Getting even when neighbors despise each other...

[mrsilv04]

Not me... I'm staying out of this one...

A half block from me, we have a guy that I'll be polite and refer to as "Fred Sanford". Those younger than 50 may not get the reference.

Fred brings anything and everything home with him.. The two car garage has been packed full for years. The fenced in backyard has been packed full for years. It is stacked all the way around the house. This guy really needs a house on a few acres out in the country, to be truly happy. And the rest of the neighborhood would be happy too.

Unfortunately, the most expensive house in the entire neighborhood is right across the street. Likely worth a half-million dollars, sits on two lots, on an outside curve. And they get to look out their front windows at Fred's place... everyday.

The owners of the half-million dollar house just did a complete exterior refresh last fall. New roof, new paint, new landscaping, new siding, everything. House looks beautiful. Fred's house has a broken window, covered with cardboard and packing tape... along with all the junk. In the summertime, Fred's yard is mowed about once a month, and is full of weeds. To make sure he doesn't lose track of it, the mower is always parked in the front yard.

It's not a lack of money, Fred's wife makes good money. It's just Fred being Fred. His wife is his enabler.

I suspect the **** finally hit the fan, and the neighbor finally started lobbying the city neighborhood services department hard about Fred's place... as the visible junk has slowly been disappearing for the past couple of weeks.

So what did Fred do to get even? He brought home a rusted out white late 90's Ford 4x4 regular cab pickup, with a rusted out snow plow blade (the blade has holes rusted clean though it), and the exhaust dangling out from underneath it... and legally parked it right in front of the half-million dollar house. Just almost to the point where it is blocking their mailbox, but not quite.

Awaiting the next move on this one, from a comfortable distance...

 

[JHZR2]

How rude of Fred.

 

[spasm3]

Pics would be great!

 

[RhondaHonda]

As much as a hate HOAs sometimes, this is an instance where I see the value.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Seems Fred is a hoarder. And people hate HOA's.

 

[Lubener]

If Fred has violated any city ordinances, the city should deal with him. I don't know what "class" the other homes in the neighborhood are but I think it is quite foolish of someone to build such a lavish home in a neighborhood full of older homes probably worth a fraction of the lavish one. If Fred is leaving that truck parked in the street overnight, many cities do not allow street parking between 2-6 AM.

 

[aquariuscsm]

City ordinances will take care of this,it just has to be put in motion. HOA’s are just for the nosy too much time on their hands Gladys Kravitz types.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Fred Sanford who doesn’t know who that is? Lol. I love that show. My house is pretty bad because we are just out of room for stuff and we don’t like parting with anything . I’m especially bad about keeping old auto parts and boxes.

 

[Lyman]

I'd say Fred is not one to mess with. I think someone poked a Bear.

 

[wings&wheels]

Tough one, I sympathize with both sides, but it is 'Fred's' property although he does have to comply with any town ordinances and should feel some obligation to maintain his property for his neighbors' sake. Sounds like Fred may have some problems though. Also highlights another lesson; never own the absolute nicest house in a neighborhood, you never get your return

This is actually why I like HOA's, actually make that love/hate HOA's, but this is exactly why they can make sense if you choose to buy into one.

 

[GON]

If Fred has violated any city ordinances, the city should deal with him. I don't know what "class" the other homes in the neighborhood are but I think it is quite foolish of someone to build such a lavish home in a neighborhood full of older homes probably worth a fraction of the lavish one. If Fred is leaving that truck parked in the street overnight, many cities do not allow street parking between 2-6 AM.

I am amazed anyone would update a home in Illinois. Seems no way out for that state and its pension obligations. Illinois pays the second highest pension payment per person in the country, and has the highest percentage of people receiving pensions per capita. And that ratio keeps rising, because as soon as a state of Illinois pensioner gets a pension, they move to Arizona- leaving the good private citizens still left in the state to pay that guy's retirement in Arizona.

We own a hone in Illinois from a job transfer, and have not been able to sell for over a decade, unless we want to provide 50k-75k at closing. It does generate $400 positive cash flow as a rental..... but houses are in a bad economic situation in Illinois....this is all from 50 continuous years of pension shenanigans' (which are unfunded).

Very, very grim situation in Illinois.

 

[WylieCoyote]

The lavish folks need to do their homework to find out the details of what's allowed, and what's not. The city may have a rule about a vehicle being parked in the same spot for a certain number of hours or days, which they could take advantage of if they stay on top of it. They could also speak to their mail carrier to find out if the USPS has any way to lodge a complaint with the city if it's inhibiting their mail delivery. They could always sneak out there in the wee hours of the morning and take an ice pick to one of the tires, then file a complaint about a derelict vehicle parked on the street, while being aware that they may have cameras trained on them. Where there's a will, there's a way.

My sister lives next door to two complete lowlifes who haven't made a mortgage payment in about 2 years. They could work....but they rather not. Can't say they're not smart, finding ways to skirt the system and live for free all this time, but they haven't done a lick of yard maintenance in 6 years. There is no electricity in the house. There were racoons visiting the kitchen through a hole in the roof until recently, when the city came out and did a patch job on it this past summer. The city finally came over and dragged their 40 ft travel trailer out of the back yard, mowed the 'lawn', and removed the HUGE trees that had fallen to rest on their roof during a storm last year. The house has been up for auction on the courthouse steps 2 or three times, and somehow it always gets stayed. Covid eviction rules are their most recent savior. This is in a NICE middle class neighborhood in Charlotte.

People like this are why I left my last home (non-HOA). I didn't go looking for a new place with an HOA, but that's where I ended up, and I'm glad. I have no issues complying with their rules about grass, garbage cans, cleanliness etc. If folks want crap laying around in full view and couldn't care less about how their property looks, they should live in the country where only the racoons have to look at it.

Hope OPs neighbors' issues get resolved before the gunfire starts.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

If 'Fred' really wanted to prove a point, he could fill the pickup with junk from his yard.

Is 'Freds' pickup registered with plates ? Insured ?
If it is, I suspect he will get tired of the added expense.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

If Fred has violated any city ordinances, the city should deal with him. I don't know what "class" the other homes in the neighborhood are but I think it is quite foolish of someone to build such a lavish home in a neighborhood full of older homes probably worth a fraction of the lavish one. If Fred is leaving that truck parked in the street overnight, many cities do not allow street parking between 2-6 AM.

The neighbor just did normal maintenance (new roof, siding, landscaping). IMO not exactly what I'd call lavish.

 

[Ed_Flecko]

People can say what they want about HOA, CC&Rs, etc., but I can tell you from first-hand experience that they *do* help maintain property values in the communities that have them. However, that is ONLY true IF any violations are enforced.

When the California real estate market was in the toilet during the 90s, the price per square foot of homes that were selling, and closing escrow, was noticeably higher in the communities that had strict HOA, CC&Rs, etc.

As a side note, some community HOA documnetation and CC&Rs in California are SO lengthy and specific that you do not receive a copy of them when you open escrow. Instead, the title company gives you an "invitation" to come to their branch and read them in person because they are several inches thick!



Ed

 

[manicrodder]

If Fred has violated any city ordinances, the city should deal with him. I don't know what "class" the other homes in the neighborhood are but I think it is quite foolish of someone to build such a lavish home in a neighborhood full of older homes probably worth a fraction of the lavish one. If Fred is leaving that truck parked in the street overnight, many cities do not allow street parking between 2-6 AM.

Most make you move after several days are they get the orange sticker.

 

[wpod]

It seems no matter where you live there are always 1 or 2 families.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

People can say what they want about HOA, CC&Rs, etc., but I can tell you from first-hand experience that they *do* help maintain property values in the communities that have them. However, that is ONLY true IF any violations are enforced.

When the California real estate market was in the toilet during the 90s, the price per square foot of homes that were selling, and closing escrow, was noticeably higher in the communities that had strict HOA, CC&Rs, etc.

As a side note, some community HOA documnetation and CC&Rs in California are SO lengthy and specific that you do not receive a copy of them when you open escrow. Instead, the title company gives you an "invitation" to come to their branch and read them in person because they are several inches thick!



Ed

What do you think of the new CA state law which overrides CC&R's regarding ADU's?

 

[chainblu]

I think it is quite foolish of someone to build such a lavish home in a neighborhood full of older homes probably worth a fraction of the lavish one.

That's one of the problems I found when I was looking for retirement property in Tenn. There were several gorgeous pieces of land with great views of the hills, but the neighbors were living in 30 yr old singlewides. No point in building a 300k home just to have the value drop as soon as the last nail is driven.

 

[Propflux01]

You just described My ‘hood down the street to a T. I don’t know about Fred, but in my town there is an ordinance that every vehicle parked on the street must have valid tags and be operable. There are also city ordinances against grass length, and junk in the yards. Something the millionaire house owner should look into.