Deal With Your Neighbour's Unsightly Property

An unsightly property with anti-social neighbours can devalue your own home and pose a health risk. Here are some steps you can take to deal with a neighbour's unsightly property.

Steps

 * 1) [[Image:Unsightly3.png|160px|thumb|right]] Evaluate the situation. Use a pad and paper to write down your objective answers to these questions:
 * 2) * What exactly is the problem? Do not say "My neighbour is a slob and a jerk." Stick to the facts. "My neighbour's lawn is two feet tall, they don't clean up after their seven dogs and I smell the results every day, and the litter they throw on the ground keeps blowing into my yard and getting caught in my rose bushes."
 * 3) * What effect does it have on you? Focus on the conditions you must tolerate and take time to resolve because of their lack of consideration: "I have to spend 10 minutes a day picking used tissues and ice cream wrappers out of my rose bush."
 * 4) * What would you like to happen in order to resolve the situation? Be reasonable. Don't expect your neighbour(s) to move away. Name conditions you'd like to see in order to make the situation tolerable, not ideal: "I'm not expecting them to have a bright, green lawn and blooming rose bushes; but I would like to avoid having garbage blown onto mine."
 * 5) [[Image:Unsightly2.png|160px|thumb|right]] Approach your neighbours. Give them the benefit of the doubt by addressing the matter face to face. They might not realize how upset you are by the way they keep their property. If you feel intimidated by your neighbours, take a partner, friend or another neighbour with you. Be as courteous and polite as possible. Instead of saying "Your yard is a terrible mess," say "I've noticed you've got extra stuff lying around. Do you need any help getting rid of it? I know of an affordable debris removal service in town..." Avoid a confrontation as best as you can. If you feel at all threatened at any point, walk away.
 * 6) [[Image:Unsightly4.png|160px|thumb|right]]Take notes. Record the details of your conversation. What did you say? How did the neighbour respond? Were they cooperative, or did they slam the door in your face? Did they agree to resolve the situation? How soon did they say they would fix the problem? This is a crucial step for if this becomes a serious issue down the line. Knowing when you first addressed the matter and how the conversation transpired will help if you eventually have to bring the matter to local authorities as a formal complaint.
 * 7) Write a letter. If a talking face-to-face didn't work out so well, or your neighbour promised to clean up the property and never did, try writing a letter. It might sound formal, but it's a non-aggressive way to remind the person that you are still concerned and that the problem persists. In the letter, describe the situation as you did in Step 1. Date the letter, make a copy for your records, and send it off.
 * 8) [[Image:Unsightly7.png|160px|thumb|right]] Take photographs of the unsightly property to back up your claims. Be quiet and discreet when doing this, as the neighbours might interpret this as some kind of personal attack and become even less cooperative. Whatever you do, don't cross into their property to take photos--it's illegal. If their property is unsightly enough, you should be able to see the effects from your house. Store the photos with the dates marked of when you took them and a brief description of the problem.
 * 9)  [[Image:Unsightly9.png|160px|thumb|right]]Contact the Local Authorities. Get the contact information for local or municipal authorities from your phone book. Also, some neighborhoods may have a homeowners association that is charged with enforcing rules for the upkeep of properties in the area. You can contact them as well to help with your complaint.
 * 10) * State that you would like to make a complaint against your neighbour, and provide as many details as possible.
 * 11) *Please note that if there are animals not being properly taken care of, that this also extends into the realm of neglect/abuse and animal control should be contacted.
 * 12) *Explain the problem and your concerns, which you should have written down.
 * 13) *[[Image:Unsightly10.png|160px|thumb|right]]After placing a complaint, you are likely to receive a visit from a relevant local authority officer who will assess the situation. They might also visit your neighbour and give them notice that a complaint has been made against them.

Tips

 * If your neighbour rents their property, they may have terms in their lease which require them to maintain a reasonable level of tidiness. Contact their landlord and discuss the situation with them. In the UK, you can find out who owns a property from the Land Registry, for a small fee. In the US, you can find out who owns a property from your county's assessor (many counties are now searchable online for free).
 * If the Local Authority officer cannot resolve the problem informally, the Local Authority may decide to issue your neighbour with a notice to clean up the litter. If your neighbour refuses to comply with this then they might face prosecution and/or a fine, depending on the jurisdiction you live in.
 * In the UK, the relevant local authority contact will be the Environmental Health Department. You will probably receive a visit from an Environmental Health Officer in this case. Such an officer  can issue a Litter Clearing Notice.
 * You will need to read the local regulations to ascertain the procedures more clearly in your jurisdiction.
 * If your neighbor is elderly they may have physical troubles with lawn upkeep and may be embarrassed about losing their mobility. Offer to lend a hand!
 * If you live in an apartment consider using frosted contact film inside your windows. This way you still receive sunlight but are spared the unsightly views.
 * With some neighbors, it might just be wise to file a complaint with your homeowner association or local government. Let's face it, not everybody lives in Mayberry where all neighbors are friendly.  The authorities do exist in part to handle these types of problems, after all.
 * If you approach your neighbor and the response is negative, you lose the ability to file an anonymous report. Also, if another neighbor files a report, you could receive the blame.  If you have the sort of neighbor who needs the local authorities to enforce a clean yard, this is likely not someone you want to upset.  Sometimes to keep peace with a neighbor, you simply need the power of anonymity.
 * In the US, in many cities, there are laws in place to deal with this. However, if you file an anonymous report with the police, they probably won't do anything about the situation, unless many people have filed such reports. You may get rapid action if laws are being violated. In most municipalities, for example, it is illegal to own more than three dogs, unless some are puppies or the building is a licensed kennel. If the neighbor is a bully, and you don't want to be slapped silly, consider going to the ASPCA or to the local television station.
 * One way of staying anonymous is to make your report through the office of your City Councilman or Alderman. They can pass along the complaint, and keep your name out of it.

Warnings

 * There is a technical difference between neighbors who are "anti-social" and neighbors who are "unsociable". Anti-social neighbors could pose a danger to you if provoked. If possible, assess the temperament of your neighbor before you make their property an issue with them. If you think your neighbor might be dangerous, work with local authorities to keep yourself and your neighborhood safe.
 * Consider the risk/benefit ratio. It is often better to have a good relationship with your neighbor than to force him to maintain his property to your liking.  If you start a conflict with your neighbor over his overgrown lawn, he might meekly mow his lawn...or he might vandalize your house, have his kids beat up your kids, or just look the other way when someone burglarizes your house someday.  Keep the peace whenever possible!

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Be a Good Neighbour
 * How to Deal With Nosy Neighbors
 * How to Deal With a Noisy Neighbour
 * How to Deal With Impossible People
 * How to Be a Good Roommate

Sources and Citations

 * VideoJug A video on dealing with a neighbour's unsightly property. Shared with permission.