Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 11:32     Subject: Re:The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:That said, drainage issues are very expensive and aggravating. Our lovely neighbors regraded and set up their drainage with river rocks and all to drain into our backyard. Bastards! This is apparently not illegal. We spoke to them and they told us we should just regrade. Don't even get me started


Yup, my neighbor did the same to us. Asked my husband if it was "ok" to drain the water off his roof and house towards our property AFTER the guys had put in the drainage pipe. When we asked him to please reroute towards the ditch in front, he said it had already been done!


Ay yi yi. Thank you for at least posting this so I know I am not the only one with crappy neighbors. Our neighbors also had the option to drain toward their backyard and beyond which woukld not cause issues for anyone, but it was more work.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 11:29     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP I can relate to psycho neighbors and we have a drunk with power HOA. People can be downright bat shit crazy about their homes, other homes and anything to do with homes.

That said, drainage issues are very expensive and aggravating. Our lovely neighbors regraded and set up their drainage with river rocks and all to drain into our backyard. Bastards! This is apparently not illegal. We spoke to them and they told us we should just regrade. Don't even get me started about how complicated and expensive that would be. We had already spent thousands and thousands on sump pumps and other drainage things and then they regrade to screw us more. The only "good" thing that came from it is we had a small crack in our foundation and they decreased our property value with all the water issues and now we pay lower taxes.


You didn't maintain your foundation and it has a leak. Sound like you need to dig it up and reapply the plastic membrane.


We did, got it sealed, but just the fact there was a crack and we have water issues that were under control until our neighbors changed things was enough. We had evidence from contractors who didn't even know if regrading was enough especially given the set up our neighbors had so we had plenty of proof this problem may not be solvable or may not be solvable for under 10 grand. The county came out and inspected and required all the documentation wer gave. Believe me, I would not do anything for lower taxes. It is the only helpful part of this because we can save up for the ordeal it will take to deal with this. If anything our neighbors decreased their property value by decreasing ours in a way.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 11:21     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
It's all about ME ME ME and more ME And how does it affect ME.




This is hilarious! Yes, OP, it's all about YOU YOU YOU - and you don't even see it!



hmmm. I think the OP can do what she wants to on her property. The neighbors are the ones who are being difficult. When you choose to live in a neighborhood (with presumably smaller lots), you are accepting that certain inconveniences may occasionally take place due to such a living environment. Your rights are protected through the HOA. Otherwise, shut up and deal.

You forgot to applaud the OP's next-door neighbor, who has the identical right to put up a piece of string on her own property (and to engage in lawn-care practices that don't meet the OP's high standards).


I don't care about the lawncare practices so long as the HOA doesn't have legit rules about regular mowing, etc. But the string thing just seems petty. It is not really exercising your private property rights but more just being a dick.

Shut up and deal.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 11:21     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:

I think the OP can do what she wants to on her property. The neighbors are the ones who are being difficult. When you choose to live in a neighborhood (with presumably smaller lots), you are accepting that certain inconveniences may occasionally take place due to such a living environment. Your rights are protected through the HOA. Otherwise, shut up and deal.


Some of us are lucky enough to have good neighbors who try not to intrude too much on our lives and our property. I suppose the OP's neighbors are hoping for something of the sort. Certainly they haven't done anything they don't have a perfect right to do.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 11:19     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
It's all about ME ME ME and more ME And how does it affect ME.




This is hilarious! Yes, OP, it's all about YOU YOU YOU - and you don't even see it!



hmmm. I think the OP can do what she wants to on her property. The neighbors are the ones who are being difficult. When you choose to live in a neighborhood (with presumably smaller lots), you are accepting that certain inconveniences may occasionally take place due to such a living environment. Your rights are protected through the HOA. Otherwise, shut up and deal.

You forgot to applaud the OP's next-door neighbor, who has the identical right to put up a piece of string on her own property (and to engage in lawn-care practices that don't meet the OP's high standards).


I don't care about the lawncare practices so long as the HOA doesn't have legit rules about regular mowing, etc. But the string thing just seems petty. It is not really exercising your private property rights but more just being a dick.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 11:08     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
It's all about ME ME ME and more ME And how does it affect ME.




This is hilarious! Yes, OP, it's all about YOU YOU YOU - and you don't even see it!



hmmm. I think the OP can do what she wants to on her property. The neighbors are the ones who are being difficult. When you choose to live in a neighborhood (with presumably smaller lots), you are accepting that certain inconveniences may occasionally take place due to such a living environment. Your rights are protected through the HOA. Otherwise, shut up and deal.

You forgot to applaud the OP's next-door neighbor, who has the identical right to put up a piece of string on her own property (and to engage in lawn-care practices that don't meet the OP's high standards).
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 10:49     Subject: Re:The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:That said, drainage issues are very expensive and aggravating. Our lovely neighbors regraded and set up their drainage with river rocks and all to drain into our backyard. Bastards! This is apparently not illegal. We spoke to them and they told us we should just regrade. Don't even get me started


Yup, my neighbor did the same to us. Asked my husband if it was "ok" to drain the water off his roof and house towards our property AFTER the guys had put in the drainage pipe. When we asked him to please reroute towards the ditch in front, he said it had already been done!


Depending where you live, such as DC, the building permit regulators will require that downspouts be routed to a buried catch basin/box that functions a bit like a septic tank (without the fields) where the water slowly percolates out underground in the yard. Sometimes DCRA misses this, because the renovation doesn't seem extensive. I would assume MoCo may have a similar requirement. This may give you some leverage in discussions with your recently-renovating neiighbor about how they channel the water.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 10:46     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
It's all about ME ME ME and more ME And how does it affect ME.




This is hilarious! Yes, OP, it's all about YOU YOU YOU - and you don't even see it!



hmmm. I think the OP can do what she wants to on her property. The neighbors are the ones who are being difficult. When you choose to live in a neighborhood (with presumably smaller lots), you are accepting that certain inconveniences may occasionally take place due to such a living environment. Your rights are protected through the HOA. Otherwise, shut up and deal.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 10:28     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
It's all about ME ME ME and more ME And how does it affect ME.




This is hilarious! Yes, OP, it's all about YOU YOU YOU - and you don't even see it!
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 08:36     Subject: Re:The A**hole neighbors of mine
That said, drainage issues are very expensive and aggravating. Our lovely neighbors regraded and set up their drainage with river rocks and all to drain into our backyard. Bastards! This is apparently not illegal. We spoke to them and they told us we should just regrade. Don't even get me started


Yup, my neighbor did the same to us. Asked my husband if it was "ok" to drain the water off his roof and house towards our property AFTER the guys had put in the drainage pipe. When we asked him to please reroute towards the ditch in front, he said it had already been done!
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 08:31     Subject: Re:The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So....should we all forgo any sort of remodeling so that we don't inconvenience our neighbors with noise or trucks or porta potties on our property during the day?



This is one of the funniest posts I've seen in a while. If you are going to put a public toliet on your front yard, yes, maybe you should consider the effect on your neighbors.


why? it is temporary. I wouldn't think twice about that and I'm sure my neighbors would not care.



Most big renovations put a porta potty on the property so that the guys working won't be traipsing in and out of the house to use the restroom. Nothing funny about the post at all. Yes, it's temporary.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 08:07     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Really, if you never, ever want to deal with some renovating on a large scale buy a rowhouse, townhouse or condo.

Every complaint here from those who said their neighbor renovated are valid and I am sure they happened but almost all have no way of being mitigated. Noise, traffic, timelines - that happens and unless someone just doesn't renovate then there is no other real solution.

As for OP - just being an attorney and making a complaint doesn't make it a lawsuit or even make more threatening. They can check with the review board about the drainage and maybe they didn't check with you bc they felt it was going to be in your best interest to provide limited information on that so they pursued it on their own.

And lastly - Bethesda has an architectural review board??? - who knew? My friend lives in a Bethesda neighborhood that is a God awful mismatch of home styles - Greek Revival next to Victorian next to ultra modern.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 06:39     Subject: Re:The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So....should we all forgo any sort of remodeling so that we don't inconvenience our neighbors with noise or trucks or porta potties on our property during the day?


Not at all what people are saying. But preparing neighbors for the level of disruption is the neighborly thing to do. Golden rule, people.


Frankly, I don't think the kind of "personality" that would stretch out string (as if that would guide a large construction truck) would be mollified by much. Sounds like the kind of neighbor who would trim grass with a pair of scissors.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 00:32     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
Anonymous wrote:OP I can relate to psycho neighbors and we have a drunk with power HOA. People can be downright bat shit crazy about their homes, other homes and anything to do with homes.

That said, drainage issues are very expensive and aggravating. Our lovely neighbors regraded and set up their drainage with river rocks and all to drain into our backyard. Bastards! This is apparently not illegal. We spoke to them and they told us we should just regrade. Don't even get me started about how complicated and expensive that would be. We had already spent thousands and thousands on sump pumps and other drainage things and then they regrade to screw us more. The only "good" thing that came from it is we had a small crack in our foundation and they decreased our property value with all the water issues and now we pay lower taxes.


You didn't maintain your foundation and it has a leak. Sound like you need to dig it up and reapply the plastic membrane.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2011 00:27     Subject: The A**hole neighbors of mine
I dunno. Some people will do anything for lower taxes. God forbid the tax man cometh, and he will.....

As for the PP with signs, yes, I have had one or two printed. Look outside your front door tomorrow morning.