Hedge on neighbor’s property
 

The rear of my property backs up to a tall hedge. The hedge is all on the rear neighbor’s property. I get the impression (since they no longer speak to us!) that this neighbor expected me to weed from my side the weeds coming up in the white stone island surrounding this hedge. As all of this is on their property I don’t feel comfortable handling weeds especially since I use weed killer spray and I don’t want to spray on their property. Is there a standard protocol to handle this situation that I’m not aware of? Since the rear neighbor’s property is pie shaped, as they are on a cul-de-sac, this hedge bed manages to border on my property and my next-door neighbor’s property. My next-door neighbor does not weed her border area either.

I don’t want to be a bad neighbor, but wish that they had had an honest discussion with me and my husband once we moved in to clarify what they expected. It seems ridiculous to expect somebody to take care of your property without actually having a conversation about it. But again maybe there’s a protocol I am not aware of?

I'm sure your neighbor doesn't expect you to do their weeding. They are responsible for the landscaping on their property. You can call deed compliance about the weeds. 352-751-3912

No protocol that I know of, and filing a complaint will probably make things worse. Personally I would not clear out the weeds, as you might become liable for damage if something happens to the hedge. Unfortunately this is their property and their responsibility.

I'm confused. If the stones and weeds are not on your property, I wouldn't do anything with them. If the weeds are on your property, I would have no problem spraying them with a weed killer, being careful to not spray it on their property.

Why was there no conversation when you moved in? What caused the lack of relation with your neighbor? Communications is a two way street.
Seems there may be more to this story……..

I would talk to the neighbor and let them know you don’t like looking at the weeds on their property that face your view. If they respond positively, end of issue. If not, explain to them that it’s their responsibility and you really don’t want to have to call community standards on them and would appreciate them taking care of the situation. At that point, if they refuse to take responsibility and rectify the situation, they are effectively saying F U to you and I would have no problem reporting them to community standards. The complaint would NOT be anonymous. Best of luck.

Question. Would you be willing to spray "their" weeds when you spray your own. That way, they would not have to trespass onto your yard to spray weeds. By all means, check with them first. Neighbors helping and cooperating. Nice.

Just ask them if you can spray the weeds saving them the cost and effort. if they say no do it anyway, you're not going to hurt their shrubs with light weed killer, I've been spraying mine for years with no damage other than to the weeds.

They no longer speak to you?…hmm, wonder why

Do you weed and maintain your neighbors' yards at your own expense? I wouldn't. I would talk to the neighbor. Many homes were bought preowned. Maybe, they do not know their property line.

You may want to use your survey plat and a long tape measure to identify exactly where your property line is located. Drive a few wood or metal stakes in the ground to identify the property line. I would not be doing anything on your neighbor's property. If they have weeds, leave them alone, unless they are violating a specific deed restriction. If they are, you can report it to the deed compliance office. There is no protocol.

Some people are NOT friendly/sociable and only feel neighborly if you are doing something for them or what they want. Then, there ones who want no contact. Several in my neighborhood. Luckily to get wave out of them. :shrug:

I have lived in condominium buildings where some people don't even know who lives next door, and don't want to.

We did introduce ourselves soon after we moved in and had a nice conversation with the couple. We specifically mentioned that we liked having the hedge as it gave us privacy in our backyard. We wanted to mention this to them because we understood that the people who lived there previously had complained about the hedge.

Introduction, communication and friendship would solve this problem.