I need an outside perspective

My family recently(this spring) purchased a cabin on a river in northern WI. The problem is the neighbors. Our first trip up this spring they did nothing but complain about everything. They yelled at our kids for throwing/skipping rocks on the river claiming that by throwing rocks we were going to erode the shore line. They complained about the kids swimming in the river because it would kill the weeds growing in the water. They feel we should move our aluminum canoe from in front of the cabin because somebody ma float down river and steal the canoe. It would a lot easier for somebody to steal our canoe if it was behind the cabin which is near the access road. They basically don’t want to see it out their window is what amounts to. They have complained about about how much shoreline we cleared even though it is to the legal width set by the DNR. My parents are two of the most easy going people you could ever meet. They have asked the grandkids to not throw rocks and have tried to be very accomodating but I have had enough. I am done basically with these people. They basically sit in their cabin all day looking out the window and as soon as they see something they don’t like they stick their heads out the door and yell. We are planning another trip in the next few weeks and I am telling the kids to throw rocks until they are blue in the face. I think it is about confrontation time. I feel they are unreasonable and somewhat jealous. Their kids and grandkids won’t visit (surprise) and they see how we inneract and have a good and it bothers them. My parents are on an extended vacation and my brother and our famailies are planning a get togehter next weekend. I think it is time to have it out. I am not going to be abusive verbally or phyiscally in any way but if they start in I am planning to stand my ground in a very stern mannmer. I am out of line or do we need have our parents present. It really kills any good times because you have to be on pins and needles all weekend. Sorry for the rant.

Unfortunately, you can’t pick your neighbors. Sounds to me like you’ve done nothing out of the oridnary and have every right to tell them to kiss your

Build a fence.

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Build a fence.

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I second the motion… and throw a wild party!

You sound reasonable to me. I would tell them to mind their own business as long as your breaking no laws. Tell them that the other choice is to look at the fence you are going to build on the property line.

Next time they yell at you…..tell them to STFU and not to bother you ever again or you’ll charge them harassment…

I’m serious about the STFU part.

Building a fence always sucks, cost money, takes up space….blah, blah, bah, but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I would first throw the party, stand my ground and tell them to watch over the other side of there property before putting up a fence.

There always seems to be a buzz killer in the crowd

Go buy the loudest fireworks you can get your hands on. Sit around a campfire and drink beer for about 6-8 hours until you are very much sloshed, remember to leave all beer cans lay in the yard for at least a few days. Light off the fireworks while saying such wonderful things like

“Man, I sor do like fireworks, I gonna do this every weekend.” and

“I hope those kids aint gonna erode the shoreline or I will have to bring me in a load of sand.” also

“Sor is nice I got my motorcycle running, I justamight start it up tonight and drive up the shoreline.”

Other options:

1. Hang an engine from a tree
2. Train your dog to poop on there property and praise him when he does, make sure the neighbors hear you do it.
3. Wake up every morning and go outside with a robe on, remember to leave the front open and don’t wear underwear.
4. Start your boat engine every time you think about it, rev loudly.
5. Sign them up for literature for the old folks home. Or just drop it off in person.
6. Fire up the weed whipper and go up and down the shoreline

They should start to get the point.

Ohh, or just build a fence

I had moved into a house and had a neighbor very similar to yours. I did not build a fence, but had some (many) wild parties and invited the other nieghbor on the Cul de Sac over and in a year or 2 the Bad neighbor moved out. Now I have a new neighbor that kicks .

Seriously, I would go about my business and if they yell, explain to them you are not doing anything wrong. If they continue to yell, just ignore them and keep doing what you are doing within the law. My guess is that they will probably stop bugging you or they will call the police out and the police will tell them there is nothing they can do as you are not breaking any laws and after a few tiems of that, your neighbors will either move or will just have to put up with it.

Not a very fun situation to be in. Good luck.

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Build a fence.

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I second the motion… and throw a wild party!

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One of those parties that the kids need to stay home for. Happy dancing girls, kegs and all your hell raising buddies! Wow… Can I come?

Your rpoperty your rules and sounds like just another weekend on vacation to me nothing out of the ordinary by any means kids having fun and adults laughing and having a good time. If there b*tchin about a canoe time for them to move incase they forgot it is along a RIVER! I agree let the kids do the usual along as it is to a certain extent and swim away! Let them know this is the rules and this is how it will be so turn the chair around and throw on some Doctor Phil or something

Ok I might be way out there. But I would try to take the nice approach. I would take them some homemade cookies (hard or soft) depending if they have teeth. Kindly let them know that it is your cabin and it is a time for you and your family to get away and enjoy time together. Tell them your sorry if they don’t agree with you on your decisions but that you will do what’s best. Then if they still complain, take them some more cookies, possibly mixed with large amounts of exlax and enjoy your day as this should keep them busy for awhile. Peace out!

“Then if they still complain, take them some more cookies, possibly mixed with large amounts of exlax and enjoy your day as this should keep them busy for awhile. Peace out!” Great one!

Accomodating them so far has given them the power they are desiring and will continue to whine about every little thing.

Do your thing and let them know politely you have every legal right to do what YOU want on YOUR property! Let THEM put the fence up! Have fun!

They may have had bad neighbors or they think they are going to lay down the rules. Either way I would tell them it is not going to fly. Next trip up, the first thing I would do is go over and have a chat with them. Be nice, schmooze a little and then explain how things are going to be. You and your family are up there to enjoy the outdoors, fishing, swimming, skipping stones. tell them you will respect their summer but they in turn must respect yours.

Had the same thing at our cabin. Our neighbor went as far as telling the kids they couldnt fish off my dock because they were catching her sunfish. She feeds them seriouly she does. Well I told her where to go many times. Another was when my dog retrieved one of there duck decoys floating in the water she came after her with a broom that only happened once.
Heres what we did and this worked well. First tell them to mind there own business. Second if they are still nosey and are tell them if they have a problem call the sheriff. They will too they will call as our neighbor did. After about the 5th time the sheriff comes out and sees you doing nothing wrong he will politly explain to them if they dont stop calling she will be charged with a false report. And further more he will tell them if they keep calling you will file a harasment suite.
It worked for us. She tried every little trick in the book. She even called the dnr on us for cleaning up the shoreline. Maybe just maybe we streched it a little and should have had a permit but my sister politley explained we can put every thing back if they wanted including the railroad ties car parts old motor and what ever else we dug out of there. They were good enough to let it be try it it worked for us.

Build a fence isnt a bad Idea either.

Throw a nice all Friday night party, until Sunday night, loud music, fireworks, as suggested before, tell them STFU and then possibly build a fence….I would make sure I felt even or at least somewhat satisfied before I put up a fence..then stand next to the fence and tell them to kiss your

Ohh I forgot.

Take some dog crap, put in paper bag, light bag on fire by their front door, ring doorbell and sit back and watch the fun

STFU is sound advice…

Tell the coots, life is too short to be angry and miserable all the time and that you feel sorry for them. Worked with a neighbor of ours growing up.

big g

What part of northern wisconsin is your cabin located in? If your close I could come over and help with the party
It’s sucks a bag to have neighbors like that, I have been lucky to have great neighbors everywhere I lived. Putting up a fence stinks but good fences make great neighbors.

Belgian,
Man I feel for you. I’ve been able to meet soo many great people at our cabin that have become my best friends. But all it takes is one dick to put a damper on everything. I agree with many of the prior suggestions.

Here are a couple others that you might want to give a shot. I’m assuming your parents are on board with whatever approach you decide to take. Whether they are present or not, it doesn’t matter as long as you have them on board.

I would start by telling them not to say 1 word to your kids. If they have something to complain about, come talk to you about it. End of story.

Any chance you can run a jet ski on the river? If at all possible, rent one or borrow one for the weekend and never shut it off. That would be sure to drive them nutts.

If the jet ski isn’t an option, go with the chain saw, lawn mower approach at 6 am or 9 pm (hot summer day, windows open time of year).

Dead minnows or worms on a hot Sunday evening up wind from their place before you go home would be another idea.

You need to order about 100 pink flamingos, wind chimes, and anything else annoying that fits the bill. Set them all up in the yard see if their roof files off. Finish it will an “environmental” compost pile directly upwind of their place. Since we’re all trying to be environmentally friendly, play the game.

I guess if worse comes to worse you could build a fence but if it were me I’d paint the side of the fence facing them the brightest fluorescent color you can find. Just make sure the fence is on your property and they can’t touch it. To keep Mrs. Crabits from looking over the top of your fence place a few empty beer cans on top of the fence like you plan on shooting them off with a BB gun.

Eyehunter

This is fun. If you are in the woods, I would setup a shooting range and practice all the time. Don’t feed them exlax though because it is against the law to feed people stuff without their knowledge.

We have a similar deal at our cabin . Except the new neighbors decieded to take there little 800’sqf cabing and build a 3000 sft yr round home. They told us to move the outhouse, our wood pile, the canoe, the fire pit. My folks kindly adheard to there request. It just ticks me off that we can’t have a simple campfire with out hearing from the neighbors. There old and I’m young sooner or latter some one got to go. I just hope its not me.

You do three things ignore, confront and work with them.
You’ll have to pm me to find out the third thing.

Every sunny day you see them outside, hop in your favorite speedo or banana hammock and go outside and spend a couple hours doing karate moves in plain sight while listening to Tiny Tim sing “Tiptoe through the Tulips” at ear piercing volume. That should send most people to the next county.

Sounds like it is time for a IDA GTG in WI on a river!

My current neighbors were like that. They would even go around to the other neighbors and try to plot them against me. Only thing is the other neighbors would come tell me right away.
They called the police on me all the time for parking violations and other minor things that most people do but no one really cares. They made my life miserable at a time when I didn’t need it. I took it and took it until some other things cleared up….Then I declared war. I did many things I can’t mention, all illegal..I just was careful to not get caught. They knew it was me, just couldn’t prove it. I got so bad that it came to a point where they called truce. Literally came over and said quit and they will too.
For you, I would use that as a last resort. Try the nice approach first. Becasue the things you are doing are so normal and not a problem. You are not even pushing the envelope at all.

BRING SOME THROWING ROCKS FOR THE KIDS FROM HOME. IF THE NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN TELL THEM YOU’RE BUILDING STRUCTURE ON THE LAKE. LET THE KIDS HAVE FUN. LET THE NEIGHBORS SHUT THEIR PIEHOLE.

Farm you took my Idea

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Ohh I forgot.
Take some dog crap, put in paper bag, light bag on fire by their front door, ring doorbell and sit back and watch the fun

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Also I am not a big fan of fences However if you were to have a party, with a bunch of your good fishing buddies pulling up to the dock at all hours of the daay, I bet between the group of you and the kids you could build a pretty nice fence out of beer, and pop cans.

Why not invite them over for coffee/pie and try to get to know them. Sounds like a lonely sad couple.

If that doesn’t help, I’d build the smokiest, smelliest smudge fire I could from rotten and green wood every time the smoke blows in their direction.

Call Tony Saprano he will have the advice you will need.