Good Statutes Make Good Neighbors?

[Ted Striker]

Good thing about your neighbor is that even if you're not a fan of the changes, it DOES kind of give you a bit more license to do your thing too.

My experience is literally the opposite. The more money they spend on their yard - whether it's pool/fire pit, or lawn/fancy plants - the less tolerant they are of your shit.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I've got no advice on how to handle neighbor. But I just had an AC installed about 6 feet away from my bedroom window. Can't hear it at all.

[Danno]

What oasis does OP live in where A/C units have to be in the back?

He never said that. He said this:

Local statue clearly says any such a unit needs to be at least 10 feet from any property line

they can be on the side of the house, but must be at least 10' from the property line.

[redacted user]

[SumJongGuy]

He never said that. He said this:



they can be on the side of the house, but must be at least 10' from the property line.

That's still farther away than they are in my neighborhood. Regardless, I don't see a whole lot of difference between 5 feet and 15 feet when it comes to a shreeking A/C compressor.

[Danno]

That's still farther away than they are in my neighborhood. Regardless, I don't see a whole lot of difference between 5 feet and 15 feet when it comes to a shreeking A/C compressor.

Yeah, not much difference there. Except one big one for the OP: 15' would be legal and 5' isn't.

[JayPowHound]

I have neighbors on both sides. Houses are 20 feet apart tops. Their A/C units are on the side of the house, both sides. Pretty sure they're totally legal too. Last place I lived homes are now going for 7 figures and there the A/C units were also on the side of the homes with around 30 feet between houses. What oasis does OP live in where A/C units have to be in the back?

7 figure houses with only 30' between them? What's the point...

[XXX-er]

if its worth 7 figures then its worth 7 figures

we don't really worry about the AC up here

[stuckathuntermtn]

OH, I'M SORRY, DID I BREAK YOUR CONCENTRATION

You do have to defend your property rights, or you will lose them.

[stuckathuntermtn]

That's still farther away than they are in my neighborhood. Regardless, I don't see a whole lot of difference between 5 feet and 15 feet when it comes to a shreeking A/C compressor.

Because you can lose your right to that setback if you don't defend it, and essentially, after enough years, your property becomes the neighbor's.

[riser4]

You could always erect your own statue if he won't move the AC unit.

Attachment 287248

My son's Drivers' Ed teacher had one of their road sessions go past that. It's not far from here. 15 yo's love that kind of shit.

[Danno]

Because you can lose your right to that setback if you don't defend it, and essentially, after enough years, your property becomes the neighbor's.

Uh, no. If the AC was on the OP's land, then yes, it's possible that adverse possession could result in loss of land (assuming all of the factors of his state are met). But that isn't the fact here. And a person doesn't gain the right to ignore code compliance, and the OP doesn't lose the right to protection of the code, simply because nobody said anything for a period of time.

[adrenalated]

Has anyone recommended just shooting the neighbor yet? This is America, isn't that how we solve things?

[The AD]

Find some plausible deniability and then drop a dime. Like have a little party in the back yard. Next time after that when you see the neighbor, mention one of your guests works for the city and was eying the obvious code infractions, like you're giving him a friendly heads up. Then commiserate with him after the city comes and makes him move his shit.

The thing I don't like about this is it doesn't convey the truth which is that the noise from the a/c unit is annoying you. If it were me the fact that I was pissing off my neighbor would weigh much more heavily on my conscience than the fact that I'm violating a city code.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Uh, no. If the AC was on the OP's land, then yes, it's possible that adverse possession could result in loss of land (assuming all of the factors of his state are met). But that isn't the fact here. And a person doesn't gain the right to ignore code compliance, and the OP doesn't lose the right to protection of the code, simply because nobody said anything for a period of time.

How does it work with a setback, though? Doesn't it become kosher after long enough of not complaining about it?

[AK47bp]

Bang the wife was best advice yet.




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[redacted user]

Bang the wife was best advice yet.

depends

[AdironRider]

I wouldn't call the code compliance officer unless you are damn sure your place checks out. I'd also want to make sure my other neighbors as well before they get caught up in the mess unintentionally.

My parents got a nice notice from the local code guy growing up after two other neighbors got into a hissy fit about their own respective code violations. The officer came in and made the whole neighborhood's life hell regardless of whether they were part of the initial imbroglio in the first place. I wouldn't want to be known as the neighbor who did that.

I'd ask the neighbor nicely and hope for the best. I don't see how a 10 foot setback is going to change anything here as a loud ac unit is going to be audible no matter where the guy places it. The dude isn't going to move it back to the backyard after putting in all that work so you are going to be stuck with it one way or another me thinks.

[SumJongGuy]

7 figure houses with only 30' between them? What's the point...

McMansions

[The AD]

I'd ask the neighbor nicely and hope for the best. I don't see how a 10 foot setback is going to change anything here as a loud ac unit is going to be audible no matter where the guy places it. The dude isn't going to move it back to the backyard after putting in all that work so you are going to be stuck with it one way or another me thinks.

Good point. Maybe working together with the neighbor for some way to mitigate the noise is the best option.

[SumJongGuy]

I wouldn't call the code compliance officer unless you are damn sure your place checks out. I'd also want to make sure my other neighbors as well before they get caught up in the mess unintentionally.

This is a main reason why I never called on landlord side A of our back yard where there is a massive totally unmanaged bamboo patch that keeps shooting under our fence. The fence on the back side between us and neighbor B is actually in a paper alley with neighbor B claiming a big chunk of that paper alley that the city never paved. If the City came out to cite the bamboo they will certainly pitch a fit about the fence and back neighbor's work shed being in the paper alley. Odd that adverse possession doesn't apply to government property and easements LOL.

[plugboots]

7 figure houses with only 30' between them? What's the point...

That's our neighborhood. It's nice to have a nice house with: little if any yardwork, walking distance to the express bus to downtown, (or 20 miles away), walking distance to a bunch of restaurants, or movie theater, or mountain bike trail, road cycling where cars wave you through all the intersections and give you a return thumbs-up...

[Danno]

How does it work with a setback, though? Doesn't it become kosher after long enough of not complaining about it?

Not to my knowledge; when you violate the municipality code you don't gain "freedom" from it simply because it did not come to their attention in time. There is no property rights of the OP at play, there's nothing he can lose or that his neighbor can gain possession over. And while it is typically a neighbor complaint that brings a violation to the municipality's attention, it is not the neighbors' responsibility to bring it to their attention. It is the homeowner's responsibility to properly permit his work and obey codes (and it sounds like this should have been permitted, at least it would need to be in my jxn).

If your theory were correct, think of the perverse incentives that would create.

[old goat]

Around here if you manage to get away with building in a setback they're not going to make you tear down your house but if it's something like an ac unit they can make you move it no matter how long it's been there.
In Sacramento the rule is so many decibels at the neighbor's property line--applies to AC's and any other noise source. Around here in Truckee no one has AC of course (but will someday)--the big one is light trespass. By code the external lights can't be visible from the neighbors. Not many people pay attention to that. I just unscrew the lightbulbs on the rental next door when no one is there.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Not to my knowledge; when you violate the municipality code you don't gain "freedom" from it simply because it did not come to their attention in time. There is no property rights of the OP at play, there's nothing he can lose or that his neighbor can gain possession over. And while it is typically a neighbor complaint that brings a violation to the municipality's attention, it is not the neighbors' responsibility to bring it to their attention. It is the homeowner's responsibility to properly permit his work and obey codes (and it sounds like this should have been permitted, at least it would need to be in my jxn).

If your theory were correct, think of the perverse incentives that would create.

Well ok, then.