Problem With Coal Delivery and Neighbors

Lightning wrote:You mentioned earlier in this thread that the coal delivery person has been able to work around it even though its inconvenient. Maybe that's the best its gonna get... Better to work around it than stir up more drama if cooperation isn't in the cards.

Absolutely, I just don't want to be turned down for delivery because of it. That's my biggest worry. I think the best solution here is to move the access window to the side, if it works for the coal company, and that should all but eliminate it. It's cinder block, so it shouldn't take long to create a new access window.

Not hard at all to knock a block out...good idea.

Suddenly it all makes (some) sense; these folks had been living in their side of the house with no one next door - essentially, they had the house to themselves, and now they resent having to share. I lived in a similar situation, when I bought a condo unit which had been owned by an elderly woman who spent most of her time on Cape Cod; as soon as I moved in, the downstairs neighbor started complaining about noise. It was not that I was making unreasonable noise, but that the guy was used to hearing NO noise at all and now there was some.

Hoping the side access will resolve this for you. You have my full sympathies, I have shared a roof with some real jerks over the years and it can make just living in your home exacerbating. Hopefully they will either get over it or move once they realize that you are there to stay.

One additional thought, along the line of Freddy's idea, is to find out if your coal company takes credit cards. If so, charge the three tons. You apparently have no problem paying for a month's worth at a time, just make the monthly payment to the credit card company instead. It would be worth the small amount of interest you would accrue, to have one delivery versus three. I do this in the summer when there is a discount on prices and pay it off over 3 months.

Rick

Actually, it's funny that this was brought up. A little backstory into what has transpired recently.

Over the course of the last few months, my neighbor had been picking fights with the 27 year old guy whose parents live on the other side of him (separated by a walkway). Finally the guy had enough of it and went after my neighbor. Nothing physical transpired because the guy's dad jumped between them, but later that day my neighbor went to his Jeep and pulled out a rifle and brought it in the house. The guy was sitting on his own porch at the time and the neighbor stuck his head out the door and formed a gun with his thumb and forefinger (like a child would) and goes "BANG! BANG!" in the direction of the guy.

The guy's parents called the cops because they had finally had enough of the neighbor and state cops and local cops showed up in droves due to the involvement of a gun and "threats" if you want to call them that. After the police showed up, two citations for harassment were issued to the neighbor and the guy up the street. The neighbor decided that he was going to fight his and it went to court, where he was essentially chewed apart by the judge and was told to grow up and stop instigating fights with the neighbors. He was told that the state police and local police are tired of his antics and all it's going to take is a single phone call complaining about him acting up again and he would be immediately issued another harassment fine with the possibility of jail time.

So, basically, lightening his wallet by $1200 and the installation of security cameras by the neighbor next to him appears to have taken the edge off, at least for now. Well, except for when he tried accusing me of cutting through his wall with a recip saw when we were remodeling last August. We hadn't cut a single thing and a recip saw was never even in the house during the course of remodeling, so when I challenged his accusations, he suddenly had the realization that when he moved in, his kid was helping him cut out the baseboard with a recip saw and "that must be where it's from. I should have asked him before coming to you." I mean, really, nearly a year after we moved in and remodeled, you suddenly noticed a cut in your wall when you moved the vacuum and tell me you want it fixed? - I don't think so.

So we haven't had any issues with them since that confrontation, including coal deliveries. We're just keeping our distance and minding our own. But as you can see, they still can't be trusted.

Wow I went to court two weeks ago with a visitor in our church who had a similar story minus the guns part. The visitor and her neighbor had been at each others throats for close to 20 years and she told me a story that made her sound like a total victim. I convinced the visitor to call the police on the last antic. Our visitor and her neighbor were both cited for harassment.

We got to court and that is when I discovered that the church visitor had been instigating confrontations for the last 5 years including the latest one!!! She was representing herself and you know the old adage..... A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. How about representing yourself and your not a lawyer? Does it count double then? I also found out that just this year alone they have called the police on each other 10 times, 11 counting this incident.

Basically the judge chewed them both out, dismissed the dual harassment complaints and told them the next time they appeared in front of her they would go to jail for contempt. She vowed to have her neighbor put in jail. I wished her good luck and decided that it would be best to let these two figure out how they are going to get along....or not.

Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.

What nice folks....I well placed load of pig manure and a LARGE fan would complicate the issue a little more, I suppose........just trying to be helpful.....

I guess these types are everywhere, Larry. The best part yet was that after this guy was cited and he got done accusing me of damaging his wall, he told me that all the stuff that went on was "nothing personal." Delusional doesn't even begin to describe it.

I think we also drove the point home that we're not going anywhere by erecting a large wooden swing set and installing a nice, comforting fire pit to relax around in the yard.

I don't think manure and a fan would bother these people, considering they let their dog crap all over the yard until the woman's kids come for their visitation, and then have them clean it up, put it in a garbage bag, and let it bake in the sun for weeks at a time. I'm sure you can imagine the smell.

MarkG wrote:I think we also drove the point home that we're not going anywhere by erecting a large wooden swing set and installing a nice, comforting fire pit to relax around in the yard.

What is it with people and fire pits?

We live in a fairly low spot with several acres of wetland out behind the house. When certain neighbors would use their fire pit, no matter which way the wind was blowing the smoke would settle over the wetland and choke the frogs and come in all my windows and choke me. Don't ask me how Mother Nature does that, I guess the wind just mixed everything around rather than taking it away. Anyhow after I complained fairly nicely, they cut down their usage a lot. Also they left the fire smoldering all night a few times, which is a big no-no with the Forest Service, so they had the ranger coming down on them too. Finally they moved away.

So please, think about who else is getting your smoke while you toast your wiener and roast your nuts in front of the flames.

We don't use it very often. A 3-year old leaves little opportunity to do any relaxing

However, the part of town we live in almost ALWAYS smells like wood burning because most yards have one. We are close to the borough line where the township bordering us is permitted to burn garbage, so it also almost always smells like burning garbage. We made it a point to talk to neighbors in passing to just let them know that if it bothers them, they can always let us know. When we do use it, it's never burning big, either. We try to burn hardwoods that don't smoke a lot and will NEVER leave a fire smoldering at night. That's just downright dangerous. We really do try to be mindful and respectful in everything we do.

I'm not sure where you live but look for an Italian bar. Go there and explain your problem to the bartender. He will most likely have a fellow contact you to resolve the problem. Might cost you a few bucsk but it will take care of ALL the mess. Then in the future your neighbor will probably help you unload the coal and take the ashes out. Just kidden but it might be worth a try. Good luck to you.

Having lived next to a few butt heads who wanted to use/control my property or worse I feel for you.

That being said my first thought was a screw gun used to enhance the traction of his tires might give him enough traction to park in his own drive. I think nice neighborly assistance would have him parking more carefully.

I think I would pursue the driveway long term to give you good access. Short term I would park a trailer in that spot a day or two before delivery and would cut a second and possibly a third access point into the coal bin so it will be hard/impossible for him to block all of them.

Mostly think your way out of it and live your life.

SD

Mark I believe Roy Manbeck from Frackville or St. Clair has a Long Conveyor for deliveries .I saw this fellow run the conveyor from the street .Must have been at least20 feet or more .Im in Allentown ares area but I did see this .Roy is worth a call jack

the solution to this problem is hire a good real estate lawyer. it will cost you around $450 to have the deeds and driveway permits investigated at the city, township, county courthouse by the lawyer. he will then send a letter to the neighbor, warning him to not block your driveway. next time it happens, you sue him for harassment in court. that's a shot across the bow. if property has a driveway permit, he can't block it, period, otherwise you can have his car towed at his expense, and put up a sign stating such. after he pays $500 to defend against the harassment suit, and another $75-$100 every time his car get towed, he'll get the message.

another option is, have the coal chute installed elsewhere, or get an outdoor coal shed put elsewhere.

another option, put a driveway there, if you already don't have one, and apply for/get a driveway permit- then he definitely CAN'T block it.

the best option is, move. there's a lot of better places to live. who needs that yearly hassle trying to get coal delivered.

I'd not sell it to him, I'd tell him for you, it's not for sale. and sell it to someone else.

I will add that just because things settled down for a few weeks does not mean anything has changed! He is who he is and you need to fix this so he can't block you ever again. (He will find something else, but you will at least be warm!)

This period of calm is gives you time to get your house in order. I would get a driveway permit and have the curb cut. Not sure if putting down gravel as a "temp" driveway would work there, but I would look into it. Should not be any reason to even point it out to him or anything, just start parking there once in a while. If he blocks you in put a nice please don't block my driveway note under his wiper and go on you way.

Either way during this calm box him in legally and get your ducks in a row or you will be in the same place next winter when he decides to show his azz again.

SD