A mid 17th century proverb says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” That might have applied in the 17th century but I know from experience that is not the case in the 21st century. I know because I am having a fence built. My contractor says the only way to really know your neighbors is to put up a fence. They will show their true colors. We decided to put up a three rail ranch fence around the front and sides of our property. I told the neighbors the fence was going in even before I chose a contractor. Did they complain then? No.
Did the neighbors complain when eighty holes were dug for the new fence? No.
Did they complain when eighty bags of cement were laid out, one beside each hole? No.
Did they complain when eighty posts were placed, one in each hole? No.
Did they complain when the dry cement was poured in the holes and all eighty poles were carefully leveled and straightened? No.
Did they complain when water was poured into the holes to set the concrete? No.
Did they complain when they chatted with my contractor keeping him from his work? No.
Did they complain during the 48 hours the cement was setting up? No.
Did they complain the moment the cement hardened? Yes!
Did they instruct their lawyer to send us a letter threatening a lawsuit unless we moved the fence? Yes.
Do they own the property on which they claim our fence encroaches? No.
Do they sneak over to check out the fence when they think we aren’t looking? Yes.
Is this the most ridiculous lawsuit in history? No, the goose poop lawsuit against another neighbor takes that title.
It seems as if in their old age, some people find pleasure in making others miserable. It really is sad and pathetic. What drives that in people? Is it anger about growing old? Is it regret for what they didn’t achieve in life? Is it like the child throwing a temper tantrum where any attention is better than none? What must life be like when lived this way? Do they derive pleasure from it or do they know their behavior is nasty and vindictive and feel guilty? Does knowing that everyone in the neighborhood hates them make them feel powerful? Why can’t they stop and let the people around them live their lives in peace? I wish I knew. I only know that I don’t want to become one of those people.
Mary says
Kristin that’s just crazy! I hope this ordeal is over. People can be so ridiculously malicious. Glad yours worked out and thanks for visiting my blog!
Mary
Kristin says
Wow – that must make you just about mental. I can relate a bit. Growing up, I had a neighbor who purchased an existing home at the entrance to our community and then installed plaques in the road declaring ownership and exclusive right of passage. He chained off the road stranding 54 other households from driving their cars to their homes. After an evening in jail he mellowed out a bit. The plaques remain in the road to this day. We still crack.up about this guy. He has gotten grumpier as the years have passed, however enough neighbors have pushed back hard enough that he has decided to cause trouble elsewhere.
Dianne R says
Three inches huh? So your neighbors got out and measured?
Thank goodness you used a surveyor!
Mary says
The complaint is (according to her but not my surveyor) the fence posts are three inches into the neighboring property that she does not own just has an easement on to get to her house. In order to use that three inches she would have to veer off the road, through a ditch and up the other side onto my lawn.
Dianne R says
What is his complaint? Its too straight? Too high? Too long?
What a mess! Thank goodness for the GOOD neighbors around us!
Erica says
What a bummer. A few years ago, we sent all of our bordering neighbors a letter to let them know our intent to fence in part of our property. According to the Virginia Code, you have to tell your neighbors you plan to fence in your property. They have the option to split the cost at the time of installation. Later, if they fence their property and use part of your fence as a border, they have to pay you half of the shared fence line’s cost because you gave them due notice. The lady whose property is beyond ours (no house or road to it, she doesn’t even have deeded access via our property, just a 15′ courtesy right of way) called me to question me about it. She tried to tell me she had a 50′ wide deeded access and we couldn’t fence that in. That’s wider then new two-lane road + VDOT clearance on either side of a public street! She and her brothers jointly own the property and the brother who lives at the end of the road just shook his head when we told him about it. At least it didn’t come to what you’re describing. I hope everything gets cleared up.
Michelle says
So sorry to hear that y’all are having neighbor problems. Some people just aren’t happy unless they’re stirring up trouble and making others miserable.
Kathy says
This is just crazy! A lawsuit??? You have to be kidding. I hope I don’t get that way when I am old(er).