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*Update* Neighbor just told me he hates our house
We've been here 2 months. I was just outside cleaning up from painting a wooden walkway that abuts his property, and he came out and told me we "slopped" paint all over his rocks and a plant. (I'm 99% sure this is not paint but the stuff we used to clean before we painted and will wash away with a good rain.) I apologized and offered to come over and clean it up, and he said, "No, it will take you a month. *pause* We hate this building." I was so shocked think I just stared at him and he said, "Well there's nothing we can do about that," and went back inside. Our house is 1 of 4 2-year-old townhouses in an old relatively pricey neighborhood. I assume the builder knocked down an older house to build them, and I guess this guy is still pisssed about it. So now we have THAT to look forward to, ya know, forever! 
And I know Zillow etc. aren't accurate, but they're saying his house is now worth TWICE what he paid for it in 1995, so if he wanted to leave it wouldn't exactly be a hardship.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
Re: *Update* Neighbor just told me he hates our house
Well, if you got primer (is that what you mean?) on his property, I can understand why he is irritated about it.
So what if he doesn't like your building? He's not living in it and him having equity in his house doesn't mean that he should pull up and leave the area.
Well I'd be upset if someone slopped something all over my landscaping too.
Just because he paid a certain dollar amount in 1995, that doesn't mean he owes less than that. He could have refinanced at the height of the market and might be underwater. Also, just because he's a grumpy guy or rightfully pissed, doesn't mean he needs to move.
I'd clean up the mess in his landscaping and maybe bake him something as a peace offering. He's going to live next to you for a while!
So you get crap on his property and think it is no big deal because instead of you cleaning up your own mess it "will wash away with a good rain" and you think your neighbor is rude?! Maybe that is one of the reasons he does not like the townhouses being there.
Yes, what he said was rude, but he probably would not have said anything if you had been more considerate and careful of his property. So now HE has that to look forward to ya know, forever!
If it easy enough to wash away with a good rain, then it's easy enough for you to go wash it off now with a hose, and you should have done that in the first place.
If you were close enough to get this stuff on his property from your own property, then just clean it. Do it now.
He's got a right to be pissed. How would you have felt if he did something on his property and got stuff that you didn't know what it was on yours? You'd be pissed, too.
None of your business what he paid and what he might make on his house. Don't start getting into an adversarial position here... you're the one who made a mess on his property.
Ditto:
YOU caused the mess, YOU should have cleaned it up and not wait for the rain to hopefully wash it away. Sorry, but that was starting out on the wrong foot as a good neighbor. From now on - go overboard to be nice and a good neighbor, inspite of his grumpiness. Kill him with kindness.
I had no idea that anything we'd done affected his property, and I still couldn't see what he was talking about yesterday. I offered to clean it up twice, and he refused. That (and telling me you hate my house) is just passive aggressive nonsense. But I will go over at some point this weekend and offer to clean again. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do if he refuses to let me do it, though.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
My Travel Blog
1. Many people HATE with a passion knock downs (in NJ, before we moved to IA, this was common place and people really disliked it),
2. Zillow is not an accurate site for property values and depending on the situation, it probably did NOT increase his value for a number of reasons: 1) his home is now older and not as new - so buyers will be less likely in that neighborhood to entertain his home and 2) if the home is mostly homes and now in place of the previous HOME a TOWNHOUSE has went in - that is a big difference. I would not buy a home next to an apartment building or town home - sorry. And that means that many people will not want to either.
3. You should have been more careful not to get that chemical/product on his property - it doesn't matter if it will wash away with a good rain. You should have been more cautious and you should have cleaned it up immediately. It's not a good way to build friendships with people when they perceive that you didn't care about their property - you didn't respect his property and he isn't respecting you in turn.
Sorry you're having a rough go with your new neighbors. You could try to mend fences but the bad foot landed before you bought - so it will be a hard go.
If it's close enough on your property that you accidentally slopped cleaning fluid on his landscaping, it's close enough to reach with your own hose - or by throwing a bucket of water over there from your property.
40/112
Wow, really? I'm on team MDGirl. She said she didn't even know she did it and she's not even sure that it's from her painting.
If it were me and someone got paint on my property, I'd go over there right when I noticed it and ask him or her to clean it. Not only did this guy wait until he saw her to mention it but he refused to let her clean it. Sounds fishy to me. If the guy is irritated enough to yell at her about how much he hates her home (completely rude and disrespectful, by the way) he's probably just looking for reasons to get pissy, including bringing up the paint (or whatever it is).
And who cares if someone tore down an older home to make way for her townhomes. That's not MDGirl's problem. Talk about misdirected anger! It sounds to me like this guy has a screw loose.
Sorry MDGirl, having rude neighbors sucks. Our old neighbors were the pits and to this day DH and I agree that getting rid of them when we sold our place was the icing on the cake. We are now looking at custom homes in smaller neighborhoods (gated neighborhoods of under 10 houses) and we are freaked that we will end up with whack jobs next door yet again.
I think the fact that you admit that you did get something on his house (per your first post) and left it there is the straw that broke the camel's back in your situation. He was already still upset about the devaluation of his neighborhood from the townhouses and your actions did not help to improve his attitude about situation. When he confronted you about your mess, you could have immediately (like that very minute), said that you insist on cleaning it up--and gotten the materials needed to do so. I am sure the reason he said no was because he already had cleaned it up as a most homeowners who take pride in their homes would. Profuse apologies would have also helped the situation. Was he probably a bit too dramatic--perhaps, but it would put a VERY bad taste in my mouth if our new neighbors did something (even accidentally) to our property and left it there.
I would go over there today (the longer you let this go, the worse it is going to get) with a nice gift card to a local restaraunt and apologize PROFUSELY for your actions and the delay in cleaning it up (I'm sure the "month comment" came from him waiting for you to take the initiative to clean it up, yet two months later, you still hadn't and so he did it himself). Tell him you realize that you got off on the wrong foot and that you would like to try to mend the fences since you will be neighbors. Or, you can continue to "be right" and have animosity between you and have a really "pleasant" living situation. Personally, I would choose to swallow a little pride for the sake of a happy neighbor--especially when I was (at least partially) in the wrong.
My Valentine Bookends (2~13~13, 2~15~09)
I'm not trying to keep defending MDGirl, but this response seems to make a ton of assumptions. From her post, it sounds like MDGirl just painted the walkway. Just because they've been there two months doesn't mean it was painted two months ago? She also didn't admit that she got something on their house, she said she thinks that could be what it is, but she isn't sure. She also said she didn't notice it until he mentioned it, so there would have been no way for her to take action any sooner. You say she should have insisted on cleaning it but she offered multiple times and he said no, what else are you going to do. This guy sounds like the kind of nut who would freak if she went on his property and tried to clean.
Maybe I'm reading it differently than everyone else, but the way I read it MDGirl perhaps got something on their property without realizing it and instead of being a grown man and coming over to ask her to remedy the situation, he snapped at her when he happened to see her AND on top of it all told her he hates her house. Give me a break!
Sounds like an admission of fault to me.
Regardless, it boils down to this. She can be "right" in her mind or she can do her best to mend bridges and make "nice" with the neighbor.
My Valentine Bookends (2~13~13, 2~15~09)
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
My Travel Blog
I agree, as I think you do, that if you made the mess, you should clean it up (assuming it can be done without further damaging his property or going onto his property too much). But like another previous poster, I think some of the other posts were kind of harsh towards you. You sound like you tried to offer and that you hadn't realized it was there before he mentioned it. I'd try to error on the side of being extra nice and see what you can do.
On your other, separate topic: he doesn't like your house? Sucks to be him. He should have showed up at the city meetings when the buildings were getting approved. If he did...tough, it still got approved! Personally, I'd be thinking....I don't give a rats behind if you like it or not. It's done and I'm not the one who built it, just the one who bought it and is trying to maintain it and beautify the neighborhood. Basically, falls into the category of: who cares! LOL
That being said, it sounds like he may be a bit of a grump in general. I'd try to make a friend but at the same time, keep a cordial distance. Also, reach out to some other neighbors. You aren't the first one he has 'aired his grievances' to.
Good luck
Lighthouse State Beach, Santa Cruz.
Wow. Townhomes in my area start at a half million. I am amazed at how some people think that is so low-rent.
Anyway, I would simply apologize and move on. He obviously hates the tear down and nothing you do will change his mind.