OK, so I just alienated myself from some neighbors!

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by MScott1851

And wanna know the weird part? The developer is renting these houses for almost $200 more per month than my mortgage payment is!

Hope they don't find out they could buy it for less than renting it otherwise they'll become permanent neighbors.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Can we trade neighbors?

Someone purchased the house next to us last spring. It's a two family house. They rented the upstairs apartment last month. The owners haven't moved in yet.

The people living upstairs have been known to toss water, pampers and cobs of corn out of the WINDOW. Why they won't use a trash can is beyond me.

Don't even get me started on the loud music. Lucky for us all of our bedrooms are in the back of the house so the music doesn't keep us up.


I wouldn't worry about the house with the two sisters. Who knows, maybe one of the moms has the small bedroom. Maybe living together is the only way for the two families to make ends meet.

 

[MScott1851]

I'm not worried about the people in that house..I've met one of the ladies and she seems nice enough. What we, along with the rest of the neighborhood is not liking about them is that their yard is grown up, there is actually trash in the yard and on the porch and they also have a LARGE dog that they don't clean up after. The lady who lives next to them said that she was going to start collecting the poop out of her yard and put it in a box and leave it on their porch. Of course, they would probably leave it sitting there for three months before they picked it up to see what it was! Hahaha!

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by MScott1851
they also have a LARGE dog that they don't clean up after. The lady who lives next to them said that she was going to start collecting the poop out of her yard and put it in a box and leave it on their porch. Of course, they would probably leave it sitting there for three months before they picked it up to see what it was! Hahaha!

Not if it was on fire.

 

[minmate]

MScott,
It's more than a big house and pretty landscape that make a neighborhood nice. As you've learned, it's the people in it too... good thing to try to learn about before buying a house, especially if you judge certain people quickly. Speaking of which, we are a household of 6 (4 kids, all under age 5) -- living in (gasp) only a 3 bedroom house. Our dog is notorious for getting loose although she is quite harmless. How do you presume to judge me? I would love to know, really...

 

[MScott1851]

I don't know you, Minmate..so no judgement there...

But I bet you don't TAKE your dog to poop in other peoples' yard. And I bet you don't leave 5 bags of garbage outside on your porch for a month at a time...

As far as the number of people in a house, I was merely being descriptive...and with seven adults (two women, five teenagers) someone could pick up a little.

 

[RitaZ.]

the house catty-corner has three adults and four personal cars and a work van, which they park on the street.

They are probably subletting. Doesn't your city have a code enforcement department? If so, they can enforce the cleanliness and upkeep of their yard.

I feel for you and your husband. Give it some time and hopefully the noisy tenants will move out soon.

 

[kilee]

Didn't you say you just moved there???? I know they are not making great first impressions. However, from all the info you're conveying, you're obviously hearing a lot of gossip as well. Things like that are blown out of proportion often times.

I have to agree w/ the previous poster who said price tags don't make a nice neighboorhood-- it's the people.

 

[MScott1851]

Actually, we've been here since the end of April...and we moved from about three miles away, so we were in the neighborhood almost daily while the house was being finished.

The city code enforcement has a lot bigger fish to fry, trust me!

I guess I'm just disappointed because everyone has such high hopes for their first house, and you want everything to be nice and perfect...I grew up across the street from my cousins who had junked cars in the yard, old refrigerators on the front porch, half the house painted a different color, etc...I thought that a place with a neighborhood association would eliminate some of that clutter.

 

[minmate]

Understandably, not knowing the entire story of your neighbors, I can't possibly know what about them irritates you... just wanted to illustrate a point that sometimes, painting people into a nice little box isn't necessarily fair.

In fact,I come from an affluent family, where we had huge, beautifully kept homes, nice clothes, cars and things. I have a higher degree than most of my friends who live in homes 3x the price of mine. I have a dh who is more devoted to our family than most of theirs -- well, only according to their complaints. We keep our house and yard as neat as we can with the time restraints of all of our other responsibilities and we have a very loving family and support system. I teach Sunday School, swim lessons and babysit for lots of people in a pinch. I would give anything I had to help another person out. I've made meals for so many people in this community that have been down and out, newly blessed with a child, or whatever.... and it's come back to me tenfold. When I was pregnant with my 4th child -- with a 3, 2, and 1 year old during a very snowy winter, my neighbor plowed my driveway for me when I needed it and during that same pregnancy, while my dh insisted on painting our house himself during a very hot and humid summer, that same neighbor had been known to mow the part of our lawn adjacent to his -- while another neighbor helped me trim hedges. I had been ordered to very limited activity -- dh was working so many hours while doing the huge house project, and eventually, I had a placental abruption -- had the baby three weeks early -- turned out to be fine. Maybe they knew about this, maybe they didn't... but they don't bat an eye. We are all friendly and accepting of each other. I bake cookies and cakes and bring them to our neighbors all the time. We watch each other kids... we visit and eat meals together. We go for walks together. We help each other out, like I imagine an old-fashioned neighborhood would be. If my dog gets out they bring her back home for me with a smile and know that we WILL figure out how to keep her in the fence SOMEDAY... she walks through electrical fencing and digs under the fence -- and cement we've poured! No, none of us our perfect, but I couldn't ask for better neighbors, really. We all say that.

If there was a situation that was out of control (NO, my dog doesn't poop on someone else's lawn -- and if she did - I would think my neighbors would tell me -- we have that kind of relationship -- and I would be very sorry and clean it up -- then again, most of us have dogs!) I know I could count on my neighbors for support. It sounds like that is what you're trying to do... Maybe you could offer to help your messy neighbors -- at least it would be a subtly tactful way to introduce the idea you'd like them to get their act together.

Maybe you can park YOUR car where your neighbor parks it to annoy you for a week or so, see if it gets the hint across. I certainly can imagine being in a position where you can't stand your neighbors, but it's an awful situation to think about. Are ther ANY proactive ideas you have to make the situation better while still having to live near these people? To some degree, their property is theirs to do with what they will -- unless they are violating some town ordinance or development by-laws (do you have these?) -- in which case you could try to discreetly turn it over to them.

By the way, we may not live in the biggest homes in town, but we certainly live in one of the nicest parts of town -- b/c we have the best neighbors.

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by MScott1851
I thought that a place with a neighborhood association would eliminate some of that clutter.

LOL! So did we, that's why we bought in our neighborhood! My husband is actually ON the board, but the idiot that is in charge picks and chooses what he wants to enforce!

In the meantime, the neighbors that just moved in next to us are parking ON the lawn that they DON'T mow, play drums till all hours of the night, and just today started cutting down the trees in their backyard to put up a HUGE satelitte dish to get their chinese TV stations! Oh, and the huge pine trees that were felled are laying me MY yard!

We SO have to move!

 

[poohandwendy]

I can understand the people who are saying 'awww, just live and let live..let it roll off your back''....BUT, y'all have to admit, bad neighbors aren't like ignorant people you pass on the street...THEY, you can easily ignore. Bad, inconsiderate neighbors can make your life a living hell.

Everyone has a boiling point. I am the type who would try asking them to stop whatever was bothering me, in a civil and friendly manner...but if I got a huge attitude...all bets are off...

 

[MScott1851]

Maybe you could offer to help your messy neighbors -- at least it would be a subtly tactful way to introduce the idea you'd like them to get their act together.

You know, I've thought about that. The family next to the two women weed-eatered for them back in the beginning of June, thinking that they might not have one...They never acknowledged that it ever happened..

And I hate the idea of being passive aggressive and parking my car in their way, when I obviously have plenty of driveway/garage space...but I don't want to seem mean by asking them to move theirs. There is really no good way to solve this... They got used to parking there before we moved in, and just continue to do so... Even our homebuilder had to ask them to move a couple of times.

 

[minmate]

Oh, and by the way... I understand your higher hopes for your first house... which is what I really thought may be at the bottom of this all along... remember I just stated that I came from an affluent family... sure, I'd love for my four kids to each have their own room with adjacent sitting/study and own personal bathroom (like I did -- in a family of 2 kids) -- but yeah, right! In the long run, I'm glad to have my dh home at 5 p.m. every night -- and me being able to be home with my kids to raise them to be good people and learn to judge other people by what's in their heart -- not their wallet or their driveway.

You can still be proud of your house and set an example for your neighborhood. Try to keep positive and realize not everyone is in the same place as you are mentally, physically, financially, morally and responsiblity-wise.

My father has a beautifully landscaped yard, yet he doesn't own a single piece of equipment... he hires people to do everything including mow the lawn, rake the leaves, etc. He has a maid service, laundry service and a wife who doesn't work (not my mom), with no kids at home. They travel on a whim.

I, balance a part-time job, four kids not yet in full-time school, pets, community commitments, mowing the lawn, and slave away in my yard, picking weeds and such. Lots of things compete for my time. I prioritize and choose that which is most important to me each day and know that God will give me enough days to complete that which he expects me to. And if the grass grows a little bit longer between cuts, I sure hope my neighbors aren't thinking that much lesser of me for it, nor do I hope that they feel it is ruining their dream of their pride in their own home ownership. Of course, I would like everything to be clean all the time and all the chores done -- but honestly, they are never DONE, to the point where I can just sit down... I mean geesh, it's past midnite and I hadn't sat down all day until about 45 minutes ago when I SHOULD be in bed anyway, yet I'm taking a break from yup -- cleaning the house!

Remember, you're still YOU and NOT your cousins! Maybe you can import in some great big ol' lilac bushes or pine trees or a fence or something to obstruct your view of your neighbors... "good fences make good neighbors!"

 

[Planogirl]

I agree with minmate. A fence or bushes would probably help.

I would not complain unless it just becomes intolerable and I would never call the police unless things are really out of hand. You would not want angry people living right next to you. Maybe killing them with kindness is the answer, if not then you get rough.

 

[sunni]

A quiet and affluent neighborhood doesn't mean it is better. My husband is back into construction working with builders on expensive homes. The stories he can tell! He'll drive me past the homes they've worked on and point out which house has the pervert that talks inappropriately about his budding teen daughter; the nice home with an owner who walks over to houses under construction, glances around hoping not to be seen, and walks off with a contractor's expensive tool; where the women that are exhibitionists live; the women who like to sunbathe when the workers are nearby and some who offer to perform favors; etc. The value of the home does not determine the level of class.

Thumping car stereos, fireworks, long grass and a little doggie doo beat perverts for neighbors anyday IMO.

 

[MomofKatie]

Well, I feel for you. I think most of the "live and let live" types don't have to deal with neighbors who make life awful.

We live in a newer subdivision that has a Homeowners Association and Covenants we all agreed to when we bought our houses. We were one of the first 10 houses built and sold in a neighborhood of 250 or so houses.

It turns our that our street, and only our street, has several homes for rent, as well as homes sold to people who have moved away and allowed their banks to foreclose. It seems that, in order for the new subdivision to appear as though it was 'hot' and in demand, the builders allowed some of the contractors, and subcontractors among others to purchase homes ONLY ON OUR STREET who weren't well qualified to do so.

We have alot of the same problems you do- neighbors with lots of family members and friends all living in a single family home, neighbors with dogs that run free, scaring children and pooping all over the place, neighbors with cars parked on the street (which is against the Covenants), etc, etc, etc.

IMO, you should complain often and loudly to the HOA. Call Animal control if dogs are loose. If you seem like a "mean old so-and-so", well, you deserve to have a nice place to live. Your property values will suffer if things get bad. You are protecting your investment!

Sorry if this opinion is unpopular, but I feel your pain, and I am sick to hear of slobs who ruin other people's neighborhoods because they are too ignorant or lazy to keep their property in good condition.

 

[Mskanga]

Boy this post really makes my neighbors look good. I am lucky that there are only 5 houses on my part of the road, only three are occupied full time ( including us ) and they are all nice people. The other two are weekend people also nice people , except one of them sometimes decides that because they come up here for vacations, everyone is on vacation and plays loud music late at night and spends all day going up and down the road with the ATV's, but at least she is nice when asked to keep it low at nights.
We have another house being built across the street and because of some of the people that have been moving into the development lately, we are hoping that at least the people moving in are nice too, I don't care what race, how many or anything, just considerate and nice. Now don't get me started on the other side of the street....we have got some real characters there.

 

[lux]

I don't think calling the police will do any good. On the news up here, houses burned caused by fireworks = 2, perpetrators caught with fireworks = 0. The police have other fish to fry.