New Neighbor Gripes

[n8]

Since we began renting our current house seven years ago, our backyard neighbor has been this nice old man, living his final years out by himself. Super nice to the kids when balls would go over the fence and always very interested in what I was growing. He loved eating my tomatoes off the vine. He dief a few months ago and his children sold his house two weeks ago. It needs a lot of work, so there is come construction going on.

There is also an 80-foot sycamore that shaded our house and my nursery... until today.

On Monday, a talented crew removed some large limbs and the branches with the most potential to break off and do damage. It looked great and I thought that was it. I returned from weeding my growing field about noon today and the tree was gone. We have full, blasting sun in our backyard and my plants were immediately reacting. Thankfully, we're going to skirt under 100 degrees for the next few days and the sky is a little smokey from the Dixie Fire (currently menacing my hometown of Chester, CA).

My new neighbor has every right to take down this tree. I have no beef with that. But I would hope common courtesy would prevail and his new neighbors would at least get a heads up. I've been shuffling trees around all day and came up with a shade structure solution that I will put together tomorrow and over the weekend. Shit ton of work to do in the wrong season for moving benches. My side neighbor was aghast. He's lived in his house for 40 years and said it was like losing an old friend.

I haven't met the new neighbors yet, just one of their parents who bought them the house and is doing all of this work. He seemed nice and I know he meant no harm, but we're starting off on a bad foot. I don't hold grudges. My wife on the other hand...

We're grieving the loss of our shade.

 

[rollwithak]

I’m sure you’re right that it was done with no malice. But I also can relate to grieving the loss of an old tree. Hopefully you find your balance soon!

 

[Potawatomi13]

You should plant 2 more just on your side of the fence and if the subject comes up tell them just exactly how upsetting it was to lose the tree without even a consideration to consult first.

 

[Firstflush]

Drop a nice big 48” box cercis in on your fence line. You will feel better!
Have you thought of hitting them to split a new tree with you since it was part of your yards characier.
Worth a shot, no?

 

[leatherback]

Sorry to hear. Can relate. One of our neighbours complained to the city about all the leaves coming of the trees lining the street. One day, we can home and the city was closing the planting sections in the street; they removed all trees in our street "because of complaints". the city never thought to ask the other people in the street.

The complaining guy sold and left 6 months later. nobody else in the street wanted the trees gone.

 

[Michael P]

I hate to hear stories like this.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I thought the title said, “Grapes”..

At least your neighbors don’t yell profanities at your children, dump garbage on your door, and throw rocks at your car... My current neighbors do.

Sorry ‘bout the shade...

My parents used to live next to Steven Avery!

 

[leatherback]

At least your neighbors don’t yell profanities at your children, dump garbage on your door, and throw rocks at your car... My current neighbors do.

I would too, if someone would constantly by putting stickers on my front door.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I would too, if someone would constantly by putting stickers on my front door.

Hey! That’s not fair!

... it’s their SIDE door!

 

[Pitoon]

That's an easy fix.....plant a Paulownia tomentosa in your yard in the correct spot and you'll have your shade back in about 2-3 yrs.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The solution to bad neighbors... is not to have any neighbors at all

After decades of living right on top of our neighbors in SoCal, I have quite a few stories to share. But the saddest is my one neighbor who moved in... and hated trees. Hated them. Otherwise was the coolest, kindest neighbor with two kids, no other issues. Over a couple of years he would remove one or two large trees every few months on his property. One day his landscapers were starting to cut down a tree right on our fenceline, and I quickly ran out and begged them to stop while I spoke to my neighbor. He grudgingly agreed to allow that one tree to stay. Meanwhile he kept cutting trees everywhere else -including an amazing mature magnolia outside his kitchen that he probably could have sold to a landscaper for $50,000.

Last year we moved to North Carolina in March, while we put our house in California on the market. The day after we moved out, he had his landscapers come and take down that last tree. He went from having a beautiful backyard shaded by large mature landscape... to nothing. Not even a bush.

The saddest part of this story... two months later he decided he wanted out of California and was going to move. He went to put his house on the market, and the real estate agents all said the same thing: you need to landscape your backyard. So he had to pay to have someone come in and plant a bunch of 5 gallon landscape saplings around his yard... where he had removed large mature trees earlier.

 

[Pitoon]

The solution to bad neighbors... is not to have any neighbors at all

After decades of living right on top of our neighbors in SoCal, I have quite a few stories to share. But the saddest is my one neighbor who moved in... and hated trees. Hated them. Otherwise was the coolest, kindest neighbor with two kids, no other issues. Over a couple of years he would remove one or two large trees every few months on his property. One day his landscapers were starting to cut down a tree right on our fenceline, and I quickly ran out and begged them to stop while I spoke to my neighbor. He grudgingly agreed to allow that one tree to stay. Meanwhile he kept cutting trees everywhere else -including an amazing mature magnolia outside his kitchen that he probably could have sold to a landscaper for $50,000.

Last year we moved to North Carolina in March, while we put our house in California on the market. The day after we moved out, he had his landscapers come and take down that last tree. He went from having a beautiful backyard shaded by large mature landscape... to nothing. Not even a bush.

The saddest part of this story... two months later he decided he wanted out of California and was going to move. He went to put his house on the market, and the real estate agents all said the same thing: you need to landscape your backyard. So he had to pay to have someone come in and plant a bunch of 5 gallon landscape saplings around his yard... where he had removed large mature trees earlier.

That's so sad. I have trees over 100yrs old on my property. Unless they absolutely have to be remove they will die where they stand whenever that will be.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to More Growth!

Sorce

 

[Lutonian]

Some people suck and love to complain. I planted a 3ft sorbus domestica at the rear of my garden and 20mins later the neighbours to the rear complained that it would block their view in the future. I asked them if the were voyeurs as the only view was my bathroom window & bedroom window she said it was ok and went red and fled, I wave when I see her but she runs off too embarrassed.

 

[Tieball]

Some people suck and love to complain. I planted a 3ft sorbus domestica at the rear of my garden and 20mins later the neighbours to the rear complained that it would block their view in the future. I asked them if the were voyeurs as the only view was my bathroom window & bedroom window she said it was ok and went red and fled, I wave when I see her but she runs off too embarrassed.

Funny. Well done on your part.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I still can recall the best neighbors I ever had..... lived next-door to them for 5ish years, sharing a stairwell/entryway... had maybe three conversations/interactions...

They never called the police at our “smoky scents”.. we never called the police when they were (non-violently) screaming at each other.

The only reason I knew their last names was a postal mistake...

Best neighbors I ever had!

I believe this to be the way to gain long-term peace and balance IF living in “closer quarters” with other humans.

On the farm... our neighbors were surprisingly close... like within a half-mile.. but that’s not the same thing.

@Pitoon is right about the “Paulie”... super vigorous trees! Very interesting, as well...

OP, how many outdoor areas do you have access to... like is there “another side” to utilize?

 

[hinmo24t]

I still can recall the best neighbors I ever had..... lived next-door to them for 5ish years, sharing a stairwell/entryway... had maybe three conversations/interactions...

They never called the police at our “smoky scents”.. we never called the police when they were (non-violently) screaming at each other.

The only reason I knew their last names was a postal mistake...

Best neighbors I ever had!

I believe this to be the way to gain long-term peace and balance IF living in “closer quarters” with other humans.

On the farm... our neighbors were surprisingly close... like within a half-mile.. but that’s not the same thing.

@Pitoon is right about the “Paulie”... super vigorous trees! Very interesting, as well...

OP, how many outdoor areas do you have access to... like is there “another side” to utilize?

had me laughing


when i rented for 5 years at a 4-unit apartment i had great neighbors luckily. vietnam vet couple as a neighbor, always getting down on the reef like me, couple my age who smoked, and olga, an 80 year old in the unit below me.

my boss here, many years ago, first day of work for me asked where i live. i explained the apartment complex and said i have an 80 year old lady BELOW me. he didnt hear the E in the word and didnt say anything at the time. realised what i meant to say at dinner that evening and told the whole fam (who i work with most of them) what he thought i said. legendary really, we were laughing when he told me.

he said that he coulnt believe an employee on their first day said that to him...all i was trying to do was explain i have a nice lder lady who lives underneath me

 

[HorseloverFat]

“WHAT kind of apartment complex IS this?!”

 

[hinmo24t]

“WHAT kind of apartment complex IS this?!”

its hilarious to think i said that in the morning to him and we went a whole shift basically
with him thinking i said that. still employed too, he does enjoy an inappropriate joke anyway

 

[parvae_arbores]

Our neighbors did exactly this. Cut down every tree on their 1 acre property progressively over the last 2 years including 4-5 50-60 year old oak trees. We called each round the "tree purge" and one of these purges even happened on earth day . They then proceeded to put up a 6 ft tall white vinyl fence around their entire yard rerouting the deer into my yard which have been eating all my garden trees/plants. We checked with the township but there are no rules on the books that would force them to replant the trees so we will do it for them this coming season so we do not have to look at the great white wall.