Neighbors

Previously posted on my other blog at 6:03 pm on August 15th, 2005.

Ok... I need to vent.

In our old neighborhood, we had covenants. It was a much more laid back area than we are in now, but they were there, and for the most part, everyone abided by them. The one big exception was the dogs running loose through the neighborhood, but no one seemed to mind because everyone did it. Membership in the homeowner's association was voluntary, but you still had to abide by the covenants if you were going to live there. No problem.

This new neighborhood has covenants, too... the HOA is NOT volutary, and they are very strict about them (we've already had two notices about 5 months apart, about mowing the lawn, and that was after missing it ONE weekend. Fine... we chose to live here, we will follow the rules. Porkchop doesn't go out on her own... she is either on the leash or in the backyard under our supervision and does not roam the neighborhood. We mow our lawn once a week, trim our hedges and bushes, clean out the weeds, and get our trashcans in every Friday evening after pick-up. We don't plan to do any major improvements without the board's consent, and we don't park our cars in the street or leave our garage door open all day.

I wish I could say the same for our across-the-street-neighbors.

First off, they have a dog. A mean little sucker named Sasha. She is some kind of mix of a cocker spaniel and something else. She barks at the kids when they're at the bus stop and she's chained out back. For the first month we lived here, she visited our back yard daily to do her "business", like we were her own personal toilet! I guess she got tired of us chasing her off, becasue she doesn't come over anymore, thank goodness. They don't leash her all the time, and she can sometimes be found laying in the middle of the street daring anyone driving through to run over her (I just might one day...). I can't take Porkchop for a walk for fear that she will come dashing out from her garage, which is always open about 2 feet, and start a fight.

Then there are the cars... 'cuz works for some sort of construction or utility company and the mother is a bus driver. his truck takes up most of his driveway on one side, and I think they have at least 3 cars, so if anyone wants to visit, they have to park in the street DIRECTLY across from my driveway. I drive a minivan... this does not make for easy access to my own home, let me tell you. Many times I have fantasized about just running into their car/truck (whichever one is parked there at the moment) and just seeing what they would do. Would they have a leg to stand on since they were not supposed to be parked there, anyway?

I have complained to the board (the one that works with the HOA that I pay $600 dues to every year) only to be told that they don't think it's fair for them to have to take time out of their busy lives to investigate every claim turned into them. I have been told I should call the local police department and have them look into it, and if they feel there is a problem, they will notify the board. WTH!!


Why the heck did they run for office on the board if they didn't want to take the time to do the job? It makes me crazy! They can take the time out of their busy lives to remind me that we haven't mowed our lawn this week, but not to tell our neighbors that they shouldn't park in the street and let their dog run loose to terrorize people?

They're having elections within the next few months for new members on the board... maybe I should run...