Need An Opinion On Property Lines

it's not worth it then.

It's customary where I live to build a fence a small distance inside your boundary, not right on it, unless the purpose of the fence is to mark the boundary.

It doesn't sound like you've established adverse possession previously. If you had built your own fence so close to his that they were touching, maybe.

I have a neighbor who's very nitpicky about his landscaping and everything else and he has a row of shrubs in a bed that's partially on his property and probably a foot or more onto mine. I had the line surveyed right after I moved in because I wanted to build fencing so my dog(s) could run around in the backyard.

So I just built the fence to accommodate the shrubs. It might even be 2 feet inside the line. The shrub line has a garden arch with a gate, and I had a gate built into the chain link fence I put up to preserve that pass-through concept even though neither of us has ever used it. The shrubs look good (most of the time although not right now) and I don't give a shit about the extra foot or whatever it is.



But, when I mow the front lawn, I align it with the fence. I only had to pay for the fence once, but he's been mowing an extra 200 SF every week for 28 years, so fuck him.

 

My neighbor had a fence installed after she paid for a survey and the fence is 12 inches inside the property line which is typical around here. After the survey she found out that the guy at the back of the property had planted pine trees on HER land so she fenced them in too. When the guy confronted her and said "But you're taking my trees" she replied "Yes I am, they're beautiful. Thank you". I miss that woman, she was a pistol.

 

I want to thank everyone for their input.

One other note is that he did trespass on my property when the fence was painted, by a contractor, and my property was used as a laydown area when the fence was originally built. I reminded his wife very gently but businesslike that if I did the same thing she would raise hell. I was hoping a tit for tat situation would develop. They are OCD about snow removal, so I never have to worry about that and my gutters were cleaned, by a hired handyman, by them, this spring.

So, I assumed we had mutual backscratching agreement since my siding power washing contractor cleaned their gutters and sidewalk two years ago.

I am not upset about any of this. I can't describe these two since it would violate board policy. I will say that he is a part time storefront evangelical preacher and ultra-Christian. I always thought that over the past 15 years or so that we had a decent, neighborly cordiality going.

We have different approaches to gardening and I get it, because he was a groundskeeper at the local college where she was a Chemistry professor. Put that match on a soap opera, eh? So he maintains his area as "grounds", where as I like colorful, happy flowers and vegetables. To each his own.

I just got sore over him charging into my yard and dictating the terms of me possessing a composter and telling me I should keep it on my side, where there is very little room. I do not have a fence on my side because I want the landscaper to cut my grass, which is part of what I pay $96/month in HOA dues for. I just believe it is very petty for him to regurgitate the 4" at me.

Also, I am disappointed in more than one of these responses, which I interpreted as being aggressively accusatory toward me.

 

OK, I've never composted indoors, just outdoors for ~25 years or so and never had a stink or bug problem. Or, maybe I'm not as sensitive as some? We are now living in the city, so no composting. I could, but now just too lazy.

 

I have a not so great relationship with my neighbors. 3 times their german sheppard got into our back yard, twice I chased her off before she got to my little king charles cavaliers. Both times told the neighbor, very politely that their dog was digging holes and tunneling into my yard to attack my dogs. They did nothing. 3rd time the dog got to my little dog, broke its arm before I could kick the shit out of the dog to get it off my dog. Went over screaming bloody murder. They said they would pay the vet bills, it was 5000, they paid 300. They were smart as the dog was gone when I got back from the vet, or I would have shot it. ANYWAYS. To make a long story longer. There is also a reparian area behind both of our houses that we own, and they are constantly walking through ours. I am going to build a fence, but so they cant complain, I am going to build it 4 inches into my property line, and I will own 4 inches on the other side of the fence.

 

Yep, for this kind of adverse possession, I would imagine it would be 20+ years

 

I once owned a property with a “spite fence” that was in place when I bought it. Lou was a crusty old man, but I’m sure his children liked him. Lou had a 4’ chain link fence fence encircling his property because he was the kind of guy who was tired of yelling at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn. He got into a spat with a previous owner of my house, so he put up a spite fence to render my driveway unusable.

We never had a problem with Lou, I was always cordial in an attempt to butter him up so as to allow me to take down the fence. No such luck, Lou passed after I sold the property and the new owners must have removed it.

The attached street view shows Lou’s house on the left, the white line on concrete shows the location of the spite fence that ran all the way to the back, rendering my driveway unusable for anything other than a Renault Le Car, or as a teacher called it, DeGaulle’s revenge. A drunk friend made it down the driveway one night in his car, but I think he had to slide across to the passenger seat to exit.

 

Yes, my husband was definitely more sensitive than I am. Proper compost balance - it's sort of like good seafood - it shouldn't smell "fishy", but it IS going to smell "of the seas". I love that - some people think it's disgusting.

I will say - outdoors, NEVER have had snakes in the compost. Possums, sure ;-) And we have a lot of snakes - in the woods, stones around the pond, in my garden every so often - but not the compost pile. Usually just worms and beetles....In our yard - the compost pile is one of the safer locations in terms of wildlife ;-)

 

For the OP, it seems like you live in some form of "planned development" since you referred to paying HOA fees...for peace of mind, especially if you are correct, it might be worthwhile to go to your local zoning/building department (whoever has jurisdiction over your development) and get a copy of the record Plat for your development...and depending on how old your home is, there should also be a record copy of your house building plans and proprerty survey which would show the siting of your home on the lot...Happy hunting

 

I used to be in the sruveying game in Missouri. My dad was a surveyor.

For adverse possession to apply in Missouri, the possessions has to be "open and notorious" for seven years. Then you go to court and ask the judge to adjust the property line.

In your case, if the composter is on your land, with 4" between it and the fence, fuck him. It's your land.

 

Put your composter 5" away from the fence.

Where I live the association said to build a fence minimum 2" in from established property line. So I gained 2" on one side of my house since that neighbor built the fence. On the other side of my house I lost 2" since I built that fence. Tile walls, actually.

So I kinda ended up even.

I don't have a tumbling composter. My compost bin is actually a plastic storage bin with 1/2" holes drilled 3.5" down from top all around. I place the lid on and weigh it down with a 5lb. lifting weight plate. It works ok.

I don't like neighbors. You can never please them.

 

I think we have the makings of a hot new reality show....

srsly, I get the principle thing, but pick your battles, right?

and something about worms being the key?

 

I realize I'm a little late on the subject.
My parent's property ( N Y state ) had a vista in the backyard -
but part of the back property line had a cliff......10 to 20 ft drop off.
So, my mother erected a waist high - wood + wire fence so nobody would fall accidently.
It was there for 2 - 3 decades until that vacant woods was developed.
My mother checked with the Town building dept. ( which you should do, Breeze - it's free vs. Lawyer )
and found that her fence cut off a piece of the other property line.
She was aware of the " law " that maintaining a fence line for many years may entitle rights to that dormant property.
Anyway......she passed and my brother maintained the fence.
The new built house - neighbors - came up in a huff one day and began tearing down the fence.
I happened to be the only one there at that moment.
I walked out to them......said " Hi, what's up ? "
As I said - they were very gruff in tone of voice - pissed off.
I said, " Well.....I think you should check with my brother cos the fence protects his kids from falling."
They scowled......and just continued.
Nice neighbors.........
.
We sold that house + property over a year ago
As we were dealing with Real Estate person and getting house for sale.
We noticed that same, nice neighbor had built a HUGE stilted tree playhouse onto our property
in the wooded lot .
Well.....
We didn't say anything.......sold the house for cash......and now those nice neighbors are someone
else's problem !

 

I was thinking it was something about “attracting more flies with honey than with vinegar”

Plot twist: According to Breeze’s neighbour, it’s NEITHER, since compost seems to be what attracts flies

 

Ah jeez, I just have to add my neighbor story.

New person moved in on the back side of our property. One day we hear chainsaws running so we look outside and there is a crew on the hillside cutting down trees on our property. WTF. We stop them and ask exactly what they think they're doing? New neighbor hired them. She explains to us that the property all the way to the road is hers. Uhm...we explain to her that the road is in the opposite direction. Ooooh. You mean none of this is my property? No. Ooooh. The fact that the property was fenced with animals in it apparently didn't register either.

 

I use plastic trash cans for composting. Never smells, located between our house and the neighbor in the 10 foot wide alley.

 

Pretty sure you conveyed the message there. Selfish people are selfish, whatever other label one chooses to attach.

I have composted for over 40 years at 3 different houses, on or near the property line, with no complaints. There are a few gnats attracted to fruit peelings, etc., but no odor. I keep the compost moist and turned, and have tried to make this functional item look nice. We use all our compost and/or share it with neighbors if they want any. The biggest difference is the neighbors. We've always had good ones. You have duds.

 

With the way they dealt with your mothers fence, I would have torn that tree house down with a smile on my face. Come to think of it, maybe I'm the bad Neighbour? Oh well, STAY OFF MY GRASS

 

I believe I’ve shared this on VMB before, but this is definitely a relevant thing in this thread... the origin of that phrase https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_kids_get_off_my_lawn!