We became neighbours 15 years ago.
We share a 280 foot property line.
Up till several weeks a go I thought we were getting along adequately. Not like we were friends, but our conversations were friendly.
Three years ago the fence between us was blown down in several sections. We talked about getting together and sharing the burden to replace it but neither of us was in a hurry. We talked about the fence several times since then, because I wanted to ensure him I was ready and willing. “No hurry” and I was okay with that especially since the loss of privacy affected him way more than me since his house and and main land use was at one end where most of the fence was blown down.
Several months ago I saw him digging post holes and laying in posts. He had already cut down a 10 inch diam tree leaving a post which he skinned and tore down a windscreen on my property that was connected to the old fence for a mid lot corner garden. He said he decided to go ahead in one section and by the way , the property line was really several more inches into my side. “How do you figure that when there are conifers all over the line” I said. . “Triangulation” he trumpeted. I happened to have started out my working life as a surveyor, and I know given the obstacles he was either full of shit or clueless. I didn’t object , because I’m not going to make a stink over a couple of inches.
I then asked him What kind of fence was he putting up. It wasn’t a good neighbour fence with alternating boards on both sides, but I was getting the shitty side. “Oh well” I said. "I can put up planks on my side.
" Thats not right because , I’m paying for this fence" he said.
I walked away, because I felt kind of lucky anyway that this idiot was willing to pay for the entire fence to have it his way.
Several days later I noticed he had pulled the posts he placed, cut down a wack of conifers and was able run an offset line from pin to pin. He informed me he wanted to ensure a straight line and due to keeping some tall hedge type shrubery at the back of our lots where there never was a fence he was setting the posts two inches into his property.
“And by the way the existing fence is two inches into your property”. He said.
Several weeks later as he was placing a post right across from my patio door I mentioned that soon I could take down my fence. I had been using a section of it for a 7 foot wide dog run which we rarely used.
“YOUR NOT USING MY FENCE FOR A DOGGIE RUN” He bleated
I was stunned. It all became clear to me. He wanted nothing to do with me. I paused and then I abruptly walked way. He jumped the shark I think they call it.
Two years he planned for this private fence, going into the bush and pulling out fence logs, stripping the bark and seasoning them on the other side of his house.
He let me believe we were going to share in the fence. He destroyed my tree and my corner garden in order to achieve his ends and I merrily went along and let him. Fuck him
Two weeks ago as I began to strip my fencing, he approached me and asked me if I needed any boards. I looked at him silently and he blurted he didn’t want to be enemies . Fine I said, and I mentioned that I wanted to attach boards along the bottom of his posts so that my lawn tractor would bump into his posts and my weed trimmer wouldn’t damage the protective finish on his posts. My other agenda was to be able to ensure that my dogs couldn’t crawl under his fence.
He said it was up to his wife but she might not go for it.
What ever, as I really didn’t care and I was testing.
Several days later I got a note through the fence. " Sorry, Keep your “improvements”(sic) on your side.
I shoved the note back
In the meantime, I learned that I had 3 healthy pressure treated fence posts opposite my patio door which up till that point only had a four step staircase outside the door. I began to construct a landing with these fence posts. At the point where I just layed my floor planks my neighbour inserted another note
“NO WAY. kEEP IT LEGAL !”
Setbacks are 5.75 feet and my house is 7 feet back so even my old staircase is not in compliance. My neighbours carport eve is about 3 feet from the fence but he may have a variance.
Anyway, I walked up to his door to reason with him. I asked him what was bothering him about the patio door landing. He said it was an eye sore. I asked him how that was given he can’t see through the fence.
At this point he blew up and screamed for me to get the hell off his property. I looked silently at him with a quizzical expression and then he screamed at me that he would kick the shit out of me.
I looked at him and every fiber of my being wanted to laugh
“Go for it” I said with a smile, knowing it wasn’t going to happen, and even if it did, I actually would enjoy this.
After blurting he was going to call the cops and slamming the door behind him I walked away. I feel real good .
But as of this posting, I’m still feeling the adrenilin
I’m going to have that landing. I’ve put the project on hold to satisfy my wife until we get a variance ($250) from the regional district, “to make it legal”. Failing that I’ll find some way, even if the patio door landing has to be a box on wheels.