I live in a trailer in a trailer court. Everybody here rents their lots; none of the lots are owned. On one side of me lives a mean old lady (and on the other side a nice older gentleman, but that’s not germane to the topic). It’s about sixty feet from the back of my house to the front of her house, and there is a tree exactly in the middle.
So last night I’m walking the dog on my side of the tree, and the old lady comes out screaming “Get your fucking dog off my property! I’m calling the landlord! Blah blah blah!”
I asked her to define how, exactly, I was on her property. She seemed to be of the opinion that the gap between our houses is shared, so if my dog shits on any part of it she has soiled the old lady’s property, and that if the dog walks on it she is trespassing. Nay nay, say I. The property is that of the landlord; I am only charged with the upkeep of the portion of it that I rent, which is between my side of the tree and my house. If my dog shits on my side of the tree, it is my problem, not the old lady’s. FTR, my dog only shits in the woods down the street from both of our places, so dog shit isn’t really a concern.
Old Lady continue to yell obscenities at me and my dog, and threaten both of us with retribution from the landlord, while I continued to politely say “I’m done discussing this with you. Good night.” until she gave up and went inside.
Around here it’s not permissible to leave dog waste anywhere, even on your own land, because of watershed issues. But people do it anyway because they are Special Snowflakes.
I don’t see how you could possibly be in the wrong.
Well, that’s not true.
If what really happened is that she said, “Excuse me, my good man! I stepped in some dog waste yesterday when I was out walking around this tree, and I just wanted to warn you that some scoundrel is apparently letting his dog defecate on this fine community property,” and you responded by swearing up a blue streak at her while your dog relieved himself on her feet, then yeah, you’d be in the wrong.
But taking you at your word, you’re totally in the right.
She’s a crazy lady. That’s not to say some other owner isn’t letting their dog shit all over her yard, but then she should have been calmer and more coherent in telling you that.
It’s kind of impossible for any of us to tell. We didn’t see your rental agreement. The only person who can answer this is the landlord/rental agent. One quick phone call should solve all your problems, as to who’s right and who’s wrong. Should it turn out you’re right, request that they make clear to her why it’s inappropriate to accost her neighbour in this way. Also request that they give you something in writing, if they won’t approach her, just photocopy and carry it around with you, give her one if she accosts you again. Problem solved.
Be sure to smile and wave, when she’s giving you the stink eye from her trailer!
Your neighbor sounds like a lunatic.
If your dog is leaving packages on her lot, or even on what she thinks is her lot, and you’re not picking it up, then I’d say she has a right to bitch. But according to your OP that’s not the case.
“I’m done discussing this with you. Good night.” is a perfectly reasonable response, and in fact shows much more restraint than I might under the circumstances!
The way I read it, she was wrong that it’s her property. However, I don’t know that you’re allowed to leave dog crap on the common areas. In my neighborhood, you’re responsible for cleaning up your dog waste regardless of whether it’s your property, your neighbor’s, or the common area. Yeah, strays and wild animals poop all over. But you’re still responsible for cleaning up after your own dog.
(And I don’t know if you did clean up after your dog or not. I had a neighbor berate me for allowing my dog to poop in the common area even though I had clearly picked up the poop with a bag.)
Does your neighbor have a sister? Cause she lives next to me. There is a guy who walks his dogs by our houses every day. One day, his dog pooped in front of her house and he cleaned it up and dropped it in her trash can. (she didn’t bring her can in after the truck picked it up, and she usually just drags it close to her house, its not like she would have to pay more for the small baggie or smell it)
Neighbor came screaming out of her house and went all banshee on his butt. She made him get his bag of dog poop out of her precious garbage can and carry it away.
