Cranky neighborsMy neighbor to the north has a short backyard that backs up against my side yard. A few years ago, I was cutting a short section of grass in that side yard (literally 3 passes with the mower that equals less than 30 seconds). They were out on their deck eating lunch and the 30 year old son marched over and reprimanded me for cutting my own grass during the middle of the day while they were trying to enjoy a family lunch. It came out of nowhere and I had no response to the kid because I wasn't expecting it all, just saying that I'd be done quickly. I've never had an experience like that, where a neighbor reprimands me for doing yardwork in my own yard during the middle of the day.
They have a bunch of brush and trees that line the property line, against my side yard/driveway. They NEVER do anything to clean it up or keep it trimmed. So for the past few years, I'll trim up my side, but I get tired of disposing of the brush, so I will sometimes leave it on the ground or shove it back underneath, since it's a mess anyways. The 60-something year old mom reprimanded me a few months ago for doing that, which is fair. She threatened to send video of me doing it to the police, which is laughable and didn't scare me. I know that what I'd done isn't neighborly, but they've never been good neighbors at all and have never talked to us or attempted to be friendly.
Since that small scolding, I've been cutting a length of grass on their side yard, that runs along the street and sidewalk, since their landscapers never cut it and the homeowners certainly never get behind the business end of a lawnmower. I figured that helps make up for me making them mad and I know that she's seen me do it. Yesterday, we had all of the windows open and the smell of smoke started flowing into the house. Later in the day, I see that they're out burning brush with leaves (against the village code). So pretended to take a picture of her from my driveway, hidden mostly by brush, and I hear her shout "quit being an asshole!"
I guess it's ok for her to take video of me doing something she feels is wrong, but I can't have proof of her openly breaking the village code? It's so weird that she watches me so closely and any activity by my family along the property line drives her crazy. Not one thank you for doing something nice. Hell, I shovel and snowblow a long length of sidewalk along that side of their house every single time it snows because it's a bus-stop for school kids. She's never acknowledged it or thanked me for doing it. She actually told me to stop doing it because she thinks the village maintains that side of her house.
I'm not bothered by her not liking me, but having a neighbor that is such a crab is incredibly annoying. I have to go back to just ignoring her again. I've given them so much leniency when it comes to noise from their landscapers at 7pm (my kid's bedtime) or from their kid's small parties that go on into the later hours, but she will take any opportunity she can to complain to me about anything she dislikes about me.