My neighbor's clothes line is on my property.?

Question

It was on the property when we purchased the house. We asked her to move it. We told her we were going to put up a fence. She said she would remove it when we put up the fence. Can we tear down the clothes line oursleves when we put up the fence? The clothes line is approximately 20 feet long and embedded in concrete. She keeps trying to persuade us to let her keep the clothes line up. She said that it has been there 30 years. However ten feet of the clothes line is on our property.

Answer 1

Simply write her a letter giving her a deadline date to remove her clothesline on your property. Then state is it is not removed by that date that you will remove it and lay it in her yard.

Send this letter along with a photo of her clothesline showing an angle that is on your property.

Send the letter certified mail with a signed return receipt.

Now you have given her ample time to remove it and a legal notice to what will happen if she does not.

Remember it is on YOUR property - so don't feel bad - just do it.

Answer 2

Good neighbor relations are so difficult to maintain. She is probably unable to do the work herself and the cost of hiring someone to do it may be impossible for her to afford. I would do this.

dig a new hole for the post that is on your property only on her side. Dig the hole first so it wont appear that you are just ripping her line down.

Concrete in an new pole then remove the pole from your side and discard it.  Connect her now 20 ft line to the new pole and build your fence.

The materials will cost less than 20 dollars. Well worth it to keep your neighbor friendly.

Answer 3

You have to be careful, there is a law, I forgot the name, which would allow anybody, if they used a property for 20 years without anybody complaining, to claim the right to that property. It has something to do with easement.

I would be super friendly, talk to her and ask her, if you could help resetting the clothes line.

Once they are of your property, you wright them a letter, that you won't allow any use for them. Date the letter and have it notified.

Answer 4

Tell her that you want to move her clothesline off of your property now.  Offer to help her relocate it on to her property, even though it isn't really your responsibility.  A couple hours work and about $20 in materials is definitely worth keeping the peace with your next door neighbor.

Answer 5

Pushy neighbor huh?

In the interest of neighborhood harmony I would recommend that you offer to relocate the pole that is actually on your property. It would not cost much and could save a lot of aggravation and ill will in the future.^