That Neighbor You'll NEVER Plow Out / Snowblow Again !

[JB4310]

I do wonder sometimes if being nice will ever backfire on me???? Since like several have stated, once you start, then some come to expect it.

No doubt about it, that it's true "better to give than recieve"

But once you start thinking, Oh man am I being appreciated for what I'm doing, or what if I blow up my equipment helping someone, are they even gonna care. Or worse yet, when your out in the blizzard and you see them sitting down to a nice dinner of roast beast in the cozy house...
Then it starts getting in your head, and is less rewarding.

JB.

 

[TruChaos]

When I moved into my house neighbor #1 told me not to worry, that he clears everyone's drives in the area when it snows. I thought wow, what a great neighbor, so I literally shook his hand thanked him up front. So we had a snow storm and I see neighbor #2 clearing my driveway. I thought excellent! But why didn't #1 clear it if he clears all the driveways in the area? So one day I was talking with neighbors #2 and #3 and I asked them how often neighbor #1 cleared the snow. They both looked at me odd and said never, they have never known him to clear snow. I thought okay, that's weird.

Then I bought a tractor and a snow blower (got an amazing deal on it). Then I started clearing everyone's driveways. Keep in mind these driveways are 500 to 600 feet long. So then neighbor #1 decides to cut a bunch of brush on his property and dump it on my property. I confronted him and he said he didn't think I would mind. Which is totally bizarre because I had been clearing the wooded area where he dumped the brush. So I literally cleared the wooded area of all under brush and he dumped a bunch of debris right where I had been working. Then he started throwing old potting soil from potted plants onto the the grass in my lower yard. He would walk a couple hundred feet from his house and throw it over property line and into my yard. I would be mowing along and there would be a big pile of potting soil with the vermiculite and Styrofoam pellets in it. I would look over in his yard and there would be the empty pot sitting next to his shed. Piles of potting soil don't blow from yard to yard. At first I thought maybe and animal dragged the pot. Then it happened again and again. Then his teenage daughter (and her friends) would clear the beer bottles out of her car when they pulled up in the driveway and throw them over into newly cleared wooded part of my yard. Keep in mind this is an open park like setting which is very visible. Then they started throwing all night yard parties. I would walk out into the yard to walk the dog and for the entire time I would hear a never ending stream of the foulest language imaginable. Of course all of it was being shouted.

So, the next time it snowed I didn't bother clearing his driveway. Meanwhile, neighbor #2 had some heart surgery (he cleared my driveway for the first two years I lived there). So, I started moving his snow and also blowing the leaves from his front yard and driveway. He never has to worry about that stuff again I'll always take care of that as long as he lives there.

Neighbor #3 got a little crazy too and started shooting every living thing that appeared between our property lines. Rabbits, squirrels, Fox, Owls, Hawks, etc. He always had some crazy reason for shooting them. For example he shot a barn owl because "they're a threat to the cats in the neighborhood". I asked him if he owned a cat and he said no. WTF? Who shoots owls to protect stray cats?

Luckily both neighbors #1 & #2 moved. Neighbor #2 always makes a point of thanking me for anything I do and is the kind of neighbor everyone would love to have.

It just amazes me how people can have so few skills when it comes to being acceptable neighbors. When is it ever acceptable to dump trash on your next door neighbors property? I'm talking about a couple truck loads of stuff. Especially when they're clearly putting a lot of effort into making it look nice.

So far, I haven't had any issues with the new neighbors.

 

[123rday]

TruChaos, sorry to hear neighbor #1 was so disrespectful. Maybe he thought you'd never find out it wasn't him clearing your drive for winter and that you'd "give back" every time it was done.

 

[Ironhand]

I personally feel fortunate to have the toys I have and am happy to clear snow neighbors.

 

[MarkV]

I am just wondering if those of you that clear snow for neighbors and accept money have commercial insurance? You are considered a commercial contractor legally if you accepted money and people who pay someone are quick to come back and expect compensation if anything is damaged. No snow to speak of here in Georgia so I am just wondering.

MarkV

 

[freddyr]

I am just wondering if those of you that clear snow for neighbors and accept money have commercial insurance? You are considered a commercial contractor legally if you accepted money and people who pay someone are quick to come back and expect compensation if anything is damaged. No snow to speak of here in Georgia so I am just wondering.

Generally if you get money as in a contribution and you did not bill them you generally won't get in trouble. But there is always one jerk that would like to screw ya and with a lawyer could make trouble!!. People contribute to me for plowing and i get cash! no check! Probably 99% of people won't cause problems. Doing commercial work is different, you have to show proof of insurance before you plow. I know alot of people plowing with no or limited insurance. but i was wondering- fri it may reach 70deg, can i take my snow blower off and put tiller on??:thumbsup:

 

[grsthegreat]

I am just wondering if those of you that clear snow for neighbors and accept money have commercial insurance? You are considered a commercial contractor legally if you accepted money and people who pay someone are quick to come back and expect compensation if anything is damaged. No snow to speak of here in Georgia so I am just wondering.

Generally if you get money as in a contribution and you did not bill them you generally won't get in trouble. But there is always one jerk that would like to screw ya and with a lawyer could make trouble!!. People contribute to me for plowing and i get cash! no check! Probably 99% of people won't cause problems. Doing commercial work is different, you have to show proof of insurance before you plow. I know alot of people plowing with no or limited insurance. but i was wondering- fri it may reach 70deg, can i take my snow blower off and put tiller on??:thumbsup:

im an electricaql contractor and carry a commercial policy. but you are righ about the legality. good thinking

 

[fiveacrefarmer]

I plow out my neighbors because I like them and I like to be neighborly. I've been offered payment and would rather eat my shoes than take a dollar. All I ask is that they watch out for my kids on the road and keep an eye out for strange goings on when we're not home. If you live close enough for me to smell your backyard grill, it's free. If I want to earn money I leave the neighborhood.

I read a quote on somebody's post that expectations are premeditated disappointment. I like that one.

 

[Trafficman]

I plow/blow the entire street except for the guy at the end of the road. I don't ask for anything & don't expect it. :tractor: Most of the folx on my street are older & with health issues or a couple have tots with health problems. The street is hill about 1/4-1/2 mile long, has a 8-10ft rise with ~10 houses on it & driveways 50ft-500ft long. I used to use my FEL & BB for a few years & it would take 8-10 hrs to get 'er done. :licking: Last year the neighbors gave me some $$ that I put towards a 50" Kubota B8750 I found on CL. :thumbsup: Now it takes about 2-3 hrs. :drink: The guy at the end of the street gets to shovel his own snow after he gave me a raft of stuff about the "town isn't paying me for making a mess on the street" this during snowmageddon with 40" of snow on the ground. When I told him I was his neighbor he told said "I could do a better job himself." It'll be a cold day before I move snow for him. He'll have to ask me very nicely first, & he won't. Butthead. This past fall a deer had been shot (poached) across the street from my house & died. After a couple of days it got a bit "ripe" so I got out the BH & buried it. NBFD, It took me a 1/2 hr & was done, the "right" thing to do. :2cents: He called the town office & reported me for trespassing on private property. :confused3: The deer was on a developers side of a fence. I got told by the town clerk "You should've let the developer handle it." Ok, that's fine & great, except that the developer has 10 DAYS to arrange for something to be done about it, then another 30 DAYS to get it done, 40 DAYS total. This deer could be smelled from 150ft away after 3 days. 40 days you'd been able to smell it across town. :shocked: I think the next one will get moved down across from HIS house. :ashamed:

T-Man.

 

[grsthegreat]

I plow/blow the entire street except for the guy at the end of the road. I don't ask for anything & don't expect it. :tractor: Most of the folx on my street are older & with health issues or a couple have tots with health problems. The street is hill about 1/4-1/2 mile long, has a 8-10ft rise with ~10 houses on it & driveways 50ft-500ft long. I used to use my FEL & BB for a few years & it would take 8-10 hrs to get 'er done. :licking: Last year the neighbors gave me some $$ that I put towards a 50" Kubota B8750 I found on CL. :thumbsup: Now it takes about 2-3 hrs. :drink: The guy at the end of the street gets to shovel his own snow after he gave me a raft of stuff about the "town isn't paying me for making a mess on the street" this during snowmageddon with 40" of snow on the ground. When I told him I was his neighbor he told said "I could do a better job himself." It'll be a cold day before I move snow for him. He'll have to ask me very nicely first, & he won't. Butthead. This past fall a deer had been shot (poached) across the street from my house & died. After a couple of days it got a bit "ripe" so I got out the BH & buried it. NBFD, It took me a 1/2 hr & was done, the "right" thing to do. :2cents: He called the town office & reported me for trespassing on private property. :confused3: The deer was on a developers side of a fence. I got told by the town clerk "You should've let the developer handle it." Ok, that's fine & great, except that the developer has 10 DAYS to arrange for something to be done about it, then another 30 DAYS to get it done, 40 DAYS total. This deer could be smelled from 150ft away after 3 days. 40 days you'd been able to smell it across town. :shocked: I think the next one will get moved down across from HIS house. :ashamed:

T-Man.

you know..theres always ONE butthead in the batch. Im not sure why that is, but theres always someone that will call the cops before he talk to you. We have similar issues with a certain someone in our association....and this year i may be piling alot of snow at his approach. im sick of his whining about everything done here to maintain our roads, but NEVER contributes to grading, gravel or snow removal.