How can we please our neighbor without sacrificing our privacy?
March 19, 2008 7:57 AM Subscribe
My fiancée and I rent our house, and the next door neighbor (who owns her home) has complained about trees from our yard overhanging into hers. The real estate has said they will pay for this, but our neighbor has to write to them to ask as much. Thing is, we don't really want to give our neighbor the contact details to our real estate, for reasons I will detail inside...
So, as I said, my fiancée and I are renters and the next door neighbor, an old lady who owns her home, has complained to us that some of the trees from our yard are overhanging into hers and she wants them trimmed. So I contacted the real estate today to ask how to proceed and they said they'll pay for this, but that our neighbor has to write to them to ask as much. This means we'll need to give the old lady our real estate's contact details. But we don't really want to do this, for a number of reasons.
1. Although we're pretty good tenants and even though we don't have any problems with our neighbors, one area we have been kind of lax in is lawn maintenance. We have been known to let the lawn grow quite long and messy in-between mowings. And we have seen this old lady, who keeps her lawn nice and neat at all times, look at our lawn in disgust. It's actually pretty long right now, and because of Easter, we can't get someone out till next week (we don't have a mower of our own). We don't want news of our lax mowing habits getting back to the real estate. Which leads to #2...
2. We have no control over what she might say. She may well just say "please trim the trees" but how can we know for certain this woman won't embellish the lawn situation, or even just go making shit up? How do we know she dosen't harbor some secret grudge against us that she'll finally air in this letter to the real estate?
3. Once she has our real estate's contact details, she has them forever. This means that if we do have some kind of minor infraction against her in the future, she can easily just contact our landlord and complain. I wouldn't put it past her either. She seems like the type; we have known her to interfere in the affairs of some of the other people in the immediate area.
4. Plain old privacy considerations.
So I guess in one sense we don't really have anything to hide, except the lawn. But for all the reasons listed above, we don't really want to give these details to her. But by the same token, we don't want to pay for the trimming of the trees ourselves (and we're not set up to do it ourselves either).
Can anyone see a way around this rock and a hard place or do we simply have to bite the bullet and hope for the best?
So, as I said, my fiancée and I are renters and the next door neighbor, an old lady who owns her home, has complained to us that some of the trees from our yard are overhanging into hers and she wants them trimmed. So I contacted the real estate today to ask how to proceed and they said they'll pay for this, but that our neighbor has to write to them to ask as much. This means we'll need to give the old lady our real estate's contact details. But we don't really want to do this, for a number of reasons.
1. Although we're pretty good tenants and even though we don't have any problems with our neighbors, one area we have been kind of lax in is lawn maintenance. We have been known to let the lawn grow quite long and messy in-between mowings. And we have seen this old lady, who keeps her lawn nice and neat at all times, look at our lawn in disgust. It's actually pretty long right now, and because of Easter, we can't get someone out till next week (we don't have a mower of our own). We don't want news of our lax mowing habits getting back to the real estate. Which leads to #2...
2. We have no control over what she might say. She may well just say "please trim the trees" but how can we know for certain this woman won't embellish the lawn situation, or even just go making shit up? How do we know she dosen't harbor some secret grudge against us that she'll finally air in this letter to the real estate?
3. Once she has our real estate's contact details, she has them forever. This means that if we do have some kind of minor infraction against her in the future, she can easily just contact our landlord and complain. I wouldn't put it past her either. She seems like the type; we have known her to interfere in the affairs of some of the other people in the immediate area.
4. Plain old privacy considerations.
So I guess in one sense we don't really have anything to hide, except the lawn. But for all the reasons listed above, we don't really want to give these details to her. But by the same token, we don't want to pay for the trimming of the trees ourselves (and we're not set up to do it ourselves either).
Can anyone see a way around this rock and a hard place or do we simply have to bite the bullet and hope for the best?
Tell her to put it in writing so you can send it in with your next rent check.
Just that simple.
posted by jerseygirl at 8:03 AM on March 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
Just that simple.
posted by jerseygirl at 8:03 AM on March 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
Seems like the issue is just who keeps up the exterior of the rental, sounds like that is mostly not you. As to the secret of who you rent from and all that, well it seems like the effort to find out who owns it would be small. The tree overhang is the owner's business but it seems like the mowing is yours. Gee maybe you could, er................ Mow more?
posted by Freedomboy at 8:10 AM on March 19, 2008
posted by Freedomboy at 8:10 AM on March 19, 2008
What kind of lease do you have? What are the rules in your area? Would trivial or unsubstantiated complaints from a "batty old neighbor" really be sufficient ground to cancel your lease? If apart of the grass issue, you are model lenders (always pay your rent on time), why would you have anything to worry about? Why not presume that the real estate people are rational beings capable of seeing through the b*shit of a vindictive person? That's a lot of questions, but it seems to me that you might be worrying a bit too much. Don't forget that if the neighbor really had a gripe, she could complain to city hall (or even get the address of the landlord through the municipal tax records).
On the other hand, as a nice neighborly gesture, you could simply write the letter/request, have her sign it and then mail it (or bring it) to the real estate......
posted by bluefrog at 8:21 AM on March 19, 2008
On the other hand, as a nice neighborly gesture, you could simply write the letter/request, have her sign it and then mail it (or bring it) to the real estate......
posted by bluefrog at 8:21 AM on March 19, 2008
Slavatorparadise: overhanging branches--trees that cross property lines--can be creat legal issues and homeowners insurance issues for the property owner. The tenants may well not care, but the owner should.
I would suggest asking the neighbor for a letter you can include with your next rent check. Deflect suggestions that you just let her write it yourself with "Oh, they want a note from both of us and if I include them together with the rent, I'm sure they won't get mislaid." Be prepared for the fallout from your lackadaisical lawn maintenance, though. It's one of the hazards of being a renter.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:23 AM on March 19, 2008
I would suggest asking the neighbor for a letter you can include with your next rent check. Deflect suggestions that you just let her write it yourself with "Oh, they want a note from both of us and if I include them together with the rent, I'm sure they won't get mislaid." Be prepared for the fallout from your lackadaisical lawn maintenance, though. It's one of the hazards of being a renter.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:23 AM on March 19, 2008
Property records are generally public information. If you go to your municipality's web site, you can probably find out who owns a piece of land, as well as what their address is, when they bought it and for how much, and lots of other information. So, efforts to hide the identity of your landlord will only go so far.
posted by Dec One at 8:26 AM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Dec One at 8:26 AM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
The ownership of your house is (almost always) public information. Where I live, all the details are available on the city website -- name and address of property owner, price paid for the house, details of assessor and tax information, building permits issued, etc. So you are trying to keep a secret that isn't really a secret, you know? All it would take is a phone call to the city or county and she will have that information.
(Also, you are sounding a little paranoid -- are you maybe also an imperfect neighbor because big clouds of pot smoke drift out from under your door?)
You could tell her that the property owner wants her to write a letter, and for you to send it in with your rent. But even then, she might give it to you in a sealed envelope and it would be a pretty miserable thing (maybe illegal, too, I don't know) to open her mail and read it. Or you could type up a letter for her (saying very clearly and briefly "please trim the trees overhanging this property on the such-and-such side" and nothing else), show it to her for her approval, and send it in yourself.
And why not set up a regular schedule with a landscape service? Here it costs about $25-$50 per visit (depends on how big your lawn is and how much extra work they need to do); get on a bi-weekly or whatever schedule, have them send you the bills, and you don't need to worry about this ever again. Much cheaper than an irate neighbor.
posted by Forktine at 8:28 AM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Also, you are sounding a little paranoid -- are you maybe also an imperfect neighbor because big clouds of pot smoke drift out from under your door?)
You could tell her that the property owner wants her to write a letter, and for you to send it in with your rent. But even then, she might give it to you in a sealed envelope and it would be a pretty miserable thing (maybe illegal, too, I don't know) to open her mail and read it. Or you could type up a letter for her (saying very clearly and briefly "please trim the trees overhanging this property on the such-and-such side" and nothing else), show it to her for her approval, and send it in yourself.
And why not set up a regular schedule with a landscape service? Here it costs about $25-$50 per visit (depends on how big your lawn is and how much extra work they need to do); get on a bi-weekly or whatever schedule, have them send you the bills, and you don't need to worry about this ever again. Much cheaper than an irate neighbor.
posted by Forktine at 8:28 AM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ummmm.... I'm pretty sure that if the branches are over your neighbor's yard, they belong to your neighbor. Let HER trim them. (That's the way it works in my neck of the woods- Texas- anyway...)
posted by Doohickie at 8:41 AM on March 19, 2008
posted by Doohickie at 8:41 AM on March 19, 2008
Ummmm.... I'm pretty sure that if the branches are over your neighbor's yard, they belong to your neighbor. Let HER trim them. (That's the way it works in my neck of the woods- Texas- anyway...)
I think that's the way it works in most places. I would just tell the landlord that the neighbors are complaining about the trees hanging over their property. The landlord may just say "it's none of my affair" or "it's your responsibility according to the lease." As a sometime landlord I was often baffled that tenants didn't understand their responsibilities as specified in the lease. The only time I ever asked a tenant to clean up was when they were moving out and I was moving back in - I would have docked them for not weeding in front of the house. Otherwise I wouldn't really care if they did mow the lawn, except that you are not being a good neighbor to your current neighbors, but that's your problem.
posted by thomas144 at 9:01 AM on March 19, 2008
@ Forktine: as to the illegality of opening 'mail' from the neighbour to the landlord, I think it's only 'mail' if it's been mailed. Do sealed docuemtns not stamped or sent by post afforded any special protection under law?
posted by onshi at 9:40 AM on March 19, 2008
posted by onshi at 9:40 AM on March 19, 2008
nthing the "your landlord is public info" and the "you send the letter" comments.
Adding: the state of your lawn may also be regulated by the city. Municipal fines for lawn issues can be severe and they don't always give you a lot of time to fix the problem. If you have a hard time getting lawn maintenance out on short notice, you could easily find yourself with more problems than the old neighbor.
Also: depending on what you think about your landlord you might try to get a feel for what (if anything) your landlord thinks about the neighbor -- it may be that your landlord knows she's a crazy old bat.
posted by toomuchpete at 9:45 AM on March 19, 2008
Adding: the state of your lawn may also be regulated by the city. Municipal fines for lawn issues can be severe and they don't always give you a lot of time to fix the problem. If you have a hard time getting lawn maintenance out on short notice, you could easily find yourself with more problems than the old neighbor.
Also: depending on what you think about your landlord you might try to get a feel for what (if anything) your landlord thinks about the neighbor -- it may be that your landlord knows she's a crazy old bat.
posted by toomuchpete at 9:45 AM on March 19, 2008
Although she is perfectly within her legal rights to cut the branches back to the property line (as long as it won't kill the tree) it is healthier for the tree to cut a branch all the way back to the trunk.
I would write a letter, have her sign it, and turn it in with your next rent check.
And I would be better about cutting your grass - long grass is a good home for ticks, mice, and snakes, and she probably doesn't appreciate those. She could easily call the code enforcement division of you municipality and report you, even without the landlord contact info.
posted by Ostara at 10:18 AM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
I would write a letter, have her sign it, and turn it in with your next rent check.
And I would be better about cutting your grass - long grass is a good home for ticks, mice, and snakes, and she probably doesn't appreciate those. She could easily call the code enforcement division of you municipality and report you, even without the landlord contact info.
posted by Ostara at 10:18 AM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm still trying to figure out how it is a violation of your privacy for the neighbor to have your landlord's contact info? The landlord can't give her any protected information. The neighbor's should have your landlord's information for various good reasons that don't have to do with nitpicking about your landscaping habits.
Additionally, if you are on the hook for landscape maintenance, you need to talk to your landlord about a subsidy to your rent, or about them handling the cost/effort of maintenance. The landscape is an asset of the property, not of the rental.
posted by tdischino at 11:11 AM on March 19, 2008
Additionally, if you are on the hook for landscape maintenance, you need to talk to your landlord about a subsidy to your rent, or about them handling the cost/effort of maintenance. The landscape is an asset of the property, not of the rental.
posted by tdischino at 11:11 AM on March 19, 2008
She's not privy to the conversation you had with your landlord. Just let her know that your real estate company will handle it, but they've asked you to get a letter from her. Send said letter yourself. Crush-onastick gives a good version of what to say if she asks to send it herself.
posted by desuetude at 11:13 AM on March 19, 2008
posted by desuetude at 11:13 AM on March 19, 2008
Real estate agent have better things to worry about than unsubstantiated complaints from aged pensioners. If you're regular with the rent and don't seem to be destroying the house- the agent couldn't care. What they DON'T want is an empty house.
posted by mattoxic at 4:09 PM on March 19, 2008
posted by mattoxic at 4:09 PM on March 19, 2008
Are you in a place where it is customary not to have your landlord's phone number or other meaningful contact with them? Even if it's a big company or some faraway absentee landlord, who comes knocking if you don't pay your rent? Why not just wait until Easter, mow the lawn and then after that do so reasonably often, and call the landlord. There's no huge rush unless the little old lady is really getting worked up and your lawn or branches are really, really bad, so mow your lawn first and just deal with it.
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 10:39 PM on March 19, 2008
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 10:39 PM on March 19, 2008
Sorry, I somehow missed that you have had contact with your landlord. Just make sure that your lawn is in decent shape now (say, less than three inches or something, just not completely overgrown), and if she won't give you a letter to send to the landlord, then it's not your problem anymore. Don't give her their contact info. Unless there is some other reason you really don't want to have the landlord's scrutiny, don't worry about it beyond that.
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 10:42 PM on March 19, 2008
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 10:42 PM on March 19, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Laura_J at 8:01 AM on March 19, 2008 [2 favorites]