Advice on Etiquette

Sorry for the negative bent to this and my previous thread.

Our house has several second-floor windows that offer gorgeous views of the Texas sky.

Unfortunately some of these also give us a view into the back neighbor's backyard. There is crap on top of a rusty shed, debris strewn in the yard, and other junk that makes it an eyesore. If I understand correctly an older lady lives there with her elderly parents. I don't think there is a younger person there to clean up or maintain the yard.

With that in mind, I have a few questions for y'all:

• Do I have a valid concern or am I leaning toward the bourgeoisie?
• If I have a valid concern, should I approach the lady?
• Should I not engage the lady directly and have the HOA handle it?
• What would you do?

TIA!
Run

If your understanding of the situation is correct (all older people), I'd approach them and offer to help/pay to get things straightened up. I'd take the approach that you noticed the rust and worried that the shed might leak or suffer more damage ("I figured you couldn't see it from your yard"), and you don't want to have some "other" neighbor call the HOA on them, so you are happy to lend a hand.

Why didn't you look out those windows before you bought the house? Bet that backyard has looked like crap way before you bought the house.

If your concerned about conflict I recommend - http://www.selectblinds.com/

Also don't just go running straight to the H.O.A. that is a :cat: move.

Contact the HOA for starters....my next door neighbor's back yard look like sanford & son, but I'm only 1 story and don't have to look at it for the most part. I did complain when their pool looked
like a swamp and it was taken care of.

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Originally Posted by sammm

Contact the HOA for starters.....

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I disagree with this ask the neighbors about it first before you go get the HOA.

Another thing to check is if they are renters, we have had a great deal of success a couple of years ago going after the homeowner and not the renter with one of our problem homes on the street. Homeowner was under the impression that all was well since he was getting his checks. ;-)

But If they are unreasonable like Sammmmmm's neighbors then I'd happily move it up the chain.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

If your understanding of the situation is correct (all older people), I'd approach them and offer to help/pay to get things straightened up. I'd take the approach that you noticed the rust and worried that the shed might leak or suffer more damage ("I figured you couldn't see it from your yard"), and you don't want to have some "other" neighbor call the HOA on them, so you are happy to lend a hand.

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Thanks bud! This is a good way to go about it.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Why didn't you look out those windows before you bought the house? Bet that backyard has looked like crap way before you bought the house.

If your concerned about conflict I recommend - http://www.selectblinds.com/

Also don't just go running straight to the H.O.A. that is a :cat: move.

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Bless your heart. You don't happen to live behind a house with a silver Miata and a silver Prius in the garage, do you?

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Originally Posted by sammm

Contact the HOA for starters....my next door neighbor's back yard look like sanford & son, but I'm only 1 story and don't have to look at it for the most part. I did complain when their pool looked
like a swamp and it was taken care of.

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Thanks sammm. I think I'll start by getting clarification on the CC&Rs to gauge the HOA's bandwidth and willingness to address the issue. I'll do what OZMDD suggested first though.

Sounds like just the project for your local Scout Pack or Church youth group.

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Originally Posted by EricJ

Sounds like just the project for your local Scout Pack or Church youth group.

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Nice! A little self-serving, but nice nonetheless! Thanks man.

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Originally Posted by Run_Amok

You don't happen to live behind a house with a silver Miata and a silver Prius in the garage, do you?

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Nope IIRC they have a Black Silverado and Red Kia. ;-)

Definitely approach them first. Last night, one of our neighbors set off about $3000 in fireworks, leaving a pretty major mess in the street. The guy across the street from them called the cops at sunrise rather than give them a few hours of daylight to see if they would get it cleaned up, let alone knock on the door to ask them to. They were pretty pissed off being woken by the Sheriff pounding on their door at 7 am and then have 2 cop cars stick around for over an our to supervise them while they did the cleanup in there PJs. I can just about guarantee that is the start of a war between these neighbors in what is otherwise a very communal neighborhood.

HOA wars!::2Guns::(should be a reality show)……….btw, Being on the BOD is a thankless job.
Be careful or they may fix that rusty roof with something you would prefer much less than whats there now.
Once lawyers are involved, some find out how poorly their by-laws are written and become unenforceable.

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Originally Posted by Titus

Definitely approach them first. Last night, one of our neighbors set off about $3000 in fireworks, leaving a pretty major mess in the street. The guy across the street from them called the cops at sunrise rather than give them a few hours of daylight to see if they would get it cleaned up, let alone knock on the door to ask them to. They were pretty pissed off being woken by the Sheriff pounding on their door at 7 am and then have 2 cop cars stick around for over an our to supervise them while they did the cleanup in there PJs. I can just about guarantee that is the start of a war between these neighbors in what is otherwise a very communal neighborhood.

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Oh dear Lord no. That is crazy (something my dad would do).

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Originally Posted by Rogue

HOA wars!::2Guns::(should be a reality show)……….btw, Being on the BOD is a thankless job.
Be careful or they may fix that rusty roof with something you would prefer much less than whats there now.
Once lawyers are involved, some find out how poorly their by-laws are written and become unenforceable.

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Good point. Lol.

We live out in the county. We are tickled to death that our neighbors don't raise hogs.

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Originally Posted by cone-cerned

We live out in the county. We are tickled to death that our neighbors don't raise hogs.

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I bet! :D :D :D

If it makes any of you feel any better... it appears that some of my "neighbors" have discovered Tannerite...

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Originally Posted by Run_Amok

Nice! A little self-serving, but nice nonetheless! Thanks man.

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Huh, my kids used to do that kind of stuff all the time, I usually got roped into driving them.

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Originally Posted by EricJ

Huh, my kids used to do that kind of stuff all the time, I usually got roped into driving them.

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Self-serving for me to call upon volunteers to solve my eyesore problems is what I meant :)