Advice? Neighbor's Yard Full of Trash
Last fall my neighbor (who owns and rents out 2 brownstones next to each other) cut down a veritable jungle of trees in her backyard–revealing a pile of trash underneath that has been a stubborn eyesore ever since. I miss the trees, hate the garbage, and am wondering: how do I get her to move…
Last fall my neighbor (who owns and rents out 2 brownstones next to each other) cut down a veritable jungle of trees in her backyard–revealing a pile of trash underneath that has been a stubborn eyesore ever since. I miss the trees, hate the garbage, and am wondering: how do I get her to move the garbage? And is there a way to turn this to my advantage, e.g., offer to clean it up myself in exchange for the right to use some of her yard–since she’s clearly not using it? What’s the etiquette of asking her to clean her yard and asking if she’s interested in “sharing” it in exchange for maintenance?
You don’t. Really, mind your own business. Plant fast growing bamboo, your own trees, etc. You moved to an urban area, part of the experience. Sorry it has not gentrified fast enough for you.
I DISAGREE: I’m starting to think we are neighbors! You just described the view from our house.
HOOSIER: Somehow I think it’s unlikely that you’d stand a snowball’s chance in hell of gaining access to a neighbor’s backyard. Regardless of the neglect, most people just don’t want to give up their territory. Since one of my neighbors is a chronic offender, I’ve considered using the old rat scare tactic. As in, “I saw rats going in and out of your pile of …. (fill in the blank)” with the naive hope it might motivate a clean up.
From the photo, it looks like an amount and type of trash that is an eyesore but far from a health risk. The best you can do is offer to help bag it up if she’s willing to give you access. I don’t think it is reasonable to ask for use of the yard in exchange. And asking for use may make her less interested in agreeing to have you help clean up, which would be moving in the wrong direction.
I’m very grateful that my neighbors have been supportive over the past couple years as I’ve slowly made progress on my back yard which is very visible from their houses and hasn’t always been in perfect repair.
I’d focus on fixing your own view. If it is from windows, install blinds or curtains that filter in light, but obscure views, and don’t look down.
If you have a yard next to hers, or a deck overlooking, shield your view with bamboo or some similar type fencing.
wait, does she live in either of the houses? if not, and those yards are leased out, you probably have to live with it unless you can get the tenants to agree. but i’d start with the tenants, who may not care, and then she probably won’t care either.
as an aside, don’t feel too bad if you can’t get any traction, cuz it could be worse – way worse. in the yards surrounding mine, i have something akin to your picture, with about 3x the trash, 3 broken fences, concrete fill that is breaking apart in tectonic chunks, knotweed taking over, and a woody mess of old vines and splintered, dead branches of trees that were half-killed by wisteria and then trashed by the tornado. plus three yards that are now mainly used as dog runs, with all that implies.
I’d take @northofditmas’s advice as a fair warning of what you might encounter when you do talk to your neighbor. Some people think it is none of your business.
They may well be amenable to a trade of some sort. I’d at least go to them and say “hey, we’re planning some planting and would love to create a beautiful space out back that everyone can share in” and see where that takes you.
Some people are nuts, some people just don’t really have the time or the vision to do their yard up right and they run out of steam. Or they think they want a lawn, find out what sod will cost and give up instead of trying to make something work.
Realize that they might have high hopes for their own green thumb, so you want to leave them a way to let you clean up the yard and green it without closing the door to their own vision of planting some micro Versailles out there.
For the most part your neighbor’s yard is considered none of your business. If you want to get rid of the trash, the best approach is to tell your neighbor you are getting a dumpster for yourself and ask if you want to throw their trash in it since you will have extra space. You pay for it and do the work yourself and the eyesore is gone. You do not ask to use your neighbor’s yard in exchange.
Lots of people don’t know that fall is a great time to plant so maybe she just put it off and now that it’s spring she’ll finish the clean up and plant on her own. How do the brownstones look? Does she stay on top of things, or is trash in the backyard sort of par for the course? I think I’d try to get her into a conversation and then see if I could work it around to gardening and her plans for the backyard. People get really weird and defensive when it comes to their houses, so I’d tread lightly. I think part of the problem is that anyone who would have piles of trash in their backyard is probably a little wacky to begin with. I’m paranoid about having hostile neighbors, so I let a lot of things slide that I probably shouldn’t, like my neighbor’s really annoying, yapping dog.
That’s a nice solution. I am curious to hear if there are any options with the city too given sanitation concerns. My neighbors’ backyard has a shed constructed of scraps that I would love to see disappear!