Be a Good Neighbor
The best way to avoid conflict is to be a good neighbor yourself! Do your best to contribute to the overall well-being of your community. Make sure to follow your covenants, good etiquette and be cooperative.
- Sitting outside on a cool summer morning or evening with your spouse, family or friends is wonderful unless it is interrupted by revving engines, loud equipment, animals or other disturbances.
- Lawn maintenance and machinery will not endear you to your neighbors trying to wind down or ease into their day. Avoid unnecessary noise from any source before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
- Maintain curb appeal by keeping the exterior of your home and lawn to the same level as the rest of the neighborhood. Don’t be the house that drags down the value of homes with unkempt lawns, shrubs and weeds or trash and clutter.
- Even if you are a party animal, be sure you don’t intrude or impose on your neighbors. Ask guests to respect speed limits, park in your driveway or in front of your house and not on a neighbor’s property or blocking another driveway. Keep your guests contained to your property and monitor noise levels with time of day.
Generally, if you have an issue with a neighbor, your first line of defense should be to try to resolve the problem with the person directly. This should be done face-to-face; not over text message, email or social media. Do not start a group chat about it with other neighbors as this is harmful and attacking. Cyberbullying is intentional and repeated harm inflicted on others using electronic devices.
If a problem emerges, approach your neighbor with the expectation that you can easily work out a solution instead of expecting pushback. Neighbors may not realize they are being disruptive or are in violation. Familiarize yourself with your covenants and municipal ordinances to understand what's OK before complaining and have the information handy to share – in person.