Getting even when neighbors despise each other...

[JeffKeryk]

My neighbors stood on the sidewalk and cheered when we bough our home and started fixing it up.
Chants of "Hooray!" and "Wonderful!" Lot's of clapping...
It is still probably one of the cheapest houses on the block. Also one of the luckiest choices I have ever made.
Dumb luck, I tell ya.

My parents always told me I had a responsibility to the other homeowners to keep the house up, especially in front.
I always thought that was my father's way of making me cut his lawn...

 

[Zee09]

Fred can't live his lifestyle where he is.
It isn't suited to his hobby of junk collecting. He should move anyway.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Fred can't live his lifestyle where he is.
It isn't suited to his hobby of junk collecting. He should move anyway.

He might if someone will step up and make his life a living hell. These neighbor wars are two-way streets.

 

[Zee09]

He might if someone will step up and make his life a living hell. These neighbor wars are two-way streets.

Absolutely. Usually legal action and fines sort of ruin your life.

 

[PandaBear]

The way I see it, people have their right to do whatever they want in their houses. If you mess with them they will also mess with you, legally. If you are picky about something minor as what your neighbor is doing to your neighborhood's valuation, you should just move somewhere else. This is why people either want a big lot or they move to a neighborhood priced out the neighbors they don't want.

 

[SevenBizzos]

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.

This is true. The guy with the nice house is sinking money into an asset that isn't going to make him anything. As you've learned, Illinois real estate is a loser. I will disagree that the pension deficit has much to do with property values here. That's a state burden and a state budget problem and has very little to do with local housing.

But having Fred's property cleaned up is the good part. Keep putting pressure on him to clean it up.

I'd counter Fred's parking by parking my own car in that spot every morning so he couldn't, but that's just me.

 

[Job]

My neighbors stood on the sidewalk and cheered when we bough our home and started fixing it up.
Chants of "Hooray!" and "Wonderful!" Lot's of clapping...
It is still probably one of the cheapest houses on the block. Also one of the luckiest choices I have ever made.
Dumb luck, I tell ya.

My parents always told me I had a responsibility to the other homeowners to keep the house up, especially in front.
I always thought that was my father's way of making me cut his lawn...

What’s it worth now, three, four, or five?
I am sorta like Fred. The neighbor made his choice within his boundary, and Fred made his. As long as nothing is a health hazard.

 

[JeffKeryk]

What’s it worth now, three, four, or five?
I am sorta like Fred. The neighbor made his choice within his boundary, and Fred made his. As long as nothing is a health hazard.

The house values in Los Gatos are insane. A small house starts about $1.5M. And sells in hours.

 

[loneryder]

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.

They will get bailed out by the Feds.

 

[02SE]

They will get bailed out by the Feds.

Under a Bill supposedly for CV relief.

 

[Highboy]

 

[loneryder]

Zoning or EPA regs are the only things that will work. Also health dept. regs about rodents etc.

 

[dlundblad]

Sounds like lake living. I know a house on the lake. Massive lot and likely one of the biggest with a massive house and “4 door” 2 story garage. Likely holds 8-10 cars. Across the road is a trailer where a ZZ Top dude plays his music super loud all summer long. Has reception/ party/ venue speakers on his porch.

I see both sides. It’s his property and he can do as he chooses without harming others, but part of living in town is collectively keeping your neighborhood looking good too. Does the neighborhood have rules in place?

Yes, he should get a house in the country away from people.

I get the Sanford reference btw. The owner’s dad of a junkyard I frequent has the truck. Lol.

 

[Ed_Flecko]

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

It's hard to comment on things like this with brevity and exclude politics.

I think California has earned the right to be the butt-end of jokes with our, ah em..."leaders" policies and their idiocy at governance.

How'd I do?



Ed

 

[Leo99]

My neighbor got a "letter" from the township last summer. Saw a guy pull up in a dark tinted Crown Vic and go up and tape a letter to his door. Saw a similar letter taped to another door around the block. Both houses had high lawns so my deduction was the letter was about the lawn.

He's actually a very nice guy. Has about a quarter to half acre on corner corner and doesn't much care for yard work.

Neighbor issues are a nightmare. Glad I don't have any. My wife didn't like that our next door neighbors had 9 cars at one point and were parking them all over the road but they're down to 4 cars now and only an old pickup remains to go.

 

[aquariuscsm]

If I had to choose between the two,I’d take Fred’s the hoarder any day over Gladys the busybody. I’d be able to handle seeing his “collections” much more than having Gladys call the police on me because I planted chrysanthemums instead of roses in my yard.

 

[Duffyjr]

Been in my house over 30 years and only once did I ever get upset about a neighbor. The neighbor next to me called me over one day to show me what was in his neighbors garage, a 1 1/2 car garage, it was filled with white kitchen trash bags, I mean full dang near to the top. I walked over there and knocked on the door and asked them if that was food waste, he ran out and closed the door and said it was none of my business. As I was walking away I said it may not be any of my business but we'll see what the city thinks about it.

A few years later the city condemned the house so they had to move and auction off the house, a slum lord picked it up for around $5000, turned out it was infested with cockroaches, holes in the floors etc, at least the slum lord fixed it up and is now being rented to a decent family.

 

[ZeeOSix]

If these houses are in a city limits, then there are probably plenty of city ordinances that would make ol' Fred stop being a menace to the neighborhood. If not, the get someone to hotwire and steal his piece of junk pickup and drive it off a big cliff somewhere, lol.

 

[Dave Hess]

My neighbor got a "letter" from the township last summer. Saw a guy pull up in a dark tinted Crown Vic and go up and tape a letter to his door. Saw a similar letter taped to another door around the block. Both houses had high lawns so my deduction was the letter was about the lawn.

He's actually a very nice guy. Has about a quarter to half acre on corner corner and doesn't much care for yard work.

Neighbor issues are a nightmare. Glad I don't have any. My wife didn't like that our next door neighbors had 9 cars at one point and were parking them all over the road but they're down to 4 cars now and only an old pickup remains to go.

My sister had to report her next door neighbors because they were beating their dog and keeping dog in a cage out in the FL sun with no water.

A few days later they see my sister out in her front yard and cuss her out. Low class trashy people.

 

[DuckRyder]

To be frank i'm kinda on Freds side...

It is either a free country or not. If y'all really want him gone make him an offer he can't refuse then when it is your place do as you like with it.

Has any one gone over and tried to talk to Fred or offered to help him organize? Or just call and let the county do your dirty work...

'Round here the snow plow might have some poetic words on it, so Fred seems to be exercising some restraint.