Mowing the lawn at 7 am...

[Jockaroo]

Well, I too, have a crank of a neighbor. Last fall he came into our yard and annouced he would be cutting down a tree in the backyard. The leaves were black from sooty mold and the tree looked ugly. I asked "which tree" because he had cut down all the trees in his backyard. He then described the redbud that my husband and I purchased and planted on our property. I told him he could not cut down our tree. He acted offended and then said his wife told him he had better ask before cutting it down!

Fast forward to this week. I had a rather stressful day with a doctor's appointment and hubby and I came home to find that this neighbor--while we were gone--had dug a 6 inch trench in our yard. It goes from the street to the back of the lot and is at least one foot inside our property line. We are so mad. He planted a large number of trees right on the property line and is now digging our yard to put in mulch. I have told him 3 times this spring that I do know where the property line is and that he is over his side. It is bad enough that his wall of trees is taking over our side yard. We are through asking. I think Robert Frost was correct: "Good fences make good neighbors."

 

[disneynutt1225]

I think you probably annoy your neighbor with the bbq lasting past midnight.

He did say that he takes his friends inside if they get too loud. Perhaps you missed that part. I think neighbors need to have a little more common courtesy for each other - especially since chances are you'll be neighbors for 5 years or more.

My neighbor has LOUD parties frequently over the summer on the weekends and occasionally during the week. They have a pool and there is shrieking and laughing, jumping into the pool, AND loud music up until 2am on some nights. Once in a while if it gets to be really bothersome my father has gone over to the neighbor and asked him to keep it down - sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

I completely understand your frustration, Tim. Perhaps you should put that pic on the windshield! Too funny!

 

[NewJersey]

He did say that he takes his friends inside if they get too loud. Perhaps you missed that part. I think neighbors need to have a little more common courtesy for each other - especially since chances are you'll be neighbors for 5 years or more.

My neighbor has LOUD parties frequently over the summer on the weekends and occasionally during the week. They have a pool and there is shrieking and laughing, jumping into the pool, AND loud music up until 2am on some nights. Once in a while if it gets to be really bothersome my father has gone over to the neighbor and asked him to keep it down - sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

I completely understand your frustration, Tim. Perhaps you should put that pic on the windshield! Too funny!

We have neighbors a few houses down like that! Loud music, yelling, screaming...sometimes until 4 am.

The difference with my bbqs, is that I have a few (2 - 3) that last for a while (past midnight)..the others are usually just low key things. But when it comes down to it, like you say, it's all about consideration. I take it inside! Next time he mows the lawn, I'm putting the paper on his windsheld.

 

[RUDisney]

Tim, you live in Central NJ. Isn't there still dew on the grass at 9am, let alone earlier? How does one do a good job cutting their lawn when the grass is wet?

My DH is one that needs to be reminded that he's one of the only people on our block who wakes up with the roosters each day. He sees nothing wrong with power washing the house at 7am or hammering pieces of wood at that hour. I become the voice of reason and either turn off the hose or make him come inside. We've got good neighbors. I don't need my DH screwing things up for us just because he's a morning person.

 

[arminnie]

I lived in Houston 30 years ago but I still remember how incredibly HOT and HUMID it was even at 7 am. If I wanted to do any yard work I had to start early - although I did not do the lawn mowing.

I think that is why I hate yard work and gardening to this day. All I can think of is being MISERABLE beyond belief. It is so hard for me to think of gardening as a fun hobby.

I had a totally nutso condo neighbor in CA. She had a two story condo next to mine. One morning at 5 AM she comes beating on the door of the condo above mine DEMANDING that the neighbor turn off the loud music - wakes up the entire place. Of course everyone is asleep, and there is NO music.

So then she decides that I am the offender. She wrote this LONG letter to me about her mistake in thinking it was the upstairs neighbor when it was ME who was tormenting her with this loud music every morning at 5 AM.

I didn't even have a stereo and never played the radio. I'd been awake one morning very early and went outside to see if maybe the noise was coming from across the water (we lived on the water with apts. across the way).

It was totally silent. Not even the peep of a bird. We never did figure out WHAT she was hearing (besides nothing).

My response to her was to get psychiatric care as she was hearing things that were not there. Fortunately she never spoke to me again after that.

 

[Talking Hands]

7 am sounds right around here. If you wait you will end up with heat stroke. Better yet hire a lawn service to do it. They come while we are at work.
My neighbor on one side complains if my daughters have their radio on quietly on the back porch after 9pm. Noise ordinance says 10pm. It isn't loud and there is no way I am letting come in and smoke in the house. She can learn to live with it.

 

[arminnie]

7 am sounds right around here. If you wait you will end up with heat stroke.

So true.

Plus so many businesses started really early in Houston. When I lived there I had to get up at 4:45 AM for work as did almost everyone else I knew. So 7 AM WAS sleeping in.

 

[Corwin12]

I feel lucky, all us neighbors get along. I think there is a difference between snow blowing early and mowing: some people may have to snow blow early to get to work. If I lived next door to Tim, I'd mow my lawn at 5:00 am to get back at him for not inviting me to his bbq. DW and I like bbqs ... and we always bring lots of beer .

 

[snomofinn]

My DH owns a landscaping/lawn maintenance company and around us there is an ordenance that prohibits the use of loud machinery including lawn mowers/weed whips, etc.. before 8:00am during the week, so he doesnt even start his crews out until then. We do have a neighbor that starts his lawnmower up on a Sunday morning around 9:00 which I hate! SUNDAY MORNING???? he's home by 4:30 during the week, his wife doesnt work so she's home all week, he's home on Saturdays, so why wait until SUNDAY??? That's the only day that I get to sleep in!

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

i hate that, it's like they don't think that anyone else should sleep in, since they don't.

and you know what else drives me nuts?? the dogs barking at like, 5am every morning. really people, control your dog! i know it's not the dog's fault, it's just what they do, but i think that people can keep their dogs inside at night until morning time.

 

[MareQ]

We do have a neighbor that starts his lawnmower up on a Sunday morning around 9:00 which I hate! SUNDAY MORNING???? he's home by 4:30 during the week, his wife doesnt work so she's home all week, he's home on Saturdays, so why wait until SUNDAY??? That's the only day that I get to sleep in!

I don't see anything wrong with that...

 

[CanadianPaco]

I feel lucky, all us neighbors get along. I think there is a difference between snow blowing early and mowing: some people may have to snow blow early to get to work. If I lived next door to Tim, I'd mow my lawn at 5:00 am to get back at him for not inviting me to his bbq. DW and I like bbqs ... and we always bring lots of beer .

A retired neighbour. A saturday morning. He wasn't going anywhere! PLEASE!

 

[kristen821]

He did say that he takes his friends inside if they get too loud. Perhaps you missed that part. I think neighbors need to have a little more common courtesy for each other - especially since chances are you'll be neighbors for 5 years or more.

My neighbor has LOUD parties frequently over the summer on the weekends and occasionally during the week. They have a pool and there is shrieking and laughing, jumping into the pool, AND loud music up until 2am on some nights. Once in a while if it gets to be really bothersome my father has gone over to the neighbor and asked him to keep it down - sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

I completely understand your frustration, Tim. Perhaps you should put that pic on the windshield! Too funny!

No I read it, I am just saying maybe he doesn't realize how loud it gets when you are trying to sleep.

 

[NewJersey]

No I read it, I am just saying maybe he doesn't realize how loud it gets when you are trying to sleep.

That's a fair assessment. But the fact that you mention hearing people laugh next door or dropping something, says that maybe a loud noise to you, isn't a loud noise to other people.

 

[twinklebug]

Seriously...does my neighbor have to mow the lawn at 7 am and weedwack at 8 am?

And they complain when I have bbq's in the summer that, God forbid, last past midnight.

Neighbor?... is he downwind?
If so I think it's time to replace your front lawn with a garden of dandylions

 

[NewJersey]

I feel lucky, all us neighbors get along. I think there is a difference between snow blowing early and mowing: some people may have to snow blow early to get to work. If I lived next door to Tim, I'd mow my lawn at 5:00 am to get back at him for not inviting me to his bbq. DW and I like bbqs ... and we always bring lots of beer .

I'd invite you in a heartbeat!

 

[NewJersey]

Neighbor?... is he downwind?
If so I think it's time to replace your front lawn with a garden of dandylions

As a matter of fact he is...

 

[NewJersey]

Tim, you live in Central NJ. Isn't there still dew on the grass at 9am, let alone earlier? How does one do a good job cutting their lawn when the grass is wet?

My DH is one that needs to be reminded that he's one of the only people on our block who wakes up with the roosters each day. He sees nothing wrong with power washing the house at 7am or hammering pieces of wood at that hour. I become the voice of reason and either turn off the hose or make him come inside. We've got good neighbors. I don't need my DH screwing things up for us just because he's a morning person.

Yep, usually there is dew on it that early. Maybe that explains why it kept stalling, and it sounded like an airplane engine when he tried to continue to cut it.

 

[kristen821]

That's a fair assessment. But the fact that you mention hearing people laugh next door or dropping something, says that maybe a loud noise to you, isn't a loud noise to other people.

True, but who knows how your neighbor is. Personally if I am already sleeping I won't wake up to talking, laughing, and bottles dropping, but when I am trying to get to sleep it is annoying. Your neighbor is probably a light sleeper. Have you tried talking to him before you have a bbq. Maybe a simple "I am having a bbq tonight, if we get to loud for you give me a call" will help. Maybe you can even offer him a hotdog.

 

[NewJersey]

True, but who knows how your neighbor is. Personally if I am already sleeping I won't wake up to talking, laughing, and bottles dropping, but when I am trying to get to sleep it is annoying. Your neighbor is probably a light sleeper. Have you tried talking to him before you have a bbq. Maybe a simple "I am having a bbq tonight, if we get to loud for you give me a call" will help. Maybe you can even offer him a hotdog.

Yeah when I know they are going to last later, I give the neighbors a heads up and tell them to call me if we are being too loud. And I always offer the invite to them. He's just a grouch.