Had to meet a client today. The neighbor is a real arse I'm told. Supposed to cuss up a storm. Lot line dispute.
I meet them and both are wonderful people. They didn't fight (in front of me). Actually a pleasant experience with an opportunity to educate both.
About 90+% of these turn out that way for me. I've never had to call the police or even duck.
It's just kind of fun to sit them down and show them what's really there.
Most of the time the neighbor/arse is a real nice person.
Why can't we just get along?
The Law of Neighbor Relations: When a potential client calls about a boundary survey and says that his neighbor is a jerk, it's more than likely that if one of the parties is indeed a jerk, and you're talking to him.
I agree. Often I've found the neighbors to be on the defense, but pleasant. Once they realize we work in the public interest, and our results aren't defined by who pay's us. Usually once a dispute arises both sides dislike the other. If done right, one could moderate them into peaceful existence again. Life's too short to have a feud over a fence, or few feet of land.
The dispute between the two probably started regarding another matter (politics, etc). The tension rises over the only thing they share; a property line.
> ... it's more than likely that if one of the parties is indeed a jerk, and you're talking to him.
I agree with that statement 100%
> I agree. Often I've found the neighbors to be on the defense, but pleasant. Once they realize we work in the public interest, and our results aren't defined by who pay's us. Usually once a dispute arises both sides dislike the other. If done right, one could moderate them into peaceful existence again. Life's too short to have a feud over a fence, or few feet of land.
The one thing I have always said in similar situations of neighbors arguing over a common line is:
"I don't care which of you is right, as long as I am right."
Seems to settle most disputes with me in the middle. At least I get out of the middle.
😛
Reminds me of a call we got once to stake the property line for a fence. Once on site, the lady starts telling us everything wrong with the neighbor ... he's a jerk, his dog craps on her lawn, the whole neighborhood hates him, drives too fast, etc., etc...
Doesn't matter to me, we're just there to survey. But while we're there, the neighbor shows up and it's none other than a developer that's real good friends with the company owner, and we all know him from past jobs ... he's normally a pretty nice guy... We start chatting, the lady figures out we all know eachother, and lady flips out, they start yelling at eachother ... now she thinks we're working with him to scam her out of land, and says she wants a different surveyor.
So the developer says keep staking, and I'll pay your bill, because he wants a check on her next surveyor's work ...
Just glad to get out of there... I hate jobs like that.
