Full-time residents asked to maintain neighbors property
 

Does anyone else have the issue with neighbors in your community who live in Canada or other parts of the country during the summer asking you to help maintain the property while they are away just because you live her full-time?

Please add clarity. 'Maintain' like mow grass trim shrubs or walk around the house every month?

Would not do it.
 

NEVER heard of of this issue. I would not want the responsibility of maintaining another's property. One thing to agree to water a few potted plants that could be brought to your home for a couple of weeks or to be willing to give them a call or text if you notice a problem. Quite another to be asked to do more than that and take on possible liability. There are professionals who are set up to do this. Let snowbird neighbors get professional property managers to do it. Being held hostage by having to maintain their property when you might decide you wanted to travel or need to go visit family who may need you is not reasonable imo.
Just say "NO".
Just curious to what prompted this question in the first place?

We don't "maintain" our neighbor's property exactly - but when they're out of town for a few weeks we're happy to go in and switch the lights every day so it looks like someone's still there, water a plant if it needs watering, bring in the mail for them, flush a toilet every week, little stuff like that. I'm grateful they'd do the same for us.

I don't understand how this could possibly be an "issue". If you don't want to do it, then just say no.

Just what are the snowbird asking.
 

We need clarification. Because OP mentioned "that live in Canada or other parts of the country during the summer", I believe OP is referring to "snowbirds" that are spending up to half or more of the year at their other/real home. I have been asked to "home watch" my brother's house for a couple of weeks while they were on a cruise. No problem. But I would find it presumptuous of a snowbird neighbor to be asked to be responsible for their home maintenance for months at a time while they go back home. What happens if you need to go to help family, have to go to hospital or even think you might decide you would like to travel. Length of time and what is of the caretaker needs to be clarified by OP.

Need to know more about this in order to tell you how I would feel.

We did have some unusually long vacations coming up until the virus told us not to go so might have done something reciprocal with a neighbor

No, but I think that’s just asking too much. As nice as your neighbors might be, they need to make their own arrangements.

no. Or You could say sure as long as you maintain my property while you’re here ( I sure they say no, I’m on vacation) Some people have no boundaries. Sound like the kind of friends that friends as long as you Are taken advantage of at there beck and call.

No clarification from the OP...

One big reason to say no is that if something happens to your neighbor’s/friend’s/relative’s property, you could be held liable by whomever asked and/or their insurance company. As has been said, checking for mail, noticing if a sprinkler is broken, etc. for a week or two is one thing but to do so for 30 days or more is too much risk.

I’d be uncomfortable with such a request, but up north I have one neighbor who wouldn’t hesitate to ask a request like that, or borrow stuff without asking etc. My other neighbor is the opposite.

That is not your responsibility. they can hire someone to do that

If you can afford 2 homes you can afford a home watcher for $20/mo.

But for me, i naturally keep an eye on my neighbors places.

My neighbor back home plowed my driveway a few times and mowed the lawn once. I bought him a nice gift in return. His comment was “ that’s what neighbors do “

If you are asked and you do it, see if they do something nice for you when they return. If not, you’ve Been taken advantage of

Why would this be an issue? If asked and you don’t want to do something just say no.

Florida’s Friendliest Home Town

Thank God for our dear neighbors. We had one text us that a sprinkler head was broken and water was running down the street. Another took pictures of our yard out of control with weeds and sent them to us. In both cases, we were paying Massey almost $200/month for lawn care, weed spraying, shrub trimming, bug spraying. Needless to say, they admitted to accidentally ruining the sprinkler head and fixed it. As for the weed issue, at first they said they had been spraying but changed their tune when we sent pics. I’m very thankful our neighbors letting us know what was not getting done.

I would prefer a neighbor hire a company to do those maintenance functions. When hubby and I were seasonal, we never asked a neighbor to take of these things. We hired a company to maintain and check our home. The company was insured in case there was any sort of problem.

What if a neighbor forgot to turn off the main water and there was a leak in the water line of the fridge which wasn't discovered for a week or so? That happened to a neighbor of ours in NJ after they sold their home and the new owners weren't going to move in right away. In one week that water made so much damage, the floor nearly caved in. It was a two story home. It can happen.

I would not want to be responsible to check anyone's home in their absence. There is too much that can go wrong. Another one......the A/C malfunctions and mold grows in the home. Who is responsible for that? The home owner or the person responsible for "watching" the home?

My neighbor only uses his house about 4 weeks a year. When he asks about mtc, I usually give him names he can call. I do have a key and occasionally go in and check his ac.

Those things, I would expect a neighbor to do and I would do in return. It doesn't take much to take a photo and send to the person who is not there to see that their property is not being maintained by a landscape company. The catch is that the neighbor was not RESPONSIBLE for noticing these things.

Once, when we were seasonal, our Crepe Myrtle trees were bursting with blooms. My neighbor sent us photos just so we could see how pretty the trees were. That was a nice gesture but I surely wasn't expecting those photos.

I would not set one foot in that home unless there was water running down the street from inside the home. (That happened to another neighbor on my NJ street. The water line to the washing machine burst which caused a flood while she was at work).

Anyone who is not in their home for 11 months a year should have a property management company and let that company be responsible for checking and maintaining it.

What is mtc?

don't do it. you are taking on more legal responsibility than you can imagine, by taking care of surplice while we are gone. ask them to hire appropriate service people plus home watch. if in doubt, ask a lawyer about your involvement

Neighbors maintaining your property
 

I think it is a terrible idea, and very selfish on the part of your neighbor unless they have a monetary arrangement worked out. We are in The Villages roughly half time, and I have a guy whose business is mowing lawns, cut the grass and trim the bushes when necessary. I have a housewatch person look over the house periodically, and I have Massey do the fertilization and spraying when necessary.

hire home watch. by accepting key, you place their property in your care, custody and control. thereby becoming liable if some bad ju ju happens

I have often done this for neighbors and have absolutely no problem in doing so. ; that's the meaning of neighbor in my opinion.

The Villages have or "had" an Empty Nest Process. Where for so many $$$ a day they would check your property in your absence. Please say no, you would be held liable for something if there were problems.

Definitely not. The house next door to me is a rental, so what I do is when I see the trees or shrubs need trimming and maintenance, I text him to remind him and the person who does mine will do his when they come. That’s the extent of that. I’m not down here to work for others. Minor issues of course I’ll just let him know . If you want more than that, hire someone. That’s definitely a neighbor I would stay away from. Think it’s nervy you ask.

We are people who leave for several months each summer. We pay our neighbors to take of some things while we are gone.

This is normal good neighbour thing in Canada especially if you live away from the city. Don’t be offended. A polite no will suffice and you will get a polite okay back.

If it was a snowbird, I'd say no to actual maintenance, and give him the number of some local companies that offer the service for a fee. I would STILL keep an eye on the place, from the distance. And let him know if anything weird happened. Like if their hot water heater blows up, or the lawn guy mows over the sprinkler head and breaks it, or if I see people I don't recognize wandering around inside his house at 10PM.

And yes if that hot water heater blew up, you can bet your bippie I would be out there turning the valve off so that they don't use up thousands of gallons of water every day, ruining their *and my* property line by flooding it. I wouldn't refuse to do that just because they "have a guy" local who gets paid for it.

I'd do it, and then call "the guy" and have them fix the problem.

Would hope the poster will come back with more details.

I have no problem keeping an eye out for my snowbird neighbor's home. Not a big deal to walk through every once in awhile and give the house a quick check. It saves them $$ and they are always quick to reciprocate with anything we need. They by no means would hold me liable for issues or mandate a schedule for me to check on the house. I do not do any maintenance but don't mind taking care of something obvious and easy. It's the way life used to be growing up as a child and in my opinion, the way it should be. Neighbors, becoming friends and helping each other out.

When I bought my home in The Villages, I called my next door neighbor and asked her for the names of the businesses who mow her lawn, clean her pool, spray for weeds or bugs, prune the shrubs and trees, etc., then arranged with all those companies to take care of mine on the same day they do hers. That way, our adjoining lawns always are the same length. Because I want to be a good neighbor, I’ve asked her to let me know if any of those people or companies fall short. I certainly would never ask her to water anything or pull weeds or prune a hedge.

Maintain neighbors property
 

Absolutely not plus, there are a few services (and individuals) who will do that for them for a reduced monthly rate. You’ve probably just been extra nice to them so they are taking advantage. You are not obligated in any shape or form. Water a plant now and then or just keep an eye on the property out of courtesy, of course but that’s as far as it goes. God Bless and good luck!

I have friends/neighbors that I keep an eye on their home while they are up north for the summer, but I do not take care of it. They have lawn and garden people to care for it but I call them if something is wrong (grass not being cut, sprinkler leak, etc) and they get it taken care of. Works for us!!!!

not an issue. Friends help out friends. Snowbirds hire someone. Looks like someone is just stirring the pot.

If they pay if you have to do work no problem. If they need a set of eyes so they can call the people to do the work ok. After all you want the place next to you to look good so it doesn't bring the value of your home down.

Nope. Don't agree. That is the meaning of something else but I won't use that word here.

Do your neighbors have a license and insurance if something goes wrong in your home? Property management companies do.

Three words for you........small claims court.