Hey Everyone!
Emma | Sep 03, 2007 | Comments 15
Hello everyone. I’m sorry I slacked off for a couple of days. We had the 3 day weekend. And I was really hoping to relax. It’s been like 105 degrees in California all week. And my day job was super hectic. Holiday weekend. Lot’s of sick calls and stuff.
Then the:
Pièce de résistance (this will be my next word of the day By the way. But, I have a surprise coming up).
OK, I’m kind of hesitant to share this real life story with all of you. But, I will anyway. I have a property I’ve owned for 8 years. I have a neighbor who has lived there for five. The back fence was in need of repair. And I asked him about 4 times over a 3 year period if he wanted to go in on the fence. He would say pretty soon, and then never get back to me.
Finally, I decided just to replace the fence myself. I let him know what I would be doing as a common courtesy. Suddenly he became obsessed with every detail. I tried to be a good neighbor and humor him. But when I went to the dump to get rid of the old fence. He and his brother took a rake and covered up the line from the previous fence.
Then they dug post holes and started cementing them in. When I got back, I immediately called them on it. They said the lines were the same and they were just grading the soil. Liars! Anyway it was a whole big confrontation. The fence finally got put in, but this lying A-hole got a little extra yard.
That was a couple of years ago. And I’ve tried to get past it. Occasionally when I think about it. I get angry. But it’s just a few inches. Life’s too short.
Well, 7:00 AM Saturday morning. I’m woke up by hammering and drilling. I look out my bedroom window. And said A-hole is building a fence right outside the window about 3 feet from my house and blocking my flower bed. Which has 15 Gardenia bushes and irrigation for each one built in.
I considered this area more of a front or side yard, then potential backyard. It’s just been a grassy common area between the 2 homes for 50 years.
Neither of us knows, where exactly the real property line is. He has decided to just help himself, and give me about 2 feet, and he’ll take the rest. I told him he needs to stop until we can establish where the real boundary line is.
He pretty much told me all the land is his, and he’ll do whatever he wants. After this, I couldn’t sleep and went to run some errands, when I drove back by my side yard. He had inserted a hot tub. Taking up most of the space between our 2 homes, and right beneath my window.
For those of you who don’t know, hot tubs are really loud, and having one under your bedroom window. Pretty much makes it impossible to sleep, unless you are narcoleptic.
That’s why I took a break from writing. I didn’t want to sound negative. But Tuesday morning I have a lot of calls to make. I’m going to get this straightened out and let the A-hole have it.
I hope you don’t think this post is too off topic. But, the beauty of being able to write and express yourself, is that when these life problems arise. We are able to legally handle the issue and get justice.
I’ll keep you informed. I hope this turns out to be an interesting and successful journey. As always, I’d love to hear your opinion. I’ll keep you posted. Emma
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Filed Under: Life Optimization
I for one enjoy off topic posts. Good luck with the fight, sounds like this one could drag out for quite a while.
Hey 13, Nice to hear from you. I hope it doesn’t drag out. I guess if things get to bad. I could move and rent this property out, to the worst possible tenants imaginable. That would be a last resort.
Thanks for visiting.
Good luck! Aren’t there any deeds that define where one property starts and finishes? I’ve never had your problem but my house deeds show where my property begins and ends. Perhaps it’s different where you are.
Mike.
There is a map I need to get from the Assessors office. That might clearly establish it. I have a couple of surveyors who are working on it for me.
If that doesn’t work then I’ll have to pay for a surveyor to come out, which will be expensive.
I never thought my neighbor would try to claim the side of the house, as his extended back yard.
What if papers show that where your neighbor put the hot tub is indeed your side or your part of the property, wont he have to move the hot tub elsewhere? This neighbor of yours doesn’t seem to have all the crayons in the box. oh boy!
Good luck on the hot tub dilemma. The category of this post, life optimization, is too funny. lol. That is a good one.
Thanks Missy. I try to always have a sense of humor.
What an idiot – I hope it cost him a lot to put in and will cost a lot when he has to move it.
Do you own the land the A-hole lives on? I didn’t understand that part of your post. If you *do*, they can’t do ANYTHING on that land without your permission.
To top that off, you can file for an injuction for the neighbor to immediately stop what s/he is doing until the property lines can be determined. Any survey company should be able to do that for you – unless you’d prefer a city survey. That, however, I am not so sure how to go about.
I wish you the best in dealing with the moron! Keep us posted!!
Welcome back Daria. I own my side, he owns his. It’s a boundary line issue. I’ll get it worked out. I’m kind of tired of thinking about it right now. So, how’s the new blog coming along? I can’t wait to see it. Keep me posted. Emma
It’s going to cost you on this, but if you don’t you’ll lose your land bit by bit. Talk to a lawyer ASAP.
Thanks Shawn, I have an appointment in the morning.
How did this go, Emma? I don’t have a similar problem but I can understand the frustration. My girlfriend rents an apartment with 2 other housemates (none of whom are her personal friends or family). She happens to be the one paying for the masters bedroom. However, one of the other 2 somehow decided that she owns the whole apt and basically treats the living room, kitchen etc as hers. She’d set all the rules and contradicts herself on those (for e.g., none of the other tenants are allowed to switch on their TVs beyond a certain volume, yet when she watches the TV in the living room, it’s basically set all the way up). Housemate from Hell I tell ya. Just as well my gf’s looking for a new place but the rising property prices have made that difficult.
I remember my roommate days. What a pain. I don’t think there’s much your girlfriend can do but move. Dealing with roommates can be very frustrating and stressful. And nobody needs unnecessary stress when they come home to relax.
I doubt the bossy roommate will change. I hope you’re girlfriend just ignores the roommate and does what she wants until she can move. Sometimes being polite to people who aren’t polite is a waste of time.
Good Luck, Emma
My girlfriend is too nice a person – she wouldn’t allow me to be rude to the roommate!
Anyway, we’re doing our best to look for a new place – you’re right – her work’s stressful enough, doesn’t need to come home and get pushed over the edge by a nutter.
It’s right below your window you say? Well, why not top it up manually if you know what i mean