”
I’ve got a bone to pick with my back neighbor and with my side
neighbor. The back neighbor has trees that are overhanging on our
garage and it looks like a forest in there. I have spoken to the
people who live there, and they keep putting me off.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with my back neighbor and with my side neighbor. The back neighbor has trees that are overhanging on our garage and it looks like a forest in there. I have spoken to the people who live there, and they keep putting me off. It has been over a month now. It is a real mess and a fire hazard. My next door neighbor here has debris piled up in their driveway next to our fence. It is leaning on the fence. I have talked to the city. It has been going on three months. I’m real tired of getting the runaround every time I call the city and talk to the neighbor in back.”
and …
“I called in last week about some illegal inhabitants of a motor home that is attached to our fence right next door to the house. I noticed that they have an air conditioner hooked up to this thing. It is a possible fire hazard. I haven’t been able to get anywhere with the city or police.”
– Red Phone: Dear Tired Of Debris, It sounds like you have several issues going on. The city is looking into these issues, said Code Enforcement Officer Scott Barron.
“I am working with the property owner to have the violations abated,” Barron said “Apparently a phone conversation with the owner explaining the regulations and requesting their abatement was not sufficient, so a Violation Notice specific to this case was sent.”
As of July 27, the notice, sent by Certified Mail, had not been accepted by the owner, Barron said.
The Post Office will attempt to deliver the notice three times in a period of three week and then return it back, he said.
“At that point I need to look at an alternate legal method of service such as posting the site,” Barron said. “As you can see, this is an ongoing case that we will continue to prosecute.”
As for the problem with the trees, that is usually a civil matter and there is nothing the city can do as a result, Barron said.
The California Civil Code (Section 3479-3481) defines a private civil matter as something that doesn’t cause a health hazard or something that affects an entire neighborhood.
The solutions for a civil matter (3501-3501) are either civil action of abatement. The law allows you to remove a private nuisance if you have been injured by it. If you have to enter you neighbor’s property, you must give notice.
You may want to try the county’s Community Mediation hotline for the civil matter at 792-2327 or 792-2300. The program has many third-party mediators who will help neighbors solve problems with others.
