First a little background: We live in a rural area with dirt and gravel roads. It's been this way since the first person built a home in the early 1930s. Naturally there is dust when it's dry (and hey, it's Arizona so it's dry a lot). The people who bought the house behind our property came from the city. Nothing has changed about the area they purchased in, but now they are on an anti-dust campaign. Seems they have to dust and vacuum, and she is allergic. The road in discussion is an easement across our acreage, and though we have to allow traffic to pass, it is still private property.
So a neighbor had a garage sale which brought more traffic than usual to the area, and being non-residents, they drove a little faster than they should have. More dust. So the "anti-dust" neighbors (we'll call them Jean and Gary to protect their identity), posted a number of signs on their trash cans and placed them along the road. They had messages like: "Dust is awful" "Slow down please, pretty please" and similar words. Apparently another neighbor who will refer to as "Tim" offered to help them by placing a "real" sign along the road. A kind act, since he donated his time, his sign and the energy needed to poke a hole in hard soil. The only problem, Tim decided that the best place for his sign was on our property.
He selected a place in direct sight of our patio, as we look out across the valley, and about six feet in from the edge of the road into our "back yard". He gathered his digging bar, sign, post, shovel and a bag of cement. What he didn't bother to gather was permission. He dug and cemented it in place. We happened to notice it the next day. At the time, we had no idea who had done this, so I printed a brightly colored notice and attached it over the sign. Simply stated, it said the sign was placed without consent, and we would like to know who put it there. I also added that if no contact was made in 3 days it was subject to removal without further discussion. Basically I didn't disagree with the sign's message, only with the method of installation and location.
The notice was up and I got several contacts curious what was going on. One neighbor said he saw Tim with the tools earlier in the week, but assumed he was going to remove a large rock from the roadway. Then an envelope appeared clipped to the sign. A note that indicated how dusty their home was, and the sensitivity to dust that Jean has. We were then chastised for being such "astonishingly bad neighbors" to not want this sign in place. It went on for a full page of hate and discontent. Amazing, since all I asked was who put it in, and could we discuss the location.
When we went to Jean and Gary to discuss the note, we were met with a defensive attitude, and they wouldn't say who did the installation. I told them I knew who it was. They proceeded to defend him for doing such a kind deed. No regards was given to the fact that he trespassed without permission and set the sign in concrete. Further, he had talked to them about it after my notice was posted, and never contacted me. We were then told "how busy Tim is and it would be a real hardship for him to move it, and he would be out of town for two weeks but would move it to their side of the road when he got back. Well, he was back and after another week, went on vacation without contacting me or moving the sign.
So after waiting a month since the "installation" I removed the sign and post and relocated it about 150 feet up the road (still on my property) and reinstalled it. It is now more visible to traffic before they are right in front of the house. It also isn't in my direct view. I would have helped Tim install it there in the first place, had he asked.
Do you think Jean or Gary have sent another note? When they drive past us walking the dogs do you suppose they say "Thanks"? And better yet, do you suppose they drive slowly down the road not to stir up the "awful dust"? If you kept thinking "No", you would be right on all counts.
It's tough being the awful neighbor...but looking at the "good" ones, I'll stick with my awful tactics.
I'm open to opinion and comments.
