Proper Neighbor Etiquette for Courtyard Villas

[BarryRX]

As everyone probably knows, in a courtyard villa the only way for my neighbor to check on the side of his house is to come onto my property. I have a neighbor that does this without asking me first, and I am occasionally startled to look out my window and see someone in my side yard. How do others handle this. I never go into my neighbors yard to check without emailing them or knocking on their door to ask permission. I am thinking of putting a lock on the gate. He also trimmed back some of my plants because the leaves were touching his house.

[jane032657]

You can lock your gate and if your neighbor needs access to power wash or address an issue on their house, they need to give you 72 hour notice. I had a question about locks on gates in courtyard villas, so when I saw your post, I called the VCDD and got the correct information. My neighbor has a lock and I wondered what the rule was. Hopefully in an emergency, they will or you will, let them in sooner!

[BarryRX]

I actually just went and looked at my docs on line. For district 8 it says the following: The owner of the servient tenement will have the right at all reasonable times to enter upon the easement area including the right to cross over the dominant tenement for such entry, in order to perform work related to the use and maintenance of the servient tenement. In exercising the right of entry upon the easement area the owner of the servient tenement agrees to take reasonable care to not damage any landscaping, etc.

[fred53]

They should get permission before entering your yard. As to the cutting of plants touching their house they need permission to use your yard, but your plants should not touch their house if they don't want them to.

[rubicon]

As everyone probably knows, in a courtyard villa the only way for my neighbor to check on the side of his house is to come onto my property. I have a neighbor that does this without asking me first, and I am occasionally startled to look out my window and see someone in my side yard. How do others handle this. I never go into my neighbors yard to check without emailing them or knocking on their door to ask permission. I am thinking of putting a lock on the gate. He also trimmed back some of my plants because the leaves were touching his house.

I wasn't aware of this limitation. Normally local ordinances insist that common ground exist between dwelling to allow non-interference when maintaining property.

This in my view is lousy planning

[Chi33]

Sorry, but anyone who wakes my dog in my courtyard villa may be shot and I am aware of going to jail; I meditate well and I am a big person.

[jsw14]

I need elbow room.....Glad I don't live in a Courtyard Villa.

[xcaligirl]

I need elbow room too and didn't have a desire for 'kissing lanais'. I like privacy and elbow room!

[sallybowron]

I have more elbow room in my courtyard villa than I did in my big house. Much more privacy:wave: as well.

[Gpsma]

Dont understand all these posts about the need for privacy or concerns about trespassing. If you were worried about that you shouldnt have bought in the Villages.

Its your neighbor just taking care of his house...not exactly a stranger walking on your proprty.

Amazes me all the time what people here worry about!!

[graciegirl]

Dont understand all these posts about the need for privacy or concerns about trespassing. If you were worried about that you shouldnt have bought in the Villages.

Its your neighbor just taking care of his house...not exactly a stranger walking on your proprty.

Amazes me all the time what people here worry about!!

I agree. This is NOT a feeling I was raised with. People didn't take advantage, but sometimes kids and neighbors cut through yards growing up and even as recently as the last house we owned. Not a high crime area very similar to The Villages in that.

If we were all alike they would only sell vanilla ice cream. It is interesting to see how we bring these feelings from where we used to live and how we were raised. They aren't right or wrong, it is how we were taught to feel about our territory.

[IndianaJones]

Here's a crazy idea - how about inviting your neighbor over for a cup of coffee/beer/conversation about how you'd appreciate a little phone call/knock on the door if they need to open the gate and walk into your yard? Why not mitigate the issue before it escalates?

[Sanibel7]

Here is what happened to us and we live at Sharon Villas. We were very surprised to see a boy jump into our yard, because he was walking the wall in our villas. My husband confronted him and he said well my mom said it was ok to walk the wall. This was Last Sat. around 6pm. He ended up jumping the fence next to the golf course and ran. I do not feel safe because of this and plus the parents where the fu where they?

[Soxman]

Just tell him you sunbath naked in your yard and would like him to contact you prior to entering.

[Nucky]

Common sense on the person who has the urgent need to see the side of the house that needs your properties access would be a polite request before each time the need occurred. There is no way that you would feel enabled to go into someone else's yard unannounced in NJ. I guess it is either courtesy to ask or common sense to not get hurt. It would be terrible if someone was having a bad day and misunderstood why someone was in their yard when the bought the Courtyard Villa for safety and Security.

[rubicon]

I'm stuck on the fact that a homeowner is going to be required to ask permission and provide a timeline to either maintain, inspect, enjoy one side of his/her home?

[BRN_RI_FL]

Courtyard villas are often purchased for a little more security and privacy. Many owners often have dogs roaming the small yard. Our beagle would lick the neighbor to death. Other dogs might not be as friendly. For a neighbor to just open the gate and inspect their exterior wall without letting their neighbor know first shows no consideration for their neighbor.

[jane032657]

I think this discussion is going off track. We have a courtyard villa but are at a dead end, so do not have a neighbor on our gate side, and do not have an issue about anyone needing to get in our yard.

We do have a neighbor with a gate where we would need to access if we had an issue on the East side of our house. On may occasions, due to a gutter repair, power wash, screen issue, we have had to ask for access to address the repair. Never has this been an issue. Our new neighbor does lock their gate. I have already had a discussion about access when needed so we have an understanding before the need arises.

It would never occur to me to open their gate if it was not locked and walk into their yard. That is their private space whether or not we have the right to enter for a need for our own home. Additionally, many single people live in courtyard villas and desire extra security.

It is common courtesy to knock on a neighbor's door and let them know you will need to get in their backyard. Most repairs are planned out. If it was an emergency, hopefully you have the relationship where they would let you in right away or have given you a contact number if they do not live there year round.

Most people are civil and reasonable and accommodating. And for safety for the purpose of needing to access your neighbors yard, remember that many people buy courtyard villas because they have dogs. We have two very large dogs. While friendly, I would suggest you ring the bell first...

[graciegirl]

I think this discussion is going off track. We have a courtyard villa but are at a dead end, so do not have a neighbor on our gate side, and do not have an issue about anyone needing to get in our yard.

We do have a neighbor with a gate where we would need to access if we had an issue on the East side of our house. On may occasions, due to a gutter repair, power wash, screen issue, we have had to ask for access to address the repair. Never has this been an issue. Our new neighbor does lock their gate. I have already had a discussion about access when needed so we have an understanding before the need arises.

It would never occur to me to open their gate if it was not locked and walk into their yard. That is their private space whether or not we have the right to enter for a need for our own home. Additionally, many single people live in courtyard villas and desire extra security.

It is common courtesy to knock on a neighbor's door and let them know you will need to get in their backyard. Most repairs are planned out. If it was an emergency, hopefully you have the relationship where they would let you in right away or have given you a contact number if they do not live there year round.

Most people are civil and reasonable and accommodating. And for safety for the purpose of needing to access your neighbors yard, remember that many people buy courtyard villas because they have dogs. We have two very large dogs. While friendly, I would suggest you ring the bell first...

Well said. These posts make all of us think and rethink what is respectful and reasonable in an ever changing world.

[Boomer]

If your neighbor can get in so can anybody else........

If I were you, I would lock the gate. (I probably would have been doing that from the day I moved in though.)

Your neighbor has assumed it's OK to waltz right in so you should let him know. I would graciously tell him the gate is locked and that he is welcome to check his house but now will need to contact you first. No need to escalate the situation, just explain and offer access with permission.

(I have been around TOTV way too long and seem to remember old topics sometimes. Wasn't there a discussion a few years ago about courtyard gates being tried by an unknown person who might have been looking for a spot to break in, unseen?)

[jsw14]

If your neighbor can get in so can anybody else........

If I were you, I would lock the gate. (I probably would have been doing that from the day I moved in though.)

Your neighbor has assumed it's OK to waltz right in so you should let him know. I would graciously tell him the gate is locked and that he is welcome to check his house but now will need to contact you first. No need to escalate the situation, just explain and offer access with permission.

(I have been around TOTV way too long and seem to remember old topics sometimes. Wasn't there a discussion a few years ago about courtyard gates being tried by an unknown person who might have been looking for a spot to break in, unseen?)

Yup, I would do the same thing. That would put a Stop too the Improper Neighbor Etiquette. I have a extra Lock if ya need it..

[JCMSr]

We live in a courtyard villa primarily so that we have a fenced yard for our dog to roam freely. During the first year we found the gate left open on two separate occasions by either workmen or the adjacent property owner/tenants. After that we began locking the gate to prevent anyone from entering without notifying us first. We also have a few shrubs near the adjacent home that I always maintain to keep everything at least 6-12 inches away from the neighbors wall.

[graciegirl]

If your neighbor can get in so can anybody else........

If I were you, I would lock the gate. (I probably would have been doing that from the day I moved in though.)

Your neighbor has assumed it's OK to waltz right in so you should let him know. I would graciously tell him the gate is locked and that he is welcome to check his house but now will need to contact you first. No need to escalate the situation, just explain and offer access with permission.

(I have been around TOTV way too long and seem to remember old topics sometimes. Wasn't there a discussion a few years ago about courtyard gates being tried by an unknown person who might have been looking for a spot to break in, unseen?)

Of course we all think our attitude is normal. Acceptable.... And probably the right one. I think that watching your surroundings is good and being careful and reporting anything that instinctively nudges you that seems out of place. We all know WHAT Villagers look like and seeing someone completely not like Villagers does make you look twice. If you are more comfortable locking the gate do it.

We all have our quirks. I still do not know the real name of a poster who spent several hours with me because she to me is overly OVERLY careful. No matter how hard we try, I think it is hard to understand some people.

I thought Rock Hudson was straight.

I really, really did.:oops:

[Henryk]

Of course we all think our attitude is normal. Acceptable.... And probably the right one. I think that watching your surroundings is good and being careful and reporting anything that instinctively nudges you that seems out of place. We all know WHAT Villagers look like and seeing someone completely not like Villagers does make you look twice. If you are more comfortable locking the gate do it.

We all have our quirks. I still do not know the real name of a poster who spent several hours with me because she to me is overly OVERLY careful. No matter how hard we try, I think it is hard to understand some people.

I thought Rock Hudson was straight.

I really, really did.:oops:

Gracie, dear, you are what I used to call a laugh riot!

[bagboy]

I wouldn't even make it an issue with the neighbor. Put a lock on the gate and mention to the neighbor that with all the crazy things that go on these days, you just feel the lock gives you a better sense of security. Keep your plants away from the neighbors villa, and let the neighbor know he's welcome to call you when he "needs" access.

[Barefoot]

They should get permission before entering your yard. As to the cutting of plants touching their house they need permission to use your yard, but your plants should not touch their house if they don't want them to.
Isn't it technically a "shared" yard; the only way they can access the side of their home is by entering your yard.
However there may be large, unfriendly dogs living in the CYV.
Regardless, your neighbor should definitely ask for permission before entering.

[Trishakaye]

we have a corner courtyard villa with a backyard large enough for pool and spa. That said, corner villas have 2 gates to access their backyard. Due to the pool and spa liability Community Development said we could keep both gates locked as long as we gave reasonable access to our neighbor. Our neighbor has no problem notifying us when they need access for power washing, etc .

[Topspinmo]

Dont understand all these posts about the need for privacy or concerns about trespassing. If you were worried about that you shouldnt have bought in the Villages.

Its your neighbor just taking care of his house...not exactly a stranger walking on your proprty.

Amazes me all the time what people here worry about!!

I agree, but I still don't enter without knocking on the door. now if there not home I enter, but not after they letting me know it ok it there not home.

As for as shrub touch house, they can't, that side of house is not there property. Nothing can be touching or planted in the foot or two area close to the house that will damage adjacent property. Just like I can't plant shrub out my door across the sidewalk that touches his house. I maintain 1 foot clearance or more to remove wind blowing and any doubt.

I think the op has valid complaint, the neighbor IMO should not just barge in, after all you are entering his property.

[Topspinmo]

we have a corner courtyard villa with a backyard large enough for pool and spa. That said, corner villas have 2 gates to access their backyard. Due to the pool and spa liability Community Development said we could keep both gates locked as long as we gave reasonable access to our neighbor. Our neighbor has no problem notifying us when they need access for power washing, etc .

I have corner lot and there only one gate mine, I like mine it back backs up against my neighbors garage so our backyards don't kiss.