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Mowing rant!

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IOBA
Senior Contributor

Mowing rant!

This is just a rant!

 

Our next door neighbors asked us to mow their lawn.  Technically, they asked our college bound son if he would like to do it to earn some cash, since they were going to be gone for a month.  College bound son has already bounded away, so we said we would take care of it, no problem.  (We planned to do it for free, like good neighbors.)

 

DH is over there mowing their yard and another neighbor comes barreling up in his truck, demanding to know what the hell we are doing!   He finishes yelling at DH (I guess - I was inside putting on my shoes when I heard the raised neighbors voice) and slams on his brakes in front of me.  I had gone out to talk to them, but since he left DH in a hurry, I just stepped back where I was....neighbor slams on his breaks and demands to know why we are mowing the neighbors yard for free and stealing his income!!  He says he always mows both yards for the last twelve years and we are stealing his money!   

 

1.  I know my neighbors mow their own lawn unless their mower is broken.   It's happened once in the last 5 months.  2.  I have lived her for 3.5 months and the guy has never mowed my yard.  In fact, the last time he did it was about  a month before I moved in.  He wanted to charge me $70 to mow a small portion of it (just a path around the house).  I told him no, I couldn't afford $70 a week, every week in lawn growing season.

 

So now that guy is very angry with us and made it clear we are now enemies.  It was in the way he said, "Welcome to the neighborhood."   And it's been in his actions prior to this - I would not pay him $300 to mow my yard (the whole thing), or pay him $70 to mow a path around the house, or pay him a huge hourly wage to do some small projects around the house.  

 

I have tried...I really have.   I asked him to do three small projects around the outside of the house.  He wanted $270 an hour just for labor for one project.  I said no.  He never did the other two projects.   Two of the three projects took an hour to do, each.  The third one will be a bit less.  As for the rest of the things - he doesn't have the equipment to dig holes and he won't do them by hand.  And he doesn't do electrical.  So how the heck am I suppose to be neighborly and throw work his way?  And he won't sell me his beef, or chicken eggs, or fertizlier.  He offered the first two to me and when I said ok, I will take a few, he never came back with the stuff.  Ok....

 

Anyway, anyone have suggestions for dealing with this neighbor?   We get along with everyone and never intended for there to be hurt feelings.  We were doing right by one neighbor.  And I know that the other neighbor was NOT mowing their lawn every week and charging them money for it!   I know becuase I watched the owners of the house mow their own yard!

Message 1 of 10
9 REPLIES 9
jsucool76
Super Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!

    Ignore him. Everyone has that one neighbor that is just a little out there.

   

    I have one who lives in my neighborhood who has OCD, which is fine, he keeps his yard really clean and everything, but the SECOND something is wrong with someone elses yard (maybe went a few days over on mowing their lawn, or didn't trim some trees for a bit) he calls the homeowners association and complains about it and then they get letter threatening to fine them if they don't do it.

 

    You can't fix other people, so when in doubt, ignore them Smiley Tongue 

Message 2 of 10
IOBA
Senior Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!

Thank you for the response.  I feel a little better.   I found this out after I had posted.  The angry neighbor went home and immediately called the away on vacation neighbor. I don't know what was said, but there was some yelling and screaming and accusations from the angry guy to the absentee home owners.   They told him the same thing I had - that the angry neighbor had been too busy (which he was to even take their call or return their call) and it was a one time thing.

 

Thank goodness this is anonymous!  If anyone knew who I was, or who the other parties involved were, I would not be posting!

 

Doesn't it cost the HOA to send a letter?   Do they go and get photography proof of the problem before sending the letter?   I am not sure what it would be like to have an OCD neighbor.  I applaud you for keeping your sanity.

Message 3 of 10
jsucool76
Super Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!

Luckily I go away to college for 99% of the year while my family has to stay there and deal with him Smiley Tongue 

 

They don't "send" the letter. we have an HOA board full of...(insert bad word here)s who all live in the neighborhood and band together so they can do whatever they want that is against the rules but no one else can Smiley Tongue So someone just takes it and puts it in their mailbox or on their door or something. 

Message 4 of 10
IOBA
Senior Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!

Lol - sounds similar to my other place.  Only the HOA President has the power to do anything...and she has said, flat out before,  that the rules don't apply to her.  If something is convenient to her or for her, so what?   She does not have the respect of the community, although she thinks that the community (except for me) thinks she walks on water and can do no wrong.  *eye roll*

Message 5 of 10
demi
Established Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!

OK, I am the HOA president!  Its a truly thankless job.  In 4 years, most of which I have been on the board, I have only complained once Smiley Frustrated, recently because the garbage was litterally to the ceiling on somones porch, right accross the street from the sales models.

 

I realize that some HOA's are like mentioned, I have a friend who was written up because she had an empty pot on her porch (it was actually a hose pot) in another subdivision.  That is why I am on the HOA...because I don't want it out of control, and because no one else will do it (except the developers). 

 

So, for those of you who moan and groan them, try attending a meeting or two...its really frustrating when you are trying to make changes for the better (ie correcting some parking issues to allow people to park in their own driveway) and you can't get enough people to vote.

 

Not trying to vent, and I know there are some real power trip people on HOA's, but for the most park, just people trying to do their best (although it does remind me of a few Frasier episodes!).


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Message 6 of 10
jsucool76
Super Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!


@demi wrote:

OK, I am the HOA president!  Its a truly thankless job.  In 4 years, most of which I have been on the board, I have only complained once Smiley Frustrated, recently because the garbage was litterally to the ceiling on somones porch, right accross the street from the sales models.

 

I realize that some HOA's are like mentioned, I have a friend who was written up because she had an empty pot on her porch (it was actually a hose pot) in another subdivision.  That is why I am on the HOA...because I don't want it out of control, and because no one else will do it (except the developers). 

 

So, for those of you who moan and groan them, try attending a meeting or two...its really frustrating when you are trying to make changes for the better (ie correcting some parking issues to allow people to park in their own driveway) and you can't get enough people to vote.

 

Not trying to vent, and I know there are some real power trip people on HOA's, but for the most park, just people trying to do their best (although it does remind me of a few Frasier episodes!).


Come be our HOA president please!

Message 7 of 10
Shogun
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Mowing rant!

No HOA here, mainly because I wouldn't buy a home that had one.   I do keep my yard immaculate, but I put in it what I want.   One of the women down the street stopped and told me I was planting the wrong flowers and started telling me what I "should be doing".   I just stopped what I was doing, looked up at her and told her when her name was on the mortgage and she was paying it, she could plant whatever she wanted.   Haven't seen her since.

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Message 8 of 10
demi
Established Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!

In California almost all development has some type of HOA...most cities and county's require formation of them to maintain common areas, roads, etc.  I live in a pretty dense development, clustered homes, you do need something like it.  My background is in Planning, 20 years of it (doing something a little different now), so use to dealing with regulations.  Always have tried to be fair, but when you are on the government side, the law is the law (but, you try to work with people!).


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Message 9 of 10
GregB
Valued Contributor

Re: Mowing rant!


@demi wrote:

OK, I am the HOA president!  Its a truly thankless job.  In 4 years, most of which I have been on the board, I have only complained once Smiley Frustrated, recently because the garbage was litterally to the ceiling on somones porch, right accross the street from the sales models.

 

I realize that some HOA's are like mentioned, I have a friend who was written up because she had an empty pot on her porch (it was actually a hose pot) in another subdivision.  That is why I am on the HOA...because I don't want it out of control, and because no one else will do it (except the developers). 

 

So, for those of you who moan and groan them, try attending a meeting or two...its really frustrating when you are trying to make changes for the better (ie correcting some parking issues to allow people to park in their own driveway) and you can't get enough people to vote.

 

Not trying to vent, and I know there are some real power trip people on HOA's, but for the most park, just people trying to do their best (although it does remind me of a few Frasier episodes!).


Pretty much how I ended up President of HOA and on the board for a total 9 years. Somebody needs to do it and if nobody steps up, someone will end up doing it for their own reasons. If you live in a development with a HOA, you want to make sure the board is a good one. If not volunteer to help since it is in your best interest. I now live in a neighborhood without a HOA but with large lots, what your neighbors are doing is far less of a concern as they aren't so close.

If you are thinking about buying in a HOA, it is really important to understand the rules BEFORE you buy to make sure it fits your needs. Also, double check the financial condition as that can affect your finances if they aren't financially sound.

Message 10 of 10
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