Neighbors...

[Danno]

Time to CYA, before your tree falls on your neighbor's house: letter to neighbor, certified mail, return receipt, laying out that you discussed the risks from tree with the neighbor, that the arborist crew would need to drive the truck onto the neighbors driveway to address the issues with the tree in order to help protect the neighbor's house, that the neighbor refused to allow arborist crew to drive onto their property, that the neighbor is comfortable with the risks presented by that tree.

It's not going to make them happy to receive that letter. But it's better than what will happen after the tree falls on their house and they, or their insurance company, sues you for the damage.

This. I would also get in writing from the arborists that they cannot take the tree down without going on neighbor's property.

[AdironRider]

My neighbor in Idaho was moving a guest cottage onto a new foundation to get into code compliance so they could renovate it, and it resulted in work trucks tearing up a part of my yard. My neighbor paid to fix it. Seems like there might be some additional costs to the tree removal.

[SumJongGuy]

The problem with good side out is that you then have to go on to the neighbors property to repair/re attach loose boards assuming they don't do it for you.

And shit, anytime a neighbor wants to proactively remove a sketchy tree along the property line I'm all in and appreciative.

[toast2266]

My neighbor in Idaho was moving a guest cottage onto a new foundation to get into code compliance so they could renovate it, and it resulted in work trucks tearing up a part of my yard. My neighbor paid to fix it. Seems like there might be some additional costs to the tree removal.

This. If the trucks are going to tear up the neighbor's driveway, there's probably some payment that's due to the neighbor. Of course, that gets a bit sticky because if one truck ruins the driveway, the driveway was pretty much already ruined.

[Cisco Kid]

Whenever I drove 3 tons of rock in an F550 dump body (13,000 lbs total) on a driveway that was weak, it cost the client an extra few 100 for the sheets of 3/4 ply to lay down and drive over.

[AK47bp]

There are fences that have good sides on both sides. Takes away the entire good side - bad side argument.

Both sides look exactly the same. Not sure on cost because I’ve only had to replace posts.




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[Danno]

My neighbor in Idaho was moving a guest cottage onto a new foundation to get into code compliance so they could renovate it, and it resulted in work trucks tearing up a part of my yard. My neighbor paid to fix it. Seems like there might be some additional costs to the tree removal.

This. If the trucks are going to tear up the neighbor's driveway, there's probably some payment that's due to the neighbor. Of course, that gets a bit sticky because if one truck ruins the driveway, the driveway was pretty much already ruined.

Well, sure, but if you are concerned about that you come to an agreement on that beforehand. You don't say "no tree work on my property!". Or address it like Cisco Kid mentions.

[Nobody Famous]

Time to CYA, before your tree falls on your neighbor's house: letter to neighbor, certified mail, return receipt, laying out that you discussed the risks from tree with the neighbor, that the arborist crew would need to drive the truck onto the neighbors driveway to address the issues with the tree in order to help protect the neighbor's house, that the neighbor refused to allow arborist crew to drive onto their property, that the neighbor is comfortable with the risks presented by that tree.

It's not going to make them happy to receive that letter. But it's better than what will happen after the tree falls on their house and they, or their insurance company, sues you for the damage.

+1 for this.

Whenever I drove 3 tons of rock in an F550 dump body (13,000 lbs total) on a driveway that was weak, it cost the client an extra few 100 for the sheets of 3/4 ply to lay down and drive over.

Agree. Tree trimmers should know this. But not all do. It's a reflection on how well they that keep their methods and equipment up to date. They make purpose-built rubber-like mats for this, ground protection mat is the name I remember. Landscapers know about these, as do places than rent high-lift bucket trucks, Sun Belt Rentals, etc.

Suggestion to GravityLover, talk to the tree trimmers again and ask them to (re)quote the work with some mechanism of driving across neighbor's driveway. If they all come back with add'l $8k, $10, $12k (I'm making this up, depends on many factors, maybe they have to dump 18 ins of crushed limestone for 1000 ft) then you have your answer. Get the quotes in writing and save or sent to neighbor and his IA.

[AdironRider]

Well, sure, but if you are concerned about that you come to an agreement on that beforehand. You don't say "no tree work on my property!". Or address it like Cisco Kid mentions.

I love my neighbors and all, but I'm also not getting dropped from my homeowners insurance because it makes things easier for them either.

I suspect the homeowners insurance excuse is a cop out though.

[Mustonen]

Maybe they’re hoping for a new roof?

Also, I fail to see how the CYA mentioned above really does that. If I was your neighbor I’d probably be a little less obstructive, but I’d expect for you to not fuck up my driveway any more than it already is to address a hazard that is your responsibility. Sounds like you need to put up the bond and work with your vendor to not fuck shit up so you don’t have to pay out.

ETA: They didn’t say you can’t drive a truck on their property, they just said you have to fix their property if you make a mess, and prove capacity and intent to fix it in advance with a bond. The more I think about it, the less unreasonable your neighbor’s position seems, particularly if you’re a surly ass who hasn’t built any relationship of trust and rapport.

[m2711c]

Get your insurance company involved with his insurance company. Let them fuckers fight out the details… they are the ones that are going to be paying out either way if shit goes south, so it’s in their best interest to come to an arrangement.

[gravitylover]

^That's the bottom line, they'll be the ones hurting so I know that my solution (below) will work out. No can't have an insurance squabble because the removal would cost 5X if all permits and such have to be pulled. There's no easy way to just cut a tree in this idiot town, the Forester gets involved and since I'm a few hundred feet above a creek the dec might also have a say. Everyone that isn't on a main road gets stuff done on weekend mornings.

They have 20-30k pound trucks in the driveway all the time but the person that came doesn't know that. We'll end up doing what we've done before, get it done on a Sunday in January when the ground is frozen and they're in FL. Boom boom done in 3 hours and nobody knows any different. Before they leave we'll let them know it might happen and leave it open ended.

[XXX-er]

I think if you fuck up your neighbors anything you gotta fix it

There are fences that have good sides on both sides. Takes away the entire good side - bad side argument.

Both sides look exactly the same. Not sure on cost because I’ve only had to replace posts.




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That looks fairly skookum but often the boards in that type of fence are just laying in there not nailed so typicaly what happens many years later is the bottom rail droops and the boards fall out

[Mustonen]

They have 20-30k pound trucks in the driveway all the time but the person that came doesn't know that.

Just riffing, they’re probably dicks and stuff and unreasonable and what-have-you…. But they’re allowed to fuck up their own property. You, on the other hand, are not. That’s how property works.

Lots of people don’t seem to get that.

[Ted Striker]

That looks fairly skookum but often the boards in that type of fence are just laying in there not nailed so typicaly what happens many years later is the bottom rail droops and the boards fall out

I've built a bunch of good both sides fences. Screws through the boards to the rails on one side, then cover the screw heads with decorative rails using finish nails.

[XXX-er]

I've seen & heard those panels not have any nails, if they don't have nails they rattle in the wind

[AK47bp]

I've seen & heard those panels not have any nails, if they don't have nails they rattle in the wind

I’ll tell you, during a windstorm a few years back an entire 6x6 panel flew from over 2 yards away and landed in my yard completely intact. Had to walk the neighborhood to find the missing panel and had the guy help me carry it back, thing was at least 100-150 pounds.

No rattle in the wind either. Just snapped posts is what I deal with. I have a good fence guy that just replaces the posts and reattaches the panels.




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[gravitylover]

Lots of people don’t seem to get that.

He gets it, she doesn't. He'll nod and say something like 'thanks for keeping an eye on the place while we're out of town for 4 months, wouldn't want any trees to land on the house ya know...' I have saved the house from burning to the ground once and flooding from the second floor down when the feed line to the toilet broke and water was pouring out through the wall and garage door another time while they were in FL so... I just hope for no hurricanes or ice storms before things like that get to happen. He also probably remembers when he showed me the 8" thick base under the driveway that he laid to handle a 40k# truck so he could run his (old) side business out of the garage. It just sux because we had the $$ in hand when we made the offer and the crusty old lady shut it down and put things at risk by bringing in the ins. co.

[Mustonen]

ETA: just saw your post. Classic. It’s a nuanced world we live in.

All of this leads me to wonder if, had you the good graces to ever exchange contact information with these neighbors and invite them over for tea, you’d be in this predicament at all?

They’re giving you the standard “fuck you stranger” treatment and now things are going to get expensive with permits and insurance and everything else. On the plus side, some day maybe roles will be reversed and you’ll get to make shit really expensive and tedious for THEM in return. And boy that’ll make you feel a lot better.

Right?

[riser4]

I’ll tell you, during a windstorm a few years back an entire 6x6 panel flew from over 2 yards away and landed in my yard completely intact. Had to walk the neighborhood to find the missing panel and had the guy help me carry it back, thing was at least 100-150 pounds.

No rattle in the wind either. Just snapped posts is what I deal with. I have a good fence guy that just replaces the posts and reattaches the panels.




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Dorothy says to Toto, gee, we're not in Kansas anymore.

[gravitylover]

It's been tenuous, at best, for over 30 years which is longer than I've been here. There was a death involved and he thought he could lowball my FIL and snag the property for his daughter, the offer was bordering insane, and when he was turned down he got bitter. That never really went away. I tried a bunch of times and, when he's not drinking, things are mostly ok but over the last few years the moral and political divisions plaguing the country have put up a wall between us as we surely don't agree. It almost came to a head one evening last year when they had friends over and someone was loudly saying while I was outside grilling 'lets just make them damn J*** hate living here so they leave. They're fuckn J*** not people' They're also just bitter, crusty old retirees and she has nothing to do but watch and complain.

[dookeyXXX]

26 pages and—as far as I could tell—not one single mention of Belushi and Aykroyd?
For shame.
Y’all are slippin’…

[jm2e]

What’s a J***?



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[JimmyCarter]

What’s a J***?



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You know damn well what it is, so why don’t you pack up your shit and go!

[Mustonen]

What’s a J***?



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JONG

No longer an acceptable thing to to call somebody. Hope I don’t get canceled for actually posting it.