One of my many unrecognized talents is that of managing to piss off other people and especially my neighbors. I've gone into reflective mode after enduring another and the latest altercation with a neighbor. I don't deliberately set out to do this, it just occurs naturally. I don't actively go out and seek approval by means of friendship so people aren't that bothered to vent their spleen against me, after all I'm not their friend.
Disputes with neighbors seem to be more frequent than I care to admit to myself.
I can recall was a dispute over the building of a new adjoining fence. I agreed that we needed to replace it, my neighbour didn't. I wonder how often this scenario occurs? This is probably the most common cause for dispute between neighbors. I recently read that a magistrate disgraced himself by losing his cool over a dispute with his neighbor. I bet it was over a fence. Makes me wonder about the adage, "Love thy neighbor" Indeed.
It all started when I decided to trim the vegetation that was not just overtaking but pulling down our timber fence. Neighbor took offense (pun not intended), wrote me a nasty letter to tell me how hurt he was by my actions.When I went to discuss a new fence, he refused to agree. In the middle of the process of the old fence coming down and the new fence being erected, there was a verbal slanging match that resulted in him threatening me with a wheelbarrow that he held high above his head. Things were not looking good.
I suppose the fact that he sold his house soon after that was entirely my fault.
The next fence dispute( yes there is more than one) was one about stolen property. In the process of the fence being constructed, I had acquired 6 inches of his land. The entire fence had to be moved sideways by six inches.
Another fence issue concerns my yucca "allegedly" pushing fence over.That wasn't true but to keep the goodwill of the neighbor, I conceded by cutting the offending yucca. Fence remains leaning nevertheless.
A neighbor puts nasty letter into my letterbox complaining about smoke from my open fireplace.Words I will not repeat here... I am accused of polluting the atmosphere. I now feel guilty every time I light a fire in my open fireplace.
Neighbor puts letter in letterbox complaining about wife's car being parked on street without being moved for a period of time. Yes, it is broken and he knows it. Note asks me to move the car. I cannot because its broken down. Neighbor retaliates by alling City Council who threaten me with towing away vehicle if I refuse to move it. WTF? which law have I broken? Still, I comply with request just to keep the peace. Love Thy Neighbor is becoming harder and harder.
12 comments:
Sometimes it's best to keep your distance from neighbors.
There are a number of people in our neighborhood quick to complain about other neighbors. They seem to think THEY'VE never done anything annoying.
I really don't understand why people get so incensed at inane things. Such as your wife's car parked on the street. What was it hurting?
We've got a neighbor who is nice enough but thinks he has the right to dictate what others do in their yards. He is constantly on us about one thing or another. He didn't like how long it took to get this or that done. Didn't like our cherry tree. Didn't like the other neighbor's vegetable garden. Didn't like his shed. Granted, he keeps his yard perfect but still, I don't give a damn.
I don't suppose you have a covenant or neighborhood association filled w/aesthetics Nazi's...
It could always be worse. You could live next door to my neighbors. ;-)
I was born in the civilized part of the United States where disputes with neighbors are settled in the court of backyard brawling rather than calling cops or lodging lawsuits.
People tend to shy away from losing teeth over being a pest.
when men were men and boys got their blocks knocked off
FJ, I was sure somebody would complain when I was flying the Autralian flag but it didn't happen.
So no aesthetics Nazis.
Beamish, a war of attrition? No thanks.
No war of attrition. Just a war will do.
I mean, your neighbor did threaten you with a wheelbarrow over his head. He should have been made to eat it when he didn't throw it and made to eat it if he threw it. You didn't walk him to that edge, after all. If he wasn't fully prepared to kill you he shouldn't have even raised his hand.
Samurai were trained to cut themselves before sheathing their swords if they didn't use them in battle, the point being not to draw a weapon to make idle threats.
It's not a war of attrition, it's a war of wills.
Your neighbor can be a bully, or he can be a bully missing teeth.
You can't do anything about his bullying, but you can muss up his dental work.
Life is that happy medium between choosing battles wisely and being an unwise battle to choose.
Peace through superior firepower.
Lexcen's Theory of War.
An injured enemy can still hurt you but a dead enemy can't.
"As a courtesy from the benevolence of our heart, we wish to remind the party that wishes to surrender that we can not accept this request because it was issued by a government that waived its right to exist and its legal authority when it declared war upon the United States of America. Particularly distressing to us is the continued presence of trespassers upon American soil, and the refusal to acknowledge the name of the territory upon which they trespass was changed from the name of a country to "United States Military Bombing Range" upon dissolution of its former governing party's right to exist.
However, we are not entirely unmoved by this unauthorized plea for mercy. If the surviving families of all of your dead would sincerely and individually thank us for killing their loved ones in battle, it would go a long way towards indicating that the trespassers upon our new military bombing range are cognizant of their prior government's error in declaring war upon the United States, and we would be willing to consider suspending our weapons testing upon population centers long enough for the trespassers to leave US soil. Until then, we must stress that we do not recognize your authority to surrender, and are quite offended that you attempted to do so without permission."
- alternate universe where Beamish is President ;)
My neighbors don't like me either, Lex.
I don't fit in all nice like around these parts.
But, based on the comments left here, I wonder if we would all hate each other if we were all neighbors?? I hope not...
I wonder if we would all hate each other if we were all neighbors??
Now there's a scary thought.
I like living in relative seclusion. My nearest neighbor's house is around 300 yards down a windy road, and I'm surrounded on 3 sides by a thick forest atop rolling hills and a loooooong drop down.
It's a lot better than living in an apartment surrounded on three walls and a ceiling by loud, obnoxious neighbors.
I don't hate my neighbors. Barely even know them. As long as they don't mess with my firewood supply in this blanket of snow here, I've got no reason to complain.
They had a bonfire party a few months back in the field between my house and theirs that was kinda cool.
I'd be the neighbor you could ask for help working on a car. :)
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