To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Combative Neighbors

Shadowdog500

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Messages
9,826
Location
Down the shore
This is a very eye opening thread.

Some of you seem to be arguing that the people on the flag lot actually have some kind of a right to a view of the OP's back yard!

How many of you arguing this position have privacy fences in your back yards?

The guy who should be pissed is the OP, they ruined the view of his back yard with that ****** looking house.

Yes, I read the entire thread.

You have a picture of the neighbors house! Pleas show me, perhaps the photo is back up and I am missing it.

Thanks,

Chris

I hate when I get sucked into a thread like this.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

SnowBlaZeR2

Well-known member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
961
Location
Texas
You have a picture of the neighbors house! Pleas show me, perhaps the photo is back up and I am missing it.

Thanks,

Chris

I hate when I get sucked into a thread like this.

Then stop posting in it. You obviously feel the need to convince people that you are somehow right.

If he wanted to build a roller coaster right there he could have. If they don't like it I bet they do a little more research next time they buy a house. Live and learn.

I refuse to buy a house with HOA, because I refuse to let my neighbors make decisions on my property based on their opinions.

We almost bought a house once with an inground pool. After looking into it more and talking to our agent and theirs, we found out that part of the concrete around the pool and the fence around that went onto the neighbors property. We were assured this wouldn't be a problem because the sellers were related to the neighbors and they had no problem with it. I guess they needed the extra room because the back yard was small. Well that's great for them, but I'm not related to the neighbors and I don't need any future headaches. Maybe I could have bought that house without any problems, but the bottom line is its their property. Same goes here. I would have known that there was a chance of some one building at my front door, and I would have passed. The OP has no obligation to take anything to them or ask their permission, but still made an effort to compromise. I don't need to see a picture to tell me that.
 

Shadowdog500

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Messages
9,826
Location
Down the shore
Then stop posting in it. You obviously feel the need to convince people that you are somehow right.

Not really, 2chipped's two posts from a couple hours ago just rubbed me the wrong way and it just snowballed from there.

Im out of this thread, unless called back.

Chris
 
Last edited:

xcgates

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
678
Location
TX
I'm just sayin, does it seem like anyone is going to have their mind changed anytime soon regarding this thread?

If the answer is no, then there *might* not be any reason for anyone to get all tweaked over about this. And I can think of an easy way to stop posting in here.:headscrat

Just sayin' as I drag out the :beer: and watch the :deadhorse
 

jafi

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
Messages
6
Location
North of Baltimore
Doug was well within all his rights, morally and legally. He might not realize it yet, but the neighbors did him a favor by not agreeing to the common drive.

Life can be a Biatch when you don't think about the future, especially with such a major purchase like a house and property. I happen to own a piece of property that is a pan handle (flag) lot, fortunately I have 2 acres. I own the driveway, but the deed allows the neighbors full use and access to my driveway. I happened to buy it from family, but, it has been a constant pain in my side since my family subsequently sold and moved on. I knew what I was in for when I bought it, and nothing is any different than what I expected.

IMHO the neighbors did you a great favor by forcing your hand to place your garage where it is and maintain full use and access, to your own property, by your own property, even if it came at greater financial cost to you. Not to mention the visually impaired cost to them.

I am of the opinion that once everyone else starts making my mortgage payment, then they can start telling me what I can and can't do with my property... Can you tell that I don't live within a HOA... I looked at over 50 - 60 houses before I finally bought the lot from my Grandparents. It's always the lesser of two evils that you and they choose.

They choose that lot and house, and if they didn't know what could happen in the future, then shame on them...
 

fourfeathers

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
922
Location
QUAD CITIES, IL
If the OP's builder had put a privacy fence up when the place was built, this argument would be over.
I woulda built it, but would still feel goofy about it. If I was the neighbor, I would fence it and landscape/ install a patio. I would still be upset, but mostly with myself.
 
Last edited:

pfbz

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
953
Yea, I'd be pissed if I was the owner of the flag lot.

Pissed at myself for either building or buying the property in the first place, then even more pissed at my stubborness and stupidity for not taking my neighbor up on his offer to move the garage if I gave him an easement through my driveway.
 

Wallingford

Banned
Joined
Oct 24, 2008
Messages
5
The biggest problem with this thread is the people who are confusing the back house's view/front yard with the OP's back yard. Why should they profit from the use of the OP's land? Is it fair to the OP that the back house built so close to his property line?
 

Auzivision

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 6, 2009
Messages
252
Location
Hoosier State
The people that are posting opinions on this thread without seeing the picture are doing so with blinders on. It all one side of the story and the other side has never been told. That one picture says more than a thousand words. If I read this thread today without that picture, I would probably be defending Doug and his rights as many of the Johnny come lately have.

The OP did what he did within his legal rights. His legacy will be two buildings that don’t look right in their current configuration. Sure he only built one of them, but it was the second one of the two. Anyone driving by this property will probably scratch their head as say WTF.

The OP is the one who has to live with his decisions and appears to be comfortable with them. Fact is Doug knows that the photo is damming evidence of his blatant selfish attitude and he isn’t man enough to face up to it… end of story.
 

scott37300

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2010
Messages
3,450
Location
Wisconsin
The people that are posting opinions on this thread without seeing the picture are doing so with blinders on. It all one side of the story and the other side has never been told. That one picture says more than a thousand words. If I read this thread today without that picture, I would probably be defending Doug and his rights as many of the Johnny come lately have.

The OP did what he did within his legal rights. His legacy will be two buildings that don’t look right in their current configuration. Sure he only built one of them, but it was the second one of the two. Anyone driving by this property will probably scratch their head as say WTF.

The OP is the one who has to live with his decisions and appears to be comfortable with them. Fact is Doug knows that the photo is damming evidence of his blatant selfish attitude and he isn’t man enough to face up to it… end of story.


I saw the "missing picture" when it was on here. Yes it does show what a crappy view the neighbors got when he built the garage. BUT that really has nothing to do with the issue at all. The OP wanted a garage, just like everyone on this forum. He looked at all the options he had, even went over to the neighbors and asked them to work with him which the declined to do. The facts are the owner of the "flag" lot bought a lot knowing that it was odd shaped and very well knowing what the property lines are and that the OP could build on his lot any time he wants within building codes. There is no question that the flag lot owner's view is crappy now, but that was a risk they chose to take when they bought the lot and built their house where they did.

Why should the OP be limited to what he can do on his property(within legal rights) because someone bought an odd shaped lot? The one that everyone should be mad at is whoever plotted and sold that stupid lot to the neighbor. The OP simply wanted a garage and tried to work with the neighbors on the best option for the both of them. It doesn't matter who built first. It all boils down to the flag lot being plotted as it is, if the owner wanted to insure no one ever blocked his view then he should have bought a suitable lot with the view and street footage he wanted. Crappy deal for the flag lot owner but he knew that was a gamble he was taking when he bought the lot, he rolled the dice hoping no one would build in front of him and he lost. There is no need to be blasting the OP, he did more than most people did by talking to the neighbors and trying to work with them. He also stated that he would post the pictures but some chose to use the pictures to harass him in threads not even related to this post. He put them up for discussion in this thread and others chose to re-post them in threads that had nothing to do with the pictures.
 

PCO6

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Newmarket, Ontario
I'm sure when most of us bought our properties the "view" was an important factor in the decision. Unless you own ALL of the land between your house and what you want to view you are subject to what can legally happen between you and it. For the flag lot owner to think he would would be able to enjoy the view he once had forever well, ... he must have been nuts.

And I agree with jafi's comment above. Encumbering both properties with easement rights would have seriously lowered the value of each of them. That was Doug's attempt to make peace with his neighbour but in reality it would have been a very hard thing to deal with, practically and legally, in the years ahead. They did him a favour by saying "no".
 

Cryptic1911

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
2,884
Location
Willimantic, CT
Shadowdog500: What do you suggest that he should have done? He had TWO options.. remember, he had a very long trailer to try and maneuver into a garage. It wasn't possible to get it around his own house without going in the other guys driveway. The neighbors had a VERY EASY way out of this.. let the guy use their driveway to back his trailer in. Problem solved.. but no, they jump right to ******* mode and try to sue the guy. They don't want to play nice, so he put the garage the ONLY place he could put it to house his trailer. The neighbors made their choice, they can live with it.

You keep going on about what's right and what's wrong.. So its perfectly fine for the neighbor to try and force him to not build a garage because they don't want him using part of their driveway... but its not right for him to build the garage in the only other place he can use it because they refuse to come to a compromise? Gimme a break.. get off your high horse and step into the real world, dude.
 

PCO6

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Newmarket, Ontario
Dougmac that is a very nice garage . The real a**hole here is the land developer . Developers buy up land then sell it to folks .Who just want to get out of town. The new comers then try to enforce their views on their neighbors . O your cows smell ,why is it so dusty , my dog stays home it would never chase your animals . Sorry i got of track. Dougmac get some goats to mow your yard . Than build a 8 foot tall goat proof fence around your place .
I am a land developer and I can tell you that the key lot is an unusual design and house siting. This may have been part of a large subdivision but I doubt it. It's quite possible that the flag lot was severed from a larger lot, possibly the one owned by Doug. In any event, the zoning for a flag lot is usually very site specific; in other words it would take into account all of the surrounding factors and basically make it impossible to site the rear house the way that it was. I suspect an inexperienced property owner pitched his idea to the Town and they didn't do their job properly when they passed the zoning by-law. Any of the neighbours could have objected to that by-law and it sounds like they didn't which is fair enough - maybe they didn't care if some fool wanted to site his house in such a bad location. The Town really should have been looking out for the neighbours though ... meaning Doug.

As for your comment that "Developers buy up land then sell it to folks .Who just want to get out of town." when you think about it, land developers simply implement government policy. Growth is inevitable. Planners plan for it and land developers get it done. Unless you live in a tent that you move from place to place, someone developed the lot you live on whether it's a single lot severed off of a larger farm or if it's in a thousand acre subdivison. We develop thousands of residential lots along with commercial, industrial and institutional properties every year and the process of building communities is a lot more complex than many think it is.
 
Last edited:

JSBriggs

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
1,041
Location
Auburn CA
attachment.php


Im curious as to what this is in the lowerright corner. It looks like the neighbors house adjoins a culdesac, another driveway, or another structure. And while not Dougs problem it would further reinforce the idea that the neighbors house is a very poorly designed/situated for that lot and is what is causing the problem, not Dougs shop.


-Jeff
 

Attachments

  • overhead.jpg
    overhead.jpg
    44.2 KB · Views: 953

classicharleyj

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2006
Messages
197
Well.... I just spent time reading this thread and DM's build thread and absolutely had to chime in.... a few feet of the neighbors house was already behind DM's house. I have lived in the country on 20 acres and I've lived in town in developments with million dollar homes. No matter where you live, it's a gamble the quality of neighbors you will get. DM did everything in his right to smooth relationships with his neighbor to no avail....

Great garage DM...
When you own RVs, it is difficult to plan exactly what you need to park them and you can really make life difficult for yourself, but, you did all you could.
As far as moving, geez... if I am retired where I want to be... why should I move just because somebody else made a bad decision? Of course DM doesn't say he's retired, but what if he was? We all would like to make perfect decisions and be in harmony... well... maybe not so much... but most people will try and be neighborly... as DM tried... you can only do your part.
 
OP
D

dougmac

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
253
Shadowdog500 and Auzivision,
I totally agree that the picture sheds a better light on really how bad the situation is. It is truly a shame that we could not have come to an agreement to share the driveway. And ...... I also agree that the photo may change some folks minds on whether it was the right thing for me to do.

Sorry ..... as much as I would like to, I don't plan to put the picture up for the reason that I already stated.

It was not an easy decision for me to build the shop as I did and I completely understand your perspective. As I stated earlier, I am not sure that everyone would have done the same thing.

Doug
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Beerman

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2008
Messages
1,309
Location
West Columbia, SC
I spend a lot of time reading this thread, as this part of GJ isn't someplace I usually visit. It looks to me like DougM did everything he could to try and work with his neighbors and it didn't work out. Having said that, I don't think ANYONE here would want to have their property value decreased by something a neighbor did, NO MATTER HOW LEGAL IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.


Beerman
 
OP
D

dougmac

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
253
attachment.php


Im curious as to what this is in the lowerright corner. It looks like the neighbors house adjoins a culdesac, another driveway, or another structure. And while not Dougs problem it would further reinforce the idea that the neighbors house is a very poorly designed/situated for that lot and is what is causing the problem, not Dougs shop.


-Jeff

That would be the another neighbors shop......
 
Last edited:

SnowBlaZeR2

Well-known member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
961
Location
Texas
I don't think ANYONE here would want to have their property value decreased by something a neighbor did, NO MATTER HOW LEGAL IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.


Beerman

Probably not. If my neighbors tear their 2100 sg ft house down and put in a single wide instead, I might be a little pissed. If they put up a shop on their property that doesn't look like an outhouse, then that's their business. Either way, I can't say **** because it's their property and I didn't have to buy my house.
 

v7guy

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2009
Messages
557
Location
Hudson valley, NY
it appears that if the neighbor had been cooperative there wouldn't be a problem. If everyone made sure not to park in the large driveway there wouldn't be an issue.
dougmac did nothing to help his cause by removing a pic. I t really makes him look like an ***.
With that said... he has his property, he tried to work with the neighbors to give them a compromise and they refused.
He was operating with their best interests in mind.

I can't hate on him. he tried to give a best scenario with his intentions on his land. His neighbors said "no"... so he worked the only other available option to meet his goals on his land.

In short... he tried to help out the neighbors and they didn't want the friendly option. Accordingly he executed the only other option available.

I don't understand what the debate is about.
 

Benzlover

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
86
Location
Southern Germany
I kinda like where the second house is, the garage blocks it from the road, nice and quiet hidden from view. put a wooden fence and some nice plants alone the garage wall and it be nice. It wouldnt bother me at all the way it sits

x2 on that. I think I´d like the extended privacy that came with the new garage.

Where I live, we need building permits for almost everything. And to get a permit, you have to ask your neighbors if they´re ok with it. The papers will get hung out in the city hall so everybody sees what you´re going to do. So it gets to the fact that even the envy of your neighbor seeing your building plans can destroy all your plannings. Moral of the story: better look to get along well with your neighbors.
 
OP
D

dougmac

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
253
Why did you take down the aerial photo that showed the property 2 down from yours? The one that explained the "red line".

I felt a little strange posting pictures of a person's stuff that is not really involved. There is a shop on that side of their house too. I will post an overhead that will show better where it is if I get a chance tonight......

I don't know if you can tell but this thread is a little uncomfortable for me at times......:)

plot.jpg
 
Last edited:

W_A_Watson_II

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
369
Location
South East MO
dougmac,

Keep your head high. You did the right things, and there are always people who believe they have the right to dictate how you live yours. This is still (for now) a free country and keep the faith and enjoy your own property, and let others enjoy theirs.

God Bless,
Will
 

bczygan

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,002
Location
DETROIT! Arsenal of Scrappers
As an Architectural Designer I know full well what can and can not be done in construction on any particular property. It is controlled by zoning regulations and building codes and homeowner associations and deed restrictions. My advice to everyone buying property is to become familiar with what the rules are. This is not just to know what you can and cannot do, but also what your neighbors can and cannot do as well. We have property in a lake area. Space here is expensive and limited in size. Sight lines to the water are important and every rule has an impact. Just because you have a great view of the water today, don't be surprised when your neighbor puts on a second story addition and completely blocks it. The only property you completely control (Within the rules), is your own. If you want to control more, buy bigger property.
Rules don't typically make sure that the neighbors project will be pleasing to the eye, harmonious with the neighborhood architecture or even in scale or proportion to the other buildings around it. This neighbor is lucky that the project is nice looking and well planned. If he wants a different layout on his own property, in response to the new project, he is free to make any necessary changes. He could make a new addition with a living room space oriented to the larger part of his yard and keep the existing living space as a different use space. The project garage actually helps create an enclosed outdoor space that could be made even more enclosed with structures and plantings on the neighbors lot. This would create a nice outdoor nook or enclave. Install fences, pergola, a pond or pool, retaining walls, evergreen plantings, canopy trees etc. Of course, this is all up to the neighbor, if he so desires.

Bill

One more note on this particular layout. The neighbor has a very nice and usable yard toward the top of the overhead photo. To the right in the photo, at the rear of his house is an extensive deck that is a very nice outside space. Mostly his driveway and garage abut this new garage/shop project. The borrowed landscape he enjoyed before this project was just that, borrowed.
 
Last edited:

PCO6

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Newmarket, Ontario
I felt a little strange posting pictures of a person's stuff that is not really involved. There is a shop on that side of their house too. I will post an overhead that will show better where it is if I get a chance tonight......

I don't know if you can tell but this thread is a little uncomfortable at for me at times......:)
Doug;

I think you and your neighbour 2 doors down should buy out the guy in the middle and convert his house into a garage or at least use it for storage! Problem solved.:bounce: I told my wife that I want to buy our neighbour's house for that purpose should they decide to sell. She told me I better keep one of the bedrooms intact because that's where I will be sleeping.

Given my occupation (Planner / Developer) I'd be curious to know how the lots in your neighbourhood were designed and created ... either though a plan of subdivision or through a severance. Flag or key lots can be very private, attractive and desireable. I think the problem with your neighbour's property is simply that the house is not well sited.

Stew
 

Longbob

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Messages
97
Hello everyone!

I just completed construction of my my dream garage that is 1300 square feet with a 10K Bend-Pak two post lift. It has taken almost four years to complete mostly because did the majority of the work myself with a bunch of help from my buddies.

We have been in our house for almost 20 years an about 15 years ago a builder built a house behind ours that the living room windows faced my back yard about 20 feet from the property line. When I went to build the best location for the shop, with the access I had, was in front of my neighbors house.

I could have located the shop so that it was not in front of their house but it would have required them granting easement on their driveway to access the shop. I approached them with this idea in hopes that we could come to some kind of agreement that would allow me to place the shop so it didn't block their house. They decided to fight with me rather than work with me.... so .... they fought the project from the start. Unfortunately, they now have a huge shop just outside of their living room window.

I think this kind of stuff happens fairly often and I was wondering if any of you guys have also had to deal with combative neighbors during the construction of your garages?

I like the way you handled it. You tried to hammer out an agreement without anyone getting screwed. Too many people get pressed into these things, but most understand when you are exercising an extension of your property rights.

Not once did you become a tool of the subdivision. You were polite without attempting to drill the neighbors with your points which I counted at least 6 maybe 12 points in all. It is too bad that they were so shallow when in fact you could have had a deep and meaningful relationship.

The impact of their unwillingness to work with you will loosen the bond of the neighborhood when all you were trying to do was chisel out an agreement. These things really torque me off.

Just keeping with the theme. :thumbup:
 

PCO6

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Newmarket, Ontario
I agree with bczygan. With a little bit of forethought the neighbour could have made his situation a LOT better. The living space of that house needs to be oriented to the rear which appears to be fairly attractive. From the inside of his house looking out to the front, I'm not sure what is worse ... looking at the back of Doug's garage or the landing strip size driveway on his own lot.
 
Last edited:

graffix000

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
872
Location
Philly
The people that are posting opinions on this thread without seeing the picture are doing so with blinders on. It all one side of the story and the other side has never been told. That one picture says more than a thousand words. If I read this thread today without that picture, I would probably be defending Doug and his rights as many of the Johnny come lately have.

The OP did what he did within his legal rights. His legacy will be two buildings that don’t look right in their current configuration. Sure he only built one of them, but it was the second one of the two. Anyone driving by this property will probably scratch their head as say WTF.

The OP is the one who has to live with his decisions and appears to be comfortable with them. Fact is Doug knows that the photo is damming evidence of his blatant selfish attitude and he isn’t man enough to face up to it… end of story.

God! Get off your high horse. I have seen the pictures(all of them) and still fail to see what the issue is. ***** for the flag lot owners, but at the same time, they were stupid enough to purchase a property like that. It just seems like you and shadowdog have nothing better to do than keep referring to an old picture.

The OP went above and beyond what he needed to do by trying to compromise before the project was started. The Flag lot owners decided they didn't want to play, and this is the result.

DO NOT FAULT the OP as he did nothing more than build his shop on HIS property.

This is so annoying reading these stupid karma posts... and even more pathetic that people are using that picture in other threads.
 

bczygan

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,002
Location
DETROIT! Arsenal of Scrappers
I agree with bczygan. With a little bit of forethought the neighbour could have made his situation a LOT better. The living space of that house needs to be oriented to the rear which appears to be fairly attractive. From the inside of his house looking out to the front, I'm not sure what is worse ... looking at the back of Doug's garage or the landing strip size driveway on his own lot.

I live on a corner lot. Advantage is only 2 close neighbors, long vistas and lots of borrowed public landscape. Disadvantages, traffic noise and danger from accidents, exposure to theft, bigger setbacks and more public maintenance. Inside lot like this flag lot is the opposite. Disadvantage is lots of neighbors, no long vistas except down driveway and borrowed from neighbors. Advantage is privacy from public, security, quiet, minimal public maintenance and lots of potential borrowed landscape. An owner of an inside lot like this needs to be flexible to borrow views when and where they are available to get the long vistas that are necessary for humans. Likewise, he needs to be aware that neighbors control those vistas and they may change. An advantage of this lot is the ability to create a tranquil enclave that focuses on itself rather than on the public street. There is no need to show off with a street facade. In fact, a courtyard layout with a partially or completely enclosed courtyard or atrium is an ideal possibility. In the initial design of this flag lot I would have tried to push the garage as far down the driveway as possible. I would have built it fireproof to get zero lot line on both sides. I even would have made it narrow by stacking 2 single car bays end to end. Then the space between the garage (Detached) and the house would be a courtyard. The house would occupy much of the lot with outdoor courtyards enclosed within it as well as various outdoor spaces outside of the building comprising decks and patios and lawn areas and places for pools and fountains and interesting landscaping. These spaces would take advantage of borrowed views but also relate to indoor spaces. I would also build up as much as allowed by the zoning with rooftop terraces and even a viewing tower to get a place to have a long view of the neighborhood and not feel so constrained. The solution the original owner had seems to be a standard plan plopped down on the lot.

In any case, any changes can be made at any time, by this or any future owner.

Bill
 

Nix

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
82
Location
Erie,PA
Had a privacy fence been erected before the garage build there wouldn't have been such a flap.

That's what I've been thinking. Had I been the OP, I would have erected the tallest allowable privacy fence as soon as someone built a house with such an intrusive view of my back yard. The neighbor has only himself to blame.
 

Jayincali

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
256
Location
So Cal
Hello everyone!

I just completed construction of my my dream garage that is 1300 square feet with a 10K Bend-Pak two post lift. It has taken almost four years to complete mostly because did the majority of the work myself with a bunch of help from my buddies.

We have been in our house for almost 20 years an about 15 years ago a builder built a house behind ours that the living room windows faced my back yard about 20 feet from the property line. When I went to build the best location for the shop, with the access I had, was in front of my neighbors house.

I could have located the shop so that it was not in front of their house but it would have required them granting easement on their driveway to access the shop. I approached them with this idea in hopes that we could come to some kind of agreement that would allow me to place the shop so it didn't block their house. They decided to fight with me rather than work with me.... so .... they fought the project from the start. Unfortunately, they now have a huge shop just outside of their living room window.

I think this kind of stuff happens fairly often and I was wondering if any of you guys have also had to deal with combative neighbors during the construction of your garages?

Congrats, the new garage looks great from what we can see.

I was looking at the picture posted, and I may be missing something, but why couldn't you turn the garage counter clockwise and place it straight in-line with the current driveway, then place the cement parking pad between the house and new garage?

As for asking for an easement on their driveway, I see a large strip of land right next to their driveway as well, why couldn't that be used instead of their driveway? Just an observation, and again like I said before, I may be missing a detail to the story.

As a lot of people are stating here that it’s the neighbors fault, I don't really see that point. I would kind of be pissed as well. But it’s the OP's property and he can build as he see fit and to his liking.
 

hmbemis

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,052
Location
Eastern Massachusetts
My SO and I fell in love with a house, but ended up not buying it because there was a lot of land behind it that could have been used one day for a house lot--there was a "paper street" that ran between the house we liked and a next door neighbor... that would be the rear lot driveway, it would pass only about 10' from the living room and rear 3-season room of the house we liked... what was a backyard w/ a lovely view of trees could have become a view of someone else's front yard.

Both my realtor, the selling realtor and the seller all tried to convince me that nothing would ever be built back there, but the fact was that there was no zoning reason that the lot could not be used... I went to town hall and discussed it w/ the town engineer and some building inspectors, all agreed, the paper street and lot *could* one day be developed. That land was town owned, so I even inquired about buying it, they said it was not for sale at this time.

...so we passed on the house... Now, maybe I'll drive by in 20 years, see nothing was ever built, and kick myself... but either way I can sleep at night because I know that I headed off a potentially bad situation.

The neighbor behind you didn't perform due diligence... he didn't understand the lot layouts, he didn't understand the setback and didn't conceive of anyone building in front of his house. 100% his fault, not yours.

To those that say karma will bite you, maybe so, but the fact is that the neighbor was assuming no one would ever build there, it was his gamble (or ignorance) and he lost... perhaps karama is biting him for some past offense.

Enjoy your garage, smile at the neighbor, try to keep your property clean and quiet as part of being a good neighbor.
 

hmbemis

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,052
Location
Eastern Massachusetts
I was looking at the picture posted, and I may be missing something, but why couldn't you turn the garage counter clockwise and place it straight in-line with the current driveway, then place the cement parking pad between the house and new garage?

As for asking for an easement on their driveway, I see a large strip of land right next to their driveway as well, why couldn't that be used instead of their driveway? Just an observation, and again like I said before, I may be missing a detail to the story.

I'm just gonna go ahead and head this off by saying that if you read the thread both of these questions are answered :bounce:

#1 it wouldn't be do-able with his RV trailer due to 5' set back and 3' wind shear wall which would offset the garage vs. the current drive, it would also require a very difficult to navigate turn in reverse w/ the trailer.

#2 he did not want 2 driveways running down either side of his house, and there may be some other reason for this one too...
 

Jayincali

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
256
Location
So Cal
I'm just gonna go ahead and head this off by saying that if you read the thread both of these questions are answered :bounce:

#1 it wouldn't be do-able with his RV trailer due to 5' set back and 3' wind shear wall which would offset the garage vs. the current drive, it would also require a very difficult to navigate turn in reverse w/ the trailer.

#2 he did not want 2 driveways running down either side of his house, and there may be some other reason for this one too...

Oh ok got it. :thumbup: Thats why I stated in my post that I may have missed some of the details as I just skimmed most of the posts.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom