Fred Rogers sang a song about being friends with our neighbors in his song, ‘It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood’. The last line is hopeful: ‘I like to think of you as my neighbor and my friend’.
In a perfect world, we would like to be friends with our neighbors. Legal issues about boundaries, fences, trees, noise, garbage, unmown lawns, barking dogs and more can and do happen in your neighborhood.
How Do I Manage A Neighbor Issue?
Nolo, a publisher, has a book entitled Neighbor Law: Fences, Trees, Boundaries and Noise, that gives you practical tips on how to proceed with common neighbor issues.
The book suggests that you first learn the local laws for your town’s ordinances so that you are informed as to what your rights and your neighbors’ rights are. The local ordinances can also help you determine who is responsible.
Another idea is to talk to others who are also affected. Are other neighbors disturbed by the nuisance?
A gentle approach is outlined in several steps. Talk directly to your neighbor first and assume that they do not know that there is an issue. Introduce the problem as a common concern. State the issue calmly and peacefully. If need be, write a letter requesting what needs to be ‘fixed.’
And only as a last resort, you may need to take the neighbor to court. The book talks about what you can sue for and what you must prove. Keeping a log of dates and times can help you define the problem and might be useful in court. When is the noise happening, for how long and how often?
If you would like to borrow a book, you can sign up for a free Allegheny County Public library card here.
If you are interested in accessing specialized legal information remotely, please consider requesting an Allegheny County Law Library membership. Membership helps to support the Law Library and gives those representing themselves in Court, practicing law, working in non-profits, and others remote access to specialized legal resources.
If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read, and we’ll curate a list just for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through email at acll@carnegielibrary.org or by phone at 412-350-5353.