What would YOU do?

[jennybird]

Just go talk to the lady Rachel. Sit her down with a cuppa joe and explain to her the program. Tell her that with it jacked up like that, you're afraid for the safety of your children and pets. Tell her you're more than willing to let her have it, but it needs to be off your property within 1 week or you are going to have someone remove it and give it to charity (translation, sell the sucker and make a few bucks yourself). If she's a decent person, she'll understand and get it taken care of. If not, go yank your flowers back out of her yard and torch the shed. It is perfectly within your legal right to do so.

Also, while you're there making friendly conversation, ask her if the previous owner also sold her the flowers she took out of your yard. I'd be interested to hear that one.

 

[ATF Consumer]

WWJD

 

[Joe Williams]

WWJD

I've already SAID what Joe would do. Keep up, dude.

 

[RachelMarie]

WWJD

Not burn the shed
Dont invite over homosexuals
Rockets are evil
um.......

But I bet he'd OC the whole time!

 

[No Time to Shoot]

WWJD

 

[RachelMarie]

Just go talk to the lady Rachel. Sit her down with a cuppa joe and explain to her the program. Tell her that with it jacked up like that, you're afraid for the safety of your children and pets. Tell her you're more than willing to let her have it, but it needs to be off your property within 1 week or you are going to have someone remove it and give it to charity (translation, sell the sucker and make a few bucks yourself). If she's a decent person, she'll understand and get it taken care of. If not, go yank your flowers back out of her yard and torch the shed. It is perfectly within your legal right to do so.

Also, while you're there making friendly conversation, ask her if the previous owner also sold her the flowers she took out of your yard. I'd be interested to hear that one.

I know I need to sit down and talk to them more. I'm not big on confrontation. They are the type of people that you can tell by looking that I don't want to be on their bad side. I haven't talked to them about it being jacked up yet. We have instead decided to not play outside in our yard until its moved. I need to talk to them....I will do that this weekend. I just HATE confrontation.

I've gotten really close to the previous owner....she's just as irritated about the flowers as I am. But she also told me to watch how I word thing because they tend to hold grudges over the small stuff. UGH. This lady is and older lady (60ish) and has a family friend (guy) living with her now. What kind of people steal flowers and then say "well, we might be able to give you a start". And then continue to leave the shed on my property....I don't like people!

 

[Bulgy74]

Rachel, not A homosexual but at least 3. One can't do any damage. With one there's no fear of surprise buttsecks.

 

[Willy Churbeanz]

Strike one: tearing down your vines while you were gone. Strike two: jacking up shed, creating dangerous situation for kids and pets. No need for strike three to prove they're not worthy of your kindness. Resolution: Kindly inform them you can no longer provide free storage for shed. If they still want it, they have until ?? to have it removed or it will be returned to your posession, to do whatever you desire. And seeing that you are the type of neighbors all people should be you could tell them that you truly regret that this situation has gone on as long as it has, and that you hope it's taken care of soon and we can put it behind us. (about this time that crazy uncle of your comes barreling in your yard in his truck and smashes the shed to bits). Pretty soon yer all laughin, you fire up the grill, havin a few brews...alls good, welcome to the neighborhood. Man I love it when a plan comes together!

 

[No Time to Shoot]

I would have it leveled tonight. It is on your head if some child or person is injured by the hazard. You can't control who wonders across your property at night or during the day. If they are injured in any way you will be taken to court and that is a financial and emotional stress you do not want to deal with. The faster you get this resolved the safer you and your family will be. All neighborly feelings aside they are endangering your families way of life in more ways than you know.

 

[ATF Consumer]

A firework mishap could be possible...

 

[MontereyC6]

Is the shed something that YOU want to keep? Then drop it back down and KEEP it. Remember, possession is 9/10th of the law. They must show YOU a bill of sale to take YOUR shed. If you decide to do the politically correct thing and be neighborly, go over and talk to them, explain your concerns and a timeline, but make sure you OC.

 

[joslar15]

Feh. You guys are making it too hard. I have gasoline and a match.

It's quite obvious they have no respect for you, or the previous owner, otherwise she would have been paid. So, burning would be my solution, provided it could be done safely and there are no ordinances against open burning.

Plan B would be accepting a few of the offers here to relocate the shed to their driveway.

Good luck!

 

[Jerry]

Maybe they WANT you to move it for them? Hoping you'd drag it over after getting tired of it being jacked up in your yard... Although, an inconvenient location may convey the point.

 

[in_betts]

God loveya Rachel! I too am a lover, not a fighter. I also don't thrive on confrontation and I usually avoid it when another avenue is possible. The whole ordeal has me a little concerned for YOU because you have obviously avoided this confrontation too long and now it is eating at you. You have many great ideas already posted......BUT I happen to think Jennybird was closest to BINGO! I understand it isn't comfortable and all, but just having a conversation that you know may get ugly is still the place to start.

Next point is my concern over "not the kind of people you want to be on the bad side of" being any frikkin concern of yours. Now I will grant you that I should probably be given a life time supply of those t-shirts that say "doesn't play well with others", but that is not because I am anti-soacial, only some things turn me off. I would be willing to bet that 99% of the people here and me would get along great, but this kind of group has WAY more decent people than your average neighborhood. To do the "avoid confrontation" thing I prefer to live without close (geographically) neighbors. I have lived in houses where as I am peeing the neighbors can wave and look in to my house if the blinds aren't drawn, and I just don't care for it. It's a personal thing.

At any rate, the neighbors should NEVER dictate what you do at home with your family and friends (assuming you are not being rude, which I doubt) on your property, so there is NO reason for you to know or care if you are on "their bad side". I would probably make sure they felt as if they didn't want to ever SEE my bad side, because it is REAL ugly......uglier than I usually am. So give it some thought before the conversation so you are prepared with a response to whatever may come about, but IMHO I would avoid certified mail and official crap unless these people are nut-jobs, because once you start down that road it is difficult to return to "normal" neighbor relations.

People are people and there are things that make them happy, sad, cry and laugh just like the rest of us. If they have deep issues and feel the need to bully, that must be stopped. So far it sounds like you have just been very nice and you need to be a little more assertive. I don't think I am geographically close to you, but if I am or can do anything to help please raise your hand as I would be glad to do whatever you need help with, including talk to the neighbor.

Unfortunately I don't have a good answer for what to do about the honeysuckle, as that would pi$$ me off. The fact that they came when they KNEW you were gone to do their deeds tells me they are somewhat cowardly or know that they are borderline tresspassing to start with. If they FELT they had an open invitation to do as they wish on your property, you need to select some phrase to un-do that at your first opportunity. Sometimes a simple explanation of how bad you would feel if you shot one of them by mistaking them for someone of ill intent because they didn't first speak to you about coming someplace other than your front door when they had a need of some kind will get the message across.

 

[Old Salt]

If you have asked them multiple times to remove it, then what grounds would they have to complain about tearing it down. Two men with sledgehammers could have it torn down and removed in a short afternoon. Just take some of the guys up on their offers, tear it down, and never mention it again. They probably won't either. If the demolition crew are OCing, I can almost guarantee they will never mention it.

 

[joslar15]

On second thought, I'd get it off the jacks and use it to practice knife and hawk throwing.

 

[Old Salt]

I can see throwing the knife, but I've been around hawks, and if your mean enough to grab and throw one of those birds, I wouldn't want to mess with you.

 

[jclark]

Charge them rent to have their shed on YOUR property.
It will sure build a fire under their butts to move the shed, or let you keep it.
Sorry if this idea was already posted. Didn't feel like looking at 6 pages.

 

[danielocean03]

I'm not quite sure arson is the answer.

That's like the official "quote of the day", too funny!

 

[paddling_man]

Rachel -

Jennybird is spot-on. Approach 'em with a smile. A firm smile, explain your concerns, and tell them what YOU are going to do with the shed. If they want it, grab it before XX/XX. You've already made plans and it goes away then. Make the date no later than, say, Sunday the 12th.

Heck, blame it on a Mother-In-Law. "She freaked out about the shed and the kids. Sorry, but I'm not listening to it anymore. If you guys can't have it gone by xx/xx, I've got folks coming out to demolish it."

OC in the yard gardening for a while.