I had my yard (garden) fenced-in last week, the work occurred while I was away on a business trip. It’s a board fence, capped, six-feet, pretty much like this. So I ran into my next-door neighbors Mork & Mindy last night, and Mindy said “What’s with the Great Wall of China?” and made a few other passive-agressive-type comments voicing her displeasure that I had erected this enormous fence around my property. Our mutual neighbor, Mike, bears the brunt of the fence, as where it abuts his yard, my yard is filled and raised about three feet, so from his perspective, it’s huge - almost 10 feet tall :eek: . He has joked that he’s going to paint it green like the Green Monster.
I told them I didn’t mean anything by it, and that I only had it built to make my yard safe for my children, and that I was sorry if she inferred any other meaning behind it. I think it boils down to the fact that they rent, and their landlord doesn’t really keep the property up, and Mindy’s self-conscious about it. She suggested I put up the fence so I wouldn’t have to look at their shitty yard and they wouldn’t be able to see my beautiful yard :rolleyes: .
It’s not a spite fence, though. Really. And I genuinely feel bad that Mork and Mindy feel slighted. Mike? Hell, I doubt he cares.
How do you think you’d react? To either side of that conversation? I mean, am I a dick? I really wasn’t trying to do anything but make the yard safe for the kids.
You don’t need a reason to erect a fence on your own property. She has no right to feel slighted unless you included barbed wire, search lights, and/or lookout posts.
The back part of my land, about 40%, is wetlands. Or as we refer to it - a swamp. This swamp is of the traditional variety and includes, boggy muck, briars, brambles, rabid animals and poison oak/ivy. A steep hill leading to said swamp features prominently, which makes it an ideal child trap - a small child is lured by curiosity to the precipice, loses his (or her) footing on the edge, and tumbles (never to be seen again) into the maw of Smith Swamp. BWA-HA-ha! Ahem.
The kids could also (presumably) run down the drive and out into the street, were it not for the fence. It makes it a lot easier for SmithWife to let them play in the yard without contstantly worrying about them running off - SmithWife gets a break, and the kids get the freedom to run, explore the yard, and play without Mom or Dad having to constantly redirect them away from the swamp or street.
When we put up our privacy fence to keep the dogs in the yard, the neighbor lady took it personal. She came over to ask us if she or her family had been bothering us, or if we felt they were invading our privacy. We assured her that, no, weren’t trying to block her view, but to keep our dogs contained. (Actually, that was a bit of a lie. She’s a nosy bitch who, if she catches you outside, will keep you trapped in endless conversation.)
The thing is, it provides privacy for the neighbors as well – and on your dime, too. Unless you’ve blocked their view of a scenic vista of the grandeur of Mont Blanc, they haven’t got a real gripe. Particularly if they’re renting, in which case they might as well have six legs, for all they rate.
Well, you might have consulted with me first. Just in case I was thinking of building a similar thing. We could come to some kind of fashion agreement so I don’t end up with two different kinds of fence, or a complete fence that almost makes me happy. Maybe a gate between us? Or a shared brick barbeque on the fenceline?
Of course, if I’m a renter then I may as well have six legs for all I rate and you should indeed build a good sturdy fence to keep my ilk out of your home-ownin’ lifestyle.
