I live in a suburban subdivision in Baton Rouge. One of our neighbors does not take care of their lawn. Everyone elses lawns are well maintained and look nice. These people mow their lawn with a weedwacker. How should we tactfully get them to get up to speed, They look a little trashy in comparison to the rest of our lawns.
2007-05-22 05:13:03 · 26 answers · asked by qrispont 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
If it bothers you so much, you go cut it.
2007-05-22 05:16:26 · answer #1 · answered by Alice K 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
I would hope that talking to them may solve the problem but I am afriad they may get defensive and cause you even more grief. I would suggest going about it tactfully. Is there a reason they can not keep up the lawn? Is it possible they have an extenuating circumstance that makes lawn care difficult/ (physical ailment, not right equipment?) Is this something the neighbors could possibly assist with? Perhaps take turns mowing their lawn for them or allowing them to borrow the proper tools?
How about organizing a committee for yard of the month? Perhaps some additional community pride will kick them into gear.
Perhaps a flier distributed to all neighbors outlining the importance of keeping the community aethetically pleasing and the benefits of doing so. Add in there suggestions on watering, frequency of mowing, edging, etc. Distributing it to all neighbors will ensure one is not singled out and embarassed.
2007-05-22 05:22:08 · answer #2 · answered by Mistress Kat 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You said they mow their lawn with a weedwacker? So it's not that they ignore it completely, it's just the manner in which they maintain their lawn lacks skill and style. Have you considered they may have not been raised somewhere they had to take care of a lawn? Maybe they just dont have the time. There's even the possibility that they dont have the money to hire someone with the know-how, or they can't afford proper manuers or chemical treatments.
If it means that much to you, maybe offer assistance and teach them some tricks and give creative ideas. Do it in a nice way, maybe conveying you're interested in corroborating with them as opposed to condemning them.
2007-05-22 05:40:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have a neighborhood association? If so, you could have the assoc. write a tasteful note explaining that it would be appreciated if they could keep their yard up.
If no assoc., then you could write a note yourself. Remember that you catch more flies with sugar than salt. It could mention that all of the neighbors feel that they keep their yards maintaned and it would be appreciated if they could do the same. You could offer, (if you will follow through), to maintain their front yard for them, even if you tell them you will charge them a set amount to do so. OR include the name and number of some local yard guys and some approximate rates for their services. Eitehr way, don't come off as attacking them fromt he start, just explain that you and the other neighbors feel that since you keep your yards up, it isn't fair that their unkept yard brings down the value of your home and makes it the neighborhood look bad.
Maybe the reason it isn't well kept is because they don't have a lawnmower! How will you know if you don't talk to them.
Or you could use good southern hospitality and walk over with a big plate of brownies, etc, and start a conversation about the matter. Either way, if no one says anything, it's very unlikely to change. But if something gets said, maybe things could change for the better!
Good luck!
2007-05-22 05:22:01 · answer #4 · answered by jen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on how bad it looks, the city might get involved. There could be an ordinance requiring all homeowners to maintain their lawn in a certain way. If somebody from the city happens to drive by, they'll probably go ahead and issue a warning without you ever getting involved.
However, that solution depends on somebody from the city driving by. I don't mean cops; they're too busy looking for crime to worry about things like unkempt lawns.
So....I guess if somebody happened to put a call into the city to complain, it's possible that somebody could swing by to give your neighbor a warning.
I'm not saying I am for or against this idea, but I did work for a city for several years, and we got calls like that all of the time.
2007-05-22 05:21:43 · answer #5 · answered by Robert 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in a small rural village and here if your neighbour isn't taking care of their lawn or shovelling walks in winter they can be reported to the Village Office. The office then sends out a warning and if the problem is not rectified by a certain date the village sends maintenace workers to do the work and the person is billed.
My neighbour is not well, so I shovelled his walks all winter and in fact, did my own lawn yesterday and am thinking of doing his today. I chalk it up to being a good neighbour and he is very grateful and his hearfelt "Thank you" is all I need.
2007-05-22 05:25:49 · answer #6 · answered by Choqs 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Offer to let them use your lawn mower.
Hire a neighborhood child to do it for them. I'm sure there is some neighborhood child could use ten dollars to mow a lawn.
2007-05-22 05:18:58 · answer #7 · answered by Lov'n IT! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wait until they are gone and mow it for them, maybe that will shame them into taking better care of it. You could also mail them an anonymous letter and write that the whole neighborhood would appreciate it if they could clean up their yard and stop bringing property values down!!!
2007-05-22 06:25:18 · answer #8 · answered by Angela C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the friendly new look of the environmentally friendly lawn. How about letting yours grow wild and unruly and posting signs that say "This lawn does not tolerate pesticide use". (And post one in your neighbour's too).
Also put up bird houses and plant about thirty different types of trees so that they won't see your house. Ask your neighbours to join in on your tree planting.
2007-05-22 05:57:16 · answer #9 · answered by littleblanket 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know that there is much you can do if you don't have a homeowners association. Maybe if a few of the neighbors got together, and all talked to him at once, he might respond. Good luck.
2007-05-22 05:17:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ask politely if you must but ultimatly it's their life and their property and you have no buisness trying to enforce your values on them. They're not making your lawn look bad, it looks BETTER in comparision lol. Besides who wants to live in a sterile perfect(?) world? Chill out, it's ok! Make friends with them, they're not like you...that's a good thing.
2007-05-22 05:26:10 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋