My Neighbor Is So Immature - Ignore or Confront? UPDATE POST 43

[marlasmom]

When we first moved to Florida I took the riding mower out - and realized I had forgotten how to stop it. I mowed the front of my neighbor's lawn and then figured it out. I told him I figured I was going to have to mow the whole subdivision until I ran out of gas and all he did was laugh.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd ignore them.

I'd also invite you to move next door to me and mow my grass anytime you want. As a matter-of-fact, the grass needs mowing now, and it's about 100 degrees with 90% humidity, so if you want to stop by, feel free!!!! We aren't freaks.

 

[disykat]

We used to have a neighbor that would complain when we accidently watered his grass! He had a very small strip on our side of his driveway, but he didn't want our water to touch it.

 

[poohandwendy]

Definitely ignore, it's never a great idea to get into an unneccesary pissing contest with someone who lives next door. It always ends up really bad...

 

[dizneenut]

OMG, I think we have the same neighbors. Only our neighbor's are complaining because my kids balls go into there grass....so, they planted 3 bushes and 2 pine trees
where our yards meet. Then, while we were in FL last month, they added a little fence to protect the bushes. She's such an idiot. (the wife wears the pants!) And, to top it off, they called the police on us a couple weeks ago because apparently my boys killed one of her $10 bushes.
I had one big confrontation with her last year when she came to my door and now we just ignore them.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

First, Thank you Lord that I have nice neighbors.
Second, are you sure you can't put up a fence? That might be the way to go. If not, just ignore them. Look at it this way--at least they are putting up shrubs and plants instead of having a rusty car on blocks in their yard!
Robin M.

 

[sorcerormickey]

Yep, no fences allowed in the front yards. Their backyard is already fenced with a 6 foot tall wooden fence (thank goodness!!). Besides, I would definately not want a fence out there - it would look really bad.

I guess I will just keep holding my tongue - but one day I may just go off on them if I hear them saying anything outside. (Anyone know any good bail bondsmen? LOL!!!)

 

[disneymom3]

Wow! Thank goodness for nice neighbors, I guess. Heck, my kids were sledding down the side hill at our house, crashed into my neighbor's tree and snapped it off. We offerred to pay for it and he said it hadn't grown well in the three years it had been there so don't worry about it.

I would ignore these people. Anything you say is just going to make the situation worse. And hey, figure you got some nice bushes between your properties adn that can only help you not have to deal with them

Oh, and anytime your boyfriend would like to come mow my grass he can come on over and I will even let him do the whole yard with no complaints whatsover!!

 

[Stitchfans]

I wasn't going to mention the fact that our neighbor did put up a fence long enough to seperate the length of our homes so that their teen age son has privacy when he dances naked.

All kidding aside, our back doors face each other, and one time while I was talking to my girlfriend on the phone I as I always do was walking around while talking. I stopped by my open door for no special reason and low and behold there was their teen age son dancing in his birthday suit. Shaking his groove thing. I started laughing, and yelled into the phone to my friend, "OMG! Girl you should see the little winky show going on here"

2 days later the fence was put up.What an eyes sore the fence is, but at least it is better than the other view I had.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Ignore childish, immature people. You cannot reason with them.

 

[DawnCt1]

They are childish and immature freaks but you may want to consider another approach. Next time you see one of them outside, smile and in your sweetest tone, say, : "I am so sorry, we got so involved in mowing the lawn that we didn't realize that we inadvertently mowed part of yours" They will feel like jerks (hopefully) for bad mouthing you and they will know that word of their behavior got back to you.

 

[Poohnatic]

Ignore, Ignore, Ignore. I had the neighbor from heck up in Maryland, and we got into it at one point, because our lawn wasn't mowed to the level she wanted it. The way the townhouses were situated, a strip of our lawn was alongside her lawn.

DH was a landscaper through college, so he doesn't scalp the lawn, and she did.

After that one blowup, we left crazy lady alone-and had a bottle of champagne the day they put the 'for sale' sign up. Ends up, she'd called the HOA on nearly every neighbor for things she felt were major violations-and yet, she had a field day planting stuff in the common area, when she wasn't allowed!

If you ignore them, it'll become a non issue. They'll find another target.

Suzanne

 

[dg39]

Unfortunately we can't control what comes out of peoples mouths, even if its against us. I would ignore it as long as I can, especially being next door neighbors. Soon the other neighbors will realize that these people are indeed crazy and will take what ever they say with a grain of salt. Most likely after they get through bashing you, they will move on to other neighbors and the cycle will go on until everyone in the neighborhood avoids them.

 

[jfulcer]

[Devil's Advocate=On]

You didn't say when you went over and apologized for cutting their crass on accident. Yes, it was an accident and I'm sure you said "oops" when he did it.

Did you say to them "OOOps, we cut part of your grass on accident...sorry!"

I know they are freaks but maybe they consider their property their property. We had one neighbor down the street that kept 'encroaching' on another's lawn. Would add another strip or two every week or so at cutting and then would say it was 'their lawn' and wouldn't back down. The people that were losing lawn eventually had to call the city assesor to come in and define the plot lines.

Maybe they have a valid gripe? Of course they should have come to you first, but maybe they think you are the freaks for trying to take over their lawn???

 

[The Haunted Mention]

I live in Rhode Island, I'm not rich. Sadly for a small state people around here can be very "standoff-ish". I am not making excuses for your neighbor's freaky behavior. But, I do understand your situation. I would certainly like to trade in a few of my neighbors.

 

[Serena]

I would go out one day while they were in the yard. Compliment the shrubs and such and say "what a great idea, it'll help us not accidently cut each others grass, like I did last time."

Some people look for a fight no matter what. They think everyone is out to cheat them somehow.

I'd really be grateful for the shrubs.

 

[CookieGVB]

When we first moved to Florida I took the riding mower out - and realized I had forgotten how to stop it. I mowed the front of my neighbor's lawn and then figured it out. I told him I figured I was going to have to mow the whole subdivision until I ran out of gas and all he did was laugh.

Did anyone else have the I Love Lucy lawn mower episode come to mind?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I feel your pain. I too live next door to the neighbor from hades. His parents used to own the house but died, now he lives there with about 5 skin head roomates. You might have read my posts too about him. Its a never ending saga. Not just us, but other neighbors have called the police, fire marshall etc. on him. Just last week he put up a big fence so all of us dont see what he is doing. We dont have an HOA, but we can call some town division on him if he violates something. The other neighbor on his other side, a lady trying to sell her house, just basically screams at him all the time, we just basically ignore him and have to stay in our house due to the danger of his illegal fireworks when he shoots them off etc. He is unemployed etc. I just watch it because his dogs are unleashed, rotweiller etc and have gotten out of the fence before too. I just know one day it will turn into something really bad. Just be careful and try to be peaceful, that is what we do, Good luck. We are planning on moving in about 7 years, maybe our neighbor will be mature by then. I am sure the other neighbors know you well etc. so they would believe you more, just as they do us.

 

[suevee]

Ignore. What goes around comes around. Eventually they will look like the idiots. Though when the amps are blaring I might make an anonymous call to Child Welfare out of concern for the children.

 

[Tiziminchac]

If I were you I'd go to Home Depot and buy a spray bottle of RoundUp. Then about 3 in the morning I'd sneak over into their front yard and write "Go back to R.I." right in the middle of the lawn. Then there's always the old "sugar in the gas tank" trick. But my favorite is the anonymous phone call to Crime Stoppers about the meth lab they're running out of their bedroom!