Which letter should we use?

[KitchenKitten99]

Our neighbor behind us has piles of junk behind his garage in his backyard, that joins up to my backyard. There is a 4' chainlink fence between the yards, and some nice lilac bushes as well. But the bushes don't completely screen the area that this junk is in. So, we are basically forced to see it when we want to be in the backyard. When we have guests over, they ask why he has a small metal shopping cart hanging from a tree. We can't answer that one, because we don't know ourselves. Both Tim and I have just had it. My grandparents owned our house and they said they hated seeing the junk there too, but never really said anything, and they lived here for 25 years. Even our other neighbors who can see the junk, want to say something, but don't know how. So, I have drafted two letters, but I can't decide which to use.

Here is the 1st:
Dear _____:

There have been several of us neighbors who have had discussions about the junk pile behind your garage. It is an eyesore and unsightly, and lowers our enjoyment of our own yards and is embarrassing to have guests over, because they see it. We have agreed to ask you to please clean it up and dispose of it properly. If you need a large dumpster, you can obtain one for a decent cost through VEIT, at 422-3867, and they allow most all types of trash.

We are asking that this be done by 1 August, which gives you a little over 2 months. Plenty of time.

Yours truly,

Your neighbors.

the 2nd one:
Dear _____,

Tim and I are politely wondering when you will be disposing of the trash that is stored behind your garage and in the tree? This has been sitting there for some time now, and is becoming a real eyesore. When we have guests over, and entertain in our backyard, regardless of the bushes, you can still see all the junk and it is very unsightly. This year, we are planning on having anywhere from 30-40 people at our home for our son’s birthday party and our monthly gathering of friends from around the metro area, after the party. Some of these people will have never been to our home before and we want to give them the best impression of our home and our neighborhood, and ultimately our neighbors. The date of the party will be 11 August. We are asking you nicely to clean up the junk and the stuff in the tree by 10 August, or we will be forced to take further actions, which we really do not want to do for the sake of peace. If you need a large dumpster, you can obtain one for a decent cost through VEIT, at 422-3867, and they allow most all types of trash. We have used them ourselves and have been satisfied with their service and cost.

Yours truly,

Lea and Tim

[Hagbard Celine]

I'd go with the first one. The second is more forceful and names only you (one family) instead of other "neighbors" and would probably be taken as more of an insult. :dunno: That's my two cents. It sucks that you have a junky neighbor.

[stephanie]

I liked the first one also..

Good luck..:cheers2:

[Mr. P]

Neither, call the zoning enforcement or code enforcement folks, if it really bad maybe the health dept. and let them deal with it.

[darin]

Have a Home Owners Association?

[Hagbard Celine]

Neither, call the zoning enforcement or code enforcement folks, if it really bad maybe the health dept. and let them deal with it.

Call in the government and let them handle it eh? What ever happened to handling things yourself and taking "personal responsibility?" :laugh: :poke:

[Abbey Marie]

Letters are very off-putting and IMO shouldn't be the first action taken.
Has anyone tried having a friendly over-the-fence conversation with the neighbor first? If they are unresponsive, send letter #1.

You could all offer to "help them" remove the junk, too, if they are willing to get the dumpster.

[5stringJeff]

I'd use the first one, with the reminder of health dept. enforcement if they don't comply.

[manu1959]

Letters are very off-putting and IMO shouldn't be the first action taken.
Has anyone tried having a friendly over-the-fence conversation with the neighbor first? If they are unresponsive, send letter #1.

You could all offer to "help them" remove the junk, too, if they are willing to get the dumpster.

i agree with abbey.........need to have a few conversations to set the table for the letter.......

[manu1959]

this is the letter i would write, after i spoke with them.....

I am writting on behalf of my family and your neighbors. We are requesting that the pile of trash stored behind your garage be removed in 30 days.

If you need a large dumpster, you can obtain one for a decent cost through VEIT, at 422-3867, and they allow most all types of trash. We have used them ourselves and have been satisfied with their service and cost.

[Hagbard Celine]

this is the letter i would write, after i spoke with them.....

I am writting on behalf of my family and your neighbors. We are requesting that the pile of trash stored behind your garage be removed in 30 days.

If you need a large dumpster, you can obtain one for a decent cost through VEIT, at 422-3867, and they allow most all types of trash. We have used them ourselves and have been satisfied with their service and cost.

This plan involves timetables and I won't support it.

[jackass]

I like the second one personally..but whichever one you use...STOP calling it junk. That puts him anthe defensive right away. Call them items or something to that effect.

[KitchenKitten99]

This plan involves timetables and I won't support it.

i need a timetable because of the large party we will be having on 11 August which will include people who have never been here before, as I mentioned in the letter.

I want to take this to a neighbor-to-neighbor route first. It is like calling the cops on a neighbor that has their music up too loud, instead of first asking them yourself and end up starting the hard feelings by calling the cops. I know that if someone were to ask me personally to take care of an issue, I would have less hard feelings about that person then if they were to take it to the extreme and contact city officials for whatever the matter may be, when they could just as easily talk to me and I would do what I could to oblige, barring any issues beyond my control.

I don't want to go to the extreme with calling the city before we let him know the whole thing bothers us. Part of the reason we don't like him is every so often, Buster escapes, and he threatens to call the cops, even though Buster is no threat, and pretty much the whole neighborhood knows him and knows he's friendly and to try to catch him is pointless. Lately, it has been during the day when I have the daycare kids here. At that point there really is nothing I can do. Not only that, even if they weren't here, I wouldn't bother chasing him anyway, because he usually comes home in half the time. Even the cops know him enough to not even bother trying to catch him, because he won't let anyone. He will stand still just long enough to let you think he's gonna let you grab him, and as soon as you reach, he'll bolt the other direction. If someone does catch him, it is because he is either hungry or thirsty or he was tricked. Huskys are forever puppies. Everything is a game to them.

While this didn't start the whole issue with us not liking to have to see the junk, it just magnified it. Basically, if he wants to start something with us, we can fire right back. Unfortunately, I don't want to wait until he calls the cops on Buster (not that they'd even attempt to catch him anyway-they know him by name and breed and description). I have been wanting to ask him to do this since we moved in 3 years ago. I just haven't had the motivation until now.

Either way, I want the junk gone before the August gathering. Even my mom said that the wire shopping cart (or some kind of pushcart with wheels) has been hanging in the tree since she can remember.

[Mr. P]

Call in the government and let them handle it eh? What ever happened to handling things yourself and taking "personal responsibility?" :laugh: :poke:

Tis why we pay em..didn't you hear.

[MtnBiker]

The first letter is better. I would contact the city just to investigate any legal action that could be taken. The neighborly thing to do is to let him know that you and other neighbors are concerned about the junk and that you would rather not envolve an outside party to resolve the problem, but for him to simply be courtesy toward all the neigbors and have his yard in a respectable manor. If a city code does exsist and is forceable a timetable is good to let the neighbor know that this is an actionable request that needs attention and further measures can be taken if necessary.

[Said1]

You gotta have one outwardly weird person on the block. :clap: :laugh2:

[KitchenKitten99]

For those who think he can use a yard sale or say it is attracting wildlife, this stuff would never sell and it is all broken or unused misc junk items. He's gota broken (appears to be) lawn chair that has been there for about 6 months. Then there are what appear to be pieces of a gutter, but I am not 100% sure. There's not only the cart in the tree, but some kind of fencing or metal mesh of some kind and nylon rope. There's an old gas grill just sitting there, etc. Here are photos of the junk, which it literally is.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/FuzzyKitten1999/P5220141.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/FuzzyKitten1999/P5220142.jpg

[Mr. P]

Oooooo stop being a nosy neighbor.

Now go call the city folks like I said before and deal with it. Or STFU! :poke:

[Pale Rider]

This plan involves timetables and I won't support it.

:laugh2: :laugh: :lmao: :lol: ..... holy shit Hag... that was good man.

[nevadamedic]

Our neighbor behind us has piles of junk behind his garage in his backyard, that joins up to my backyard. There is a 4' chainlink fence between the yards, and some nice lilac bushes as well. But the bushes don't completely screen the area that this junk is in. So, we are basically forced to see it when we want to be in the backyard. When we have guests over, they ask why he has a small metal shopping cart hanging from a tree. We can't answer that one, because we don't know ourselves. Both Tim and I have just had it. My grandparents owned our house and they said they hated seeing the junk there too, but never really said anything, and they lived here for 25 years. Even our other neighbors who can see the junk, want to say something, but don't know how. So, I have drafted two letters, but I can't decide which to use.

Here is the 1st:
Dear _____:

There have been several of us neighbors who have had discussions about the junk pile behind your garage. It is an eyesore and unsightly, and lowers our enjoyment of our own yards and is embarrassing to have guests over, because they see it. We have agreed to ask you to please clean it up and dispose of it properly. If you need a large dumpster, you can obtain one for a decent cost through VEIT, at 422-3867, and they allow most all types of trash.

We are asking that this be done by 1 August, which gives you a little over 2 months. Plenty of time.

Yours truly,

Your neighbors.

the 2nd one:
Dear _____,

Tim and I are politely wondering when you will be disposing of the trash that is stored behind your garage and in the tree? This has been sitting there for some time now, and is becoming a real eyesore. When we have guests over, and entertain in our backyard, regardless of the bushes, you can still see all the junk and it is very unsightly. This year, we are planning on having anywhere from 30-40 people at our home for our son’s birthday party and our monthly gathering of friends from around the metro area, after the party. Some of these people will have never been to our home before and we want to give them the best impression of our home and our neighborhood, and ultimately our neighbors. The date of the party will be 11 August. We are asking you nicely to clean up the junk and the stuff in the tree by 10 August, or we will be forced to take further actions, which we really do not want to do for the sake of peace. If you need a large dumpster, you can obtain one for a decent cost through VEIT, at 422-3867, and they allow most all types of trash. We have used them ourselves and have been satisfied with their service and cost.

Yours truly,

Lea and Tim

My father said to use the second one. He has been a Rel Estate Broker for over 40 years. He also said to put in there that it lowers the property value of the surrounding houses. Th first one is to nice and wont get you anywhere. The second one will work as a wake up call. If you send it and it doesn't work, send me a private message and my dad will tell you what you can do next.

[Said1]

How much do they want for the luuuve seat? That's really not all that bad.

One lady who used to live a few blocks from me decorated her front garden with maniquin heads. :eek:

[stephanie]

How much do they want for the luuuve seat? That's really not all that bad.

One lady who used to live a few blocks from me decorated her front garden with maniquin heads. :eek:

:laugh2:

[nevadamedic]

How much do they want for the luuuve seat? That's really not all that bad.

One lady who used to live a few blocks from me decorated her front garden with maniquin heads. :eek:

:laugh2:

[Yurt]

For those who think he can use a yard sale or say it is attracting wildlife, this stuff would never sell and it is all broken or unused misc junk items. He's gota broken (appears to be) lawn chair that has been there for about 6 months. Then there are what appear to be pieces of a gutter, but I am not 100% sure. There's not only the cart in the tree, but some kind of fencing or metal mesh of some kind and nylon rope. There's an old gas grill just sitting there, etc. Here are photos of the junk, which it literally is.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/FuzzyKitten1999/P5220141.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/FuzzyKitten1999/P5220142.jpg


1st dibs on the cart....

I think the talk first is the best way to go. Are they actually capable of cleaning, any physical limitations? I know you may not want to, but you may start off by asking if he/she needs help with sprucing up the backyard. Of course if he/she says yes... But, it may be a way to mend "fences" and get to know your neighbor.

If they say no, then the letter, then the city because there are codes about this.

Keep me posted

Edit:

letter with the neighbors behind it, on behalf of the neighborhood...

[nevadamedic]

1st dibs on the cart....

I think the talk first is the best way to go. Are they actually capable of cleaning, any physical limitations? I know you may not want to, but you may start off by asking if he/she needs help with sprucing up the backyard. Of course if he/she says yes... But, it may be a way to mend "fences" and get to know your neighbor.

If they say no, then the letter, then the city because there are codes about this.

Keep me posted

Edit:

letter with the neighbors behind it, on behalf of the neighborhood...

You actually always have good ideas :)

[KitchenKitten99]

1st dibs on the cart....

I think the talk first is the best way to go. Are they actually capable of cleaning, any physical limitations? I know you may not want to, but you may start off by asking if he/she needs help with sprucing up the backyard. Of course if he/she says yes... But, it may be a way to mend "fences" and get to know your neighbor.

If they say no, then the letter, then the city because there are codes about this.

Keep me posted

Edit:

letter with the neighbors behind it, on behalf of the neighborhood...
i know neither of them are incapable physically of cleaning. He drives a school bus and works at Subway (mind you, he's in his 60's) and I don't know if his wife works or not. I know she's got an issue with migranes, but that doesn't stop her from going snowmobiling in the winter. They are in the same snowmobile club that my grandparents were a part of (my grandpa was president for 4 years in a row).

We don't want to offer help, because we have our own yard to deal with at the moment. My plants that I ordered are coming in any day, and I have to get them all planted within 3 days of their delivery. We still haven't gotten our pond operational since we changed the design and the set up and I can't put in any kind of lanscaping until we get that finished. We have to also get the old shed torn down and the newer one moved to it's place.

Our yard and pond/garden area isn't a mess either, we just have a ton to do ourselves, and this party in August is also kind of like the 'grand opening' of the pond for lack of a better term. We want to be able to show off the whole thing and be completely finished by then, which we will be if we keep on schedule with getting things done, like we have been so far. My being sick the last 3 days hasn't helped anything, and I will still need to take it easy for the next 2-3 days while the meds do their job.

Plus he has 3 kids and they all have their own kids who are in the 9-15 age range. He doesn't need help from us to do anything.

[Mr. P]

Works great!

<img src="http://image.debatepolicy.com/is.php?i=418&img=Wood_Fence_3.jp.jpg" border="0">

[KitchenKitten99]

Works great!

<img src="http://image.debatepolicy.com/is.php?i=418&img=Wood_Fence_3.jp.jpg" border="0">

Does work, but are you going to pay for it? We sure as hell don't have the money. One of my daycare kids are leaving as of June 8th, and with him goes $100/week. The way our property is shaped (we live in a cul-de-sac), we would spend about $900 just on the back property line. Our backyard property line is the length of two of our neighbors' properties, and about 10 feet of a third. Just the back property line is about 88 feet. Plus part of it would be in the garden area, and I want that area open and 'airy' (that part is behind the nice neighbors yard which is a nice yard), and it would look odd only going 3/4 the length of the property line.

Axel's yard takes up most of the main area of our back yard along the fence, and the lady next to him takes up the rest, which continues into the area we have our garden in, which is behind the garage, and is separated by the temp lattice fence which will be replaced by a nice white, polyvinyl lattice fence.

When I feel good enough to go outside, I'll get pics of how odd our yard is shaped.

[Abbey Marie]

We don't have any unsightly neigbors, but regardless, we started the long-term plan of planting evergreens to hide any view of our back neighbors. I love my privacy, and I like the illusion that there are only woods behind our home. Every Mother's Day I ask my husband to buy a tree as my gift.

Since these people have been this way for a long time, and will not likely change, you might want to start-a-planting. I know it won't help for your party, but for the future, it is IMO the prettiest way to hide what you don't want to see.

And, I get to say I am Green! :salute:

[remie]

Looks to me like it needs a gallon of gas and a match.

[KitchenKitten99]

We don't have any unsightly neigbors, but regardless, we started the long-term plan of planting evergreens to hide any view of our back neighbors. I love my privacy, and I like the illusion that there are only woods behind our home. Every Mother's Day I ask my husband to buy a tree as my gift.

Since these people have been this way for a long time, and will not likely change, you might want to start-a-planting. I know it won't help for your party, but for the future, it is IMO the prettiest way to hide what you don't want to see.

And, I get to say I am Green! :salute:
we are thinking of planting more lilacs along the fence, but even if we did do that, you can still see the crap in the winter, and much worse because there aren't leaves on the bushes along the fence.

[Abbey Marie]

we are thinking of planting more lilacs along the fence, but even if we did do that, you can still see the crap in the winter, and much worse because there aren't leaves on the bushes along the fence.

That's why I plant evergreens!

[Mr. P]

We don't have any unsightly neigbors, but regardless, we started the long-term plan of planting evergreens to hide any view of our back neighbors. I love my privacy, and I like the illusion that there are only woods behind our home. Every Mother's Day I ask my husband to buy a tree as my gift.

Since these people have been this way for a long time, and will not likely change, you might want to start-a-planting. I know it won't help for your party, but for the future, it is IMO the prettiest way to hide what you don't want to see.

And, I get to say I am Green! :salute:

Same here on privacy. Here another good screen is Bambo down here..That stuff grows like weeds, very tall, fast and thick. Nice to look at too. The downside is keeping it under control because it spreads underground.

[KitchenKitten99]

That's why I plant evergreens!

I don't like evergreens very much for anything other than Christmas trees. They are so acidic that they kill the grass around them, and I don't want that because it is hard enough to keep grass growing in our back yard as it is. Plus I want a solution for this summer, not just the future.

[Mr. P]

Does work, but are you going to pay for it? We sure as hell don't have the money. One of my daycare kids are leaving as of June 8th, and with him goes $100/week. The way our property is shaped (we live in a cul-de-sac), we would spend about $900 just on the back property line. Our backyard property line is the length of two of our neighbors' properties, and about 10 feet of a third. Just the back property line is about 88 feet. Plus part of it would be in the garden area, and I want that area open and 'airy' (that part is behind the nice neighbors yard which is a nice yard), and it would look odd only going 3/4 the length of the property line.

Axel's yard takes up most of the main area of our back yard along the fence, and the lady next to him takes up the rest, which continues into the area we have our garden in, which is behind the garage, and is separated by the temp lattice fence which will be replaced by a nice white, polyvinyl lattice fence.

When I feel good enough to go outside, I'll get pics of how odd our yard is shaped.

Well no I won't pay for for it. I'll send a bill for my advice though. :laugh2:
That 88 feet would only cost $450 in material here. Easy to install yourself..

[KitchenKitten99]

Well no I won't pay for for it. I'll send a bill for my advice though. :laugh2:
That 88 feet would only cost $450 in material here. Easy to install yourself..

well, here, one 8' long section of 6' privacy fence is about $75, even at Menards, which is like a '2nd Ops' store. Multiply that times 11 (assuming we go the whole length of the back property line) and that brings it to $825, then add in cost of hardware and tools and concrete and that would bring the bill to about $900.

[Mr. P]

well, here, one 8' long section of 6' privacy fence is about $75, even at Menards, which is like a '2nd Ops' store. Multiply that times 11 (assuming we go the whole length of the back property line) and that brings it to $825, then add in cost of hardware and tools and concrete and that would bring the bill to about $900.

You guys are being raped! Geeezzz...No Home Depot or Lowes?

[KitchenKitten99]

You guys are being raped! Geeezzz...No Home Depot or Lowes?

those are HomeDepot's prices, Menards is about the same, sometimes less, but the quality is also not as good... Plus you have to remember, we are "the land of 10,000 taxes"...

[Abbey Marie]

I don't like evergreens very much for anything other than Christmas trees. They are so acidic that they kill the grass around them, and I don't want that because it is hard enough to keep grass growing in our back yard as it is. Plus I want a solution for this summer, not just the future.

Yes, I acknowledged that it won't help you this summer in my post. I thought you could use a long-term solution as well, since even if he cleans it up, he will probably junk it up again. People don't usually change much.

As for losing grass, we just mulch around the base of the trees, and they look very pretty. There are also many evergreen bushes, not just tres. But you do what you like!

[KitchenKitten99]

Yes, I acknowledged that it won't help you this summer in my post. I thought you could use a long-term solution as well, since even if he cleans it up, he will probably junk it up again. People don't usually change much.

As for losing grass, we just mulch around the base of the trees, and they look very pretty. There are also many evergreen bushes, not just tres. But you do what you like!

either way, it still costs us money. Why should we dish out more money just to make HIS yard look better? I think I will just print this little brochure out, that our city sends in our utility bills every March, and highlight section #7 for him:

http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/vertical/Sites/%7B213A9A90-C8E1-49AA-AC02-51D3C4882D33%7D/uploads/%7B938A557C-1EA5-4A2D-8645-74E440EB4289%7D.PDF

[Mr. P]

either way, it still costs us money. Why should we dish out more money just to make HIS yard look better? I think I will just print this little brochure out, that our city sends in our utility bills every March, and highlight section #7 for him:

http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/vertical/Sites/%7B213A9A90-C8E1-49AA-AC02-51D3C4882D33%7D/uploads/%7B938A557C-1EA5-4A2D-8645-74E440EB4289%7D.PDF

Ahhhh the price of home ownership...sweet. Bite the bullet of reality, Location location location. :poke:

[JLO]

I like the first one. I think that you should add that it would be a courtesy to think of all the neighbors around him. Good Luck!

[KitchenKitten99]

Ahhhh the price of home ownership...sweet. Bite the bullet of reality, Location location location. :poke:

we aren't moving. Ever.

Since he is closer to retirement than we are (he's in his 60's), we might get lucky and they sell the place and move somewhere else. But then again, from what I hear from my grandparents about them, they don't have that great of a retirement future as far as finances go.

I am going to try the 1st letter. Even though there are only 2 other neighbors who can actually see the junk from their yards, and ours is the only one that spans the whole length of his back property line, I would venture a guess that he will figure out who it is really from anyway, but he wouldn't be able to prove it.