[VA] Dispute between neighbors in Del Ray

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good fences make good neighbors. Nichols has no right to be upset about neighbors planting trees and shrubs and the Linehans shouldn't have expected their view outside their kitchen window to be anything special when it's only 2 feet from the property line. If Nichols wanted to maintain open visual space, he should have built those three houses as townhouses and had the grounds owned by the association. These people are all ridiculous.

Don't disagree with any of this.

I am a PP and still think it was unethical of the Architect to influence city regulations - changing of setback from 8 feet to 1 foot- when he clearly had a plan in mind to build near a neighbor. Now he doesn't have to ask for a waiver and permission from that neighbor.

Still, I live 6 feet from my neighbor and if they decide to put a large building within a foot of my property, I know I will have to live with it. That's life with a small yard.

+1

Who do you think writes the regulations, someone they just pull off the street? Of course architects and engineers and builders are involved - they are ones most involved in the process.

If you don't like the idea that the only restriction to what's built is city ordinance and code (which can be pretty restrictive), move to an HOA.

From the look of the photo, the Linehams have a property that sits 3 feet from the property line. How much of their neighbor's property do they get to control because of that? Sounds like they think more that 3' - should it be 10, or 20? And if they don't want to look at a garage wall, are they willing to provide Nichols with payment for their view?

[Anonymous]

Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

You buy a house with a kitchen window a few feet from the property line, you get what you get. You can't build something on your property (kitchen window, deck, patio) and then tell your neighbor what they can and cannot build next to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

You buy a house with a kitchen window a few feet from the property line, you get what you get. You can't build something on your property (kitchen window, deck, patio) and then tell your neighbor what they can and cannot build next to it.

Interestingly, one of the things that seems to have pissed off the architect is that the homeowners renovated the house he designed, and the article notes that renovation swapped the location of the kitchen and dining rooms. So, blocking their now kitchen windows seems to be payback for that. I'm thinking this guy should not be designing houses if he thinks his work should never be changed by future owners!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

You buy a house with a kitchen window a few feet from the property line, you get what you get. You can't build something on your property (kitchen window, deck, patio) and then tell your neighbor what they can and cannot build next to it.

Interestingly, one of the things that seems to have pissed off the architect is that the homeowners renovated the house he designed, and the article notes that renovation swapped the location of the kitchen and dining rooms. So, blocking their now kitchen windows seems to be payback for that. I'm thinking this guy should not be designing houses if he thinks his work should never be changed by future owners!

His motivation is immaterial. He has a right to do it - whether out of spite, or to store his prized antique car. He may be a jerk, but he has the right to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

You buy a house with a kitchen window a few feet from the property line, you get what you get. You can't build something on your property (kitchen window, deck, patio) and then tell your neighbor what they can and cannot build next to it.

Interestingly, one of the things that seems to have pissed off the architect is that the homeowners renovated the house he designed, and the article notes that renovation swapped the location of the kitchen and dining rooms. So, blocking their now kitchen windows seems to be payback for that. I'm thinking this guy should not be designing houses if he thinks his work should never be changed by future owners!

When I toured Wingspread in WI, they told a story of how the owner's second wife redecorated, and the next time Frank Lloyd Wright visited he got up in the middle of the night and put back all the original furniture that he had designed/picked out.

[Anonymous]

These people bought what I call the 'House in the Backyard'. Look at the aerial, it's shoehorned into the back of corner lot, basically sitting in the backyard of several houses. This is what happens when you buy a house like that.

[Anonymous]

This situation makes me grateful for my nanny state, where all structures need to be 8 feet from the property line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good fences make good neighbors. Nichols has no right to be upset about neighbors planting trees and shrubs and the Linehans shouldn't have expected their view outside their kitchen window to be anything special when it's only 2 feet from the property line. If Nichols wanted to maintain open visual space, he should have built those three houses as townhouses and had the grounds owned by the association. These people are all ridiculous.

Don't disagree with any of this.

I am a PP and still think it was unethical of the Architect to influence city regulations - changing of setback from 8 feet to 1 foot- when he clearly had a plan in mind to build near a neighbor. Now he doesn't have to ask for a waiver and permission from that neighbor.

Still, I live 6 feet from my neighbor and if they decide to put a large building within a foot of my property, I know I will have to live with it. That's life with a small yard.

+1

Did you look at the overhead view of the property? It's not a small yard. He placed the garage way at the back, and immediately next to the lot line. He also served on the task force that changed the zoning regs so that he could do it.

Dirty pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

You buy a house with a kitchen window a few feet from the property line, you get what you get. You can't build something on your property (kitchen window, deck, patio) and then tell your neighbor what they can and cannot build next to it.

Interestingly, one of the things that seems to have pissed off the architect is that the homeowners renovated the house he designed, and the article notes that renovation swapped the location of the kitchen and dining rooms. So, blocking their now kitchen windows seems to be payback for that. I'm thinking this guy should not be designing houses if he thinks his work should never be changed by future owners!

His motivation is immaterial. He has a right to do it - whether out of spite, or to store his prized antique car. He may be a jerk, but he has the right to do it.

His motivation may be immaterial to the question of whether he has a legal right to do it (although I don't know), but it's not immaterial to the discussion here, which encompasses the fact that he is a terrible person.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, I wouldn't want to live next to him. And would I ever buy a house designed by that guy? HELL NO!!

[Anonymous]

He sounds psycho. And incredibly manipulative especially if he was on the zoning board so he could give himself permission to build. Now, isn't that convenient.

[Anonymous]

Damn that sucks. Can we all just get along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He sounds psycho. And incredibly manipulative especially if he was on the zoning board so he could give himself permission to build. Now, isn't that convenient.

+1. I live in Del Ray and feel like I have seen his name on projects for house flipping/renovating/building. We'll be in the market soon and I plan to look up this guy's business so I can avoid dealing with someone who does not operate ethically.

Also, I have sat on commissions for the City of Alexandria and think it's atrocious that he was allowed to manipulate regulations to benefit his own petty dispute. Hopefully the Powers That Be catch wind of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is their kitchen window 2 feet from the property line? Did they bigfoot the lot?

You buy a house with a kitchen window a few feet from the property line, you get what you get. You can't build something on your property (kitchen window, deck, patio) and then tell your neighbor what they can and cannot build next to it.

Interestingly, one of the things that seems to have pissed off the architect is that the homeowners renovated the house he designed, and the article notes that renovation swapped the location of the kitchen and dining rooms. So, blocking their now kitchen windows seems to be payback for that. I'm thinking this guy should not be designing houses if he thinks his work should never be changed by future owners!

His motivation is immaterial. He has a right to do it - whether out of spite, or to store his prized antique car. He may be a jerk, but he has the right to do it.

His motivation may be immaterial to the question of whether he has a legal right to do it (although I don't know), but it's not immaterial to the discussion here, which encompasses the fact that he is a terrible person.

+1. Let his name be forever associated with this behavior on the internet that doesn't forget. I would never hire him.