her way to be friendly to you anyway, judging by her reaction.

And I feel your pain on the cocker spaniel...my parents have a one year old brittany spaniel, and he is the sweetest dog in the world, but will chew anything in reach!

 

[FreshTressa]

If it was the People's Court, they would make her give you the pants.

She sounds like a real witch. I am sorry you have to live near her!

 

[NHAnn]

Originally posted by mum4jenn
I added a page from the website showing the solid pants in case she wanted those and a note saying again that I was sorry it happened and since she could not wear the pants and did not know what to do with them that she could just give me the pants ...........She left me a really NASTY letter on my door this morning( I found it when I got home after work) In a nutshell she was "confused and amazed" that I would order her the other pants...I was not entitled to the damaged pants and she would NOT bring them to me( to me that says she is planning on still wearing them herself)

Sounds like a bit of a misunderstanding here...maybe because of your note and the web page she thought you had taken it upon yourelf to order the solid ones and wanted the striped ones yourself? So in effect you each got a new pair of pants ....but you got the ones she wanted in the first place. I'm not defending or excusing her behavior mind you, especially since she told you she didn't know what she was going to do with teh damaged one...but I can see where a personality like that might take it...........she probably figures she should get the replacement pants (with you paying for them) and keep the old as well since that's what she ordered/wanted ...as punishment to you and your dog/compensation for her.....

I think you can hold your head high as far as having done the right thing and being a good neighbor......take care of the dog problem, keep your distance from her, and let it lie!!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I have a couple of questions that jumped out at me.

WHY was her package delivered to your house? And doesn't the shipping company bear some of the responsiblility?

Or did I misunderstand and the dog take it from her house?

I think you have done everything possible and she will never be happy. Hey it was clothing, not like the dog injured a person or pet.

 

[mum4jenn]

My darling doggie took her package from her house. Both of our packages were packed in these tough plastic envelopes.