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In the most recent edition of the Anderson Valley Advertiser a local woman
wrote a letter to the editor complaining about her new neighbors trespassing on
her property. They were apparently trying to find their property lines –
by walking around on the neighboring property. The letter writer
suggested that one of the local real estate agents write an article about
neighborliness and respect and country living. Being that I’m the agent
locally who writes, I took that to mean that I had better address the issue.
To address her immediate complaint, let’s talk about checking your property
lines. Ideally, you might have done this before you purchased the
property; maybe you walked the property with your agent or perhaps you even had
the property surveyed to get the actual lines marked. I think more often
than not, especially on a larger piece, people take the word of their agent,
who points out landmarks that generally denote the lines. Then they move
in and decide they want to know for sure. So how should you proceed? If
you don’t know the lines then you should first realize that you may stray off
your property and onto your neighbors. The first thing I would suggest is
speaking to your neighbor.
Let’s just take that thought for a minute. Perhaps the best thing for anyone to
do when they move in to a new area is to go ahead and call their neighbors and
introduce themselves; be “neighborly” and get things off on the right foot.
That way when you decide it’s time to check those property lines you can
call John and Jane Doe and let them know what you’re up to. In many
cases, especially if your neighbors have been there for a long time, they can
actually help you out and show you where corners are marked and so on.
Not every neighbor is going to be helpful of course, and some will be
downright unfriendly, but most people are nice enough if they know what you are
going about. The worst thing to happen if you don’t communicate with your
neighbor would be to upset him or her who then calls the sheriff out or – worse
even – greets you with a shotgun and a growling dog. So do yourself a
favor and introduce yourself and your intentions. You will likely find that your neighbors don’t
mind your walking on their property – they just want you to ask them first.
Something else I’ve noticed in the years I’ve lived here is how easy it is for
people new to the area to not understand the affect they can have by not caring
what a neighbor thinks of them. In an area that is rural, in places
remote, your neighbor is often the first person you will need in an emergency;
if you’ve just angered John and Jane, how fast do you think they will rush to
your aid when you need it? And remember, these same neighbors are often
your ambulance drivers, EMT’s, firefighters, and so on. We live in a
community that depends on one another; we have to learn discernment about what
issues deserve causing upset and which ones we can live with.
Another thing I’ve noticed is how a few people new to an area want to change it
as soon as they arrive. No one likes change, no matter how good a change
it might be. Lessen your impact and any negative reaction to your ideas by
first getting to know the area, the people and the reasons that things are the
way they are. Then give air to your ideas – presenting them in context of
actually living here.
Our community is why most of
us live here. We know everyone else and if we don’t we know someone who
does (or is related to them!). I was born and raised here and one thing
you just know growing up is that you don’t speak ill of anyone unless you want
that person to know what you had to say. There is no privacy living in a
rural community; if you want that, urban living is for you. Our
interdependence is beautiful; we rely on each other for food (think
restaurants, farmers markets, your green-thumbed neighbor giving your tips),
drink (vineyards, wineries, breweries), fun and entertainment (fairs, music,
events large and small), culture (art, open studios, music again, theater,
film) and relationships (parents, grandparents, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc.,
etc.).
Most people I’ve met that have moved here – and those people I’ve worked with
wanting to live here – love what they have found. They like the community and the lack of
privacy – they like belonging to a place where people know them. They want to join the ambulance or fire
department, grow vegetables for the farmer’s market, join a musical group or
take art lessons from one of our local artists.
I hope these notes will be found helpful for everyone living here and thinking
of living here and I hope you enjoyed your community over the Independence Day
weekend – I know I did!