Off-topic: Neighbor is a pain in the privets
- Subject: Off-topic: Neighbor is a pain in the privets
- From: J* Y*
- Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 22:17:46 -0400
Oh, dear. We just received a most unpleasant visit from a neighbor
regarding the privet hedge. The shrubs are on their side of the property
line, so late last fall I asked (and received) permission to trim them,
as they had become overgrown and bare-legged. Today our lawn service
finally got around to doing the pruning, cutting them down to about
5-1/2 feet before our neighbor started yelling at them to stop. This
evening he stormed up to our door and demanded to know what we were
going to do about the "damage" to his shrubs.
Unfortunately, he seems to have developed partial amnesia and swears
that he never gave me permission to touch the shrubs: "Why would I? Now
I have to look at YOUR HOUSE every day!" [because his house is uphill
from ours]. I can see into your windows! What are you going to do about
this?" Very much a line-in-the-sand attitude.
He demanded that I "restore the privets to their former height." Well,
they obviously can't be made to grow overnight, so he wants them
replaced. I said that I didn't think it was possible to find privets
that tall (who would want them that way?), but if he were to wait one
season, they would grow back to the same height. No they won't, he said.
He pointed out some dead stalks and said, "Look at these. They're dead.
These will never grow again." I patiently explained that the lawn
service didn't kill them this afternoon with the pruning; the stalks
were already long dead (these particular shrubs have never been good
specimens).
"Okay, he said, "What about the shrubs I have there [Euonymous
manhattan]." They *are* more attractive, plus they're green year-round.
We are quite willing to plant 50 feet of Euonymous shrubs, even though
it means he gets a significant upgrade over the existing
shrubs--anything to avoid more contact. But, again, I doubt that anybody
sells Euonymous that are tall enough to screen our offensive corner of
the world from his view. Any suggestions for satisfactory replacement?
Janet
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