Grrr... Neighbors....
 

So, I just bought a house last year... It is my first house. It is located on a back lot, kinda like a flag lot but the neighbors in the front own the drive way. I went out of town and my sister is watching the pups and the house.
I get a call from my neighbor talking about a hedge of bushes between our lots and the fact that my trash can was still on the street.
Just some details, I have had a leak in my house so I have turned off all the water to my plants until it is fixed. I've been watering them all by hand. Well the bushes in-between our lots I am only water everyother day, my neighbor and I talked about it and he said he would hook up his water until the leak got fixed. So... While I was gone he went and hook it up to a side facet on my house... One of the main ones that they are going to fix... The main one that is leaking. Which means it is probably leaking into my house. Plus he went in my yard and started trimming my hedges.
When I first moved in my dad told me they seemed pushy which I got also.They basically told me they like to keep it quite around here and they don't like to cut the edges cause it's a barrier. I think I'm a pretty quite person especially for my age, I dont have any wild partys and make sure to be respectful of everyone. It just feels like they are being so pushy. I work 12 hour shifts so I put my trash cans out the night before and then take them back in when I get a chance. They knocked on my door and ask my Sis if she was going to put them in ( they just got picked up this morning) , and called me and once even blocked my drive way.
I feel like they do things just enough to get under your skin and then smile at you.
Here is the thing, I want to respectfully set a boundary, I don't want to start a fight, but these are the types of people that get away with this stuff cause everyone wants to be polite. They are leaving in three weeks for the summer so I am stuck. They are so intrusive and have gone as far as calling me while at home when anyone comes over. I feel like they watch everything, and I try to think they are just looking out for me, but it is getting old. I just don't want it to get worse, but if I don't set a limit it might, and if I do they may get worse.
I know tomorrow they also want to talk about their cat. They took up feeding strays, it started with one that they tried to pawn off on me to take in, but I don't have time for a cat. So thy kept it and feed it but leave the poor cat in the desert while they are gone. It gets to 120 degrees out here during the summer. Now they took in 3 more cats they said they would catch and send to the shelter, now they are keeping them and wanting me to take care of them for 3 months. I helped once for a week and it was hard for me to feed one twice a day let alone 4.
Sorry everyone, I am just very frustrated and not wanting to deal with this today :/

They do sound creepy. Stay polite but uninvolved as possible.

Wow it sound like you have a handful dealing with them. First they do not respect your privacy and second they want you to take on the responsibility for the stray cats. Asking you to help out for a few days is one thing but three months! And of course they will just leave and you with your kind heart will look out for the cats. So sorry I hope you can work things out! Best wishes to you.

Exactly! Why take the responsibility when you cant. My other neighbor isn't as patient with them. She said when they leave she is catching them and taking them to a shelter. :/

I share your frustration. A couple of my neighbors are very intrusive. I am very quiet, low key, private, and hard working, especially when it comes to the house and yard. Apparently this is very aggravating to some people. :p

Be polite, but be assertive in establishing boundaries. Like you, I dislike confrontation and awkward situations. I wish people would simply behave appropriately. The worst is when these people ignore subtle signals to back off. I'm still working on being blunt.

Hope you can work things out for the better. Maybe team up with the other neighbor for moral support.

Sounds like your other neighbor feels the same way you do. They have no right on your property without permission. And to trim your hedges? You have to put your foot down.
I would get the cats to a shelter as soon as you can, and I definitely would not agree to feed them. If you do it on your own that's one thing. Sorry, getting all worked up about this. Just hate pushy, nosey neighbors. Knock wood. We are the only address on our street, so our property meets the neighbors back yards and we really don't see them much.

Good luck!

When I first bought Button's in my first new home, I had her outside to do her business when the neighbor's daughter? about 10 yrs old. (I'm assuming) came over to the fence oohing & ahhhing over my cute puppy. However her pit/boxer mix came with her & proceded to climb the fence! It was within arm's length of the girl, but she just watched it climb....First instinct was to grab Button's but she was frightened...by me probably, & started to run the other way...I was panicking...& much to my dismay I did say that ever-popular bad word, when I yelled at the little girl to grab her _________dog. It was hung up for just a second or two at the top of the fence, and I couldn't believe she didn't stop it!

The dog did jump the fence, & I went full force at it as I couldn't grab Button's fast enough. Needless to say, I scared the crap out of the dog & it scurried back over the fence. I was manic!

The little girl went crying into the house, & a few minutes later...(Button's was retrieved & safely in the house...my little 12 week old yorkie), when her mother came out & started cussing ME out! I was furious, but I apologized for scaring her little girl. I did feel badly, but I was petrified with fear. I have never seen that dog again by the way, & very seldom see them....I do wish they would mow the lawn before it hits 3 feet tall...but hey, least the dog is gone.

Other neighbor on my other side had a Birthday party for her grandson, & two of the children that attended that party thought hitting my dogs with sticks through the gate was a fun past-time. Adults were less than 15 feet away & not paying any kind of attention.

I will quit being so nice with my neighbors, and am a bit biased, so am probably not the person to answer for you, but I suggest definately laying down some ground rules. By the way....stray cats bring fleas....and run through your yard....I got tons of those too, & have thought about catching them & taking them to the shelter....but some aren't strays...just "OUTSIDE" cats.....sheesh!

Oh geeeeesh. Bless your heart. People can be a pain. Doesn't make you love your babies more than ever??? Animals are sometimes more respectful.

Be assertive! Tell them you work long shifts and don't have time to feed their cats all summer. You might even suggest they take the cats with them for the summer.:D

After reading all these post I like living in the country a little more! :) My neighbors on the right are close yet far. They don't bother us. And my neighbors on the left are well...cows. Lol. They are pretty good neighbors!! :p

I absolutely DETEST parents who do not monitor their children when they are being cruel to animals. It irks me to NO end. I had a couple of boys who relentlessly would tease my Rhodesian Ridgeback, whenever she was in the back yard. They were about 14 years old. WAY WAY WAY to old to tease a very large dog, OVER a block fence. They would do this every day on their way home from school. Finally I had enough, I walked behind my house with my RR on a lead. As the boys got close, I said to Kiah....'Get em'..very quietly so they couldn't hear...and she started pulling barking, snarling at these two brats from you know where. I told them see what you have done to my dog.....she is getting over that 6 foot fence now, and you have made her mean as hell, by your stupid, juvenile teasing of an ANIMAL!!! (I pretended to lose control of the leash and let Kiah kinda lunge a little, mean yes, but well intended on my part. She got very close......I screamed........"see what you did to my dog!!!! The boys ran away screaming one was crying........but they NEVER teased my dog again. Hopefully no other dogs either!!!! (I KNEW Kiah wouldn't attack either boy, we taught her to basically snarl and growl on command by saying get em........the whole time her tail was wagging. It was a bit mean, but dang it.....enough is enough!!!! Parents need to teach their children to respect animals, not to torture them.

Hmmmmmmmm maybe I shouldn't post this story....LOL Oh yes I do love children, but really really hate when children disrespect and are mean to any animals!!!

Suze225 you made me laugh! Thank you!!
Neighborhood cats, I would like to sugget looking the other way when your other neighbor carries the cats off and be like Shultz from Hogans Heros " I saw nothing,I know nothing".
If your "icky" neighbor tells you that he trimmed your hedges for you. Smile and tell him very sweetly that you appreciate it ,but he is not to do it again. That you would prefer to do your own hedges.

When I moved here, I came from the city and I had my choice between this house and another that had 3 acres of land. I always had great neighbors everywhere I have lived, so I thought I wanted people in close proximity, kind of a comfort thing. Very bad move. Now I want 100 acres. :p

My sentiments exactly....My perfect house would be one that if you are on the road to my house you are either coming to visit me......or lost....lol.

We had lived in a neighborhood before this move. We had neighbors close enough to touch. Lol. That is why we moved out. Good choice for us. I think at first I was in the comfort thing too but now I am used to being out here. So, it would come. Keep looking for the 100!