Need advice on how to tell neighbors to get their stuff off my property

[jagec]

A friend of mine bought a house with a fence, but it was starting to fall over and look shabby. Looking at the survey, it seemed that whoever had put in the fence had done a terrible job, and he was "missing" a LOT of property. In some places the fence was a good 4 feet back from the property line. Of course, the fence had been there for a few years, so all five neighbors (don't ask!) had stuff butted up against it.

Just by talking to them politely over a period of time, he convinced all five neighbors to move their stuff back from the old fence, let him knock down the fence and put up a new one of his design choice (with the boards facing inward) that was right on the property line, and reimburse him the cost of their portion of the fence.

It just takes good social skills.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: waggy

again its not hard. just take teh proof and say "hey youguys know this stuff is on my land? i want to build a fence" most likely they don't know or a easway.

i don't see how this is complicated. maybe its living in the country where people come up and talk to you over stuff. but something like this should not be a discussion.

hell one guy built a shed that ended up on someone else's land. when everyone found out (same thing they wanted a fence). they talked about it and brought in teh tracters and got it moved.

just amazing people need to ask for something like this. guess its good i don't live in a city. wouldnt know what to do heh

What you don't realize is that walking up and knocking on your neighbor's door and flashing some paperwork like that in their face is considered more intimidating and less friendly. There is no reason to even mention "papers". All he needs to do is be nice and polite by letting them know what he wants to do and that the property line crosses through some of their stuff. If they ask how he knows where the line is then mention the papers. If they don't believe him at that point then he can show them the papers (at this point they are being jerks to him anyways). The point is that there is no need to go about this in such a way that could potentially come off as more intimidating than necessary. Such things can very easily start a couple of neighbors off on the wrong foot.

sure go over and mention that you are building a fence and that you found out that they have stuff on the land. tehy will ask how he knows. thats when you say you have a survey etc.

i guess it just amazes me that people really don't know how to handle the situation.

more i hear about stuff like this and how people can't handle it the more i love living in a small country town. where if i have a problem i can go knock on the door and say something. no worry if im going to piss them off or get them to dislike me.

its just going to get fixed one way or another.

Yes, that is more appropriate. You have the same idea about how to go about this situation as everyone else here. The problem in this thread is the way you presented it in your posts. You made it sound much less friendly than what is deemed appropriate despite your intention. It is very important to choose your words carefully when offering advice on how to be tactful since tact is a very fragile thing. Especially when communicating through the internet.

 

[meltdown75]

Use your words.

You can do it. Pull up your big boy pants, go over there, and talk to them.

sounds wild and CRAZY, I know... but you just never know, it could work!

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: kalrith
I bought a house recently that's on an acre of land. It's been vacant for a while and didn't have a fence when I moved in. I'm going to start working on a fence within the next week, so I had a survey done. It shows that the back several feet of my property (and 168 feet across) has 3-4 neighbors' things on it: fire wood, junk, bird feeders, bird houses, etc. I want to personally and nicely inform the neighbors of the situation, give them the opportunity to remove their things, and then put a fence right on the property line.

How would you inform your neighbors of this, assuming you want to have a good relationship with them?

here you go. just fallow these steps.

1) grow a fucking set and be a adult.
2) go tell them that they are on your prpperty. take the servey and show them. odds are they do not know.

3) if they don't move it. move it for them.

I didn't realize that asking for advice on these forums means that I "need to grow a fucking set and be a adult". You should probably go through and post that line on about 100 active threads right now. That'll gain you a bunch of friends!

I already have an idea of what I'm going to say, I just wanted other peoples' opinions (definitely not yours though). Maybe you should grow a fucking set and learn how to type before offering your wonderful advice. It's hard to take someone seriously who can't spell "fallow, a adult, prpperty, or servey".

there is really no other opinion. either ignore it or go talk to them. really not fucking hard to figure out.

sure my spelling sucks. but at least i don't need to wonder what to do about someone putting property on my land. soon as i seen it i would be knocking on the door with the survey saying hey can you get it moved i want my fence up.

he just does not want to be a dick about it.

it is called : thinking before reacting!

who said be a dick? i really don't see why someone would need to ask how to handle it. just go with the survey and talk to them. IF they refuse to move it then yeah ask for advice. But how to ask them? have people lost touch with how to handle neighbors that bad?

You didn't specifically say to be a dick, but you were a dick. I don't even see the point of posting just to tell someone they shouldn't have to ask about it. I see threads all the time that I think are stupid things that I would have never posted. Do I be a dick and drop the f bomb in all of those threads telling the OP that he's stupid for posting? Well, if my name's not waggy, then I don't. And I think waving survey papers in my neighbors' face would constitute as being a dick.

Also, I'm outside of city limits yet still in a neighborhood. People are a lot more friendly out here than in the city, and I don't want to look like some punk ass kid who just moved in and is going to be a dick to everybody. If I had lived there for years and knew all my neighbors by name, it would be completely different. However, I haven't spoken to a single one yet (I haven't moved in yet), and I don't want my introduction to involve waving survey papers in their faces.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: waggy
i do have a great relationship with them. why? because i talk to them when something is wrong and they come over if something is wrong.

I never said tell them to get the fuck off right now. i said take the survey over and show them. odds are they do not even know its your property. this way you have proof and ends any conflict (unless they are assholes or trying to take the property (there are laws taht would allow them to do it)).

I find it amazing you need to ask about it. Around here if you have a problem you go to them. the quicker the better. Nobody gets mad nobody gets revenge. its just gets fixed.

but then we are a small town (maybe 300 people).

Something like this actually did happen to us, we build a fence around our property, and were informed that we used the wrong corner market. Had to move about 200 feet of peeler pole+6 foot horse non climb fence over. Was a lot of work, but nobody was upset.

 

[Miklebud]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
-build fence over their stuff
-claim stuff as your property
-sell it back to them in garage sale
-profit

LOL, I think this is the first of these kinds of posts without a 3: ..., 4: Profit
GG.

 

[Red]

This thread is way too long. Just thought I should contribute.

 

[ctark]

Depending on how long they have been living there they could have squatters rights. My grandma lost a long court battle (5 or 6 years) over 8 feet of land that originally belonged to her.

 

[QED]

Originally posted by: waggy

who said be a dick? i really don't see why someone would need to ask how to handle it. just go with the survey and talk to them. IF they refuse to move it then yeah ask for advice. But how to ask them? have people lost touch with how to handle neighbors that bad?

To them, he's not yet a neighbor-- just some stranger standing on their front porch trying to take away some of their property.

Waggy, it's apparent you've never had to deal with anyone other than your friends or people you know your whole life. Or, at least, that's the way you sound from this thread. This isn't Mayberry anymore... people aren't happy to see strangers at their doorstep telling them something they don't want to hear. I doubt even you would be appreciative if an IRS agent came to your house and said "Hey, this piece of paper says that there were some unpaid taxes on this property thirty years ago, so we are taking it. Now get the fuck out!"

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: Baked
Put a big ass "FREE" sign over the stuff. Watch people come and take the stuff. Drink beer.

:laugh::beer:

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: QED

Originally posted by: waggy

who said be a dick? i really don't see why someone would need to ask how to handle it. just go with the survey and talk to them. IF they refuse to move it then yeah ask for advice. But how to ask them? have people lost touch with how to handle neighbors that bad?

To them, he's not yet a neighbor-- just some stranger standing on their front porch trying to take away some of our property.

Waggy, it's apparent you've never had to deal with anyone other than your friends or people you know your whole life. Or, at least, that's the way you sound from this thread. This isn't Mayberry anymore... people aren't happy to see strangers at their doorstep telling them something they don't want to hear. I doubt even you would be appreciative if an IRS agent came to your house and said "Hey, this piece of paper says that there were some unpaid taxes on this property thirty years ago, so we are taking it. Now get the fuck out!"

you are wrong on part. i have dealt with many people for my whole life. I have found better get everything said as early as possible so it gets fixed and you can move past it. I never said be a dick to teh guy next door. i did say to the OP to just go do it. BUT he also should NOT back down either. Odds are the guy does not even know where the property line is (or he does and is trying to claim the property)

there is a huge diffrence between a irs agent and a neighbor comeing up saying that they are buildigna fence and found a problem.

for one the IRS agent would be SOL over tax's 30 years ago.

 

[cherrytwist]

I move that waggy start an advice column. (Dear Waggy?)

Anyone?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: cherrytwist
I move that waggy start an advice column. (Dear Waggy?)

Anyone?

wow obvious attempt to join the bandwagon.

At least the majority have a point. your? nope missed it.

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: cherrytwist
I move that waggy start an advice column. (Dear Waggy?)

Anyone?

:thumbsup:

Edit: I'm being serious, it would be funny.

 

[venkman]

Either your neighbors need to pay for storage or they are abandoning their property.
Ask them which it is.

 

[dquan97]

Make sure the fence is solid concrete and over 8' tall...in case of a zombie outbreak

 

[Fern]

What's all this about survey papers?

Didn't the surveyors put pins/stakes in the ground to mark the boundary?

Fern

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Fern
What's all this about survey papers?

Didn't the surveyors put pins/stakes in the ground to mark the boundary?

Fern

The ground pins were already there, so they just had to locate them and put stakes at each location. I noted the location with measurements from other objects (trees, telephone poles, etc.) in case the neighbors decide to move the stakes. I had that happen to a friend of mine. She didn't want to have the surveyors come out again, so it was basically a waste of money.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: Baked
Put a big ass "FREE" sign over the stuff. Watch people come and take the stuff. Drink beer.

Better yet: take a picture, post on Craig's list advertising it as free.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: Baked
Put a big ass "FREE" sign on craigslist about the stuff. Watch people come and take the stuff. Drink beer.

Fixed

You were a little late with that, zebano.