Neighbour Business

When you live in a town you have neighbours, and at times it is hard to deal with them. Some people just have a personality that doesn't work well with others, and if you are like me you have the misfortune of buying a house next to one of those people. For the record I am not going to use names here so not to get myself in trouble, but if you know me and if you know who I live next to you will know exactly who it is I am referring to. Our neighbour had a fence that was falling down when we moved in 5 years ago. One of the first things I was assured was that he was going to put in a new fence soon. This guy is a carpenter who builds things with wood for a living yet he had the worst fence in town. 4 years went by before he decided to put up a new fence. He never once approached us about splitting the costs of a fence. Not once did he ever come by with a Presentation of costs or ask if we were interested in putting up a connecting fence in our back and front yard. And last July he tore down his fence and went to work putting up his new fence. 

One day as I was getting ready to leave for work on a Nightshift when he approached me. He asked if he could cut down a tree on my side of the fence because he was worried it would be in his way. I told him it was OK. He then asked me to help him take it down and I explained that I couldn't as I was leaving for work. The next day I arrived home to discover that not only had he taken down the tree but landed it on my shed. The shed wasn't a complete write off but there is enough damage now that water can get in if it rains. I was not happy. He then asked to take down another tree, one that was in fact rotting. We agreed to have him take it down, he would have to charge me for the second tree with all the work involved and with the damage to the shed that the final cost for the tree removal was $300. He cut down the tree and left it laying in my back yard. I assumed he would haul it away as he had with the first tree but apparently he felt that warrented a separate charge. I had to cut up the rest of the tree and haul it away myself. 2 weeks later he drops off a bill with my Wife as I was at work: Total Bill was almost $900!!! He charged me for the first tree and for hauling it away. He also charged me for labor and equipment rental. I didn't pay it of course and waited for him to approach me. By the end of August he built up the nerve to approach me and ask for his money. I told him I would pay for the $300 we agreed to because it was a deal I did make with him and I am a man of my word, even though at that time in hindsight I knew I shouldn't have agreed to anything from that shyster, but as I said I am a man of my word. He wasn't happy with that news but took the $300 agreed to. 

This Sunday I was mowing the lawn when he approached me again. He asked me to please remove all my stuff that was leaning up against his fence, since I didn't pay for half of it I shouldn't be putting my stuff up against it. Apparently he is worried that my kids toys and bikes leaning up against 'his' fence may deteriorate it. So I told my son who was standing there (with my neighbour in ear shot) to please move everything off the fence 1 centimetre so not to damage his fence. 

I have had it with this guy. I've been told he is a shady businessman and from my dealings with him as his neighbour lead me to believe that it is true. I just hope in my next home that my neighbours are good decent people. 

 

It is a beautiful fence. Too bad it has created so many problems.