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Posted: 6/6/2023 9:22:54 AM EST
I live out in the country on some acreage, been there for around 10 years.  For some reason, starting about 3 years ago, my old man (mid 60’s) neighbor has started mowing a section of my lawn.  He seems like a pretty nice guy, just a little quirky. At first, I just thought he was being nice once or twice, but after him continually doing it for the entire summer, I went over and talked to him about it two years ago.

I was nice about it, just told him I appreciated him mowing that part of my lawn, but I’d rather him not.  I already mow around 2 acres, that small part is just a blip on the radar. He said “Oh, sorry…I was just doing it to be nice….I’ll stop”.  And he stopped for the rest of the summer.

Then last summer, he started doing it again. So I talked to him again, and he stopped for a while. Then about a month later my wife was out in the yard while he was mowing, and when he came over to mow that section on my property again, my wife flagged him down and asked him why he keeps mowing that section of our lawn.  Once again, he said “Oh, sorry…I was just doing it to be nice….I’ll stop”.  

This spring as I was spraying my fence line a while back, for the hell of it, I ran a line of roundup right down the property line all the way to the road….just to give a little reminder to the guy to not mow my lawn this summer. Maybe that was a jack move?

Well, it didn’t help….he was back at it last night, and mowed that section of my lawn again.  

As this point, I’m wondering what his deal is. I don’t know what’s so special about that rectangle of property, but he can’t seem to not mow it.  

I’ve talked to him more than once, my wife has talked to him, I’ve clearly marked the property, but he’s still not getting it.   I'm starting to wonder if he's trying some type of imminent domain thing where he's going to claim he's been maintaining that piece of property so it's his now? I think in MO you have to maintain property for 10 years, then you can claim it's yours.   I've been documenting it pretty good...and I still move it, so it's going to be hard for him to say that.

Any thoughts??  







Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:24:27 AM EST
[#1]
Boulders
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:25:25 AM EST
[#2]
The amount of effort you put into the OP leaves me concerned for your lack of sex with females.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:25:34 AM EST
[#3]
Throw some chain out in the grass and let him find it with his mower.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:25:49 AM EST
[#4]
Drive a couple pieces of rebar into the ground down to grass height.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:25:51 AM EST
[#5]
Build a fence
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:26:27 AM EST
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
The amount of effort you put into the OP leaves me concerned for your lack of sex with females.
View Quote


Took me 2min with MS-Paint  

And I'm married.....
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:26:57 AM EST
[#7]
Mark the line with a few t-posts.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:27:20 AM EST
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
The amount of effort you put into the OP leaves me concerned for your lack of sex with females.
View Quote

Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:27:25 AM EST
[#9]
Have him mow the whole thing and buy him a cake.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:27:26 AM EST
[#10]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Build a fence
View Quote


My wife actually said "why don't you run our barbed wire fence all the way out to the street".

I think it would look tacky as hell......and not sure I want to push that old guy that far, not just yet.....
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:27:36 AM EST
[#11]
Adopt a pit bull.
Feed it sparingly.
Place on property line.
???
Profit.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:27:53 AM EST
[#12]
Dig a trench instead of round up line.

Refuse to help recover mower when he asks for help because it’s stuck in a trench.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:28:26 AM EST
[#13]
As long as your deed shows the property lines, I’d say let him mow. One less crap for you to mow around.
And time is so precious
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:28:34 AM EST
[#14]
Mow before he does
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:28:38 AM EST
[#15]
Unless you do not recognize that strip as yours for 10 years (if your interpretation of MO law is correct), he cannot Eminent Domain the land. Every time you speak to him you reset the clock. For lack of a better word the land has to be abandoned and under his care for 10 years.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:28:48 AM EST
[#16]
My first thought is that he is trying to set up an adverse possession claim by "maintaining" your land.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:29:02 AM EST
[#17]
He possibly could be trying for adverse possession, which is usually legalized theft. I don't know what your state's laws are.

Edit - beat
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:29:33 AM EST
[#18]
Id just let him mow it. is he old? Dementia maybe?
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:30:08 AM EST
[#19]
Your neighbor might be in the early stages of dementia.  He is probably losing some of his short term memory.  It sounds like he doesn't get upset when you ask him not to mow.  I'm thinking he simply is just forgetting you don't want him to mow it.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:30:37 AM EST
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Build a fence
View Quote

Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:31:08 AM EST
[#21]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Mow before he does
View Quote


I do that when I can, but I'm at work doing the day...and he's retired, so he will mow when I'm not home most of the time.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:31:33 AM EST
[#22]
Find out what his previous occupation was.  If he was an engineer…..it may just be compulsive
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:31:46 AM EST
[#23]
Maybe just weird.  OCD? Might need to do exactly 2 hours everytime he get out the mower?  Or just bored and hates not having stuff to do.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:32:02 AM EST
[#24]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
My first thought is that he is trying to set up an adverse possession claim by "maintaining" your land.
View Quote


Bingo....that was my first though, and still is. I think he's mowing that spot for a reason.  MO law says if you "maintain" (mow) property for 10years, you can claim it as yours.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:32:19 AM EST
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


My wife actually said "why don't you run our barbed wire fence all the way out to the street".

I think it would look tacky as hell......and not sure I want to push that old guy that far, not just yet.....
View Quote

And he probably thinks it looks tacky unmowed.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:32:34 AM EST
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Have him mow the whole thing and buy him a cake.
View Quote
Exactly!  

Sounds like the old man is bored and enjoys mowing the grass. A case of beer and appreciation would be a good thing. It isn't like thr guy is mowing over the garden or some shit. He's just mowing a patch of grass.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:33:24 AM EST
[#27]
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:33:32 AM EST
[#28]
I imagine when fences were invented it was because of some nonsense like this.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:33:47 AM EST
[#29]
He could be trying for an adverse possession thing but that little rectangle doesn't really get him anything useful. I'm guessing he is just bored and wants something to do.  

One requirement for adverse possession is obvious use.  Just mowing the grass isn't an obvious use.  If he placed something in that area and you didn't object, that could be considered an obvious use.  That is also something you could do to remedy your concern, place something over there.  Some type of yard decoration, bird bath, or other object that is movable but obviously yours.  Document putting it there with pictures and the date.  If he doesn't try to move it then he would have no adverse possession claim.  

You can also give him permission to mow or better yet pay him in either cash, ammo, beer...etc.   "If the true owner consents or gives license to the adverse possessor's use of the property, possession is not hostile and it is not really adverse possession."

Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:33:55 AM EST
[#30]
Pay him $5/mow and leave a letter in his mailbox with the cash thanking him for his paid services and continued performance under your commercial maintenance agreement that you are now reducing to writing?

ETA: Or have him cited or pursue a civil claim for trespassing.

Old guy just probly forgot and/or thinks your yard looks shitty.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:34:08 AM EST
[#31]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

And he probably thinks it looks tacky unmowed.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:


My wife actually said "why don't you run our barbed wire fence all the way out to the street".

I think it would look tacky as hell......and not sure I want to push that old guy that far, not just yet.....

And he probably thinks it looks tacky unmowed.


I mow it.....if he doesn't beat me to it first.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:35:20 AM EST
[#32]
Put 800 pink flamingos in that little section.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:36:34 AM EST
[#33]
I would guess senility. He did it enough to make it part of the routine, and keeps forgetting he was asked not to. I think the only answer is a hole full of punji sticks. He'll get the point.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:36:51 AM EST
[#34]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
As long as your deed shows the property lines, I’d say let him mow. One less crap for you to mow around.
And time is so precious
View Quote


The old guy probably has some form of OCD.  

As long as he's not building on it, no cares to give, IMO.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:37:29 AM EST
[#35]
Cheap, effective, an common in rural areas. Probably don't need the razor wire on top.

The only thing I'd be worried about is the adverse possession that the posters above mentioned.

Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:39:05 AM EST
[#36]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


My wife actually said "why don't you run our barbed wire fence all the way out to the street".

I think it would look tacky as hell......and not sure I want to push that old guy that far, not just yet.....
View Quote

Wife is correct
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:39:08 AM EST
[#37]
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:39:16 AM EST
[#38]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Build a fence
View Quote

It does not have to be elaborate.  A few T poles and two strands of barbed wire.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:39:47 AM EST
[#39]
If he doesn't have a ztr maybe he is just using that area to turn around on? Can he even see that spot from his house? Maybe his previous neighbor is buried there and he just wants to keep the plot nice.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:40:09 AM EST
[#40]
Is it difficult to see traffic to pull out of his driveway if the grass is somewhat tall?

No house next me (farm field) but I have to knock it down along the road a few times a year.

Or its a subtle hint that he thinks it's time you need to mow your grass.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:40:10 AM EST
[#41]
I mowed part of my neighbors grass last week, used her mower too. I know she thought I was just being a good neighbor, I look after her a lot since she was widowed at 80 years old. That was actually part of the reason but it was becoming an eyesore to me right in front of my house. I'll be weed trimming her fence line this weekend for the same reason.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:40:36 AM EST
[#42]
Extend your fence
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:40:48 AM EST
[#43]
Sounds like the dude may just be OCD...  his brain can't not let him mow that patch
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:40:51 AM EST
[#44]
Does the neighbor mow at a different height than OP?...
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:41:01 AM EST
[#45]
Good photo illustration work.

Looks like it is probably easier for him to mow his little narrow strip if he mows a little of yours. Then he's cleaning it up into a rectangle.

The power company already has an easement on that piece of property , it would be completely pointless to try and take something through adverse possession because the easement defines how it can be used by either one of you.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:41:23 AM EST
[#46]
Why the fuck do you care?
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:41:25 AM EST
[#47]
Go shit on his porch.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:41:31 AM EST
[#48]
If my neighbor wanted to mow part of my yard I'd buy him some gas every once and a while. Go for it.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:42:40 AM EST
[#49]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Exactly!  

Sounds like the old man is bored and enjoys mowing the grass. A case of beer and appreciation would be a good thing. It isn't like thr guy is mowing over the garden or some shit. He's just mowing a patch of grass.
View Quote


Maybe that helps.  "Pay" him for mowing the lawn.   Keep record of payments...even if cake, beer, soda, etc.
Link Posted: 6/6/2023 9:43:11 AM EST
[#50]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Put 800 pink flamingos in that little section.
View Quote
Nah, if he really wants to keep the guy off that little patch, 800 of these:

Attachment Attached File




Old man will just be confused.
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