diddlydudette
Junior Member
Hi,
I live in SC and live in a residential neighborhood which has a HOA.
My neighbor across the street has run his landscaping business from his home for a few years now and I'm finally at the breaking point with my patience and knowing what I can do.
I live on what should be a quiet cul-de-sac. He sometimes has his employees park at his house on the streets. In our HOA rules and regulations, we are not to park on the street. Many a time I and my neighbors can't hardly back out of our driveways. A friend of mine actually backed into one of his employees cars that was parked by my driveway on the street. She had to file a claim.
He also stores his yard debris in his fenced-in backyard. Along with yard debris is wood that he chops and collects to sell in the winter months. Isn't that a fire hazard?
His employees are sometimes hanging out in his yard waiting on him or working...chopping wood, or doing whatever.
His business had brought a lot of traffic to our cul-de-sac and he keeps his lawn tools out in the yard along with other junk under tarps. It's just trashy.
Neighbors have complained to the HOA. They wrote him a few letters but he tosses them aside and continues with his business.
I started taking pics and in January I took the pics to the HOA before I paid my HOA fee for the year. I wanted them to see the pics and to ask if anything at all they could do. I pleaded. They said pretty much their hands are tied and they can't do a thing because they don't have the right to enforce the HOA rules and regulations. I asked why then do we have to pay fees or why do we even have rules. They stated that we have a pool, tennis courts and street lights. So forget the HOA. They are useless to me.
I then called the city zoning enforcement office. They took my name and number and said I had a legit complaint and they would send someone to his house to inspect. I told them I'd share my pics, but they said I'd have to come down and sign some papers and that would make it possible that I'd might have to appear in court if it came down to that.
Ok, I don't want trouble (i.e. keyed vehicle) so I said I would not off pics.
I called the zoning office last week and this morning I noticed things were getting worse so I called the zoning office again to see what's been done. They said the inspector came by the day after I reported the neighbor. She said a letter went out to him basically telling him he needs to take his business out of the neighborhood...clean landscaping tools out of yard, landscaping vehicles out of yard and he couldn't have employees meet him at his house each morning. His deadline is today. He hadn't done a thing and I really don't think he thinks he needs to do anything.
Can the zoning office enforce the zoning laws or are they going to be about as useless as the HOA?
The zoning office did give me the inspector's name and phone number and I have the case #. I called him a couple of times today but he hadn't returned my call.
Do I have any rights or what can I do next if he continues to keep his landscaping business in our cul-de-sac?
If it goes to trial if he doesn't clean up his act, what are the chances he if forced to clean up the yard? How long does something like this take to go to court?
I'm just tired of fighting this and getting no where. It seems there should be something other residents can do.
Thanks so much for any help or insight.
I'm trying to sell my home and no one will want to even look at my house with him across the street. My neighbor gave up trying to sell his. It just doesn't seem fair that our property values decrease more because he is breaking the zoning laws.
I live in SC and live in a residential neighborhood which has a HOA.
My neighbor across the street has run his landscaping business from his home for a few years now and I'm finally at the breaking point with my patience and knowing what I can do.
I live on what should be a quiet cul-de-sac. He sometimes has his employees park at his house on the streets. In our HOA rules and regulations, we are not to park on the street. Many a time I and my neighbors can't hardly back out of our driveways. A friend of mine actually backed into one of his employees cars that was parked by my driveway on the street. She had to file a claim.
He also stores his yard debris in his fenced-in backyard. Along with yard debris is wood that he chops and collects to sell in the winter months. Isn't that a fire hazard?
His employees are sometimes hanging out in his yard waiting on him or working...chopping wood, or doing whatever.
His business had brought a lot of traffic to our cul-de-sac and he keeps his lawn tools out in the yard along with other junk under tarps. It's just trashy.
Neighbors have complained to the HOA. They wrote him a few letters but he tosses them aside and continues with his business.
I started taking pics and in January I took the pics to the HOA before I paid my HOA fee for the year. I wanted them to see the pics and to ask if anything at all they could do. I pleaded. They said pretty much their hands are tied and they can't do a thing because they don't have the right to enforce the HOA rules and regulations. I asked why then do we have to pay fees or why do we even have rules. They stated that we have a pool, tennis courts and street lights. So forget the HOA. They are useless to me.
I then called the city zoning enforcement office. They took my name and number and said I had a legit complaint and they would send someone to his house to inspect. I told them I'd share my pics, but they said I'd have to come down and sign some papers and that would make it possible that I'd might have to appear in court if it came down to that.
Ok, I don't want trouble (i.e. keyed vehicle) so I said I would not off pics.
I called the zoning office last week and this morning I noticed things were getting worse so I called the zoning office again to see what's been done. They said the inspector came by the day after I reported the neighbor. She said a letter went out to him basically telling him he needs to take his business out of the neighborhood...clean landscaping tools out of yard, landscaping vehicles out of yard and he couldn't have employees meet him at his house each morning. His deadline is today. He hadn't done a thing and I really don't think he thinks he needs to do anything.
Can the zoning office enforce the zoning laws or are they going to be about as useless as the HOA?
The zoning office did give me the inspector's name and phone number and I have the case #. I called him a couple of times today but he hadn't returned my call.
Do I have any rights or what can I do next if he continues to keep his landscaping business in our cul-de-sac?
If it goes to trial if he doesn't clean up his act, what are the chances he if forced to clean up the yard? How long does something like this take to go to court?
I'm just tired of fighting this and getting no where. It seems there should be something other residents can do.
Thanks so much for any help or insight.
I'm trying to sell my home and no one will want to even look at my house with him across the street. My neighbor gave up trying to sell his. It just doesn't seem fair that our property values decrease more because he is breaking the zoning laws.