# [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbors!!!!



## kbaker (May 16, 2010)

How many people have _Arses_ for neighbors? I've lived here for nine years and had tortoises the whole time. I try to be nice and say, "I know you need to do what you need to do, but can you let me know when you are spraying so I can keep my tortoises off the grass a few extra days?"

Both sides of me do whatever whenever. Today my one neighbor was spraying the whole fence line with weed & grass killer. So I was nice and went out to talk to her. I never say, "Don't ever spray around my yard." I just ask they let me know. As I am talking with her, she is spraying through the fence!!! "Oh, I don't want to over do it and hurt your dog...well, I don't want to hurt my dog either," she says with her dog running around as she sprays. Yeah, but what about the tortoises? They eat the grass!! I tell her again as if she does not know this after nine years.

Why can't she just use a weed wacker instead of spraying?

What does everyone else do about their neighbors??


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## TortieLuver (May 16, 2010)

I here you! My husband and I don't particularly care for neighbors either for that same reason, so land away from all other houses is a perfect fit for us. I just don't know what is happening with people these days. Some people don't seem to care, have respect and understanding, and treat others well. The understanding to care for animals seems to be less and less along with neighbors who don't seem to care about your circumstances either. I only wish there were more people like us in the world. How about a paintball gun? That's so ridiculous that you ask nicely to be told when they spray SO your animals aren't harmed and they can be soooo rude. I am sure it would be expensive, but I have known of people who have a lot of problems with their neighbors that have joining fences and they put up their own fence within their own perimeters.


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## Maggie Cummings (May 16, 2010)

I have lived here 5 years. 2 years ago a nag moved in next door and almost immediately started complaining about the way Bob's shed looks and how much noise he makes....I repeat...how much noise a tortoise makes. You know that they try to dig and rearrange their plywood before going to sleep. Every night about 5:30 Bob starts digging in his sleeping box. So it's that noise she complains about. She started playing a loud radio, so on Sundays I put NASCAR on and with the surround sound loud so i can hear the cars go 'round as I garden. She stopped with the radio, so I stopped with the NASCAR.

Maybe you could flood that area? I'd sure pull up all that poisoned grass and throw it into her yard. You aren't going to change her. Have you showed her a tortoise and re-explained how he lives on the grass? Just an idea...I sympathize with you...


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## Yvonne G (May 16, 2010)

I guess we all have a bad neighbor story. I have mine too. I find it best to try to ignore them and let whatever they do just roll off my back. I really like the alcoholics anonymous serenity prayer...

"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can,
and wisdom to know the difference."

So, if I can't change it, I really try hard to ignore it and not let it get to me.


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## Seiryu (May 16, 2010)

I have neighbors like that too. They have one of those push things with fertilizer that shoots out as they move it on the grass. So my lawn gets it too.

However, because of that I have his outdoor enclosure nowhere near that fence. I don't let him just free roam the backyard. Soon I'll be putting up a nice privacy fence. 

These neighbors are also known to call the city on you if you have your grass slightly too tall, or a random weed that got too big you might have missed. I can hear them yelling at each other just about every day.


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## Itort (May 16, 2010)

I once had neighbors who had a serious reaction to ants and other insects around our duplex and took it upon then selves to spray the periminder of the duplex, They splayed into the windows of our dwelling and killed a pair of breeding rainbow gobies on nest. I was fericous and conflonted them about it. The reaction was they just fish and we'll replace the stupid things. I said okay when do you leave for New Guinea. The kicker is that my brother does this as his business and sprayed correctly and safetly periodically. They moved shortly thereafter (leaving landlord 3 months in arears on rent) and we got good neighbors after all.


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## Jacqui (May 16, 2010)

I remember our neighbor, when we first lived here. He was fine until the day he saw my adult male Yellowfoot. He was honestly scared that this tortoise would attack and harm my children. I think to the day he died, he still firmly believed that. For some people, your never going to change their minds.

A year ago, my friend bought the house that runs behind ours. She is the person who cares for our critters, when the kids are in college and I am out in the truck. She loves all animals, but had no real affection for the shells. That changed, when the boyz (two med/small male sulcatas) came here to live. She fell in love with them. Since then, she tortoisenapped my baby cherryhead for her own. It is a relief knowing somebody lives next to me, who won't do anything that might endanger the shells. It also shows there is hope for neighbors who can't understand your attraction to tortoises and turtles (or reptiles on the whole).

I think good sturdy and solid fences are a good start for neighbors. Then never build enclosures right next to the fence. Leave some room for those "accidents" along the fence line.

I have to admit, if I had a neighbor from h***, I would at least mentally be plotting doing something equally bad back to them.


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## mightyclyde (May 16, 2010)

I love this thread. However, y'all have to eat your hearts out, because MY neighbor is a wonderful woman who has THREE CDTs (the eldest being over 30 yrs old). Also, she's raised 5 kids so she's never upset with my kids being in her yard on occasion. My two torts call her "grandma"  Oh... and she's always ready to baby sit our two tortoises. I think I'll just go count my blessings.


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## -ryan- (May 16, 2010)

I don't have too many problems with my direct neighbors, but the deadbeat teenage kids in the neighborhood cause me a ton of problems, as well as the younger kids. Already this year I had to yell at three teenage kids who were in my yard smoking cigarettes. I told them "you need to leave". They stood there, looked at me for a second, and went back to smoking their cigarettes. "I said you need to leave, now". To which they reply "Why?". Freaking idiots. That's why my tortoises have to live indoors and only come out when I am right there with them. We have a fenced in yard, but the area the teenagers were loitering on is outside the fence, because there is a creek that runs through our yard. Kids treat the creek like it's a park and don't realize (or care) that they are on our property. They have destroyed our private property, killed/taken snakes, frogs, and turtles out of the creek, and show no respect for us when we tell them they need to leave. When they found out about the business that my family is involved in they stopped showing up for a while last summer, but with the start of this summer we are having problems again.

One of the teenagers that was in the yard smoking is also the suspected perpetrator of a breaking and entering/burglary down the street. The sad thing is, our neighborhood is relatively expensive.


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## Lou (May 16, 2010)

I hear ya man. I can't say I have ever had a bad neighbor. They are either nice, or keep it to themselves and dont complain much.

Though I have a friend who has had the same type of neighbor as you, she didnt have tortoise, but a large pond with expensive kois....She just reported the neighbor for spraying pesticides (its illegal where I live), the neighbor got a big fat fine and my friend had a blast...lol...


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## webskipper (May 16, 2010)

We poison ourselves with processed foods, can't we find a better solution to poisoning our water without pesticides?


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## 2Paisan (May 16, 2010)

We balanced eachother's posts today. Our neighbor saved our escapee Russian Frankie today. So we love our neighbor. But really we are lucky. There are few herbicide/pesticide users in our neighborhood as there are so many little children. Our one neighbor who is two houses down always comest to tell me if he uses roundup in case our kids were to get close. I always thank him (and kind of grimace at the same time.)


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## Tom (May 16, 2010)

Block wall. Solves a lot of problems.

I feel your pain. I've had a few neighbor problems too. Now I'm all alone at the top of a hill. Love it.


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## Shelly (May 16, 2010)

-ryan- said:


> One of the teenagers that was in the yard smoking is also the suspected perpetrator of a breaking and entering/burglary down the street. The sad thing is, our neighborhood is relatively expensive.



It's not sad if crime only happens to poor people? Are you kidding me?


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## Madortoise (May 16, 2010)

I have a wonderful neighbor to the right of me who grew up w/DT and questionable ones to the left--they are renters (2 families in front/back house). Each time the new family comes into that house, it's always a different set of problems. Right now, I don't have much issue w/them except some BBQ smokes coming into our house (they BBQ in front of their house). I don't think they maintain their yard much so the pesticide has not been the problem. I just hope they p/u after their dog poos so that we don't smell them and get flies like last summer.


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## stells (May 17, 2010)

I'm really lucky with my neighbours... they have always been really good and both only spray their front gardens not the back


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## -ryan- (May 17, 2010)

Shelly said:


> -ryan- said:
> 
> 
> > One of the teenagers that was in the yard smoking is also the suspected perpetrator of a breaking and entering/burglary down the street. The sad thing is, our neighborhood is relatively expensive.
> ...



I've sent you a PM. I think that is more appropriate than posting my feelings about what you've just insinuated.


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## Shelly (May 17, 2010)

I "insinuated" nothing. Some rich people think crime is fine as long as it stays in the "poor" neighborhoods, which is clearly what was "insinuated".
And BTW, I flushed your PM. Don't send me another.


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## kbaker (May 17, 2010)

How about we start a group called,
"Stay out of my swamp!!"

No Donkeys allowed -


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## t_mclellan (May 17, 2010)

kbaker said:


> How about we start a group called,
> "Stay out of my swamp!!"
> 
> No Donkeys allowed -



1 of my best friends was a "DONKEY"! Not much for conversation though. May he RIP.


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## -ryan- (May 17, 2010)

Shelly said:


> I "insinuated" nothing. Some rich people think crime is fine as long as it stays in the "poor" neighborhoods, which is clearly what was "insinuated".
> And BTW, I flushed your PM. Don't send me another.



If that is how you interpreted what I wrote, then that is my fault. But what I meant is that it is "sad" as in "ironic", as in I was trying to make a point on your side that "rich" people assume they can buy safety. I am moving into one of your so-called "poor neighborhoods" next year, so obviously I understand that crime happens everywhere regardless of income level. Right now I am straddling the poverty line and things don't look great for the future, otherwise I wouldn't have to squat at my folks' house in the suburbs. I apologize if my PM was harsh, but it was early in the morning, I had to go to work, and you got my blood boiling when you twisted my words like that, given my current situation.


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## moswen (May 17, 2010)

My neighbor two houses down from me cussed me out infront of her kids, threw a beer can at my car, and told my husband she was going to run over our daughter when she got old enough to play on the street because we don't come to a complete 3 second stop at the stop sign in her yard... She even called the police on me one day. People are awesome. I've seen people that don't even slow down at that stop sign but because I'm within ear shot when I get out of my car she thinks its her duty to stand in her front yard and yell at me... Also on the 4th of july her kids shot off a firework that almost hit my other neighbor's child and she just stood on her front porch and laughed. I can't wait till we find my 20 acres in mannford and move!


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## zzzdanz (May 17, 2010)

I have the neighbor from hell!.An old timer who's the retired fire chief in the town I live in.I can't even walk out in to my back yard with out him coming out his back door to stare at me and watch every move I make.

I was out of work for a back surgery (out for the same thing again now) about 3 yrs ago and he was taking pictures of me and the family in my back yard to give to the insurance company (I was on comp), I did nothing wrong.His pictures and video of me mowing my lawn ended up in court with the insurance company and where tossed out.

My little brother owns the house directly across the street from me so we walk back and forth to hang out or w/e.Walking across the street with a beer 1 day and here come 2 police cruisers.Neighbor called them and told them we where drinking in public and intoxicated.Being the ex-firechief he of course knows all the cops.

Sitting in my work truck in front of my house installing a new radio and here come the cops again.Step out of the truck, DUI...I didn't have the keys to the truck how was I driving?..Thank god I got out of that.My street is a circle in a culdesac..no traffic except for the mail man.I lost track of how many times the cops where called.

Well I know cops to Mr.Neighbor who video tapes over the fence into my yard where my teenage girls are laying out in bathing suits.I skipped the town cops he has at his command and called the State Police who spoke to him about video taping under aged girls.

I haven't seen the cops since then go figure, but I've seen him give company of mine the finger and he still has to stand and watch from his yard to see what's going on over here.He has never in 5yrs said 1 word to me, always everyone else.In my younger yrs. I would have been over the fence and ended it but getting to old for that.

Now I make a game of it.Go outside and wait for him (takes 10sec) to come running out repeat that a few times.I'ld swear he waits by the door to see me come out.

He's even had the Enviromental people from the state here telling them I was clearing wet-lands!....A tree fell over in my yard that I was cutting up.Except for myself and my Brother the rest of the neighborhood is elderly people and I figure he just doesn't like younger people moving in...He'll flip in his grave when I buy his house before his dead body cools.


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## Tom (May 17, 2010)

Ever see Lakeview Terrace? Scary stuff.


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## Kristina (May 17, 2010)

Oddly enough, it was my tortoises that broke the barrier between myself and my neighbors.

They were crappy from day one. They called the housing commission on me every five seconds, for reasons ranging from not cleaning up my dog poop daily (which I do, I just have a bigger dog than their yappy little freaking Rat Terrier... Um, yeah people, my dog has BIGGER POOP also!!! Being, um, bigger....) to leaving my dog outside for more than 10 minutes at a stretch... no joke. We lived on a 40 acre farm for my dog's entire life, up until a year and a half ago. Lily has always been an inside dog, as much as a dog raised on a farm could be... She slept in the house, but was usually outside during the day. It was plain CRUEL to make her stay in all the time when we moved to town. We would make her go in, and 5 minutes later she was wiggling to go out again. She doesn't bark, all she was doing was laying there sleeping in the sun... THEIR dog, on the other hand, barks through the sliding door at us if we have the audacity to stand on our own porch. Nice. Lily is almost always tethered when outside, unless we are right there, and she never walks more than 10 feet from us. 

Then they called the cops on me a couple times for "loud parties." It was 11 o'clock at night, I had a couple of people over playing cards. The stupid radio wasn't even playing. Shut your dog up and go to sleep, seriously.

It was HELL for the first year. Our washing machine broke, we bought a new one and set the old one outside the back door for THREE HOURS, and here came the guy from the housing commission, saying their had been a complaint about the "junk" in our yard... I was at work with the truck!!! WTH did they actually expect us to do about it? The plain ridiculousness of it would blow your mind.

So I start fencing the yard and building tortoise enclosures this spring. "What is that?" I was shocked I was even spoken to. I showed them, and now we talk all the time. They chatter at us when they go in and out of their house, let us eat outside on their new yard furniture, it is SOOO weird. We have loaned them tools and hauled old carpet to the dumpsters for them, and they have cooked us burgers and gave us a really nice set of dressers. 

All that hate started over a really good dog... and now they like me, because I have cute little "turtles," lol!!!


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## dmmj (May 17, 2010)

Mine is opposire I had a good neighbor he and his wife used to sit outside and watch my turtles and tortoises for hours, we had BBQ's an such, then one day he has a stroke and complete 180 in attitude daily calls to the park managemnt over imaginary stuff, and the park of course can't just ignore him so they come out on his property, they can not come on mine without permission or an emergency. They would look and find nothing so finally I put up a bamboo fence now he can't see over into my property and problem solved, so he is now patrolling his other sides, I see him when I walk my dog, for other imaghinary infractions of the rules. It is quite sad actually he used to be nice, and his wife is great but now it is like he was taken over by an evil spirit or something, total different person.


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## llamas55 (May 18, 2010)

emysemys said:


> I guess we all have a bad neighbor story. I have mine too. I find it best to try to ignore them and let whatever they do just roll off my back. I really like the alcoholics anonymous serenity prayer...
> 
> "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
> courage to change the things we can,
> ...



I agree. and I remember one little line IN a Carol Burnett show once: If in life you meet a foe, praise them, bless them, let them go.

harder than it sounds. I have one we call Many Blessed...... the count got so high.

you could also line your fence with a board or bricks so edibles don't grow right up against it on your side.


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## -ryan- (May 18, 2010)

zzzdanz said:


> I have the neighbor from hell!.An old timer who's the retired fire chief in the town I live in.I can't even walk out in to my back yard with out him coming out his back door to stare at me and watch every move I make.
> 
> I was out of work for a back surgery (out for the same thing again now) about 3 yrs ago and he was taking pictures of me and the family in my back yard to give to the insurance company (I was on comp), I did nothing wrong.His pictures and video of me mowing my lawn ended up in court with the insurance company and where tossed out.
> 
> ...



I think we have a winner. It's one thing when it's criminals making your life difficult, but when it's someone who believes he is on the right side of the law it makes things that much worse. Before my family moved into the house we have now it belonged to a close friend who had it built in the early 70's, and he had a problem with the elderly neighbors because they had been using the lot he bought as their own backyard (in fact, their house backs up to our lot, so their sliding glass door opens up only about 8' from my yard). On one hand, it's hard to pass judgment, because maybe the neighbors were trying to save enough money that they could buy this lot and have a full acre yard, but on the other hand, the property was for sale and they must have known that someone was going to buy it and build a house next door. I guess they caused a lot of problems though. Oh well. But you never really know what motivates people to act that way.

My parents are the type that would call the police or the town because they don't like what the neighbors are doing. It's pretty disheartening. Can't wait for next year when I will (hopefully) be able to move.


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## kbaker (May 18, 2010)

I kept my post about the tortoises, but my neighbors do some of the same things. I got cussed at because my two young boys were riding their bikes while the neighbor cut his grass. My boys stayed on the side walk and did nothing wrong.
I get cigerette butts and gum littered along the one side. And when they do yard work, they take a blower and blow it on to my lawn. They like their cars, too. The son likes to squeal his tires and rev his noisy muffler at all times, including after my kids are in bed.
I put in a sprinkler head at the corner of my yard. I left it at least six inches inward on my lawn. I repaired it twice the first week because they kept running over it with their cars.
I could go on, but I'd rather talk tortoises then neighbors any day.
Thanks for everyone's posts on this thread.


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## zzzdanz (May 18, 2010)

-ryan- said:


> zzzdanz said:
> 
> 
> > I have the neighbor from hell!.An old timer who's the retired fire chief in the town I live in.I can't even walk out in to my back yard with out him coming out his back door to stare at me and watch every move I make.
> ...



And that's not even a 1/4 of it.I've found out he's done back ground checks on me and my wife..I have no idea why.Called my boss to tell him I was in the yard after 1 of my back surgeries..My boss is 1 of my best friends.I've worked for him for almost 20 yrs, and I'm his kids god father.

I've had building inspectors, health dept.,fire dept.,cops,enviromental dept,and even his lawyer at my door...My wife is ready to just sell the house, but not me.I've done to much work to it to just walk away.
She's worried he's going to say something to my kids that will not go over to good with me, and then I'll resort to my younger ways and just beat him.(not going to do that)..Sooo I just deal with it and try to ignore it, just hoping his misserable *** doesn't out live mine.

Maybe I'll be nice when he's gone and only charge his wife half price for rent in my new house.


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## terracolson (May 18, 2010)

The first thing i would do is call the city and complain about it. See what they can do. If they cant help, I would save up the money for a PVC privacy fence. 
Install the fence with leaving up her fence, and place a strong liner on her side.

Or run a strong liner around the fence on your side.....

I am thinking save the money for some sort of pond liner..... it would last for a very long time.

Of course i think of doing very mean things back, but thats not the right thing to do.

I do like the idea of hooking up your water house to the fence line and flooding her yard..
Then when she says something, be like, oh i am sorry, do i need to tell you i am watering my yard?


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## alfiethetortoise (May 18, 2010)

II sympathise with you. I have one annoying neighbour with cats who foul on my garden. Enough said. My other neighbour is a god send. He has done so much for us since we moved in, put an ariel on the roof, some electrics, sends ava things at christmas and birthdays, lets us in when we havo no power and makes us tea as we only have elevctricity in the kitchen, cuts the grass, and this week he saved my stubborn rabbit from a near-death experience when she took herself off for a hop to the road! Many thanks to good neighbours!


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## Stephanie Logan (May 19, 2010)

Tom said:


> Now I'm all alone at the top of a hill. Love it.



Hah! The age-old strategic value of high ground...no one can sneak up on you! Why am I not surprised? 

These stories are so painfully entertaining! Tom, you should pass these on to your screenplay-writing acquaintances...there's at least one good movie in this thread.


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## gummybearpoop (May 19, 2010)

I hear you Kevin. My friend has neighbors whose kids throw rocks at his tortoises over the fence. Needless to say, my friend is very happy that he is moving next month.


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## webskipper (May 19, 2010)

gummybearpoop said:


> My friend has neighbors whose kids throw rocks at his tortoises over the fence.



I'll still be cleaning my guns every time those offspring are playing outside.

Or point a motion detecting water sprinkler towards them. They sell them for ponds.


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## janiedough (May 25, 2010)

can you maybe build a little perimeter around your fence - like a buffer zone?

so that even if she does spray it won't get the part of your yard where your tort grazes?


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## bikerchicspain (May 27, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> I have lived here 5 years. 2 years ago a nag moved in next door and almost immediately started complaining about the way Bob's shed looks and how much noise he makes....I repeat...how much noise a tortoise makes. You know that they try to dig and rearrange their plywood before going to sleep. Every night about 5:30 Bob starts digging in his sleeping box. So it's that noise she complains about. She started playing a loud radio, so on Sundays I put NASCAR on and with the surround sound loud so i can hear the cars go 'round as I garden. She stopped with the radio, so I stopped with the NASCAR.


LoL that is so funny, What a stupid idiot she is


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## GBtortoises (May 27, 2010)

Keep going everyone, you're all making me _even more happy_ that live out in the boondocks with no neighbors!


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## Terry Allan Hall (May 27, 2010)

GBtortoises said:


> Keep going everyone, you're all making me _even more happy_ that live out in the boondocks with no neighbors!



Yeah, Green Acres IS the place to be! I never plan to live in a city again...living within 15 miles of one is just fine!


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## GBtortoises (May 27, 2010)

"Yeah, Green Acres IS the place to be!"

Couldn't have said it better myself Terry!

And contrary to popular belief, we do have running water and electricity! Even wireless internet!

Isn't it great sitting out on the porch at night and hearing nothing more than crickets and spring frogs?


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## chadk (May 27, 2010)

We live on the outskirts of town. Everyone has 1/2 to 1 acre lots. I like all my neighbors, but it helps that we aren't breathing down eachother's throats. We have plenty of privacy, yet also great neighbors who watch our house while we are gone and will even help with the animals and things. Everyone loves the sounds coming from our little farm and we bring them fresh eggs from time to time.


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## terryo (May 27, 2010)

I live in the City and we only have ...I think...a piece of small property that's about 200 x 45..maybe. We are very close with our neighbors on one side of our house. We help them and they help us. On the other side the people aren't too friendly, but just stay to themselves and don't bother anyone. My son lost his snake..don't ask how it got out...and the neighbor thought it was wild and was going to eat his tomato's, so killed it with a shovel. My son was devastated of course, but they don't know any better. A few time's a small water turtle got out somehow and was always brought to me. When I lost Izzy, the whole block was searching for her in their yards, and some kids even put posters on the light poles. Once I was sick, and couldn't get any of my kids on the phone, and my neighbor came over and stayed with me til 2 in the morning when we finally got my son........and the list goes on and on. So sometimes it's OK to have some close neighbors nearby. That's just my thoughts.


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## chadk (May 27, 2010)

I knew a guy who ALWAY had crummy neighbors. Hated all of them. Me moved around a lot and always complained about it. I began to understand the pattern...

Sometimes you just have to wonde... is YOU that is the problem in the first place?


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## moswen (May 28, 2010)

Haha I just found out the neighbor who I was complaining about earlier has a history with the law in this neighborhood and she has threatened and harassed other people and all sorts of things, and someone else has a law suit against her, and the police are documenting everything she does so that when something serious happens they can have her history documented and the police apparently are fed up with her! What a pathetic life you must lead to have the cops hate you. Why doesn't SHE move out to green acres if she hates her neighbors so much!


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## Terry Allan Hall (May 29, 2010)

GBtortoises said:


> "Yeah, Green Acres IS the place to be!"
> 
> Couldn't have said it better myself Terry!
> 
> ...



Absolutely...except when Hamlet, my mini-pig, is fussing about the goats trying to steal his treats...loud little dude.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jun 22, 2010)

Now a story about a thoughtful neighbor: Travis, who lives down our road about 6 miles away, has a daughter who hangs out with my daughter, so he's aware of our many pets and thinks we're crazy but harmless D)...and particularily likes the tortoises, enough to want me to help his daughter Lori get a good healthy one at next month's reptile swap meet in Arlington. 

Well, last night he called me up and asked I need any of the sow thistle he's wanting to clear out of his pastures and if so, how much? I told him "Thanks" and whatever he could send over would be appreciated.

This morning, he dropped off 3 square bales (about 5' X 3' X 3')...about 200#! 

Am currently taking a break from trimming the leaves off the stems and putting them in gal-sized zip-locks.


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## Yourlocalpoet (Jun 22, 2010)

My old neighbour actually sprayed my tortoise with ronseal (the stuff you spray to treat wooden fences) esmerelda was grazing by the fence and the idiot started spraying his fence! Her shell was pretty covered in the stuff, it's a good job I was there other wise I dread to think what would have happened. I can honestly say I said some pretty awful things to him between tears and absolute panic. Thankfully she was okay, never did forgive him though.


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## kbaker (Sep 1, 2010)

I guess it's time to revisit the topic...

Animal Control just stopped by because someone complained about the smell from my tortoises. I got lucky with a good officer. He saw that my animals are well taken care of. The smell is mainly from the garbage cans from daily pick ups from the tortoises. He suggested that I get some lime to sprinkle over the stools to help with the smell. He said basically they are not classified as normal pets and because I am not keeping them in the house, they are technically illegal to have in my city. He saw that I take good care of them and the city is not out to get me so it should be fine. At the same time, if the [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbors complain more, I will have to pay a fine and go before a judge. It will be up to the judge to say if I can keep the tortoises then.
I do not have any rights with them because they are illegal. I mentioned about the spraying poison on my fence line and the officer said they are well with in their rights to spray poison because the tortoises are not actually legal.

My biggest problem here is none of the [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbors have mentioned that the smell was a problem. Respectful people talk to their neighbors and not call the city on them first.


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## Tom (Sep 1, 2010)

It would be imprudent for me to comment here, but I wish you luck.

You are a good guy and I'm very upset that this is happening to you.


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## webskipper (Sep 1, 2010)

I empathize with you. 
AZ says don't import any animal to AZ even it was native at one time. Once it leaves the state don't bring it back.

That means my Torts are illegals as well.

The 2 months that you can have your Torts outside in Michigan are about up anyway right?

How about giving the poop away as fertilizer? It's isn't much different as cow manure and even dog poop can be used if diluted a gazillion:1.

Or bury a perforated 55 gallon drum. I remember using a commercial 15 gal one for my dogs. Water was only 24 inches down. Doggy Dooley? It'd a crude septic tank and it will naturally decompose the poop. Add bacteria to start faster .

Hope this helps.


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## moswen (Sep 1, 2010)

i'm so sorry kbaker. i completely agree that a respectable neighbor would speak with you first. it's rude not to have some sort of CIVILIZED communication before you just up and call the police. i'm considering myself lucky that my crazy neighbor has put her house up for sale (i believe because the police have told her that they are going to start writing her up and fining her for complaints they receive about her behavior... ) but you know that if you ever do have to give your torts up there are so many good homes here that they can go to... however if i were you i'd be moving yesterday!!! so sorry to hear what you're going through, my sympathies. i wish i lived closer to michigan, i'd take some tortie fertilizer lol!!! i also agree with burying it as well, that will greatly minimize any smell your little guys might be creating.


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## dolfanjack (Sep 1, 2010)

kbaker said:


> I guess it's time to revisit the topic...
> 
> Animal Control just stopped by because someone complained about the smell from my tortoises. I got lucky with a good officer. He saw that my animals are well taken care of. The smell is mainly from the garbage cans from daily pick ups from the tortoises. He suggested that I get some lime to sprinkle over the stools to help with the smell. He said basically they are not classified as normal pets and because I am not keeping them in the house, they are technically illegal to have in my city. He saw that I take good care of them and the city is not out to get me so it should be fine. At the same time, if the [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbors complain more, I will have to pay a fine and go before a judge. It will be up to the judge to say if I can keep the tortoises then.
> I do not have any rights with them because they are illegal. I mentioned about the spraying poison on my fence line and the officer said they are well with in their rights to spray poison because the tortoises are not actually legal.
> ...



How many tortioses do you have that can cause that much stink?


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## dmmj (Sep 1, 2010)

Mu neighbor makes up stories about my water turtles stinking all the time in order to get me in trouble. Thy have come and smelled my pond and can detect no odor what so ever, clean mine out regularly, the stink is actually coming from the sewage plant near us, and when it gets hot it smells bad, but he is out there all the time saying boy they stink. he is an idiot of the highest order.


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## terryo (Sep 1, 2010)

dolfanjack said:


> kbaker said:
> 
> 
> > I guess it's time to revisit the topic...
> ...



Sometimes on a very warm humid day I will pass by Pio's garden, and I can smell this poop...a lot. So than I have to search for it and take it out. And he's only one tort, who did one poop.


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## kbaker (Sep 1, 2010)

[/quote]

How many tortioses do you have that can cause that much stink?
[/quote]

I have many tortoises, but mostly small ones. The ones that make the most poop are the three adult sulcatas. I clean up daily and usually more than once a day. The smell is from the garbage can filled with poop and not the poop that is laying in the yard at times. The stink really is not that much. It's the [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbor who wants to start trouble that is the problem.


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## Macheteslaststep (Sep 1, 2010)

Get a litter locker or a baby diaper trash can? It seals the stink in 

Sorry you have bad neighbors. Our one neighbor likes seeing the turtles/torts, and the other ones really don't care. Which is a good thing because one of the neighbors that doesn't care is also our landlord. We have an agreement though - we don't call about his rooster/chickens and he doesn't say anything about our pets


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## Becki (Sep 1, 2010)

I'm sorry that is happening to you K. Your story makes me want to go give all my neighbors a big kiss!


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## Kristina (Sep 1, 2010)

webskipper said:


> The 2 months that you can have your Torts outside in Michigan are about up anyway right?



Mine have already been out for 6 months....



I had neighbors that complained about a smell coming from my tort pens, but I have never ever ever noticed a smell. I had the housing commission manager come over to my house when it was 90* out, and she couldn't detect a smell, so nothing came of it. 

Same neighbor is currently in a mental institute... just sayin'.

I agree, seal the bins or get some sort of composting system. I had 14" and 10" Sulcatas in the house, in the living room... and never had a smell issue. I just flushed the cigars as they were made


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## dolfanjack (Sep 1, 2010)

How many tortioses do you have that can cause that much stink?
[/quote]

I have many tortoises, but mostly small ones. The ones that make the most poop are the three adult sulcatas. I clean up daily and usually more than once a day. The smell is from the garbage can filled with poop and not the poop that is laying in the yard at times. The stink really is not that much. It's the [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbor who wants to start trouble that is the problem.
[/quote]

So dog poop in a can and the city does nothing but tortioses poop in a can and you might loose your torts! that stinks(pun intended)



terryo said:


> dolfanjack said:
> 
> 
> > kbaker said:
> ...



My box turtle incloser can get pretty stinky because of some of the food I feed and the very wet conditions. My two russians however have no smell that I can detect. Maybe every turtle owner with a bad neighbor should buy a yappy dog, then they will have somthing other then the torts to complain about.(Kidding)


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## kbaker (Sep 2, 2010)

webskipper said:


> The 2 months that you can have your Torts outside in Michigan are about up anyway right?
> 
> How about giving the poop away as fertilizer?



The tortoises get outside full time 4+ months of the year. They should not have to spend more time inside because of the [email protected]#$%^&*! Neighbors. My goal is to get them outside more. I have plans to fix up the garage so they can go in and out more often.

What's the difference if the poop goes out with the yard waste once a week or I give it away once a week? Did you think I kept the poop for two months in the garbage cans??


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## webskipper (Sep 2, 2010)

zzzdanz said:


> I have the neighbor from hell!.An old timer who's the retired fire chief in the town I live in.I can't even walk out in to my back yard with out him coming out his back door to stare at me. company of mine the finger and he still has to stand and watch from his yard
> 
> Now I make a game of it.Go outside and wait for him (takes 10sec) to come running out repeat that a few times.I'ld swear he waits by the door to see me come



That's funny!

Maybe ask him aboout how far away you should build an outdoor BBQ or make him a face book page so he can get in touch with friends or a match.com account so he can get a woman.

Get him OCD on something else.


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## jensgotfaith (Sep 2, 2010)

Maggie- you cracked me up with the NASCAR bit.
Yvonne- wise advice as usual
Mightyclyde- you are blessed!


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## jackrat (Sep 2, 2010)

My nearest neighbors(about 1 mile away) had a thriving crystal meth lab.The local law enforcement turned a blind eye to it.(make of that what you will)Their house burned down.Problem solved.


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## dmmj (Sep 2, 2010)

most meth houses tend to burn themselves down


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## jackrat (Sep 2, 2010)

Yeah,it's funny that way.


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## Maggie Cummings (Sep 2, 2010)

I am so sorry your neighbor is such an ***. Mine is also but not to that extent. 
I picked a spot in a corner of my yard, on her side actually, and I dug dug dug until the dirt was soft and usable, then I started adding Bob poop to it. I dig it around every couple of days and it makes the best mulch with NO ODER...my jerky neighbor cannot smell it at all. Not only does it make the best mulch, there's no oder, and it makes worms that are hugh! One was so big I thought it was a baby snake. You might consider that...it's better than murder...


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## MichelleCarrigan78 (Sep 20, 2010)

zzzdanz said:


> I have the neighbor from hell!.An old timer who's the retired fire chief in the town I live in.I can't even walk out in to my back yard with out him coming out his back door to stare at me and watch every move I make.
> 
> I was out of work for a back surgery (out for the same thing again now) about 3 yrs ago and he was taking pictures of me and the family in my back yard to give to the insurance company (I was on comp), I did nothing wrong.His pictures and video of me mowing my lawn ended up in court with the insurance company and where tossed out.
> 
> ...



Wow! I would think that you could get him for harrassment. I live in an apartment and thought I had crappy neighbors, guess having a house isnt much different?


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## zzzdanz (Sep 21, 2010)

Forgot about this thread...This summer wasn't bad,only had the cops over a half dozen times,and the Wildlife people walking around my yard.You'ld think they'ld knock on the door first.

My oldest graduated this year so we had a cook-out.Within a half hr. or so of people getting here, here come 2 cruisers.This cop comes up my drive way like some neanderthal and says to me *who's the F'n home owner*..well that would be me,and if you'll get out of my yard now I'll gladly talk to you out in the street.

Who do you think you are talking to me like that I say to him..*well I didn't realize you where the home owner, I thought this was a kids party*..well it is,so in your eyes,you can come her and talk to 1 of my kids like that?..Moron.

Well we got a call of loud music and underage drinking.Well there was no music on, and there definately wasn't any kids drinking.So I got the ..*well if we have to come back, we'll have to ask you to end the party*..Well officer Moron, I know my @#$%^ neighbor is the one that called you, and I know he'll call back because he knows you'll do that.It's not gonna happen!..I don't care if you come back 10 more times and have some steak and chicken.

They already ruined my daughters grad. bash, so I said to hell with ya.Now this cop starts running every lic plate number in my driveway..w/e..have at it, and don't forget the 2 trucks across the street, those are mine too...Off they go to the neighbors for a chat, and I never saw them again.

Wildlife, who I guess just goes where ever they want when they want are walking around my back yard.Out I go..*who the hell are you and what are ya doing in my yard?*..We got a call of animals being kept here and this isn't zoned for a farm.

Well, I have 2 dogs a cat, bird,iguana,and a redfoot tortoise.(they don't need to know about the 20+turtles in the basement)..Needless to say, they had no leg to stand on, and I'm sure they felt pretty stupid..off they went.

@#$%^neighbors are good entertainment anyways.


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## goReptiles (Sep 22, 2010)

Wow, I'm glad my neighbors are nice. My grandparents live to my left, and this nice couple and their kids who bought their parents house life to the right. I have a church to the front of the house and no one behind me. 

I did get a laugh at some of your stories though. Some of them are quite ridiculous.


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## dmmj (Sep 22, 2010)

Reminds me of an old saying , you can pick your nose but you can't pick your neighbors (or family)


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## Edna (Sep 22, 2010)

dmmj said:


> Reminds me of an old saying , you can pick your nose but you can't pick your neighbors (or family)



I thought that went, "You can pick your guitar, and you can pick your friend's guitar, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."

In my neighborhood, the sounds of kids playing (screaming) all day, and dogs barking all day, are welcome. Everyone's just doing their job, right? But the neighbors who party all night are not appreciated by anyone. No one, so far, has bugged me about my own pets/activities.


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## jensgotfaith (Sep 22, 2010)

I've always heard that saying as, "You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose. But you can't pick your friend's nose."


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## Cfr200 (Sep 25, 2010)

Have you ever thought about bringing him to small claims court for being a nuisance? I lived in a neighborhood were we had one neighbor who did this quite a lot of this stuff to a most of the people in the neighborhood. One of them was a lawyer and at a BBQ at his house the police showed up and did basically the same thing that the cops did at you daughter's cookout which was the last straw. He came up with this plan that night and six of us in the neighborhood brought nuisance cases against him we each filed a few days apart. The guy had to go to court for six times and lost four of them and $5000 each time he lost. After that he put his house up for sale and moved a few months latter. If your guy torments the other neighbors I think this idea might help you rid yourselves of this guy.
I am not one for lawsuits, but in a case like this it is the only way to stop idiots that want to rule their neighbors.


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## zzzdanz (Sep 25, 2010)

I'ld love to see him get dragged into court,unfortunately,he knows everyone.The court is in my town and he is buddy buddy with all the higher-ups in town.

I did however send a letter to the Mayor that the new $60,000.00 Police cruiser that the tax payers covered and they had to have,sits in my neighbors driveway for 2 or 3 hrs. a couple times a week.Town cops aren't allowed to take cruisers home, so it's on patrol.

I saw the cop driving that car sitting over there eating dinner,hanging out for over 4hrs. 1 night.Cops working hard as usual I guess.


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## Tom (Sep 25, 2010)

Cfr200 said:


> Have you ever thought about bringing him to small claims court for being a nuisance? I lived in a neighborhood were we had one neighbor who did this quite a lot of this stuff to a most of the people in the neighborhood. One of them was a lawyer and at a BBQ at his house the police showed up and did basically the same thing that the cops did at you daughter's cookout which was the last straw. He came up with this plan that night and six of us in the neighborhood brought nuisance cases against him we each filed a few days apart. The guy had to go to court for six times and lost four of them and $5000 each time he lost. After that he put his house up for sale and moved a few months latter. If your guy torments the other neighbors I think this idea might help you rid yourselves of this guy.
> I am not one for lawsuits, but in a case like this it is the only way to stop idiots that want to rule their neighbors.



That is fantastic. Love this story. Feel bad for whoever he moves next to, though.


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## Cfr200 (Sep 25, 2010)

None of us ever got paid by him, so we all put liens on his new house, that might keep him under control. I should really check on that maybe I have some money coming to me, this happened in 1994 and I have moved about 6 times since then.


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