How to lose your property to your neighbor....

[Ol Smoke]

Having read Dom's post of his new house and the trouble he had with the neighbors  I had to post this.

 

First of all this is in Oregon, so the laws may be different where you live.

 

A guy (John) owned 2 acres of prime dirt on a lake here in Oregon.  One day a new couple (Ted) moved in from California and took up residence

next to his property.   Things went along normal for a little while when one day Ted was out mowing the weeds down on his property.  He looked

over at John and asked him if he would like the weeds mowed on his side since he was there.  John said okay.  So John didn't do much about

mowing the weeds down on the edge of his property, but did mow the grass up by the house and down to the lake.  But he would see Ted out

every now and then mowing the weeds down on the edge of his property.  He always thanked him, and Ted would wave.

After a year of this, John received notice that since he hadn't taken care of his property, a section had been deeded to his neighbor who had been

doing the cleanup work, mowing and trimming on his section for over a year.  By Oregon law, this is true.  A property owner who fails to maintain

the property in a clean state, can have the property taken away from him if another landowner has had to maintain that property for over a year.

 

John tried to fight it, saying the guy would mow it for him because he thought he was nice.  He lost. John was 73 years old.  He thought it was Ted being

a nice neighbor.  Later on Ted built a boat house and dock on that section he took from John.

 

So the rule is, never let your neighbor mow your lawn.

[ronaldounit0]

Interesting, didn't know that was a law. 

 

 

Do you know the person that happened to Smoke? Don't tell me you're Ted! 

[CheepHeep]

Well that sucks. Must've been "Teds" agenda all along. What a cruel thing to do especially to a 73 year old man.

[Dare2BeFair / Captain.]

Well that sucks. Must've been "Teds" agenda all along. What a cruel thing to do especially to a 73 year old man.

Cruel is right!

[Ol Smoke]

Interesting, didn't know that was a law. 

 

 

Do you know the person that happened to Smoke? Don't tell me you're Ted! 

 

I did not know it was a law at the time this happened, but I do now.  I kinda knew John, I fished the dock and the logs that were around his place, and we would talk sometimes.

[ronaldounit0]

I did not know it was a law at the time this happened, but I do now.  I kinda knew John, I fished the dock and the logs that were around his place, and we would talk sometimes.

Oh okay, I'm sorry to hear that something like that happened to him. What goes around comes around though! 

[supersnipergirl]

That is crazy

[ZeZombie]

Wow. Insane how a law that could be used for good (I mean, who wants an overgrown property next to their mansion? [i assume everyone lives in mansions]) got downright abused in this situation and I'm sure it happened many other times.

[Dontkillme]

some crazy shiiit.... now im scare my neighbor clean my driveway that next 2 his all the time  

[Reaper.D.Jack]

crazy how some people use the law to abuse old people. 

 that ted guy is  an as***le

[Mudrunner]

If I was as old as that man I would wait until the timing was right an burn down his house an boat house or maybe spill 1000 ltrs of diesel oil on the property well he was not home, Land would be no good for anyone after that happened.  Just to be an ass ho@e back.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Mudrunner

[Medic Kane]

Takes 7 years here in PA. Of course, since there was a verbal agreement (IE like a favor) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the property would not have changed hands. It only includes "abandoned" property.