RICH NEIGHBOR BUILT FENCE ON MY PROPERTY AND BLOCKED MY WINDOWS WHILE I WAS ON VACATION
WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE roughly two months ago, and I’ve been in arguments with this neighbor nearly every week since! It all kicked off when he planned to put up a fence RIGHT ON MY LAND! He kept waving around documents, claiming the former property owner gave him permission. “Why should I give a damn about what the OLD owner said?” I asked, but never got a straight answer. Then he really went too far! Just recently, I took my kids away for a vacation, and when we got back, there was a fence smack-bang in front of our windows. ON OUR PROPERTY! A FOOT AWAY FROM MY WINDOWS! NOW ALL I CAN SEE IS FENCE, NO SKY, NO TREES! I didn’t want to get tied up in official complaints or squabbles. But I figured out how to make him take that fence down. It only took one night ⬇️That night, fueled by pure frustration and a dash of mischievous glee, I started digging. Not literally digging in the dirt, thankfully, but digging into the city’s online building codes. I figured there had to be some regulations about fences, especially ones practically glued to someone’s house. Hours flew by as I navigated through zoning ordinances, property line rules, and fence height restrictions. It was like deciphering ancient hieroglyphics, but slowly, pieces started to click.
Then I found it – buried deep in a document about property line setbacks and “access to light and ventilation.” There it was, plain as day: “No structure, including fences, shall be erected in such a manner as to obstruct legally required windows providing light and ventilation to habitable rooms.” Habitable rooms! My living room and kitchen windows – the ones now staring at a wall of wood – were definitely in habitable rooms. And they were the only windows on that side of the house providing natural light. This fence wasn’t just ugly; it was potentially illegal.
Armed with this newfound knowledge, I marched over to his house the very next morning, not even bothering to change out of my pajamas. He was in his perfectly manicured garden, looking smug as ever, watering his prize-winning roses.
“Good morning!” I chirped, maybe a little too brightly. He turned, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
“What do you want now?” he grumbled, turning back to his roses.
“Just wanted to chat about your lovely new fence,” I said, gesturing towards it with exaggerated enthusiasm. “It’s… striking. But you know, I was doing a little reading last night, about local building codes and all that. Fascinating stuff.”
He stopped watering and actually looked at me, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. “Building codes?”
“Yes! Specifically, the part about ‘access to light and ventilation’ for habitable rooms. You wouldn’t believe how strict they are! Seems like blocking legally required windows with a fence… well, it’s a big no-no.” I paused, letting it sink in. “Especially fences built *on* someone else’s property.” I added that last part for extra emphasis.
He scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I checked everything. My fence is perfectly legal.”
“Oh, I’m sure you *thought* you did,” I said sweetly. “But codes can be tricky, can’t they? Maybe you missed the section about window obstruction? Or the part about needing permits for fences over a certain height? Or perhaps… just maybe… you misread that property line document from the ‘old owner’?” I let the last question hang in the air, watching his face.
His smugness began to crumble. He shifted his weight, avoiding eye contact. “Look, I… I had permission.” He mumbled, his voice losing its usual arrogance.
“Permission from someone who didn’t own the property anymore,” I pointed out gently. “That’s not exactly legally binding, is it?” I pulled out my phone and pretended to scroll through the building code document I’d found. “You know, the city inspectors are really quick to respond to these kinds of violations. And the fines… oh, the fines can be quite hefty. Plus, you’d have to take the whole thing down anyway.”
He stared at the fence, then back at me. The color was draining from his face. He knew I wasn’t bluffing. He probably hadn’t checked the codes as thoroughly as he claimed, relying on his usual bluster and assumed authority.
“Alright, alright,” he said finally, throwing his hands up in the air. “Fine. I’ll… I’ll have it taken down.”
“Oh, wonderful!” I beamed. “So glad we could resolve this neighborly disagreement so quickly and amicably. Really appreciate you being so understanding.” I turned to go, then paused at the edge of his garden. “And just so we’re clear, the property line is actually about a foot on *my* side of where the fence is now. Just for future reference, of course.”
By the end of the day, a crew was dismantling the fence. The satisfying sound of splintering wood and clanking metal filled the air. By nightfall, it was gone. Sunlight streamed back into my living room, and I could see the sky again, the trees swaying in the breeze.
He hasn’t spoken to me since, and I don’t expect a Christmas card anytime soon. But honestly? The silence is golden. And every time I look out my window at the unobstructed view, I smile. Sometimes, you don’t need a big fight or official complaints. Sometimes, a little bit of research and a well-placed nudge are all it takes to get what you want. And in this case, what I wanted was my view back, and a neighbor who, maybe, just maybe, learned a little lesson about respecting property lines and the new folks on the block.