Yup, time for another annoying neighbor post....

This is mild, just venting.

We bought a house and moved in three weeks ago. The previous owner owned two houses next door, but one was around the block. A total of 5 lots, two for one house, three for the other. they were fenced in all as one compound. We planned on doing a fence. I got a few estimates and decided to wait for the new owners to move in over there as we knew the house was sold within a few days of us buying this one. 

Anyway, the neighbors see us in the yard and come talk to us. Seem nice enough. They mention that they planned on putting a fence up, I mentioned that we were going to as well. The wife says "great. My husband will come talk to you."

cool. 

I see they have a fence contractor, so I'm waiting for him to come talk to me. I was waiting on a contractor (I called before they moved in, been waiting) to give us our third estimate. The guy comes and guess who it is? It's the contractor they had out. He is the guy that put up the fence that's already here. His work leaves something to be desired. Turns out they already signed a contract with him. They have every right to do so, but I thought they were going to come talk to us. The estimate they got was 50% higher than the best estimate I got, and 40% higher than the other. Much more expensive for crap work. 

Had he asked me I'd have shared the estimates I got, and showed him the crap work he did on my property.  Now I have to decide do I pay for 1/2 of the work he agreed to, or tell him the price he agreed to is crazy high and offer something less.  Also, part of his estimate includes some fence and a gate that is 100% on his property. I don't want to pay for 1/2 of that. At the same time, I don't want to be a DB and start things off on the wrong foot with my new neighbor. I'm inclined to just pay for 1/2 and write it off as good neighbor insurance. 

Oh well, that's not really the part that prompted this post. Our neighbor has been treating our yard like it's his. His kids are playing on a tree swing on our property (liability...) and taking his dogs on-leash on our property. I haven't seen his dog crap yet to see if he's cleaning it up or not. His family is playing football on our property.  

Now, I'm not going to say anything because the fence mentioned above will be up around Christmas time. I'm willing to deal with it for 6 weeks for good neighbor relations, but it's just rude man. The pic below is a drone shot of the property in question. The yellow section is his property (about .4 acres, including the house, so about .25 open lot), ours is in red, about .5 acres open lot. The black area is the part of the yard that they make themselves feel at home. I've only seen them on their property once LOL. 

Just venting. 

Oh wait, I can say this....."GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!"

Well, make damn sure the new fence is going on the right property line! If they're playing on it now, who's to say they're planning on fencing it in correctly.

I don't know what to tell you re: the price and contractor chosen. I'd probably say something about the price and prior quality of work, but I'm also counting the days until my hopefully former neighbor is gone. (His house is in contract, so it's soon, and I'll be so happy.) I get along with most people but apparently not chronic alcoholics with short man syndrome and anger management and impulse control problems. So listen to my advice with that in mind.

We've been getting quotes for fencing recently. Gates are where the $$$ is at. Fencing has gone through the roof because contractors are in demand, and materials are up. 

I'd get the price per linear foot (not including a gate-obvs), and offer to pay half of the section that adjoins your property. Don't be a jerk about it, but do be firm. If he signed the contract, he should know he could be stuck with the whole bill. Not a lot you can do about contractor/quality.

Also, maybe consider a survey, so everybody knows exactly where property lines lie (ask me how I know, I once bought incredible shrinking property-they "forgot" to remove the daughter's house/lot from the original deed).

Good luck. you have the right idea- be nice.

Honestly, I'd just start with a polite conversation....

Something along the lines of your other quotes helping save them money whilst pointing out the work the contractor has done in the past isn't great. If they're reasonable and receptive to that conversation, you should be able to gently broach that you're more than happy to go halves in the BOUNDARY fence, but they're on their own for any additional. I'd certainly be expressing some polite dissatisfaction at being expected to go halves for overpriced poor quality work or additional non boundary related work.

I know you want to be seen as a good neighbour, but don't let yourself be seen as a pushover either. Being nice and respectful doesn't mean you have to just swallow other people's crap.

Edit. Actually, the large cost difference in quotes is probably down to the additional fencing and gate. 

One thing I've found doing surveying is if a neighbor butts up to a empty lot, eventually, inevitably, they start encroaching. Couple if feet in, now theres a wood pile. Couple more, now there's a boat. But-but, that's my lot!

The looks I get when I tell them, then show them that, no, that isn't their lot, is always interesting.

This has a distinct possibility of turning into a battle. I strongly recommend a survey. Fence guys will build to lot corners. I've seen all sorts of wonky fences to fully trust any fence guy. I've seen large lots that were subdivided end up a  convoluted mess. Multiple pins, conduit mistaken for iron pipe, homeowner set rebar, etc...

Save yourself a hassle later and get a survey.

Hopefully someone gets a survey.  

We got a survey when we bought the house. The fence contractor is going just a little on HIS side of the property. Maybe 18". 
i agree. A polite conversation is in order. I asked the fence contractor what the cost of the fence is minus the section that is not dividing the property. 

In reply to DrBoost :

You're probably gaining 18" of property that will be inside your fence. Seems like a good deal. 

If you contracted the fence you might loose 18" off the lot line. All total that is a 36" (3ft) difference. 

Do you have any cars you could park on the part of your lawn they're using?  Maybe an old boat or camper or something?

Where is the fence going? If it's between the yellow and red I'd assume they'll stop using your yard as it'll be separated. 

New neighbors suck, I think you've all seen my rant about them.

A nice talk is always the best first step, but remember that the nuclear option might have to happen. 

Also if surveyors do come out, remember that almost no one is happy to see them and be cool to them, up here I think pretty much everyday starts with them being yelled at or guns drawn

Steve_Jones said:

Where is the fence going? If it's between the yellow and red I'd assume they'll stop using your yard as it'll be separated. 

Yeah, that's where the fence will be in 6 weeks. They know where the property line is, it's kinda odd that they just ignore it. 
It's the principle, more than the act that bothers me. 

DrBoost said:

Steve_Jones said:

Where is the fence going? If it's between the yellow and red I'd assume they'll stop using your yard as it'll be separated. 

Yeah, that's where the fence will be in 6 weeks. They know where the property line is, it's kinda odd that they just ignore it. 
It's the principle, more than the act that bothers me. 

Unfortunately people are like that.

Hopefully it'll be easy once it's fenced but I can almost bet they will view it as you taking "their" land/backyard/etc

Good luck. My house sat empty for 3 years so the house behind me borrowed the backyard. It's been 10 years and lots of talks and there shiny happy person kid still bounces baseballs off my house 

Since it looks like you might be getting the guy who put in your current, not straight fence, I'd look forward to asking him why it is that way. Is it possible there is a reason more than just sloppy?  Obstacles? 

I'd also make it known that you expect better this time.  

What's going on at that house in the lower right?  Looks like some sort of a greenhouse or something.  Might be time to make friends with _that_ neighbor...

How are your other neighbors?  It's an unwritten rule that in any given neighborhood, there is at least one braying jackass to contend with.  If your other neighbors are pleasant, then this is that guy.

volvoclearinghouse said:

What's going on at that house in the lower right?  Looks like some sort of a greenhouse or something.  Might be time to make friends with _that_ neighbor...

That's the pool. Wish we had one. We moved in almost two weeks before they did. It was tempting to go jump in the pool. 

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

So far everyone is very nice. These folks seem nice as well, just bizarrely inconsiderate of our yard. 

Definitely make sure the fence is on the property line.  There should be monuments, usually a length of rebar driving into the ground, at each corner. 

Some states have what is called Adverse Possession.   Basically if you don't make a neighbor move a fence that encroaches on your property then, after a certain length of time, you lose property rights to that portion.   My sister lived in Washington (state) and lost about $80,000 on a sale of her house because of an ancient fence line that  encroached onto her property because 50 years ago a previous owner didn't want to cut down a tree on the property corner..   The Adverse Possession law was on the encroachers side, the encroacher didn't want the house to sell because gentrification, so that person dug in her heels and refused to budge.   It was an ugly business and probably contributed to my brother-in-law dying of a heart attack because of the stress induced by this ugly neighbor.  

Don't think there's a whole lot you can do about the contractor your neighbor has chosen, or the price of that contractor.

You only should pay for 50% of the fence that you share.  When I did the fence at my house, both my neighors refused to pay their parts, which sucked.  I ended up paying for the entire fence myself.

Easy solution... annex that part of their yard to the right of your front yard. Looks about the same size. 

DrBoost said:

volvoclearinghouse said:

What's going on at that house in the lower right?  Looks like some sort of a greenhouse or something.  Might be time to make friends with _that_ neighbor...

That's the pool. Wish we had one. We moved in almost two weeks before they did. It was tempting to go jump in the pool. 

Shame.  If it were a greenhouse, they might be growing something interesting in there...

docwyte said:

Don't think there's a whole lot you can do about the contractor your neighbor has chosen, or the price of that contractor.

You only should pay for 50% of the fence that you share.  When I did the fence at my house, both my neighors refused to pay their parts, which sucked.  I ended up paying for the entire fence myself.

I hope you put the ugly side facing them. 

It's a weirdly shaped piece of property.  Was there a house on your lot facing the other street?  It looks like there is a driveway entrance there. 

Why does your lot end 40' short of the street?  Or is that just where the fence can go and you actually own all the way to the pavement?