joannqn Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 How would you deal with this situation? We live in a rental, and we know our neighbors seem to be buddies with the owners. The day we moved in the man of the house came over and told us there was a leak in a pipe in the garage and that he's suppose to fix it for the owners. His propane torch is in our garage for that purpose, but it hasn't been done. The owner also told us about all of our neighbors that day. He described the neighbors on our other side as "rednecks", but they are gone so that really isn't an issue...just attests to his character. He had lots to say about the neighbor on his other side. She "drives too fast". He doesn't know how she doesn't slam into her garage. The kids never come outside to play and have never played with any of the kids that have lived here. They are "the most unsocial people you'll ever meet." ETC. Well, before Christmas I took cookies (your suggestion) to all four of my neighbors. Those most unsocial people were the first to return the neighborliness and brought us cookies. She also told us she was involved with her son's baseball team (coaching, I think) and invited my son to join baseball. She also invited my kids to come over and play anytime during the break. Unknowingly, we had also met each other previously on a snow day when all of the kids were sledding on a nearby hill. We had chatted while our 3 year olds played. They don't seem too unsocial to me! Another neighbor was the next to bring treats over. She told me all of the neighbors were really nice but there was some bad blood between a couple of the neighbors over one misunderstanding a long time ago. When I told her that I had thought that may be the case, she told me both neighbors had always been really nice to her, and the "unsocial" ones had invited her in and helped her out one time when she was locked out of her home. Well, the wife of the neighbor who told us all of the negative stuff just came over with banana bread as a thank you for the cookies. While we were talking, she mentioned her dogs. I say something along the lines of having met the dogs and they like our yard (ie. poop all over it). She said, "about the yard, we've always tried to treat the yard as one yard, taking turns mowing it". And speaking about dogs, she made sure to tell me that her other neighbors (the unsocial ones) have really mean dogs. So, I kind of feel stuck in the middle. But to make things worse, DH doesn't want to mow their half of the front lawn and will continue to mow down the middle where the property line is. The fact that their dogs like to poop in our yard is a problem, too, if they don't pick up after them because our lease requires us to pick up after our dog daily. On the last snow day, their three dogs left five piles in our half of the yard. I went out and asked the owner (man) if he could pick up after them, which he did. Hopefully, he'll pick up after them every time because leaving five piles in our yard would make it look like we aren't following our lease. I'm kind of afraid that if we insist that they pick up after their dogs, don't mow their half of the lawn, and befriend the neighbors they don't like, they might decide they don't like us too. I'd like to be friendly with all of the neighbors, if possible, but I think they really want us to dislike them too. If they really are buddies with the owners, couldn't they convince them to end our lease once we are on a month to month? What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Be friendly with everyone and set dog poop boundaries. How they take it is their problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Be friendly with everyone and set dog poop boundaries. How they take it is their problem. WSS hear no evil: speak no evil MYOB.;) And I would make it clear that when I call the landlord to fix something, he needs to say who he is sending and when it will be fixed. If it is neighbor guy - fine. But it needs to be done right and in a reasonable time. I would NOT be happy having a neighbor with a key to my house and a come and go attitude just bc he is chummy with my landlord. You didn't say it was like that, but well... I had a landlord that way. It was not appreciated.:glare: And no, I don't mow other people's property for them. I wouldn't say anything. I just wouldn't do it. An I'd smile and nod my head a lot. Sometimes passive aggressive is effective.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 What would you do? I would continue what you are doing, and what your plans are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I'd convince dh to mow the neighbor's yard when he is out mowing. I'd also pick up the neighbor's dogs' poop. Hopefully the neighbor will be guilted in to picking up their own dogs' poop soon b/c *that* would irritate me and I'd probably lose patience in a few months. I'd make comments about the lease, the endless poop. . . and hope they get the message. Realistically, some extra mowing & poop scooping is a small price to pay for friendly neighborly relations. I've had friendly neighbors. I've had unfriendly ones. It is sooooo valuable for them to be friendly that I'd be happy to pay a substantial cost in scooping & mowing to maximize that potential! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.