Yesterday I pulled the neighbor and her daughter over to discuss and show them the property line and encroachment issues. The biggest waste of 45 minutes in my life. Let’s just say they weren’t going to let the facts or a survey get in the way of what they want. They would not believe the property line was where I showed them, and absolutely would not look at my survey drawing. I suggested they get their own done, they laughed in my face, “we’re not spending a penny!” They kept pointing to rusted off old fence posts and other pipes in the ground that have nothing to do with the property line.
They said they would move their rickety fence but only if I was installing a decent fence.
As far as the AC unit, they just laughed again and said they’ve lived there 40 years, who am I to tell them to move something? Again they would not believe the property line location at the AC unit.
Well of course they had to bring up the wood stacked along the quarry fence. I said I did move it back 2-3’ but I didn’t have to do that so what is the issue with the wood? “it attracts woodchucks and snakes” “it looks bad” “visitors ask about the wood and think it’s ours” .. then they went on to tell me “why can’t I put it all in one place on my property? Why do I need so much? I should get it off the quarry fence because it’s going to tip the fence over. I should get it off quarry property, it went on and on.
My responses were:
Woodchucks go after apples from your apple tree, not wood.
The only snakes I’ve seen were 20 years ago on your property when there was not a stick of firewood on the block.
What business do you have telling me what I do on my property?
Why can you have items on quarry property and city alley but I cant? And the wood is not touching the quarry fence.
I then proceeded to mention that if I do build a fence, it will have wood stacked along it on my side. For some reason they didn’t have a problem with that, but I’m thinking what about all the woodchucks and snakes all the closer to them and their house?
At one point we were next to a large elm that straddles the property line, and the old bag got a big smile on her face and shouted out “your just screwed yourself, that tree is your responsibility- you need to pay to remove it and pay me back for a $300 trim job I had done” (years ago and only on her side of the tree). The tree trunk is about 65% on her side or more. I’ve trimmed up my side several times at my expense. The tree is healthy and does not need to come down except for it is totally over their house, garage, sheds, deck…
All in all a total waste of time, what I hoped would be a reasonable conversation turned into a shouting match (on their part) and at least twice the daughter had to be pulled back by her 18yo son or I would have been assaulted.