Neighbors behaving badly

[MossRoad]

Do I have this right?
So a neighbor, who you don't know, or have approached to civilly discuss the issue, is doing something legal on his own land that doesn't effect you - in your own words and the county inspectors, and doing something that sounds very similar to what you want to do. And you're running around trying to get him into legal trouble, but you just can't find anyone to take your case.

..but you're holding out, pressing on, siccing inspectors on him, just itching to find something to get him in trouble with. Your last hope: "Wetlands!" It's just got to be "a violation of some federal wetlands act or the other."

No, you don't have it right. Not even close.

 

[Diggin It]

Do I have this right?

Not the way I read it. I see it as he wasn't sure, so he asked questions before doing anything further.

 

[Einthewoods]

Do I have this right?
So a neighbor, who you don't know, or have approached to civilly discuss the issue, is doing something legal on his own land that doesn't effect you - in your own words and the county inspectors, and doing something that sounds very similar to what you want to do. And you're running around trying to get him into legal trouble, but you just can't find anyone to take your case.

..but you're holding out, pressing on, siccing inspectors on him, just itching to find something to get him in trouble with. Your last hope: "Wetlands!" It's just got to be "a violation of some federal wetlands act or the other."

Only thing I think you missed is that the suspected law breaker was an inconsiderate jerk. :laughing:

 

[CobyRupert]

No, you don't have it right. Not even close.

Thanks, I thought I might of missed something so I went and reread every post from the OP. Yep, I missed that there is some concern about debris, though we don't know the extent of what this debris might be or have any pictures.
What else?

 

[Coyote machine]

Whose the Goose, and whose the Gander here?
Have we slaughtered the Golden Goose yet? Will there be some lynching' going on?
Bring in the Blackhawks!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I have property on the edge of this former wetland. It's a large sand dune, as are most of any hills in this area. It's a really unique area. We have a river in town that comes south out of Michigan, then turns north again and runs to Lake Michigan, about 30 miles away. On the north and east sides of town, all drainage goes into that river, and eventually goes over Niagara Falls, and out into the North Atlantic. On the west and south of town, all drainage goes towards the Kankakee river, which drains into Illinois, where it joins the Des Plaines River to form the Illinois River. That empties into the Mississippi, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Southeast of town, around the OP's area, things drain into the Yellow River, which drains into the Kankakee River about 50 miles southwest of here.

So, most people don't know it, but there's a continental divide running through South Bend, Indiana.

Interesting...

 

[ChiefBodie]

What else?

Is the OP consulting or asking the neighbor first before he alters his ditches, removes trees, and moves 20-30 yards of material?

Unless he consults the neighbor first, how does doing that differ from what was originally complained about?

 

[ChiefBodie]

mention "trout stream."

You generously give a lot of good advice here. Thank you on behalf of all.

But moving down the darkened path of deception is behavior below the fine upstanding person you are. Please reconsider.

 

[Diggin It]

Is the OP consulting or asking the neighbor first before he alters his ditches, removes trees, and moves 20-30 yards of material?

Unless he consults the neighbor first, how does doing that differ from what was originally complained about?

I had a long talk with the inspector from the drainage board yesterday. Adding water to the ditch the way the guy is doing it is legal, from the county's perspective.

-------------

I also learned the second short ditch I have on my property is NOT a county ditch but a private ditch. So I can do what I want with that. There was a permit pulled back in the day to properly connect that ditch to the county owned and maintained ditch so it is legal. That gives me a lot of options to drain water from my property if necessary.

---------------

I talked to the inspector about a drainage project I have been thinking of and how it would affect those down stream from me. It would drain about 4 acres into my ditch (which would then flow into the county maintained ditch). He said again there is plenty of capacity in that ditch and 4 acres of surface water is nothing so it would be no problem.

That's how.

 

[ChiefBodie]

My post addressed the issue of communication from one neighbor to another, in both directions. That seems missing here. If you understand that, perhaps you will understand your response does not address that.

I was taught to bring issues directly to the other person. Solve them without expanding if that is not needed. Advice here includes making anonymous calls and incident reports, engage in deception, etc. These are not good for the soul nor for good neighbor relations. It is only a hard concept for some. It might be possible to be a good neighbor, but also maybe not. But if there is no communication these is not even the chance for that.