ACROSS AMERICA — You’ve invested thousands of dollars in landscaping. It’s your passion, but it’s obviously not your neighbor’s.
A couple of dandelions a few years ago have grown into a sea of yellow and the tide is rolling into your yard. The overgrown bushes are encroaching, and it won’t be long before you’ll be unable to back out the driveway without scratching your car or tearing up your own yard as you veer to avoid them. The volunteer seedlings are pushing against your shared fence and buckling the panels. And the squirrel that fell from the tree and died? That’s going to smell ripe in a few days if they don’t get rid of it.
Any one of these issues — let alone all of them originating from same property — can cause a rift in the neighborhood. How can you avoid that and still get the eyesore cleaned up?
There’s no homeowner’s association to complain to about the mess. If they’re able-bodied, do you try to shame them into at least pulling the weeds and mowing a little more often? If they’re not, do you pitch in and prune the bushes and take care of other yard chores for them?
And if you do, is it fair to ask the person to at least pay for any investment you made? What do you do if your neighbors habitually refuse to take care of their yards and landscaping?
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