ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 6, 2008 9:16:18 GMT -5
So my next door neighbor is a nice enough guy, has his hands full with a full time job and two young energetic kids and I'm sure he doesn't want to be an eyesore in the neighborhood....but lawn cutting is just always too low on his priority list.
Currently, the lawn has weeds taking over that have grown to over a foot in height. It's really starting to become a bother.
His other next door neighbor has, in the past, taped a copy of the borough's ordinance to his door to prompt him to cut his lawn. That hasn't worked.
What should we do?
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Post by admin on Jun 6, 2008 9:35:02 GMT -5
What I would do.
You mention that he appears to be a decent person with no ill will. I am sure that many people will agree with me that it is not wise to start a war with a neighbor unless it is absolutely necesary. The persons attitude and response to my concerns would dictate how far I would go.
If you and other nieghbors have expressed concerns with no results, then there is little choice but to go to a higher level. Just remember when approaching your neighbor, never do anything to embarrass, harrass, or put someone down.
If that fails, I would call code enforcement and see if they could give the guy a visit and a warning. Once a summons is issued, there is no going back and bad blood will be present.
If a warning fails, then I would seek a summons. In the end, you and your family have every right to a reasonable quality of life which should include reasonable stadards from all of your neighbors.
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 6, 2008 9:44:39 GMT -5
Yea, I didn't agree with the whole taping the ordinance on his door thing. If someone did that to me rather than just come up to me and talk, I would be pissed off.
Still, you are right that we should be able to expect our neighbors to keep their yards in reasonably good condition.
I might just ask the town to send a code enforcement officer to my street and let him pick out the offenders himself. I really don't want to get anyone in trouble.
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Post by admin on Jun 6, 2008 9:49:19 GMT -5
The taping of the ordinance to the door is not the best way. It reminds me of a couple of years ago when someone taped a note on my mothers door complaining about her wind chimes. My mother is reasonable and would have taken them down anyway. Turns out the complainer was a stripper!
I am with you, not into getting people into trouble. Someone really has to push my buttons for that.
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 6, 2008 10:06:43 GMT -5
Turns out the complainer was a stripper! 
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Post by admin on Jun 6, 2008 10:22:11 GMT -5
Turns out the complainer was a stripper! I was talking about people who strip floors fof a living. What were you thinking? Just kidding. |
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Post by admin on Jun 6, 2008 10:24:47 GMT -5
I might just ask the town to send a code enforcement officer to my street and let him pick out the offenders himself. I really don't want to get anyone in trouble. Good luck! We've been hoping code enforcement would notice this for the last few weeks:  Maybe when the bottom of the window falls off completely it will get someone's attention.  This is why I am such a strong advocate for a public rental board such as the revised mdrb. There is no good reason why complaints like this shouldn't be handled in a timely fashion. Be it neighbors, tenants or landlords, we need a place to go where these issues are being aggressively dealt with and complaints are handled better. |
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 6, 2008 10:25:02 GMT -5
Turns out the complainer was a stripper! I was talking about people who strip floors fof a living. What were you thinking? Just kidding. LOL Myyyyyyy bad |
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 6, 2008 10:36:06 GMT -5
Cheryl:
Can you email me or call me with the address of this property and I'll have it taken care of? stffgpr2003@yahoo.com or 732-866-4077. Thanks!
Marc
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 6, 2008 10:39:45 GMT -5
Or is that KA19's post (the neighbor w/ the window?). By the way...KA (I know who you are. LOL!!) We never did catch up with one another since before Memorial Day - call me (732-866-4077).
Marc
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 6, 2008 10:41:30 GMT -5
KA -
Call or email me with the address w/ the high grass and I'll take care of it. We just got a landlord on Barkalow for the same thing.
Marc
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leelye
Junior Member
Posts: 150
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Post by leelye on Jun 6, 2008 11:37:00 GMT -5
Good luck! We've been hoping code enforcement would notice this for the last few weeks: Maybe when the bottom of the window falls off completely it will get someone's attention. This is why I am such a strong advocate for a public rental board such as the revised mdrb. There is no good reason why complaints like this shouldn't be handled in a timely fashion. Be it neighbors, tenants or landlords, we need a place to go where these issues are being aggressively dealt with and complaints are handled better. Is this eyesore located on the corner of Manalapan Ave and W George St ?? If it is, it's owned by another elite Wall Twp Police Officer AKA Slumlord !! Go figure !! |
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Post by admin on Jun 6, 2008 11:53:16 GMT -5
Cheryl and Ka19,
Keep us all informed as to what happens. Seeing the follow through would be good to see here.
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Post by admin on Jun 6, 2008 12:18:38 GMT -5
Is this eyesore located on the corner of Manalapan Ave and W George St ?? Yes, indeedy. Here's our "priceless" view of the roof of the same rental property:     real nice pics! I will wager that with a mild wind churning, some of those roof tiles wind up in neighbors yards. |
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leelye
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Posts: 150
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Post by leelye on Jun 6, 2008 12:22:46 GMT -5
Is this eyesore located on the corner of Manalapan Ave and W George St ?? Yes, indeedy. Here's our "priceless" view of the roof of the same rental property: What a disgrace !! Insurance Agents shouldn't be allowed to insure or renew a policy home unless they come out and do a complete inspection of the property !! My sister had to replace her roof before the Insurance Company would renew her Homeowner's Policy. Does anyone know if Landlords are required to provide Homeowner's/Landlord's Insurance information when they fill out their Landlord Registration Forms? This info should be provided or at least Code Enforcement should put the Owner on notice to correct the problem !! |
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Post by novillero on Jun 6, 2008 12:36:00 GMT -5
This guy is probably screwing himself by letting his house get into this condition. The windows look like they let water in, and the roof is obviously in shoddy condition.
But is letting your house deteriorate something that code enforcement can come and take care of? If it's not a C.O. violation, is this something that can be fixed by code workers?
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leelye
Junior Member
Posts: 150
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Post by leelye on Jun 6, 2008 12:49:10 GMT -5
This guy is probably screwing himself by letting his house get into this condition. The windows look like they let water in, and the roof is obviously in shoddy condition. But is letting your house deteriorate something that code enforcement can come and take care of? If it's not a C.O. violation, is this something that can be fixed by code workers? Nov, It may not be a Code Enforcement violation, but deferred maintenance on a residence is a Freehold Borough issue that Mayor and Council may want to look into as it does DRIVE down the price of neighborhood real estate and give Freehold Borough the negative image it does not want to have. I'm sorry, when a person is sworn to uphold the law, like the owner of this residence is, he should be held accountable for the real estate he's investing in as well !! If a Judge in Asbury Park can send the former town historian to jail for 30 days for not fixing his porch.....!! |
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Post by novillero on Jun 6, 2008 13:05:47 GMT -5
This guy is probably screwing himself by letting his house get into this condition. The windows look like they let water in, and the roof is obviously in shoddy condition. But is letting your house deteriorate something that code enforcement can come and take care of? If it's not a C.O. violation, is this something that can be fixed by code workers? Nov, It may not be a Code Enforcement violation, but deferred maintenance on a residence is a Freehold Borough issue that Mayor and Council may want to look into as it does DRIVE down the price of neighborhood real estate and give Freehold Borough the negative image it does not want to have. I'm sorry, when a person is sworn to uphold the law, like the owner of this residence is, he should be held accountable for the real estate he's investing in as well !! If a Judge in Asbury Park can send the former town historian to jail for 30 days for not fixing his porch.....!! oh I agree with everyone's sentiments. it doesn't make any sense to me that a landowner let's their property to fall into disrepair so badly. Granted these people may not care for others, but they probably do care very much for themselves... and letting their investment go down the drain makes no sense... but I only one one property so what the heck do I know! What's more is that window isn't that big of a job, but when you start getting water in, the water moves down the wall, things start rotting, mold starts... It's cheaper to fix it when you first see it, then waiting... In my opinion, it's either stupidity or greed (perhaps ignorance, in which code enforcement is doing the property owner a favor by informing the owner...) As to the law... I have no idea what code enforcement can or can't do. Since Code Enf. is supposed to look for it, it must affect the CO, right? somehow... That's interesting that they are supposed to look for it at their yearly inspections. |
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 6, 2008 13:10:56 GMT -5
We'll all know those answers very soon. I made a complaint to Hank Stryker and have requested an update, asap. Cheryl and I are already corresponding behind the scenes and I'll keep her updated on this. She will do the same on her end. Believe me, I am very unhappy when our residents are unhappy. I promise to always do my very best to help, however I can.
This kind of crap doesn't sit well with me. Recently, I reported the landlord next door for tall grass. He got smart and bought a lawnmower for his tenants and fired his landscaper. Duh!!! It must have taken alot of thought to reach that decision.
Please report anything you think is a possible violation directly to me 24/7. That's right - ANY HOUR. If I'm not home leave a message on my phone or send me an email. In an emergency - my cell number is 732-492-9726. Just ask Joan Kress if she knows what color my pajamas are! I've been over at her house at all hours dealing straight up with loud music complaints, etc.
Marc
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 6, 2008 13:46:05 GMT -5
ka19, sorry for the thread cr@p and best of luck... the grass is always greener on the other side of town.... or something... especially when it really is about grass! Cheryl, no need to apologize! I admit that my neighbor's wild lawn is a relatively minor concern, but the more important thing about this thread is hopefully we can figure out how to make sure that minimum standards are enforced around town. |
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 6, 2008 14:19:35 GMT -5
We'll all know those answers very soon. I made a complaint to Hank Stryker and have requested an update, asap. Cheryl and I are already corresponding behind the scenes and I'll keep her updated on this. She will do the same on her end. Believe me, I am very unhappy when our residents are unhappy. I promise to always do my very best to help, however I can. This kind of crap doesn't sit well with me. Recently, I reported the landlord next door for tall grass. He got smart and bought a lawnmower for his tenants and fired his landscaper. Duh!!! It must have taken alot of thought to reach that decision. Please report anything you think is a possible violation directly to me 24/7. That's right - ANY HOUR. If I'm not home leave a message on my phone or send me an email. In an emergency - my cell number is 732-492-9726. Just ask Joan Kress if she knows what color my pajamas are! I've been over at her house at all hours dealing straight up with loud music complaints, etc. Marc Are we lucky to have this guy, or what?  |
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Post by admin on Jun 9, 2008 11:29:39 GMT -5
Ka19 and Cheryl,
I know this thread is only a couple of days old, but has there been any further movement in resolving these issue that you town have brought up?
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 9, 2008 11:31:14 GMT -5
Nah, still a mess. Although I did notice him working on his mower yesterday evening so maybe it's finally on his radar.
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Post by admin on Jun 9, 2008 11:39:46 GMT -5
Nah, still a mess. Although I did notice him working on his mower yesterday evening so maybe it's finally on his radar. If he doen't get that mower running, maybe we can all pitch in and buy him some sheep to eat the grass. |
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 9, 2008 13:21:27 GMT -5
I am still waiting to hear back from the code department on the situations brought to my attention on Friday. I wasn't expecting much to happen over the weekend.
As promised, I will advise (whatever I can) on this as soon as I am better informed on the matter.
Marc
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adefonzo
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If I can see further than some, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants
Posts: 308
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Post by adefonzo on Jun 9, 2008 14:12:02 GMT -5
Nah, still a mess. Although I did notice him working on his mower yesterday evening so maybe it's finally on his radar. If he doen't get that mower running, maybe we can all pitch in and buy him some sheep to eat the grass. Just read through this thread, and I have to ask a question of Ka19...has anyone on your block offered to help the guy out and maybe offer to mow the lawn for him? Maybe I am living with a euphoric sense of "community" but if your neighbor really is a "nice enough guy" who "has his hands full with a full time job and two young energetic kids"...maybe a sense of community and neighborly sentiment should have prompted someone to help the guy out and offer to mow his lawn before it got to it's current condition?? I know there have been times when I have mowed my neighbors lawn simply because I was mowing mine, and it didn't take any real extra effort to help her out with hers. Certainly during the winter months, on those rare occassions when we get a snowfall, I am out there with my snowblower helping out the neighbors, and one of my other neighbors who has a plow on his pick-up helped me out by pulling snow off of driveways into the street, then I went in and cleaned up what was left behind. We didn't plan this in advance...we didn't go to our neighbors and tell them that we would do this for them because they were making the block look bad...and we certainly didn't look for thanks or recognition when the work was done. Again...maybe I am just living in a euphoric world...but I was raised to believe that a sense of community doesn't mean you take care of your little plot of land and then report your neighbors when their place isn't looking up to snuff. Being part of a community means helping out your fellow homeowners for the betterment of the whole block, neighborhood, community. Now...having said that...I will also say this...my feelings extend to homeowners who are living in their homes, but can't seem to find the time, or are unable to keep up with their property. Absentee landlords, renters who could care less about where they are living, and any other such circumstances do not apply. People who do not wish to be part of the community do not deserve the benefits of being part of that community. Ka19, you said the guy is a nice guy, and alluded to the idea that he might just be overburdened with raising 2 kids while having a full time job. If that's the case...I would certainly consider this an opportunity to create a sense of community...offer to help the guy out, don't look for the town to come down on and deal with the problem. |
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 9, 2008 15:36:39 GMT -5
This is an excellent post and I congratulate Andrew for posting it. Further, I commend him for making everyone aware that we can all "lift a finger" to help a deserving neighbor, who may regard his or her neighbors, but has difficulty keeping up with property maintenance from time to time (but not chronically). Offering to help others is ALWAYS the best way to approach situations, such as the one KA19 describled.
You have to know who your neighbors are and understand their situation to know whether or not you can accommodate them. On the one hand, if you are going to be a property owner and live among other people, you must do your part to insure the good quality of life of others. If you can't cut the lawn, lawn services are available and so are handymen who cut grass. Most Boro lawns are not so large that the expense is prohibitive.
On the other hand, we have many young families and older homeowners that are strapped for time and cash, who could use a helping hand getting their yardwork done. If they are, otherwise, decent neighbors that are having a difficult time of it, why not lend a hand? This is what we want our new Neighborhood Pride Program to encourage - helping one another out with routine exterior maintenance issues, while getting to know their neighbors better.
A call to code enforcement always remains and option for on-going non compliance issues and when there is a general lack of attention to positive neighborhood outreach. Code enforcement should never be used as a weapon between two neighbors in a personal dispute (there is mediation for that purpose), but rather as a means to gain compliance when people are deliberately uncooperative and when their actions and inactions negatively effect quality of life and/or create potential hazards.
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ka19
Junior Member
Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 9, 2008 15:46:26 GMT -5
Good post Andrew, and I totally agree with you in principle. I, for one, do not mow my own lawn. We pay a service to have it done, as does much of my street, including all of his immediate neighbors.
Like I said a couple of times, I really do not wish to see any residential owner get fined, without plenty of chances. Anyone can call code enforcement. I started this thread to get suggestions on the best way to actually deal with the neighbor.
I like your idea of mowing it for him, but I sure as heck won't pay my guy to mow my neighbor's lawn. I have my own problems, you know?
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adefonzo
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If I can see further than some, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants
Posts: 308
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Post by adefonzo on Jun 9, 2008 20:12:19 GMT -5
I thank you for the kind words, Marc...and I echo your sentiments as well.
Ka19...since you and your neighbors all have your lawns done by a service, have any of you approached your neighbor and mentioned the idea to him?
Heck, I would even go so far as to pool all of your neighbors together, pick one service for all your homes, and then barter a better rate from the landscaping company!!! This would make it easier on all of you, and make it more of a possibility for your neighbor as well (if financial restrictions are one of his concerns)
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ka19
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Posts: 356
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Post by ka19 on Jun 9, 2008 22:42:12 GMT -5
I thank you for the kind words, Marc...and I echo your sentiments as well. Ka19...since you and your neighbors all have your lawns done by a service, have any of you approached your neighbor and mentioned the idea to him? Heck, I would even go so far as to pool all of your neighbors together, pick one service for all your homes, and then barter a better rate from the landscaping company!!! This would make it easier on all of you, and make it more of a possibility for your neighbor as well (if financial restrictions are one of his concerns) That's actually a great idea. I'm sure everyone would be happy to go with the lowest bidder. |
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