When The Next-Door Neighbor Causes The Value Of Your Home To Crash: Block Talk

Sometimes, a neighbor’s home and landscaping maintenance fails are more than annoyances — not that neighbor-imposed limitations on your ability to enjoy your property aren’t legitimate beefs on their own — and turn off would-be buyers of your home.

In either case, whether the eyesore next door interferes with your ability to sell your home or merely enjoy it, what do you do?

You could try talking nicely with the neighbor about mowing the grass, pulling weeds and getting rid of the rodent hotel taking shape on the junk-piled pallet on the other side of your shared fence.

It could make the situation worse. Or you may learn that poor maintenance is due to a lack of physical ability or financial limitations. Many communities offer programs that provide financial aid, volunteer labor or direct services to help homeowners with repairs and maintenance.

If talking doesn’t work, you can turn the matter over to the homeowner association if one exists, or bring it to the attention of your city’s code enforcement officials and ask them to intervene.

Is it a good idea to step in and do some of the upkeep yourself? Or do you let it go and adust your sale price accordingly?

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About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with “Block Talk” as the subject line.

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