# Must be Fall, let the leaf war begin



## MSUFW07 (Jan 22, 2009)

So I'm not usually one to air my frustrations to people much less the internet at large but I need some help. I will keep the major part of the story back for now as its long and drawn out and I don't have time to type it all out and I don't want to taint anyone's answer. So here's my issue.

What would you do if your neighbor blew their leaves from their yard into yours? Talking to them is not an option. Would you just suck it up and mow them or blow them back, just to have them blown back again? Again there is a lot more to the story but I am wanting to give right now. Rural area so no HOA and no ordinances according to the township.

Thanks and I will fill in the rest of the story later.


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

You're probably East of their property. But if West of them, blow them back when you get a good West wind. If blowing back won't work, and you are not planning on moving, I'd plant some fast growing bushes on the line. Those Burning Bushes are beautiful this time of year.


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## The Rev. (Apr 13, 2010)

Depends on how much leaves are being blown over. If it's not much, suck it up and clean them up. If it's a lot and happening often, right back they go. Why is discussing with the neighbor not an option?


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## UplandnWaterfowl (Jan 3, 2010)

If talking is not an option then you are left with a leaf war that will never end or clean up what they blow over. Had a 70 year old neighbor that we got along with good, except he blew ALL his leaves into my yard, through a chain link fence every season. I choose to just clean it up and not have that be the one issue that would spoil a good neighbor relationship.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Scalp your lawn!! Nothing will stick to it!


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Wait till wind is blowing their way and burn them.


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

time to put a bag of dog poop on their porch and set it on fire, ring the door bell and...well you should know the rest! :evilsmile


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## Downsea (Apr 12, 2005)

Blowing whole yard over, his trees or yours, loads of leaves or a few, is he a state trooper and you have a small grow going in your back yard? Not enough info.


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

Put up one of those orange snow fences and take it down once all the leaves are gone.


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## martini77 (Jan 13, 2009)

blow yours elsewhere and theirs right back at them


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

Waif said:


> Wait till wind is blowing their way and burn them.


Best idea I've seen! If u take care of them, you'll do it every year. If u blow them back, it's a never ending cycle.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Good point: Are they leaves on his property from your trees? I've blown the neighbors leaves back into their yard.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

UplandnWaterfowl said:


> If talking is not an option then you are left with a leaf war that will never end or clean up what they blow over. Had a 70 year old neighbor that we got along with good, except he blew ALL his leaves into my yard, through a chain link fence every season. I choose to just clean it up and not have that be the one issue that would spoil a good neighbor relationship.


It is almost impossible to blow fallen leaves through a chain link fence. I had a lawn service, and I know this. That is why you frequently see leaves piled up (by the wind) against chain link fences in the fall/winter. When I cleaned up leaves, I literally had to blow them off chain link fences from each side, before mulching them with a big mower. 
If you just have tiny leaves it might be possible. Oak, Maple, Elm, Aspen, and Ash leaves will all stick in a chain link fence.


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## MSUFW07 (Jan 22, 2009)

First I'll answer a few questions, our house it to the east of her so prevailing west wind they come my way. Most of the leaves are from either her oak tree, or a few trees that are across the road. We only have maples and hickory's on our side. Right now its only a small amount of leaves but her oak is still holding leaves and is still pretty green and so the worst is yet to come. I asked the township about fences, I thought about a chicken wire fence on t posts, and the zoning said it could be up to 10 feet tall because it over 90% transparent , I really don't want to do chain link if I can avoid it. 

So some of the back story is this, we have lived in our house for 7.5 years and up until last week never spoke a word to the woman. I had a cordial relationship with her husband, wave when I see him, talk occasionally but never really great neighborly relationship, except her husband mowed our leaves a couple of years ago when I was blowing them out of our bushes, I didn't ask him to he just came over and did it. I thanked him and we went about our own business. He past away about a year and a half ago. Last year and this year she has been blowing her leaves into our yard. Last year I spent a few hours of blowing them apart and mowing them up, it was about 100' of our line, 8' wide and shin deep. She still has a riding mower and push mower that she seems perfectly able to use so I know its not that she doesn't have the tools for lawn care, she obviously has a working leaf blower. 

Fast forward to last week, I was home with my daughter who was sick, I can hear her leaf blower going and I walk out on my front porch and see her blowing leaves from her yard into mine, she saw me standing there but just kept going not reaction. After getting myself and an 18 MO ready to go outside I walked over to her, she was sweeping the dirty off her driveway with a work bench broom, which is telling to me. I was as nice as I could be and I said "Hey, can we talk about the leaf situation?" I get "What", I said "In years past X (her dead husband) mowed up the leaves and even mowed some of our up when I was cleaning out our bushes. But then last year I came home one day and there was a huge pile of leaves that you had blown from your yard to mine, I don't want that to happen again this year, so please don't blow your leaves over to my yard." She says huffs and says "Whatever" and walks away. I was trying to nip the issue in the bud before it got worse with her oak dropping leaves. I later saw her pick up a couple of leaves from her driveway and walk over and toss them into my yard, I can only guess out of spite. 

Fast forward to the this past weekend I was mowing my yard, and leaves and she pulls out of her driveway and drives past me and is flipping me off! I really don't feel like there is an adult on the other side of the property line. I tried to talk to her while she was in her back yard a couple of days ago, ignoring the fact that she flipped me off and called her name and she just ignored me, I knew she heard me I was all of 30 feet away, but she just walked in her garage and closed the door, again I don't think I'm dealing with an adult. 

I talked again to the township last night both the supervisor and the zoning guy, he deals with the fencing stuff. Got some advice from both of them. But in the end it was just "good luck". They both know of her, her dead husband used to be there township supervisor until his passing and now her daughter is the treasurer, got to love a small town. The supervisor told me that maybe I could talk to her daughter but I don't know if that is my best move either. 

Sorry about the venting. Everyone I talk to around me says blow them back but I can only imagine that blowing them back will just lead to her blowing them back again, and she doesn't work as far as I can tell so she has a lot more time then I do to do that kind of thing, which will turn into a never ending pi$$ing contest. I'm really trying to be an adult and mature about all this but I'm quickly approaching my breaking point. 

Thanks for all the reply's so far. I will keep you updated. Sorry its so long


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## PerchOnly (Oct 24, 2007)

Come on, it's leaves!!! Cut them up with your lawn mower, it makes great mulch. Next time you see her, thank her for the leaves. That'll get her goat. Or you can do the bag, fire, bell thing mentioned prior.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Good fences make good neighbors.


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## jancoe (Jan 24, 2010)

I just put this up 2 days ago. 125' worth. I was sick and tired of the neighbors across the street blowing their leaves all the way to the east side of their property. They leave them in piles on the edge of the road for the wind to blow them away, apparently right into my yard. I'm to the east of them too. After 3 years of being here I kept saying I'm putting in a temporary fence in the front so I don't have to pick them up for them.


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## MSUFW07 (Jan 22, 2009)

Hey Jancoe, That may just be the ticket. It sounds like you are having the same issue I am. I was thinking about chicken wire fencing of some sort, but then you have to store it somewhere. That looks like a plastic mesh fencing which would fold up much easier and make storage easier. If I can ask where did you get that at and how much was it? Thanks


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## jancoe (Jan 24, 2010)

Picked up the supplies at home depot. I got the 4' tall plastic stuff 25' roll. Snipped it down the middle to get me 50' per roll. The stakes are 3' tall. I think I paid 12$ per roll of fence and 3$ per stake. Went 8' between stakes. I just zip tied it all together. It's already working great. My other neighbor likes it and wants to do it due to the lazy neighbor also. Being plastic it will tear down and store nicely compared to the wire fencing.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Shoeman said:


> Scalp your lawn!! Nothing will stick to it!


This has been my method over the course of many seasons (I now moved into a more rural area and dont have a leaf issue). If you simply mow over the leaves and double cut your lawn super short, even the slightest breeze with move the leaves from your yard to the surrounding properties. This is a tried and true method.. lol.


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## sparky18181 (Apr 17, 2012)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> This has been my method over the course of many seasons (I now moved into a more rural area and dont have a leaf issue). If you simply mow over the leaves and double cut your lawn super short, even the slightest breeze with move the leaves from your yard to the surrounding properties. This is a tried and true method.. lol.


As they say. Cut it low and watch em blow.


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## UplandnWaterfowl (Jan 3, 2010)

Fishndude said:


> It is almost impossible to blow fallen leaves through a chain link fence. I had a lawn service, and I know this. That is why you frequently see leaves piled up (by the wind) against chain link fences in the fall/winter. When I cleaned up leaves, I literally had to blow them off chain link fences from each side, before mulching them with a big mower.
> If you just have tiny leaves it might be possible. Oak, Maple, Elm, Aspen, and Ash leaves will all stick in a chain link fence.


100% true, the old guy spent days blowing them under the fence, we have hills that made some big gaps that he would take every advantage of. Watched him spend a whole day blowing them on my side of the fence, didn't have that much time to fight him.


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## jampg (Jan 27, 2007)

Neighbors.... love em or hate em. I go with the don't sweat the small stuff in life. There's much more important things to worry about other than leaves. 
My neighbor cut all the lower branches off the tree line without even asking. Now I had to look at all his crap around the yard. Well now he's moved out and no longer an issue at all.
My suggestion is.. at the end of the season hire someone or get out there and pick up or mulch what you can. The situation is not forever. Things change and folks pass away or move on. Chill and hit the important stuff. You'll sleep better... good luck


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

jampg said:


> Neighbors.... love em or hate em. I go with the don't sweat the small stuff in life. There's much more important things to worry about other than leaves.
> My neighbor cut all the lower branches off the tree line without even asking. Now I had to look at all his crap around the yard. Well now he's moved out and no longer an issue at all.
> My suggestion is.. at the end of the season hire someone or get out there and pick up or mulch what you can. The situation is not forever. Things change and folks pass away or move on. Chill and hit the important stuff. You'll sleep better... good luck



For sure!

I have been blessed with great neighbors, although one has/had 4 kids with cars littering 1/2 the block, including in front of my house for weeks at a time. 

That being said, they always kept an eye on things, cut the grass and plowed the driveway while we're away, made sure my wife is safe when I'm gone...

The biggest joke was with his old job. He started at 5am and played Used Car Lot at 4 shuffling cars. (Next to the bedroom window)

When the place closed, I hired him and changed his hours to 10-6.... lol

One time I heard this hammering in the garage at 11pm. I came out and told him that he better be working on his bed... LMAO

Time just got away from him! All good! He's about to retire. Hope he don't move before I do!


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

I now have two younger neighbors and both are lazy and lazier with lawn cutting and leaf blowing that's something to be handled by mother nature with leafs being picked up by the wind to be blown and a lawn to go dormant by a lack of summer rain.
One is friendly marijuana smoker with who'd rather smoke dope than do chores but the other one is a jerk who's wife accused me of blowing my leaves onto their lawn when in effect I was blowing his leaves the 3-4 feet closest to my driveway off his lawn and onto mine to be blown into the street while I was doing mine, doing so kept my lawn a tad cleaner longer because lazy ass won't do his leaves until after the city has cleaned the streets for the year which now means his leaves stay piled along the curb for the winter blocking the sewers and flooding the street. I completely ignore this fool now.


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## brewster (May 30, 2010)

Shoeman said:


> For sure!
> 
> I have been blessed with great neighbors, although one has/had 4 kids with cars littering 1/2 the block, including in front of my house for weeks at a time.
> 
> ...


I love that our starter house needed lots of work. The neighbor lady was kind of the matriarch of the block.

One late night while working on the house she knocked on the door and said, "I hope your working on starting a family."

My kids called her Grandma Grace for a years, even after we moved.

She used to make me feel real bad, I'd get up about 5:30 am to shovel and go to work; the sidewalk was already shoveled, she said I had enough to do with little kids.

Sorry for the nostalgia, your post just touched an old memory. Thanks


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## Chasin Tales (Jan 20, 2006)

Not sure of her age, but wonder if she is getting alzheimer's or some other condition?


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## MSUFW07 (Jan 22, 2009)

I have been keeping an eye on this threat since I started it. After getting the idea for the plastic fencing from someone else earlier in the thread I think that's what I am going to have to do next year. To be honest wife, who is often my calmer and cooler thinking better half told me to just go mow up the leaves and be done with it. She doesn't see the issue I see with it. There really aren't that many leaves right now, I could easily blow them back apart and mow them up. But the thing that, I think, is the root of my anger / frustration is that I asked her not to do it any more and she just blew me off and kept doing it. Maybe someday, hopefully sooner rather then later she will up and move on or we will and I'll just not put the house up for sale in the fall.


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

MSUFW07 said:


> I have been keeping an eye on this threat since I started it. After getting the idea for the plastic fencing from someone else earlier in the thread I think that's what I am going to have to do next year. To be honest wife, who is often my calmer and cooler thinking better half told me to just go mow up the leaves and be done with it. She doesn't see the issue I see with it. There really aren't that many leaves right now, I could easily blow them back apart and mow them up. But the thing that, I think, is the root of my anger / frustration is that I asked her not to do it any more and she just blew me off and kept doing it. Maybe someday, hopefully sooner rather then later she will up and move on or we will and I'll just not put the house up for sale in the fall.


I'm just glad I don't live on the east side of a street, because I see what these last asses do, just pretend to ignore them until they blow across the street. 

These are big sycamore tree leaves that get launched in a wind.


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## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

I would just kill her with kindness, she needs help with her leaves and I would give it. Coming from a guy who battles leaves daily on 2 golf courses. I have got some darn good cookies I was not expecting doing just that.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Moat.


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