What can you do?

[Burnham]

M and I live adjoining a 22 acre property that for 38 years was owned by a couple that have recently passed. Basically hermits, always friendly and accomodating, but as a visible impact on our lives, just about invisible. The daughter sold it, and the new owners are a seemingly very nice young couple (from our perspective ) with 4 kids 13 to 7.

Our issue is that they apparently hate trees. There are/were some 15 acres or so of mixed older Doug fir, alder, and naturally seeding in younger DF on their acreage alongside ours. We share 660 feet of boundary.

As we speak, he is quite competently removing every tree with a large JD excavator with root grapple...some minor chainsaw work, but pretty much all dig out one side and push over. Piling it all for burning come winter, presumably.

We frankly hate it. But it is their property to do with as they wish.

My greatest fear is that they will develop a dirt track for their kids on quads, with we understand is a passion of theirs, along with sand rails and large, loud 4x4 vehicles for everyday driving.

Just venting. Thanks for reading my diatribe .

 

[stikine]

Any opportunity for you to discuss a small buffer strip between your properties? 22 acres is substantial.

 

[BlackSmith]

Which direction does the wind usually blow? There’s good money in raising hogs or so I hear.

 

[flushcut]

Didn’t you tell us about a spotted owl or some other endangered species living in the woods next door? Lol

That sucks about the woods.

 

[Burnham]

Any opportunity for you to discuss a small buffer strip between your properties? 22 acres is substantial.

Pretty much all gone already. He doesn't let any grass grow under his feet, I'll say that .

It's an awkward shaped piece...only maybe 500 feet wide and over a quarter mile deep. So, it really is just about the shape a buffer might be in total . Basically, no opportunity existed from the get-go, and certainly not at this stage.

 

[SeanKroll]

That's tough, B.

 

[cory]

Crazy.

‘The only thing permanent is change’

 

[vharrison]

Vent away Burn. Wish I had some great idea but all I have is sympathy. Any chance they are going to plant a garden?

 

[Mick!]

It’ll probably not be as bad as you think.
Wait and see.

 

[pigwot]

Young ones who moved in next door are weekend party types often loud till late at night 😕
The wife drinks to excess. We came home from a memorial where Karen played piano for the service. When this woman saw us all dressed up she drunkenly shouted, “Guess Pat is getting some tonight”… they’ll be the same couple who wonders later why their children are drunks.

Well Burnham, as we age we’ll at least have the option of turning off our hearing aids!?!!

 

[Burnham]

The reality is, we have an adequate visual buffer of our own between us and their "clear cut". Losing the shade and cooling of their stand as it will affect our own vegetation is worse than the visuals, for me...M might well quibble with that opinion .

We have experience with this from another new neighbor suddenly developing arbor phobia from a dropped limb hitting their house, whereupon they clear cut around their house and outbuildings, taking out a good amount of shade on our western flank. That changed things to hotter and dryer just at the time climate change was making its effects observable; damaged or killed some shade accustomed trees with sun scald, and brought on flourishing blackberry and other invasives growth.

Wildlife habitat loss is also something we wish had not happened.

Part of our problem is we have been spoiled by how quiet our little piece of paradise has been for so many decades. But we will adapt; no choice in the matter .

 

[Burnham]

Vent away Burn. Wish I had some great idea but all I have is sympathy. Any chance they are going to plant a garden?

Doubtful...a 15 acre garden does not seem like their style .

 

[davidwyby]

oof

Sounds like me and my thankfully now former hardcore pot smoker neighbors. Hardly see or hear a peep from the new ones.


I’m into vehicles as yall probably know but grew up in a quiet woods and like it that way. There is a time and place for everything IMO but some people think everywhere all the time is the place for whatever they like, regardless of others.

First night I had my first military truck running I intended to shut it off and roll down my street because they don’t have mufflers and I didn’t want to wake the neighborhood. I normally keep my obnoxious vehicles at the shop.
Anyway, no power steering or anything of that, so you can drive the truck without it running. Unfortunately, being unfamiliar with it, and in the dark, I yanked the throttle set cable instead of the shutoff! ROOOOOOAAAAAAARRR! 😳🤦🏻‍♂️😬🤪😆🫣

 

[vharrison]

Burn, keep us up on the development.

 

[cory]

Geez. Whose neighbors would you rather have- Burnham’s or Pat’s?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Mine thanks.

 

[flushcut]

Doubtful...a 15 acre garden does not seem like their style .

Have you met them?

 

[Burnham]

Yep, both halves at different times. Pleasant conversation. We'll most likely get along just fine, but I doubt being more than decent neighbors is in the cards. They are less than half my age, have 4 kids, and recreate in entirely different ways than we do.

 

[Bermy]

Ooff...that's a change.
Having been at your little bit of heaven, I can feel the angst from here.
It sounds like you've done the right thing with being friendly and cordial, that should go a ways towards relations should your fears be realized.
On the other hand, perhaps broaching the subject of noise sooner rather than later might let them gain a better understanding of you and your lifestyle?
Maybe try and get out ahead of the potential issue, before it becomes a drama (hopefully no drama will unfold)?

 

[flushcut]

Well B tell M to stock up on hard candy and little Debbi snacks. I have a feeling those kids if they are on the younger side will be coming over to Aunti M’s and Uncke B’s house in the woods often.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Attract more flies with honey than ya will vinegar.

 

[Burnham]

Ooff...that's a change.
Having been at your little bit of heaven, I can feel the angst from here.
It sounds like you've done the right thing with being friendly and cordial, that should go a ways towards relations should your fears be realized.
On the other hand, perhaps broaching the subject of noise sooner rather than later might let them gain a better understanding of you and your lifestyle?
Maybe try and get out ahead of the potential issue, before it becomes a drama (hopefully no drama will unfold)?

We have gently moved the conversations in that direction from early on. They are generally receptive, I think. One very nice example of their consideration is that they travel their gravel driveway quite slowly, and very slowly as it passes closest to our house. The wife specifically mentioned wanting to keep their dust to a minimum. So that bodes good will on their part.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Awareness of people existing beyond the radius of their own nose is a good sign!

 

[Bermy]

We have gently moved the conversations in that direction from early on. They are generally receptive, I think. One very nice example of their consideration is that they travel their gravel driveway quite slowly, and very slowly as it passes closest to our house. The wife specifically mentioned wanting to keep their dust to a minimum. So that bodes good will on their part.

That's positive!
Like Raj said, you might become a haven of curiosity for the young ones...the cool older folks with birds and trees and binoculars everywhere and a stream and tons of stories...maybe?

 

[Burnham]

Maybe...