Who's in my backyard and What is he doing? ...

[Brit17]

sorry if this is long, but I need to vent ...

So I'm working in my home office and my dogs start barking like crazy and they run to my office door that looks outside into my backyard ... so I get up to look out to see what the heck was going on and what do I see? ... two men spraying something in my backyard with one of those power sprayers! ... so I immediately opened the door and screamed, "Who the heck are you and what the heck are you spraying in my yard!!!" ... and the one guy responded, "oh we're from "xyz" and we're here to spray the weeds like you called and asked us to do"... I was like WHAT?!?!? ... I NEVER called anyone to spray ANYTHING in my yard because I NEVER put any kind of pesticides in my yard because of my dogs!! ... so the guy goes, "well aren't you "Jane Doe"? ... and I said "NO, that's my neighbor, whose yard you've personally been doing for YEARS!! (this guy owns the company and I've seen him MANY times before next door), "how the heck could you get the yards confused after all these years!!" ... especially when the yards or houses don't look anything alike, MY yard is completely fenced in, and there are TWO big dogs barking at you?!?!? ... and he arrogantly & condescendingly goes, "oh well, it was a mistake, no big deal" ... a mistake?, no big deal?, are you kidding me? ... I don't want any PESTICIDES in my yard, period. ... then he goes, "call my insurance company, sue me, I don't care" ... so I asked him for his business card and he goes, "I don't have one, my info's on my truck, it'll be parked out front for 10 minutes while I do the house next door, get the info from there" ...

I just couldn't believe the audacity of this guy ... I know mistakes can happen , but c'mon after 10+ years, he doesn't know the correct house? ... or to look at the BIG numbers that are on the front of all of our houses and on the curbs to help him make sure he is at the correct house before he starts putting PESTICIDES down ... uuuugggh, why are some people just so careless anymore these days, and then, can be just so non-chalant about their mistakes? ... and then we are left to fix their mistakes ...

ok, venting over ... thanx for listening ...

 

[AKL_Megs]

That's just crazy.

If he owns the company (or his branch), though, calling them wouldn't get you very far!

FWIW, my neighbor gets TruGreen monthly, and it is "pet friendly". If perhaps this idiot was from that company.

If you are worried, I would spray down the yard and try and keep the dogs out of that area for a while. Hopefully they haven't been there BEFORE, spraying without your knowledge!

 

[Handbag Lady]

I'd be really angry too. I might even be angry enough to do something about it. You don't know what he sprayed, do you?

 

[JessicaR]

I guess you took issue with his attitude and I agree, but I'm wondering what can be done once he has sprayed already?

It wouldnt make me happy either but it was a mistake. I'm sure he didnt intend to waste time and money spraying the wrong house.

 

[disneyismyname]

That would tick me off! If he's the boss of his own company then call the better business bureau.

 

[Scurvy]

Wow, what a jerk! He should have immediately apologized and told you exactly what he was spraying and whether it was toxic or not.

If he is affiliated with a larger company (like TruGreen) I'd definitely call to complain. I'd also call the BBB, though that's unlikely to do much good. If you're friendly with the neighbors, you ought to also mention the whole thing to them. I know I would have serious problems continuing to employ someone who would treat my neighbors that way when they were supposed to be working for me!

I remember how livid I was when I looked out my back window and saw a guy with a chainsaw in my fenced, locked back yard. I was about to let my dogs out - you can imagine how well that would have gone. Dogs vs. Guy with Chainsaw is not going to end well for anyone. They were working on my neighbor's tree and thought I wouldn't mind if they let some of it fall into my yard (and onto my fence!) and then cut it up and removed it. Needless to say I wasn't pleased, and there weren't even lasting effects like there could be with whatever that guy sprayed in your yard.

I don't think I'd be letting my dogs out into the yard at least until whatever it is has had a chance to dry.

 

[Imzadi]

Sounds like he had been smoking something, so all houses look alike to him. That, or the pesticide disintegrated his brain.

 

[sjs314]

First I want to say thank goodness you were home and seen him spraying, it could have had terrible consequenses if your dogs got into it and became ill or worse died.
Believe me I would have been crazed and on the phone to my lawyer in a heartbeat, your yard is fenced and he tresspassed in IMO and should compensate you if you are the one to clean up the yard due to his spraying.

 

[Brit17]

That's just crazy.

If he owns the company (or his branch), though, calling them wouldn't get you very far!

Exactly ...

FWIW, my neighbor gets TruGreen monthly, and it is "pet friendly". If perhaps this idiot was from that company.

If you are worried, I would spray down the yard and try and keep the dogs out of that area for a while. Hopefully they haven't been there BEFORE, spraying without your knowledge!

I watered down the yard with the sprinklers, so hopefully that does the trick ... and I know, I thought about him being here before without me knowing , but usually he leaves a sign on the front lawn of the neighbors when he does their yard, but I haven't seen any of those signs on our property, so hopefully this was the first and LAST time he makes this mistake ...

I'd be really angry too. I might even be angry enough to do something about it. You don't know what he sprayed, do you?

He said it was a mixture like Round Up ... but I don't trust him totally because of his nasty attitude ...

I guess you took issue with his attitude and I agree, but I'm wondering what can be done once he has sprayed already?

Exactly ... I just watered down the yard ...

That would tick me off! If he's the boss of his own company then call the better business bureau.

Good idea ...

Wow, what a jerk! He should have immediately apologized and told you exactly what he was spraying and whether it was toxic or not.

oh, but I forgot to mention that he wouldn't tell me what he put down until he told me "to be quiet" then he'd tell me ... yup, he told me to be quiet! ... because I wanted to know what the heck he put down, I held my cool, but then I told him to get off my property and to never set foot on it again ...

If he is affiliated with a larger company (like TruGreen) I'd definitely call to complain. I'd also call the BBB, though that's unlikely to do much good. If you're friendly with the neighbors, you ought to also mention the whole thing to them. I know I would have serious problems continuing to employ someone who would treat my neighbors that way when they were supposed to be working for me!

I remember how livid I was when I looked out my back window and saw a guy with a chainsaw in my fenced, locked back yard. I was about to let my dogs out - you can imagine how well that would have gone. Dogs vs. Guy with Chainsaw is not going to end well for anyone. They were working on my neighbor's tree and thought I wouldn't mind if they let some of it fall into my yard (and onto my fence!) and then cut it up and removed it. Needless to say I wasn't pleased, and there weren't even lasting effects like there could be with whatever that guy sprayed in your yard.

I don't think I'd be letting my dogs out into the yard at least until whatever it is has had a chance to dry.

yes, I think I'm going to mention it to the neighbors, just so they know ... OMG I couldn't imagine someone in my yard with a chainsaw with my dogs that they didn't know, too scary to think ... and yes, I'm not letting the dogs out until everything is watered and dried ...

Sounds like he had been smoking something, so all houses look alike to him. That, or the pesticide disintegrated his brain.

I was thinking the same things ... and it only proves more why I don't want PESTICIDES in my yard ...

 

[Brit17]

First I want to say thank goodness you were home and seen him spraying, it could have had terrible consequenses if your dogs got into it and became ill or worse died.
Believe me I would have been crazed and on the phone to my lawyer in a heartbeat, your yard is fenced and he tresspassed in IMO and should compensate you if you are the one to clean up the yard due to his spraying.

I know, that's what I have been thinking too ... thank goodness I was home and caught him before he could do more harm and then NOT even know about it to try and fix it ...

But after I got to thinking about things, I did call the police and ask them what I should do about a landscaper coming into my yard and spraying something without my permission and they told me I could file an "incident report" to have on file but it's not considered "trespassing" because it was a mistake and not done with malice ... however, if he does it again, mistake or not, then it could be considered "harrassment" and criminal ... I was told I could also get a laywer and pursue it in civil court too if I wanted ... I just want it to be safe for my doggies to go outside in their yard and everybody who doesn't belong here to stay the heck out ...