Messy yard next door?

 

Loud parties at the neighbor’s?

 

Smelly garbage coming from next door?

 

 Ferocious snarling dogs?

 

Turns out that 60% of Americans have a complaint about someone they live near. Bad neighbors can make your life difficult, but that’s not all. Money Magazine reports that a bad neighbor can actually reduce your home’s value by up to 5%.

So what’s a neighbor to do?

You could move somewhere where you won’t have any neighbors.

 

 

Or you could learn to live with them.

• Experts say that stomping next door when you’re angry won’t solve anything. It’s far better to invite the neighbor over to your house, maybe for coffee. This offers two advantages – first, the neighbor will see, from your perspective, what you’re complaining about. Secondly, your neighbor will know that your goal isn’t to punish your neighbor but to seek a way to live peacefully.
• You should also be aware of any local or State laws that your neighbor is violating. Instead of complaining about the rusted out chassis of a 1945 Ford on the front lawn, you want to know if it’s actually unlawful. Instead of whining about the loud dogs, it pays to know the neighborhood statutes on quiet hours.
• When you state your case, be sure that your neighbor knows that your goal is to find a solution. If they have dangerous branches hanging over your yard, perhaps you can recommend a landscaper. 
• Worse case scenario – if you and your neighbor can’t reach an accord, you might suggest mediation. This may cost $100 or so, but you’re more likely to reach a solution than if you hired a lawyer.
  

How have you solved your bad neighbor problems?