RICH NEIGHBOR ERECTED BARRIER ON MY LAND AND OBSCURED MY VIEW WHILE I WAS AWAY
We acquired our dwelling roughly two months prior, and I’ve been in disagreements with this adjacent homeowner practically each week! The genesis of it all was his intention to construct a barrier UPON MY LAND! He persisted in presenting me numerous documents, asserting the prior occupant granted him authorization. “Why must I be concerned with what the FORMER proprietor declared?” I inquired, yet I never obtained a direct response. Subsequently, he overstepped boundaries! Recently, I took my offspring on a getaway, and upon our return, we observed a barrier directly before our windows. ON OUR LAND! A MERE FOOT FROM MY WINDOWS! NOW MY ENTIRE PERSPECTIVE IS A BARRIER, NO AZURE SKY, NO ARBOREAL FOLIAGE! I lacked the inclination for bureaucratic inquiries or altercations. However, I discovered a method to compel him to dismantle that barrier. Merely a single evening sufficed ⬇️That evening, armed with a copy of my property survey I’d thankfully unearthed during the closing process, and a can of bright orange marking spray used for construction, I ventured out. Under the cloak of twilight, I meticulously traced the precise boundary line, as indicated on the survey, directly onto the ground alongside the offending barrier. The fluorescent orange paint stood out starkly against the green grass and the base of the wooden structure. From my side, the line remained firmly on my property. From his side, it was undeniably clear – the barrier was encroaching. I even added a small, neatly printed sign, laminated for durability and placed discreetly but visibly near the most egregious point of encroachment: “Boundary Line – Barrier Overlap.”
The next morning, I made sure to be tending my garden – conveniently positioned to observe the inevitable reaction. It wasn’t long before my neighbor emerged, coffee mug in hand, and his usual air of self-importance. He stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze drawn immediately to the vibrant orange line snaking along the ground. His eyes followed it, widening as he traced its path and the undeniable encroachment it highlighted. He then spotted the sign. His face, initially confused, then shifted to a spectrum of emotions: disbelief, annoyance, and finally, a grudging understanding.
He spent a good ten minutes pacing back and forth, muttering to himself and occasionally kicking at the grass near the painted line. Then, decisively, he went back inside. I continued gardening, pretending not to notice, but my ears were keenly attuned. Soon, I heard the unmistakable sounds of sawing and hammering. Peeking discreetly, I saw him, red-faced but resolute, dismantling the barrier, section by section, and carefully repositioning it entirely on his own side of the property line, just as it should have been from the start.
By late afternoon, the barrier stood rebuilt, no longer a foot from my windows, but a respectful distance away, entirely on his land. My azure sky and arboreal foliage were gloriously restored. He never spoke to me directly about it, not a word. But the following week, when I saw him in his yard, he offered a curt nod. I returned it, a small, silent acknowledgment. Perhaps, just perhaps, we could coexist peacefully after all, boundaries respected, and views unobstructed. The azure sky, at least, seemed a little brighter that day.