Legal/Ethical Dilemma?

[David Hare-Scott]

: TIA! : Michelle : :

I have no idea about the law in your area and an internatonal forum may not be the best place to get ideas on that side of the issue.

As others have said you may not have the best neighbours in the world; however if you really want to keep the vine AND the neighbours could you move the vine?

What I mean is put a trellis in front of the fence (say) a yard on your side and train the vine forward on to it over a period of time. You would then be able to keep it off the fence from your side. They cannot complain and the fence is still hidden by the vine that you like. This may be cheaper than the privacy fence also.

David

[Frogleg]

Use of this term always makes me bristle. Clean laundry on a line is an "eyesore." Car restoration/repair in a driveway is an "eyesore." Unless the canoe was emiting noxious vapors, it probably didn't actually hurt your eyes.

It sounds as if you came up with a very satisfactory solution. For you. Were you initially aware the vine would spread? You say you trim

*your* side every 2-3 weeks. Many people don't care for plants that require that much maintenance.

Your neighbor very reasonably brought to your attention that *your* plants were becoming a nuisance. Perhaps they don't regard your "magnificent backdrop" in the same light as you do. They might even regard it as an "eyesore." At any rate, it's become troublesome to them.

I believe you are wrong in thinking they are unreasonable. They very nicely said they'd be perfectly happy if you'd take care of maintenance on their side of the fence. They did *not* ask you to remove the plants entirely. They merely told you you had created a quite real problem for *them* and suggested a remedy.

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from "Michelle C" contains these words:

But you invited "ethical" comments, and asked us to judge your neighbours reactions and intentions, even though we don't know them. If everyone shared your personal opinions there would be no "dilemma" in the first place!

Janet

[Tex John]

Well, my $0.02 would be to plant a natural fence that will block the view...I don't know, something like Golden Bamboo :>)

Before long, they won't be able to see them ATVs either if they aren't willing to put in their yard-work time. Course that's a rude thing to do to your OTHER neighbors....

John snickering in this balmy houston weather

[Doug Kanter]

If you want revenge, bindweed's also an option, but only after you've sold your place and are preparing to leave. :-) According to everyone I've asked, the only way to really kill it is to use chemicals even the military is wary of.

[Michelle C]

Yes, Janet, I asked for opinions. I did not however ask for people who know nothing about me to rudely criticize me for being an "unreasonable person".

Thanks anyway, and have a terrific day

[Michelle C]

Oh, for God's sake! "Eyesore" is a commonly accepted figure of speech, meaning 'unpleasant to view'. Obviously the canoe didn't cause physical pain to my eyes.

[Doug Kanter]

I had a neighbor who hung her laundry out. This woman must've traveled the world to find the ugliest panties. Believe me when I tell you.....there is an absolute definition of "eyesore". I happen to be a professionally trained and licensed connoiseur of ladies' underwear (preferably with ladies in them), and I'm here to tell you.....damn. I almost quit the profession.

[Cheryl Isaak]

Doug,

If you only knew how bad I needed that laugh!

Cheryl

[Doug Kanter]

The house next to mine is empty. I believe I've made you smile in the past. Git on over here, woman!

[Warren]

Yet you're willing to call other people ridiculous even though you know nothing about them.

I think we're finding out far more about who you really are than you think. For example you've made it quite clear that you only want people to agree with your perspective. You won't even entertain viewpoints different than your own, and quickly dismiss them. That much is quite clear. From everything you've said in this thread so far, I'm sure your neighbors have been walking on eggshells hoping not to be called unreasonable or ridiculous simply for having a valid, but different viewpoint than you.

Of course you could just present yourself poorly, and you really are a reasonable person who is willing to view things from other perspectives. But that's not who we're seeing.

Or is that an opinion you don't want to entertain as well?

[Michelle C]

Thats' not true, Warren. I did not call you ridiculous. . It was your negative personal **comments** about me that I termed ridiculous.

That is not true either. I welcome opinions that are presented politely. I have done so many times in this thread. But when someone attackes me personally, I reserve the right to speak out.

Wrong again. Many people have said that I should remove the plants, but I did not dismiss either them or their views.

Wrong again. (You're on a roll.) Even when their canoe was leaned against my fence, I did not complain. My opinion is that they can do whatever they wish on their property.

That may be what you are seeing, but that's not the response I got from most people. I have already agreed to trim the vines, for example - a point that you continually overlook. And I have not objected to most of the people who said I should remove the plants. But then, those are the people who said it politely - without the personal attacks.

Nice chatting with you. Have a nice day!

[Jeana]

Michelle C wrote: But now I'm wondering who is right, and who is wrong, in this

I think the gracious thing to do is take the vine out. It doesn't really matter which one of you is the crank. ;)

Jean Zone 5 Ohio Go Tribe!

Replies to newsgroup only

[Dennis Edward]

Urgh! Actually, he didn't accuse you of being an unreasonable person. He suggested that your neighbours might *think* you were. There was no suggestion or even implication that they might be right. Actually, judging by their suggestion that you go into their yard and trim the vine, they sound a little loopy anyway, so maybe they believe 3 or 4 ridiculous things before lunch.

[Salty Thumb]

"Michelle C" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Super Salty Seer says: Optimistic idealists like yourself will never get along with short-sighted pragmatists.

Since it has been determined that you are the owner of the fence, it is your prerogative or not to tell the other party to bugger off. However, they do have right to trim encroaching parts of the vine in a manner that does not result in the death of your vine and if they can show that your vine is damaging their property (and not just being a nuisance) they may be able to take action against you. Since you have indicated that you are not adverse to trimming both sides, you may choose that solution until it becomes odious for whatever reason at which time you will enact the contigency plan that you had prepared in the interim.

[James]

Sorry, but I have to side with Michelle C. From the moment the neighbors mentioned the vine, it was apparent they were petty individuals. To bitch about a 5 minute job every 2 - 3 weeks while much more time is spent tending their own garden is petty and doesn't even deserve a serious discussion IMO. If Michelle does not agree to trim their side of the fence, I expect some repercussion from the petty ones like butchering the entire vine as trimming or killing it as some kind of challenge. Such behavior is childish. So rip out the fence Michelle and put up a board one. And make it high enough the bastards can't see what you are doing. And if you invite them over in the spirit of the holidays again, make sure they get the rot gut liquor.

[James]

Eyesore is a relative term but no matter. An eyesore up against a fence for months is a worse one than somebody's underwear on a clothes line for an hour or two.

[paghat]

Sheets & clothes & linens on a clothesline are kind of nostalgic to me, & not an eyesoar. In this day & age everyone has a dryer; it's been a long time since I've seen clothes out on a line. But I remember my great-grandma Elva using a very old-fashioned washing machine with a hand-turned pair of rollers for a "wringer," then everything after it had been through the wringer at least twice was hung outside on three long clotheslines. It was fun to run after the guinea-hens & chickens between the rows of hanging garments & sheets & towels, & push one's face into a stiffening sun-warmed sheet that smelled like summer.

-paghat the ratgirl

[James]

A few still do that though not too often. I think they want the fresh airy smell.

[Salty Thumb]

"James" wrote in news:tu1Fd.71$ [e-mail]:

I don't think it should be a court case, however, the subject is "Legal/Ethical Dilemma", not "how do I handle my unseemly neighbor". However, if it comes that then it pays to be on the law's side. To answer your question, if I like the vine, then I don't really care what the neighbors think as long as I am not being unreasonable. Unreasonable being if I planted an invasive vine that crawls all over the place, destroys their property or eats their children or anything that otherwise does not CMA legally.

Fortunately I don't think Michelle is the type to be so petulant as to bother to paint the neighbor's side of a new fence a fluorescent color. At any rate, if she wanted to be spiteful, then why would choose your first option and remove the vine? It's her fence. her vine. If the neighbors have a problem with it, then it's their problem. If they decide to spitefully ripe out the vine, then Michelle can take legal action or she can move on. Of course if she wanted to waste her time with little Mickey Mouse games, she could do that too. To be blunt, if you think that painting a fence one color in order to induce a neighbor to paint it a different color is anything other than stupid, then you need to grow up.