Neighbors and Pool Installation (LONG)

[momof2grlz]

Wow! What a couple of wackos. We haven't started construction of our pool yet, but I hope our "good" neighbor doesn't turn out like yours. Before I spent another dime on sprinkler repairs and pineapple plants, I would spend money to consult with an attorney. I'll bet once he sends them a nice letter indicating that you are willing to return their property to its original condition -and nothing more, their shenanigans will stop. I'm sure he will also point out their duty to mitigate any damage. In other words they can't refuse to run their entire sprinkler system and let their yard die because of a couple of broken sprinkler heads and then expect you to replace their yard.

I wouldn't worry about trying to appease these people any more. After everything they've put you through, I doubt you're ever going to be one big, happy Wisteria Lane neighborhood.

[tenax]

i agree that it's time to take it to an attorney. likely for 150 dollars max you can get a letter from the lawyer to them if you provide a quick chronological sequence of events from start to present on paper. i'm not a lawyer, but have been involved enough with lawyers/hr folk in issues with people who work for me or my reports to know that:

a) when someone starts putting things on paper, there's a reason.

b) there is also a reason that they pepper with words like "anxiety".

a few bucks now will safeguard you down the road from any potentially more expensive issues.

[Simmons99]

Update - met with the guy tonight and took video of all the sprinklers working correctly - he still seems to think that the grade is not right. So we are going to move some dirt, but it looks like it is draining correctly. We live in a swamp that was filled to build houses, so the drainage is not great anyway.

Gas company rescheduled us until next Tuesday - so we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

[CarlD]

This is so sad. All the drainage problems I had with my three neighbors at the back corner of my property are all nicely resolved. We worked it out, I don't believe there are any hard feelings, and it's all done. I literally had a swamp growing because the landscaper popped open and artesian spring, and walked away. The customer (my neighbor) also had a soggy yard so solving HIS problems with the landscaper solved part of mine. The rest were solved by me splitting repairs with my next door neighbor and the catty-corner one having HIS landscaper adjust things.

Sometimes people ARE better than you expect. Sometimes they are worse.

[tenax]

meant to mention having read the letter they provided to you that at least on paper they still appear to be relatively cordial (More cordial than i thought they would be at given the situations you've had with them)..but, it still appears this issue is being "papered" for backup if necessary.

[Unabomber007]

You have a LOT of patience!

I would have told my neighbor, "Suck it, Trebeck!" a long time ago.

[Simmons99]

Update -

Well I spent about three hours moving dirt last weekend until they liked it. They didn't like the fact that there was water puddling in OUR yard????

Anyway - they are not talking to us again - since our propane tank was installed above ground. Nevermind the city wouldn't let us burry it - I guess that is our fault too. We have to wait for the home owner's association approval before we can install the fence. Also - the sod is 2 weeks late - all the water here means that it's too wet to cut the sod from the fields and... then with a tropical storm coming - it will probably be another couple of weeks.

I just want to get this finished!