Lawn and Neighbour

Ltrex on 15/01/2015 - 00:20

Hi,

I have read online on tree and fence issues but I couldn't find anything on grass lawn and fence issues. The situation is like this, I have grass lawns in both front and back of my house. The backyard is separated by color bond fencing while the front does not have any separating fence line.

Back when my grass lawn was first installed, I had put in plastic corrugated edging purchased from Bunnings at my own expense. My neighbor later installed a garden bed on his side right beside the edging. I don't neglect my lawn as I mow it every 3/4 weeks or so. I further trim my side of the edging with a line cutter but being plastic edging, the edging deteriorated over time and the line cutter made holes. As a result, my grass grew over to his garden bed but not excessively as I trim it with grass shears every few months or so.

As for the backyard, since it is separated by color bond fencing, I can't put in any edging as my grass is right up to the fence line. There is room under the color bond fence that my grass grows over but something which I can't see.

My neighbor came knocking one day at dinner time complaining that I should not allow my grass lawn to grow over and he should not be the one to spend time to clear my grass growing over to his lawn. After this first encounter, I do try to trim the front and backyard as much as I can but the backyard is not easily done since the grass roots may still grow over to the other side.

There was a subsequent second encounter when I replaced the front plastic corrugated edging with Aluminium Link Edging which again at my own expense that my neighbor commented that he still wasn't happy with the backyard. His precise comment was something along the lines that my lawn should not be up to the fence line and that I should leave a gap.

I have tried my best to pacify him but his comment on my lawn is unjustified since it is after all my backyard. In a tree and fence issue, if your neighbor's tree grows over the dividing fence to your property and if you are not happy, you are allowed to trim it.

So what is the norm on the lawn and fence? Have I done my part of being a good neighbor? Or is my neighbor too unreasonable?

P.S. - to prevent the possibility of a third encounter, I had purchase Aluminium Link edging for the backyard and hammered it down at the colorbond fence to prevent the grass roots from growing over.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Settero on 15/01/2015 - 00:51
    +84

    your neighbour sounds like an ass.

    stop mowing for a few months , see how that goes ? :)

    • abandc2003 on 15/01/2015 - 00:56
      +1

      Damn tablet! That was supposed to be a plus vote!

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 01:47
      +15

      my neighbour won't need to worry as my wife would kill me first :)

      • deal seeking missile on 16/01/2015 - 16:53

        Your neighbor sounds like he's a bit up himself but he does have a point, put yourself in his shoes, would you not be annoyed if his plants started growing in your yard and you had to pull them out every couple of weeks. Some people just have a higher tolerance for the little annoyances in life (you sound like one of them), your neighbor is definitely not one of these people. People with a low annoyance bearing threshold get frustrated and irritated very easily, even small things can set them off, I pity these people. I couldn't even imagine how stressful their lives must be, never reaching perfection, never being able to ignore a minor inconvenience.

        • nikey2k27 on 16/01/2015 - 22:39

          That is how i see this total people need to relax alots more. i talk all people around me in my unit block we a few problem we deal with it.

        • Zarcady on 17/01/2015 - 20:33
          +1

          @nikey2k27: wut

    • nikey2k27 on 16/01/2015 - 22:41
      -1

      I love this idea this is idea.i would do this then burn your lawn off went get to hight dry out in summer months he real love this if you want come around we burn some stuff i can all it land rights.

      • Zarcady on 17/01/2015 - 20:33

        Wut???

        • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2015 - 22:28
          +2

          It's spelled, "What."

          (Man, some people really need to learn to communicate more effectively.)

          [cough] ;-)

        • Zarcady on 17/01/2015 - 23:31
          +1

          @realfamilyman: :-)

        • [Deactivated] on 19/01/2015 - 03:13

          @Zarcady: Ah good, he got it.

  • bargainbloke on 15/01/2015 - 01:28
    +1

    While the neighbour is within there rights to request that you keep you lawn in check, they really cannot do anything about it unless the neighbour can prove that the nuisance (in this case the lawn) is cause damage.

  • Davo1111 on 15/01/2015 - 01:32
    +3

    Unless it's causing damage, he can't do anything. Although just like tree branches he can cut it and return it back to you.

    Tell him to deal with it.

    The other option is to buy a 4L weed sprayer and mix in an insane amount of poison. Lean over his fence and spray a good stream down the edge of the fence (use the direct spray, not the mist). It will kill the lawn (and anything it touches). Expect about a 10-15cm buffer of dead zone

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 01:46

      Thanks for your inputs. I did ask him to spray Round Up on his side of the fence to kill any grass roots that may grow over. He was reluctant to do so as he has a garden bed on his side of the color bond fence too so I don't think he would like me doing that :).

      • Davo1111 on 15/01/2015 - 02:27
        +53

        I'd give him a bag of cement, tell him to put a teaspoon of it in his coffee every morning to harden up.

        • Dr Techno on 16/01/2015 - 02:23

          hey its uncle Chopper!

  • Axelstrife on 15/01/2015 - 02:31
    +14

    Tell him to get ******.
    Man i hate people who bitch like this.
    Its grass its not like a massive tree root or something.

  • pax on 15/01/2015 - 08:22

    I think you needed to make a poll here, but feel you are being more than reasonable, so I up voted the bag of cement idea.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/01/2015 - 09:15
    +1

    Its grass.

    He might as well complain about the air over your property being blown over to his property.

  • rickxs on 15/01/2015 - 10:46
    +4

    spray a narrow line with roundup—— I do this to stop my buffalo wandering all over my kerb

    http://postimg.org/image/lh5px6nmj/

    • [Deactivated] on 15/01/2015 - 14:27
      +1

      that looks good - any tips for how to keep it a narrow line? I seem to kill far more than I intend to when I get the roundup out.

      • rickxs on 15/01/2015 - 14:49
        +1

        i just follow the kerb - secret of no fanspray is lo pressure ,dont pump it up to many times & no wind

      • Miss Dior on 15/01/2015 - 19:47
        +2

        Keep the spray nozzle close to the ground. Ensure you do not do it on a windy day. Also ensure that its not going to rain that day (that's just waste). Remember that glyphosphate (roundup) kills everything in its path and goes through the root system - therefore into his side of the fence so carefully consider the amount you use. Start with a little and build up as you see the effect. The cardboard buffer idea mentioned by anna10 is a good one but quite labour intensive. Remember that glyphosphate is supposed to be applied under quite specific safety precautions. If you are going to do this regularly I recommend reading the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Lots of people don't know what they are doing with chemicals and find out too late about the safety issues (think asbestos).

        Once the grass is on his side its his responsibility to maintain it, but your responsibility if it causes any damage (more applicable to other plants such as bamboo getting into pipes rather than grass). If you have kikuyu it will be hard to stop it spreading - that's just its nature. It is a real pain, more so than the neighbour.

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 16:35

      Cool. I usually use my line cutter cutting downwards as a lawn edger.

    • goraygo on 15/01/2015 - 23:12

      It won't stop as a like. Won't look good as you will see dead grass. It basically kill the lawns around the edges. Unless you like yellow edging, don't do it.

  • anna10 on 15/01/2015 - 11:32
    +2

    I aaree w' rickxs. If you use a buffer to contain the spray from your grass (eg flatten out a a cardboard box and spray a very narrow strip.

    But, yes the neighbour is being unreasonable and pedantic, but it's nice to be pleasant to neighbours even if he is a pain in the ar**.

  • Steptoe on 15/01/2015 - 13:00

    Tell him to Go to Bunnings. Buy some Timber…

    No seriously, fill the gap with Pine Sleepers for $10 each. Should slip into the standard post.

    • rickxs on 15/01/2015 - 14:10

      trouble with that is the wood will warp & look sheet
      don't actually spray—let it come out like water from a slow tap ,or use a watering can with no nozzle if small garden

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 16:38

      I was planning on using Aluminium flat bars and hammer it down underneath the color bond fence but in the end, using Aluminium Link Edge (http://www.flemings.com.au/chelsea2012/images/products/linke…) was cheaper but I had to angle grind away the footing to give a flat bar that I can hammer in.

      • Steptoe on 15/01/2015 - 16:42
        +1

        Looks like this with sleepers

        • rickxs on 16/01/2015 - 08:21
          +1

          they cant be sleepers ,sleepers would never fit the channel—— thats just treated pine, which will warp without a center post in the ground to screw/bolt too….
          looks ok in the picture, but looks like a new install,going by the mulch colour & plant heights

      • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2015 - 22:32

        It won't matter - grass will still grow on his side of the narrow lip - probably more actually, because it will race to get to light. Probably will still be your fault in his eyes.

  • robbie613 on 15/01/2015 - 13:51
    +7

    Dunno where you live but you sound like a great neighbour :) You want to try to help them out without going too far. I put up with Ivy and blackberry weeds coming in from my neighbours fence constantly, and in the past neighbours who don't care about termite or wasp nests on their property - I wouldn't care two hoots about some grass!

    At the end of the day, if there's soil there and it gets sunlight and water, grass is gonna spread =)

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 16:42
      +16

      Where do you live? I'll move in beside you :)

      I had a hint that my neighbour would be difficult when he organised a neighbourhood petition to complain on a chicken farm located about 1km away as he could smell something in the air when I never realised any chicken farm was nearby.

  • drdolphin on 15/01/2015 - 14:33
    +2

    I would think lawn comes under the same regulations as trees. Where a tree is overhanging (but not causing damage) its your responsibility to prune (if required) to the fence line. Its not the tree-owners responsibility to pay for this or do it themself. Tell him its his responsibility to garden to the fence line, regardless as to where the plant started.

    As mentioned, your neighbor sounds like an unreasonable jerk, and you've been really good about it. Unfortunately neighbours like this will complain forever and keep exploiting your good nature.

  • Seiko on 15/01/2015 - 19:10
    +1

    I'll look at it from the neighbors side. At my old house I had garden beds running asking all the fence lines. My neighbor didn't seem to give a #uck that his grass was a meter tall and constantly sending runners into my beds. A branch is a easy thing to take care off. A once a year trimming is the most that is needed. Dealing with runners is a constant issue. I should know as the house I live in now has grass runners constantly growing into my garden bed. The worst thing is that's its my grass. In my case I either pull the runners or spray them.

    As a good neighbour I make an point of trimming my trees before they grow over the fence and I don't think it's unreasonable that your neighbor should have to keep pulling the weeds coming from your property.

    What if everytime it rained you had mud washing in from his property to yours, or the neighbour placed a really small gravel along the fence (say an Asian inspired theme with bamboo etc etc) and the gravel was constantly making its way over through the gaps onto you concrete? You would be happy if your neighbour told you to harden up?

    In the case of my first house my neighbour was a #ucking deadbeat so I sprayed a crap load of poision along their side of the fence.

    • King Tightarse on 16/01/2015 - 08:53

      If you sprayed poison on MY side of any fence, I would come after you.
      Thats is a recipe for disaster.

      • deal seeking missile on 16/01/2015 - 16:28
        +1

        He means weed killer lol

        I seriously doubt the dead beat even cared (or noticed)

  • Squidmcsproggen on 15/01/2015 - 19:18
    +7

    Throw a box or two of lawn seed in his garden bed, see how he deals with that :)

  • Wallyt99 on 15/01/2015 - 19:57

    I would say keep YOUR Lawn within YOUR property otherwise its YOUR problem.

    Using your tree example - yes residents MAY trim them and throw them back but they can also get a court order to make you do it.

  • Wallyt99 on 15/01/2015 - 21:03

    Btw - if you were able to hammer in the aluminium - its not deep enough to stop runners. You need to go down at least a foot.

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 22:27

      I got the taller Link Edges with a 100mm height and hammered them nearly all the way in.

      • Wallyt99 on 15/01/2015 - 22:55
        +1

        1 foot = 300mm

  • Daedalus on 15/01/2015 - 21:29
    +5

    Dont think its like the tree analogy at all

    once your grass roots enter his soil it becomes his grass and therefore his responsibility. it's not like your grass is rooted to your side and over hanging his land

  • [Deactivated] on 15/01/2015 - 21:35
    +3

    He sounds like an ass in the way he is approaching you about it but at the end of the day I think that it is fair that you should take reasonable precautions so that your grass doesn't spread over the fence line if it is a problem, because still it is not fair to him that his garden bed keeps getting infested with your grass.

    One possible suggestion he has made is not to have your grass up to the fence - this is just an idea and not one you are obligated to follow, there are other solutions like the underground barrier. I presume that he would expect you to foot 100% the bill on this one because all the work would be done on your side.

    Instead, I would propose to him keeping your grass inside your property is just as much your responsibility, as it is his responsibility to keeping unwanted grass out of his property, and therefore the most fair and logical solution is to contribute 50/50 on the cost (with 100% ownership to whoever's side it's on).

    If he refuses to go 50/50 on the cost of any work done on your side, then propose putting an underground barrier in under the fence line or as an 'extension' on the fence itself. Clearly the existing fence is not an adequate amount of separation based on his moaning complaints.

    If he won't even do that tell him that you have made reasonable offers and if he doesn't like it, it is his problem and he needs to work it out for himself on his side of the fence at his cost on how to keep grass out of his garden as once grass crosses a property boundary that grass that is over the line is no longer part of that property and it's actually his grass regardless of where it originated from.

    • trex on 15/01/2015 - 22:58
      +4

      Interesting that you should mention it. Following the installation of the Link Edging to my front lawn, my neighbour actually drove over it while cutting over my lawn onto his lawn (he has like 5 cars so his driveway and garage can't fit all the cars). Fair enough that he wasn't aware that I had just put Link Edging in but he shouldn't cut over my lawn which had a water sprinkler right where he drove over. He broke his own sprinkler on his lawn the same way.

      I was pissed off enough that I had mentioned to him that it had cost me $100 just to do the front which he had flattened a part of. He reacted with surprise that I should mentioned about cost at all. In his mind it was my grass, my cost.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/01/2015 - 01:15
        +2

        Hmm something is not quite all there with this neighbour. If he is really this oblivious about the costs involved in his actions and being hostile about it to boot, I would be more inclined to just say to him that you would be more than happy to assist him with HIS grass problem (as any grass on his side of the fence is actually belonging to him regardless of where it comes from) but you will do it all at HIS cost… labour + materials.

      • Sweet Potatoes on 17/01/2015 - 08:14
        +4

        He has 5 cars but he complains about grass and chickens? I think you should complain that his car lot is an eyesore.. he sounds like a selfish d&%$

  • Wallyt99 on 15/01/2015 - 23:00
    -1

    I think at the end of the day - you should be trimming it weekly to ensure that it does not grow into his property. If you don't want to do that - then you should take measures to ensure it doesn't happen. E.G a garden bed.

    If your grass goes into your garden bed and you want to leave it there…. and not do anything about it that is your choice. He should not have to be there every week fighting back your lawn. It's common sense.

  • Daedalus on 15/01/2015 - 23:06
    +6

    say the neighbour lets the op's grass grow 10m into his property. is it now the op's responsibility to mow the grass on the neighbour's side?

    responsibility still lies with the neighbour.

  • kurnugi on 16/01/2015 - 01:19
    +4

    I'm surprised no one has suggested the bikies option yet

    • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2015 - 22:39
      +1

      I wouldn't be trying hammer a bikie a foot into the ground. Recipe for distaster there.

  • Geewhizz on 16/01/2015 - 08:40
    +1

    As a result, my grass grew over to his garden bed but not excessively as I trim it with grass shears every few months or so.

    Every few months isn't really enough to maintain it, by a long shot. Depending on how fast your grass grows I'd have thought monthly at the outside would be more like it.

    As for the back fenceline, Run a spade along close to the fenceline to cut through any roots, then using a sheet of cardboard as a barrier to protect the grass behind it, roundup the stuff under the fence.

    That will take care of what is there now. Then just once a month or so run along your spaded edge with the whipper snipper to chop off any wayward shoots.

    • trex on 16/01/2015 - 15:08

      I further trim my side of the edging with a line cutter but being plastic edging, the edging deteriorated over time and the line cutter made holes. As a result, my grass grew over to his garden bed but not excessively as I trim it with grass shears every few months or so.

      I use the line cutter everytime when I mow my lawn and follow it up with grass shears every few months

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 16/01/2015 - 09:25

    Spray with Simezine- relax for 2-3 months.

    Repeat

  • drprox on 16/01/2015 - 10:39
    +4

    "His precise comment was something along the lines…"
    I question the precision of this comment.

    • trex on 16/01/2015 - 15:36

      :D

  • AbeFroman on 16/01/2015 - 13:30

    Expensive option, but possibly look at installing plinths under the fence to physically separate the two properties?

    I've got these (http://www.gram.com.au/spf-steel-privacy-fencing/steelplinth…) installed to stop my dog from digging under the fence, and they work a treat.

    • trex on 16/01/2015 - 15:35

      I have plinths on some of the fence panels but not all (slight land elevation). Plinths are a pain to install as I would first need to remove the color bond panels. It also doesn't go deep enough to prevent the grass from growing over.

      • decadent1 on 16/01/2015 - 23:18
        +4

        To stop him driving on your lawn, put nice big boulder size rocks near the boundary.
        My mate did that when his neighbours kept driving on his lawn.

        Tow car repairs later, they don't do it anymore.

        • Kevan2 on 17/01/2015 - 20:53

          But make it look like a benifet to both yards.

        • trex on 18/01/2015 - 23:38

          I took the softer and cheaper approach by installing a $2 garden LED solar light (ones with a spike) right at the corner of my boundary so my neighbour can't cut across my lawn with the light in the way.

  • konazz on 16/01/2015 - 14:12
    +1

    I had a neighbour who seeded f-ing kikyu, That stuff is the worst, and crept down the rear retaining wall and into our garden beds. problem is, access to the garden beds was hard as I had bushes running all along it - so to cut out the grass, I had to half destroy my bushes to gain access.

    While your neighbour sounds like a douche (cutting over your property and damaging things), if you have Buffalo/Kikyu style runners: keep them to yourself. We have sir walter buffalo, and I know if I leave one side of the yard un-attended for a while, it creeps into my neighbours yard (I think its BlueGrass or something - a very fine grass). I've fixed the problem with garden bed + bushes now, so I can see the Buffalo try to get across, sometimes its sneaks through the mulch.

    I don't think this is a branch issue, as you're actually affected the property. We have branches that go to other neighbours, and likewise branches that come over our side… just maintain the branches (not a big effort, and then let them dry and chuck them in the chimenea)

    • trex on 16/01/2015 - 15:36

      We have Winter Green lawn. Any better?

      • konazz on 16/01/2015 - 16:53

        Looks like others have complained about Couch getting into garden beds. Your variety has above and below runners.
        http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/index.php?/topic/4507…

        Seems that every time you cut it, you're making it worse and the runners are going deeper and further when they're chopped above ground.

        Time to bring out the poison… as other have sad, do it low, slow and on a fine day. Mornings are the best. Add some dishwasher liquid into the sprayer - it'll stop over spray and get the poison to 'stick' to the edges that you want killed.

    • Luc on 18/01/2015 - 14:26

      A sensible post and a reasonable response. As you say, keep your lawn to yourself:Simple.

      A regular spray along the fenceline will deal with it, end of problem.

  • dbadcock on 16/01/2015 - 16:03
    +1

    Spray your property line with Zero. Kills everything. That's what I do twice a year

  • [Deactivated] on 16/01/2015 - 20:44

    +1 for weed killer. I'd just kill everything 10cm out from the fence with weed killer. If he complains any more about it tell him it's his problem.

  • lplau on 16/01/2015 - 22:01

    Not sure if there is any laws in regards to grass.
    But i do know you have the right to cut any trees or branches which hang over your fence. Also you have the right to cut them down and throw them back over the fence for the neighbors to get rid of it.

    Wonder if your neighbor can cut the grass which goes over to their side, then toss the cuttings back to your side lol.

    • Luc on 18/01/2015 - 14:31

      "Also you have the right to cut them down and throw them back over the fence for the neighbors to get rid of it."

      You sure of that? Got any links to a local government site showing the regulation that says that explicitly?

      Throwing them back over the fence is not legal to the best of my knowledge. You cut it down, but you get rid of it.

      I'm prepared to be proven wrong though if there is any legislation that says you can.

  • kiamsup on 17/01/2015 - 17:25
    +2

    You should not be bothered about his complain because you cannot control the grass growing over as long as you continue to keep your lawn short and tidy near the boundary. Just tell him that you cannot discipline the grass to grow just within your property. If he is not happy over it, he can complain to the Council and the Council can arbitrate. He wouldn't have a case. On the same token, if you BBQ at your yard, he may also complain that the aroma that blows over his yard makes him hungry and you should pay for his dinner. He will insist that you control the air that blows over his yard. He is just an absolute idiot.

    Quite sometime ago I had a neighbour who complimented about our cooking aroma that went over a few
    time a week. His appetite has improved and his heath has improved. I don't have the gut to tell him to start paying me for the aroma but occasionally we did get some fresh flowers from his garden.

    • King Tightarse on 17/01/2015 - 17:49
      +4

      Lol.
      We always cook stinky food that hangs around like bacon, roast duck etc outside on the Weber.
      It has the twin advantages of making my neighbor hungry and giving him the shits. I know fatty wants my dinner.
      I enjoy this as he is an asshole. He is fat and he shouts at his wife.
      We always wave say "hi" but really, he is an asshole.

  • Kevan2 on 17/01/2015 - 21:24

    All very nice the vengencance comments. I wonder if you found out what he is growing as some root crops like potatoes can have invasive grass growing through the potatoes.

    I try to see what he is growing [flowerless tomatoes or food or flowers]. I had a neighbour who was liberal with his poison and he killed 2 30 feet super flowering peach trees.. such a sad loss. May be you could share produce lol.?

    Anyhow I would not like to make any one or child sick or worse because of my actions. Further whilst he may be a A/H you still got to live next to him, you dont have a moat.

    Perhaps you may consider a edge garden with easy grown plants, lavender, geraniums, lilypillies [look good spaced] blue berries.
    Have a look at this as it may be an opportunity for you to enjoy the yard more and add value to your property.

    http://www.houzz.com/discussions/1199814/landscaping-ideas-h….

    houzz is a great resourse. and they have an app also.

    king tightarse lasts words were of interest, we do not not know what shit is going on in their life, illness, unemployment, hard spou,,/partner.

    If you know what he is trying to grow find a plant and offer it to him for the trouble. Try fetes . Good luck.

  • Tech5 on 17/01/2015 - 21:48

    Have you considered burning a bag of poop on his lawn

  • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2015 - 22:20
    +1

    I don't understand the problem. You're mowing the lawn reguarly. You can't stop grass that's under the fence from growing if that's the problem. Sounds like he's just too lazy to do something about it himself - since after all, the gap is under BOTH sides of the fence. Unless he expects you to get down on your hands and knees for a couple of hours each week making sure no grass is growing in those couple of inches in common!?

    I'd just be calmly saying something like:

    "Look mate, it's like this… You already know I mow my lawn regularly. You also know I use a trimmer and that I trim under the gap we have in common as far it reaches. If you also had lawn you would be doing the same on your side of the fence - and the problem wouldn't exist. I think it's unreasonable to expect me to get on my hands and knees and weed right under a common fenceline. Grass grows, that's life. How about you have a think about it, come up with a few suggestions that are more fair, and we'll speak reasonably about it."

    If he gets an attitude after that, obviously there's more to it and nothing is going to appease him. But don't let him drag into it further then. Say I can't talk about it now, I have to be somewhere else - have a think about some more reasonable solutions as I suggested, and let me know what you come up with. I'll do the same. He'll probably go away, seeth for a while, and then realise he's being a jerk - or come up with something more fair as he calms down and stops seeing you as the enemy.

    • trex on 18/01/2015 - 23:47

      Good suggestion. If there's another encounter with my neighbour (which I think is likely), I will definitely try your method out especially on not letting him drag further into it.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2015 - 22:22

    Or just pour buckets of weedkiller along BOTH sides of the fence. No grass, plants, insects, birds, PEOPLE… A toxic wasteland = nothing to complain about any more.

  • Tech5 on 17/01/2015 - 22:37
    +4

    Tell him the grass originated from his side and get him to come mow your lawn for you

    • BartholemewH on 18/01/2015 - 16:02

      Yes, especially if you moved in before he did. Tell him you once had a nice bare dirt patch, just how you liked it, until the grass from his property grew across and started your entire lawn. Therefore, he must mow your entire lawn :)

  • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2015 - 22:49
    +2

    Actually just thought of another solution. Well, a modified version of the last one anyway…

    Sprinkle plain flour along both sides of the fence every few days. Wait. When he asks you what it is, say it's some industrial strength weedkiller - that the local nursery sold you, claiming it's the ONLY thing that will kill your grass runners.

    He'll think you're pouring weedkiller on his side, go off his nut, and you innocently say: Oh, ok… Would you prefer I stop using it and let you deal with the grass from now on? (And he'll go back to pulling out the grass.)

  • roonie on 18/01/2015 - 09:02

    Isn't this just a variation of the ol' overhanging tree issue??
    ie. He's permitted to trim back to the property lime. End of discussion??
    perhaps clarify with council

  • eneloop on 18/01/2015 - 10:12
    +2

    Where does this guy live I'll come down and have a word with him

  • pointless martyr on 18/01/2015 - 13:39
    +1

    Wait till someone posts another cheap beekeeping suit on ozbargain. Order one, put it on along woth a respirator dust mask and Knock on his door carrying a jerry or somehting similar full of water. after warning him to keep animals and children off his property for 12-24 months tell him youll sort it once and for all by poisoning his side of the fence line if he wants. Chances are hell tell you not to worry about it and wont bother you again coz you 'tried' to sort it for him.

  • pointless martyr on 18/01/2015 - 13:56

    Another option is to give him other things to complain about. Loud music to 10 pm every night, flood lights pointing through his windows, sanding/spraypainting/smoky weber bbq when the wind blows in his direction, even bangin a hammer on tin sheeting - tell him you are building a lawn robot to monitor the fenceline - or a spaceship. You decide on that- just try tobe as sarcastic and ridiculous as possible. anyway, All these suggestions wont result in a visit from the police. Pretty soon the grass wont be the issue anymore and maybe you will get a new neighbour soon enough!

    • [Deactivated] on 19/01/2015 - 03:19

      Don't forget prawns in the bin every week - put near the window he opens most often - and never, ever wash it out.

  • lgacb08 on 18/01/2015 - 19:16

    How about a lawn edger, i always fascinated with my neighbour lawn because he paid Jim"s to do it and they have all the tool to keep the lawn within the kerb. I used mower only within a year and the grass now creeping all over, trimmer is hopeless now.

  • shaybisc on 27/01/2015 - 10:18

    "I mow it every 3/4 weeks or so"

    Holy cow- where do you live, Tasmania? I am envious. I hate mowing. It must be the least productive use of labour and petrol there is but I have to freakin' mow every freakin' week this time of year cos the grass is growing about a foot a week.

    • trex on 28/01/2015 - 23:46

      Mow every week? What do you feed your lawn? I could do with some of that, my lawn's getting brown and sparse.

      • shaybisc on 29/01/2015 - 10:18

        I don't feed it anything. In fact every time I mow I set out with the intent of killing the lawn stone dead by mowing it extremely short- supposed to be bad for lawns- but it never works.

        • trex on 29/01/2015 - 12:25

          Lucky you, probably rich soil in your lawn. I'm spending too much $$$ just to keep it alive and green. Failing badly in some parts where there are bald patches. My mower's set to a height slightly above the middle setting.

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