Lazy Neighbor

[NashvilleRider]

What is the name of your state? North carolina

I've been living at my present location for 14+ years with the same neighbor beside me.

Many years ago he had laid black plastic down around the flower beds & bushes to keep the weeds out. Now the beds have deteriated, and when he mows or uses a trimmer pieces of plastic break off, and when the wind blows it all comes into my yard. For the first year, I just put up with it and threw it away. But the problem didn't go away.

He has white plastic privacy fencing just beside the sides of our houses (maybe 20-25 ft), so I decided to start filling in the open spaces with the black plastic. I called it the "fence of shame". I mean there was a LOT of it in there.

Two weeks ago he decided to scrub the mildew off the privacy fence and he removed all the plastic. I thought, "good, he finally got the message." I decided to give him a one week reprieve to see if he would start picking it up instead of just mowing over it.

Well, the one week passed, he cut his grass including the dreaded plastic, and it came right back into my yard. So, I started putting it back in the cracks again. This week he just pushed all the plastic back into my yard.

Now, I know this sounds juvenile, but reasoning with this person is out of the question. We have never had any type of friendship. We've had a couple of disagreements and he took revenge on me when I would not give in (he took me to court and lost, he reported me to the county planner and lost again). He has also threatened me with bodily harm.

Do I have any recourse at all? I don't like trash in my yard and pick everything up whenever I mow, but he just seems to think that he doesn't have to worry about it because eventually it will just blow into my yard.

Sorry for writing a short novel. Boy, I feel a little better now! Anything I can do to improve on that??

Dan

 

[justalayman]

hire a kid to clean up the plastic and sue the neighbor for the costs.

 

[NashvilleRider]

Thanks for the reply Justalayman. However, I was looking for an intelligent answer to my problem. But I will surely heed the advice you give in your signature.

Once again, I'm not talking about a little bit of plastic that comes into my yard occasionally. I can collect up to a couple of handfuls 3-4 days a week. It is all over his yard and he doesn't pick it up when mowing. He just runs right over it and lets the wind do the rest since I am east of him.

Please! Is there anything I can do?

Thanks.

Dan

 

[Just Blue]

Thanks for the reply Justalayman. However, I was looking for an intelligent answer to my problem. But I will surely heed the advice you give in your signature.

Once again, I'm not talking about a little bit of plastic that comes into my yard occasionally. I can collect up to a couple of handfuls 3-4 days a week. It is all over his yard and he doesn't pick it up when mowing. He just runs right over it and lets the wind do the rest since I am east of him.

Please! Is there anything I can do?

Thanks.

Dan

What a jerk you are. Justalayman gave you just about the only legal solution to your problem. Your neighbor isn't doing anything "illegal"...So what do you expect us to advise???? This is a civil matter...take it to small claims court.

 

[TheGeekess]

Put up a chicken wire fence to catch the plastic pieces on his side of the fence.

 

[justalayman]

Thanks for the reply Justalayman. However, I was looking for an intelligent answer to my problem. But I will surely heed the advice you give in your signature.

Once again, I'm not talking about a little bit of plastic that comes into my yard occasionally. I can collect up to a couple of handfuls 3-4 days a week. It is all over his yard and he doesn't pick it up when mowing. He just runs right over it and lets the wind do the rest since I am east of him.

Please! Is there anything I can do?

Thanks.

Dan

gee, I guess it takes intelligence to see intelligence. Maybe that is why you were lost in the solution.

I actually have a reason as to why to hire a neighbor as opposed to you picking it up but since you want an intelligent solution, I guess telling you the justification (which would be relevent when going to court) is useless.

Best of luck with your neighbors plastic Dan.

 

[BL]

Put up a chicken wire fence to catch the plastic pieces on his side of the fence.

He said the neighbor took down the plastic fence and left it there and mowed over it .

So , what could you possibly do ?

Put up a fence of your own , on your side of course , even if it's ( plastic ) .

Make it high enough whereas he can't look at you .

 

[NashvilleRider]

I am sorry if I have offended anyone. My intentions were to simply find an answer to a problem neighbor.

JUSTALAYMAN - Your answer is most likely correct. However, the way you stated it, to an outsider to this forum, your answer looks more wisea** than correct. If you had just replied with your second post first. I apologize.

BABYSTATEGIRL - See above. Please, I am not a jerk. I know my neighbor was not doing anything illegal, I was just looking for options.

BL - You misread my post. He did not remove the plastic fence. I had started putting the black plastic in between the upright slates to get his attention that I was having to pick up his mess out of my yard. He merely pushed the plastic back into my yard.

 

[BL]

He has white plastic privacy fencing just beside the sides of our houses (maybe 20-25 ft), so I decided to start filling in the open spaces with the black plastic. I called it the "fence of shame". I mean there was a LOT of it in there.

Two weeks ago he decided to scrub the mildew off the privacy fence and he removed all the plastic. I thought, "good, he finally got the message." I decided to give him a one week reprieve to see if he would start picking it up instead of just mowing over it.

Make your post comprehensible then .

My advice still stands , build/erect your own fence .