Can't let this go..who is in the wrong RE: neighbor/yard? and PsIP

bim38106 · September 2010

I'm having a hard time letting this go so I want an outsiders opinion please

We moved into our current home last summer. The house is 10 years old but the previous owners lived here maybe 4/5 years and made no improvements to the house. Our front yard was a disaster, as was the back. Last year, we did some major fix-ups inside and we landscaped our backyard. We are now starting the front yard.

Our 3 reasons for doing the front:
1 - we have no landscaping and would like some!
2- our driveway is super long and skinny. It's a PITA to turn around on it (visitors) and it's hard to back out because it's on an incline and narrow and hard to see. When we have people over, they're always driving on the grass and breaking sprinkler heads...
3 - There is a large drain that was built wrong and when it overflows, the water heads right to the side of our house and is starting to seep into the house in the basement and leave dirt and nastiness on the side of the house.

Do we really need any reasons since it's all our property?! The plan were approved last year by our home association, the builder (neighborhood), and the city!

Last summer, out of courtesy, we showed our neighbors the plans and let them know we would be doing work. Our neighbor to the right (in the pictures) seemed totally cool with it and praised the plan!

Fast forward to this week when we start the front yard. I went to her house to let her know we were starting. She was all smiles and friendly. Then she complained to the guy cutting down the trees that people "have been sued over less then this".

All was smoothed out. DH went and talked to them.

More bulldozing to get the ground leveled for the driveway. Neighbor calls city to complain and says we're tearing down Nature Reserves that can't be touched (the DRAIN!). City comes out and tells us everything looks great and that the plan for the drain is a great idea. We're not doing anything wrong. That's the part that really pisses me off..she smiles to us then AFTER we start (and a YEAR after we show her the plan), she tries to throw a wrench in the project?! WTF!

I truly understand her concern. Right now, her back yard is completely exposed. When working w/ the landscape architect, we made sure to include our neighbor's best interest: privacy, more trees that won't grow onto their property, etc.. And I do understand that people don't like change. But don't we have a right to do some landscaping like everyone else did when they had their homes built?!

So please tell me if I'm missing something. Are we doing anything wrong, from an outsider's perspective? Or does this lady just have too much time on her hands? Thoughts please?

Before pictures:

The Plan:

Right now:

majors31 · September 2010

some people just like to complain.

maybe you should remind her that by improving your house, it helps maintain her property value as well.

don't worry about it. sounds like you are doing everything right here.

jenna0627 · September 2010

It's your property and everything has been cleared by the city so she has no grounds to really complain.

A similar thing happened to us when we cut down a bunch of trees and replaced a fence in our back yard. The neighbors in the back got mad because it "exposed" their yard and the fence they liked because it "gave them privacy". They tried to complain about us but that was the furthest they got, just complaining. Nothing could be legally done and the city told them that if they wanted privacy they were more than welcome to put up their own fence that followed city guidelines. BTW I think that looks AWESOME!

mfransdell · September 2010

So that's nature! Gorgeous. I don't even see her house in relation where the work is being done. People dont like change, youre right. You can do two things. Ignore it and move on, you have the proper permits and arent doing anything wrong. Or knock on her door and show her the plans again since she seems to have forgotten, you know it's loud, and looks bad now but it will be over with and beautiful in x days.

GL! The plan looks great!

bim38106 · September 2010

Thanks girls I appreciate hearing that and you taking the time to read that super long post!

Major, you're right about the property value! When the landscape guy asked them, when they first complained, what the look was like before we moved in, their response was "overgrown". Who wants that alongside your front and back yard?!

Jenna, thank you. I'm so excited to see how it looks when it's all done! You know, we had a similar experience when we cut down trees in our backyard. People complained but that was the furthest they got. I guess you can't make everyone happy right

ArcticFox · September 2010

You are doing NOTHING wrong. First of all, you went through all the "hoops" you were supposed to (checking with the town, HOA, etc).

It was a COURTESY to her to give her a heads up about the work you are doing. Now she wants to basically be a b*tch, and I wonder why she is giving you a hard time. I mean you guys are being nice, improving the property, which improves her property value. She's lucky, because you could level the property and have no landscaping. I would ignore it, even though it stinks she is causing you issues.