Do you know your neighbors?
4 years ago
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- 4 years ago
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Neighbor's regrading causing a flood
Comments (14)Here is are a couple of links on the law of drainage and floodwater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_law http://www.udfcd.org/downloads/pdf/critmanual/Volume%201%20PDFs/020%20Chapter%2002%20Drainage%20Law%202001-01.pdf Per the second link, New Jersey seems to follow the "reasonable use rule," where courts consider the following factors: 1. Was there reasonable necessity for the property owner to alter the drainage to make use of their land? 2. Was the alteration done in a reasonable manner? 3. Does the utility of the actorâÂÂs conduct reasonably outweigh the gravity of harm to others? I would consult a local attorney on this matter as to how the courts are likely to apply these factors to your situation and as to how any other laws and regulations (like building permits, etc.) applies the dispute. Also, I wonder if there is any way for you to resolve this issue in a less adversarial matter or if we are too far gone to do it. You do live next to each other, so if a fight can be avoided, it's preferable. Another thing to be considered: Is there some way for you to divert the flood water via work done on your land? The "reasonable use" rule would seem to give you the right to do what is reasonably necessary to alter the drainage on your land as long as it is done reasonably....See MoreDo your neighbors think you are a little crazy with tropicals
Comments (9)Well,even though this is California I'm in NoCal,so the tropical look varies from not- at -all in upscale areas,to quite subtropical looking in minority neighborhoods where rampant vines, palms,succulents and flowering tropical tree are common..just spotted a huge Chayote vine the other day. I have a very tropical looking property-guess where I live. The response I get ranges from punks who yell, G** it up!,but by far, most teenagers walk by and tell me "cool yard"..thumbs up. What they smile about is when I'm out there with the camera..NOBODY takes photos of their yards like I do around here-lol..then they might also smile as I do my "the Arteest" of standing there staring at my yard arranging and re-arranging plant material in my head. If you play chess you get the idea. After these many years they don't even seem to mind my taking the occasional photo of their yard's..I think when I see Tree Euphorbias,King palms,other not common subtropicals in those yards I might have been a smidgeon of influence....See Morehow well do you know your neighbor?
Comments (21)I have lived in my house for 19 years. The people on the left of me are the original owners, having lived in their home for 55 years. The house next door........... The original owners bought the house 55 years ago too. They raised a set of twins, whom were the neighbourhood bullies. Eventually one of the twins, Doug, took over the house. Not sure if it was left to him when their parents died, or if he bought it from them. Doug drank and drank and drank. Rather than have a coffee in his travel mug at 7 in the morning, he had beer in his. He was riding a bicycle more often than his pickup truck because he was always getting caught with a DUI. When we didn't see him for a few days at a time, I would ask my kids or my husband if they had seen him. I even asked the neighbours now and then if they had seen him. My fear was that he would get drunk and fall down and hit his head and die and nobody would know. Two and a half years ago, my husband called me at work. The police had knocked on our door asking if we had seen Doug in the past week or so. We hadn't, but that wasn't unusual. After all, we lived next door to him and couldn't tell if his lights were on. He also rarely used his garage out back any more. I asked why they were looking for him. Apparently the coroner was removing his body. They figured he died on Halloween day because a dish of candy was sitting by the living room door. He was found on the couch. It was November 9th. So for over 9 days, a dead man lay on the couch just 12 feet or so from my bedroom. And it took 9 days for his friends to notice they couldn't get a hold of him. The police had to break down the back door to get inside. There have been two sets of tennants living in the house since he died. One was so awful, we called the police and the city several times because of his barking dogs. He let them bark 24/7. The second set of tennants moved out in December. We didn't mind them as much. They liked to party and if we yelled out the back window for them to keep it down because it was late, they would turn down the noise. But it wasn't good enough for the neighbours on the other side. They got a hold of the new owner (Dougs son), and had them evicted. A new person moved in about a week ago. So far.........so good...... I know the people across the street just by face. We don't talk. But we do wave occasionally. It's not like it was in the 60's and 70's when everyone knew everyone. Nowadays, everyone keeps to themselves. It's sad, really....See MoreDo you even know your neighbors?
Comments (39)I know, and like, all of my neighbors within about 1/4 mile, any direction. The nearest neighbors to the west are in a cluster of houses 1/4 mile away. I went to school with two of them, another was my brother's first grade teacher; another works at a bank I frequent, and another is a friend of my brother's, who came with my brother to visit us when we lived in Colorado 28 years ago. In the 1/4 mile to the east are the neighbors to whom we've been closest, watched our kids grow up together, and are now watching grandkids. One of the men was my son's teacher, and I used to buy milk and eggs from another neighbor, when she and her husband ran a small farm. The elderly couple at the bend in the road have adopted me since my husband passed away. Before then, they loved seeing my kids when they were young, and now love to see the grandkids stop for a chat. One of my daughter's classmates bought the farm to our south, and I've chatted with him several times when I've run into him at the fence line. Two distant cousins live to the north, and although one stopped to offer his help after my husband passed, I don't really see them, except to wave as they drive past my house. Other than the elderly couple, I don't really make it a point to go visit, but if I'm in the yard and see any of the neighbors out for a stroll, I usually walk to the end of the driveway to say hello, on their return trip. There is only one neighbor about whom I have mixed feelings. She lives on a dead-end road that starts at the 1/4 point, and drives a distinctive pick-up truck. A few years ago her cattle escaped and made a mess of my soggy yard and pond berms. When I complained, she said she'd fix the damage, but she never did, and I let it go. Her nephew hit our mailbox and didn't stop to tell us--the only way we knew who did the damage was that she came back looking for a piece of his side-view mirror, and asked if we'd found it. She didn't offer to fix the mailbox, so we fixed it, and let it go. Even though I recognize her truck, I no longer wave, or go out of my way to chat with her....See More- 4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
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