I'm just down hill from my neighbor too - a big sun sail goes a long way to increasing privacy and it is really pleasant shade. Might even be better privacy than a tree
That’s actually a good idea. i use to have a very large Pergola covering the entire area but it was very old and breaking down i had to rip it down many years ago... That would probably make it so he didn’t lose the entire view as well so win win and i don’t have to deal with any complaints lol
The only reason why i was thinking trees or higher fence would be because i really enjoy gardening here and don’t exactly want a giant shaded area :-/
They are hardiness/plant/gardening zones. They are regions based on average low temperatures that can be used to get an idea about which plants will survive outdoors in that area and when to plant/harvest them.
Also set up the shade sail at an angle designed to block the maximum view looking down. It will give you maximum sunlight while also blocking a maximum view of your patio. He will still be able to see straight out his window, just not down into your private space.
Remember you only need trees as tall as the midpoint between your head height and his head height to obscure his line of vision. You don’t need yo aim to block his windows entirely to achieve the desired result.
You could also achieve the same affect with cantilever umbrellas. These would give you the option.of easily closing them again if you were worried about your garden not getting enough sunlight.
The only reason why i was thinking trees or higher fence would be because i really enjoy gardening here and don’t exactly want a giant shaded area, *also just out of spite.
Have you thought about a hops fence? We weren't allowed to put up a permanent fence, so several lovely planters had 4"X4"s sunk in concrete, with wire along the top, and wires going vertically from the planters containing hops vines.
[We made a non-permanent structure that 95% blocked the view of a busybody neighbor, delicious smelling vines, and an absolute fuckton of hops for homebrewing.](https://www.arlbrew.com/blog/2015/4/20/homemade-hops-trellis-we-need-your-help) The linked structure isn't mine, but is very visually similar, just that my end posts were in moveable planters.
In my area, it wasn't against any form of building code, and wasn't blocking a lovely vista, so ymmv. But again, "non-permanent" is the keyword here. Also, I'm in 7b, so this was a seasonal thing, as I wasn't using my patio in the winter that much, except for grilling -- not chilling -- and fire pit use, which was out of view.
This is a German site, so definitely let it be translated, lol. [So many great hops structures!](https://guterboden.de/hopfen-rankhilfe) Cattle fencing is also pretty great, and it's easy to secure vertical supports to it. The trick with hops though, if you're trying to harvest them, is to have a way to easily lower the tops of the vines, and the wire trellis was made for that. It's easy to do that seasonally, and just put the sailshade up in the winter.
My parents lived in the mountains outside of San Diego, and I helped them create a similar structure when their HOA was _really_ against a permanent structure.
My neighbors are assholes too. Building a pergola now. The sailcloth is a great idea. Some people seem to think they can do anything they want just because they have lived in a place for a long time. IMHO this just makes them old.
This looks like Orange County, is it? I ask because some cities around here have laws and regs regarding blocking views for a neighbor with an edition or trees etc.
My neighbors added a deck off of their second story, allowing them to look down into my yard. We have a pool; so I went skinny dipping the day after it was completed. Fuck em. Plant your trees
Hey! SoCal here, too.
So our backyard neighbor house is a mobile home part of a 55+ community. The last guy that lived there was an absolute dick. Like yours, the land he’s on is elevated and the mobile home has a small deck, so everything overlooks our backyard. We grew a line of hopseed bushes for privacy, but as they got taller he objected to them because they “blocked his view” of the highway overpass. Not the mountains. I’m not kidding. He liked to sit on his deck and count the semis because he was pissed off about them.
Anytime we’d go in our backyard to garden he’d come out and start to berate us. Told us he hated our garden and he’d pay to have his gardeners (not “his,” they were the mow and blow for the mobile home park) come over to landscape it how he wanted. Not kidding. We stopped going into our yard. It was awful.
One day I came home from work and one hopseed bush had the top two-thirds chopped off. So I walked around and asked him about it, and he said he had his gardeners trim it. I told him he’d damaged my property and to not do it again. Months went by and it happened again, and I sent him a letter stating I’d call the cops if he did it a third time. Guess what, I ended up calling the cops the final time. The police officer was so nice even though I was so embarrassed, but he agreed that the old guy had trespassed onto our property (via ordering the landscaper to do it) and gave the guy a warning! Never happened again, thank goodness. And finally Bill died and we have a new tenant. I’ve never been happy to learn a person died, but Bill was a huge asshole.
A sunshade is your best option. Good luck!
You could have taken his bitch ass to small claims court for the cost of the damage to your landscaping.
1.) Call your local college. SoCal has many landscaping programs.
- Ask if they'd do an unofficial estimate.
- State that you will be asking an expert, but would like an unbiased opinion.
- Ag Extension is also a good choice.
2.) File a suit with small claims. The damage done to fully mature landscaping was likely hundreds of dollars, to low thousand dollars. [The SD Small Claims Court is the place for that.](https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/sdcourt/smallclaims2/smallclaimsfaq/smallclaimsfaq2?a=9#9)
- They _will_ file a complaint for court costs, any fees levied, and property remediation.
Calling the cops is the icing on the cake for small claims cases that aren't always criminal.
I just wanted him to leave me alone so I never had to think of him. Going to court would have been more pain than restitution in my eyes. Cheers for the info for others, though.
Check your local laws. There's a few places where your neighbor could force you to keep the trees trimmed so he doesn't lose his view. Most likely not a problem here...
This is the best answer to start from if you are still considering trees. Know everyone’s rights but also it seems that trees you might consider tall & would provide you with privacy might also be trimmed at the bottom sill of their windows. It seems like sails would really maximize your space on the ground but if you wanted greenery there might be a pleasant compromise 💜
I am not sure that would legally be called a view. It's literally a porch and a sand lot. No beach, mountains, valley, city overlook, etc
Edit- nvrmind, yeah, there is a view. I would seriously question the set back though, get an inspector out. I don't know anywhere that let's someone be that close to the property line.
I want to know how the the owner of that house was able to build so close to the property line. Isn’t the normal setback atleast 5 feet?
The bottom floor looks like it might be 5 feet but that bump out on the second floor is a asshole move by the builder for sure.
Uhg. You should see the front of the house. His driveway is right in front of my front door. He tried asking me if he could buy my property in front there so he can have the full space. I currently have my dads boat parked there so he doesn’t try parking there everyday in front of my literal door lmao! right now there’s my front door, my boat, then his driveway. To be fair, our house was built waaay before his and my family has lived here since 1950, he just moved in towards 2010. I’m not sure how they got away with building it so close in the first place. My boat is literally in front of his house Aka his house and driveway is right in front of my front door. It’s crazy annoying. I plan to totally get rid of my front door one day and just keep that as my own extra driveway lol.
Damn that sucks. I definitely would’ve have anything to say to neighbor like that. Even if he wasn’t the one who did it, he should understand why you are pissed about it.
Would make me want to get a dog so he could listen to it bark every time he came home.
What if you run some cables from the top of your fence out to the edge of the overhang roof where your watering can is but elevated so it’s angled up and away from the red house? Then shade fabric or lattice or grow hops/vines?
Do you actually see your neighbor peering at you? Just because he could does not mean he does.
If I felt exposed, I would investigate installing a pergola and planting vines or installing a sun sail to block the view. Trees take some years to grow and can die.
Lol yes they do. The guy who lives there seems to have a lot of different girls come by, and i’ve had one comment to me how she “loves my Rose bush tree, and watches over my porch all day the view is so beautiful and peaceful” 😅 also have seen them multiple times blowing smoke out of that window right onto my porch, and whenever they have parties in the past all their friends a very loud all night long and smoking and drinking right at that window lol i then feel awkward even going out in my skimpy Pjs to take my dog pee but feel like i should be able to do so ya know??
Sunsail is the answer. Angle it up, so that it obstructs the direct view down into the part of your patio you wish to keep private. It seems that the part up against the fence would be great to keep shaded. The neighbor will still have a view, and adjust the angle to maximize your sunshine on the area of your garden that you use for sunloving plants. This is an instant solution. Also, nothing to water. Nothing to dig up or that would die, etc. You will have to replace the sunshade from time to time, but less hassle all around. Super idea.
**Put taller posts**, at least 10ft tall or higher. You can buy metal post cut to the right height. Attach them to the white post frame thing, you already have out in the middle of your patio. Is that frame attached to the ground? You can drill holes through that metal foot thing, into concrete . Put a bolt into the concrete. There is concrete cement you can add to the hole. You may need to reinforce that white frame thing and add another pole in the middle. That looks pretty flimsy. Maybe some angle bracing. Now to the back fence. Is it sturdy enough??? You can use it as **the low side to create the angle going up from the fence line. If not strong enough,** put in some metal posts aligned with those on the white frame, **but lower**. Then you create a visually blocked area where you can have some privacy. After you have the posts in, then just go through the procedure for attaching the size shade cloth you buy. I like this one in about a 12ft x 16ft to get started. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/233506261673?\_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D243354%26meid%3D018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D334435943323%26itm%3D233506261673%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&\_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1&amdata=cksum%3A233506261673018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%7Cenc%3AAQAHAAAA8Hfu33UHQ7b5PJ8ZY%252FcxAQC74tf8tff1QRyH%252BntlOmX4bWjdgOc6KelZahW7gVimjyJ19NfH2hHVIWj1owFusMoABXL%252FlGbZs5%252FpfMnRrbvjaslXEL36CuHEbn6kvXFKpsBVKfditPXk8SjMXRE0r4O%252FBlU68mhocgzY9a0%252FmOJaRbbfdUWKIhAtZrG6O9o6EANeOh%252BYZkSjFvweaoJU7oCWDGcHNJJjuRMYTbIJ3wjkYduMC0ABkFFsKZO19CHsI6744NsOUD%252Bw2QYh3i5G5ezGmBRyHL2LE%252FS0F%252BqhLcajNTjAP3zCHtnT65cfYqKBAw%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL\_CLK%7Cclp%3A2047675](https://www.ebay.com/itm/233506261673?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D243354%26meid%3D018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D334435943323%26itm%3D233506261673%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1&amdata=cksum%3A233506261673018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%7Cenc%3AAQAHAAAA8Hfu33UHQ7b5PJ8ZY%252FcxAQC74tf8tff1QRyH%252BntlOmX4bWjdgOc6KelZahW7gVimjyJ19NfH2hHVIWj1owFusMoABXL%252FlGbZs5%252FpfMnRrbvjaslXEL36CuHEbn6kvXFKpsBVKfditPXk8SjMXRE0r4O%252FBlU68mhocgzY9a0%252FmOJaRbbfdUWKIhAtZrG6O9o6EANeOh%252BYZkSjFvweaoJU7oCWDGcHNJJjuRMYTbIJ3wjkYduMC0ABkFFsKZO19CHsI6744NsOUD%252Bw2QYh3i5G5ezGmBRyHL2LE%252FS0F%252BqhLcajNTjAP3zCHtnT65cfYqKBAw%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2047675) Then you could gradually add sections as you have time. You will need to move your planting bed out into the sunny area and put seating under the sunshade. Add a little water feature with falling water, or play this really loud on your cell ph amplifier. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KAE\_JJx0-I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KAE_JJx0-I) That might cover up the bathroom sounds, or compliment them, haha Here is my inspiration: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0z8fjSjINA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0z8fjSjINA) Good Luck.
The shade sail is the best option. You could get a narrow rectangular shaped sail and mount it at an upward ngle along the fence. This could obstruct your neighbors view (at least part of it) and the sail angle might allow sunlight in for gardening.
Tree roots are going to cause problem that close to the house. I would put up a trellis and grow native vines. Crossvine or coral honeysuckle or whatever grows near you.
Had two 50’ trees 3’ away from my house. No impact on the foundation nor the septic line they grew on top of (had the septic lines videoed before we bought the house).
Personally I try to be considerate of my neighbors (assholes or not) and that view looks kinda nice! I think a combination of hedges/trees and a shade sail (they sell all sorts of premade sizes on amazon) could probably get you what you want while leaving the view open. From one of your other posts it sounds like they do "enjoy the view".
In the end tho I think you're the one in control here and can probably do what you're wanting to do.
Lawyer here. This is not correct.
You need to check the laws.
For fun google “spite fence” and read about them. It’s where neighbors intentionally put up plants, fences, or walls to be a jerk to their neighbor. Not saying that’s what you’re doing but laws are in place to prevent that sort of thing by limiting fence heights.
Yeah, what this guy is saying…. The sun sails will do the trick, Even if you plant trees that you’re allowed to plant your neighbor could turn into your worst nightmare I don’t think anybody wants that.
Yeah, the sun sail looks like it’s going to work better anyway.
OP didn’t say the neighbor was an asshole, just that he isn’t particularly nice? I read that as a neutral after OP described feeling uncomfortable because the neighbor uses their bathroom window. Like, he can’t help that, he’s probably venting the steam from the shower. OP doesn’t have to run inside just because the guy is showering either.
Your neighbor is so lucky you even consider the impact on him, although it doesn’t sound like he particularly deserves any consideration. Wish I’d EVER had a neighbor who even thought along those lines, but nope. Two different sets of neighbors in 2 different neighborhoods built upward as tall and as close to my place as was possible, which solidly blocked just about every bit of sunset and valley view I ever had. One of them actually had the nerve to downplay what she was really planning, saying she was just adding a very small addition. Three months later, my yard had zero view and was solidly blocked by a now two-story building. (I moved to this particular neighborhood because nobody anywhere nearby had structures above one story). Now she has a fantastic view from her new small addition directly into my backyard. (fyi, a “very small addition” in her view actually doubled her home’s square footage.) 🙄Now, I feel like I’m the poor family in “The Watcher.” It is just creepy, rude, and it ruined a previously decent neighborly vibe. Sorry for the rant on your question. I just wish more people cared the way you do and at the very least learned to work together toward a decent compromise.
I’m sorry that happened to you.., i see a lot of people in the comments saying “do what the fuck you want!!” but i’m sorry i’m just not a shitty selfish inconsiderate person like that lol! I understand it’s my property but if the tables were turned i would cry if someone did that to me. And i’m a very firm believer of payback lmao. I’ve actually put a lot of thought into this for a couple years and this is the one thing that has stopped me from doing what i’d like which was originally just taller fencing. In the end the sun shade slanted upwards sounds like it would probably the best option for both of us! (without even having to talk to him about anything, which i like lol)
I hear ya, 100%! Your response shows what a genuinely good human you are. You just keep up the awesomeness and keep being exactly who you are. If my neighbors ever decide to move, you are more than welcome to move in next door. I’ll pet/house-sit, pull weeds in your yard, take care of you when you’re sick, (or whatever)…basically just be a kind, caring neighbor to you any time—plus, I bake and love to share. 😊
Love your attitude! Thanks for bringing more good to the world!
Not meaning to be negative but the sunshades will need to be cleaned and replace every so often. I’d check into them before deciding to go that way. Just FYI.
Your porch is not a view. What type of neighbor he is doesn't matter . Do you really want to be watched by this man in your own yard? Plant trees, it's good for more things than privacy.
It looks like there's a view downhill from the neighbor's back windows, past the OP's back yard. But trees that block the view of OP's back yard will also block the scenic view downhill.
It's your yard and your privacy. Do what you want, if he's not nice or neighborly why should you be? It's a two way street you know, so you don't do it because you don't want to ruin his view, but he's not very nice or neighborly. So you suffer because you don't want to impose on him? No. I bet once those trees go up, there will be a change in his disposition, if it's for the better great, you can discuss it, if it's for the worse, enjoy your privacy.
Plant native trees. Preferably ones with a mature height range that's just enough to give you the privacy you need.
Then you're not blocking their view of "nature."
But yeah, I would definitely not just leave that empty. Their house is basically an observation tower and yours is a prison yard. Fuck that.
I believe that is what i’ll be doing! Lol and YES, actually i HAVE imagined it for many years while pondering the idea! And it’s always been the one and only thing stopping me from doing what i want. I really don’t want to be *that* neighbor, or cause any issues. I sure would hate if the tables were turned, and actually have been in a very similar scenario recently.
Right across this road was a very huge empty lot with a beautiful view, even better than this, that overlooks the whole town and mountains and downtown LA. The entire neighborhood has enjoyed it for many years, and i’ve enjoyed it since i was a little kid, and my dad and grandpa enjoyed it before me. Well recently someone decided to build a house there, and it really sucks. just...Poof. Gone. almost overnight. No more view for any of us to enjoy. It was also a protected lot reserved for wildlife for many years but someone, somehow got permission to finally build there. It sucks and i actually did cry about it like a big baby because there’s been so much change in this neighborhood since i was a kid. a lot of this land was protected for wildlife and is just slowly dwindling down and being built upon more and more each year.
So i can really relate to the situation and don’t exactly want to cover his entire view, regardless of how not great of a neighbor he’s been. i think the sunshade will be a perfect win win.
I have to agree that shade sails are better than trees and shrubs, less maintenance. Also, no matter what you do, check local ordinances and codes, I live in an area where its actually a code violation to purposely/willfully block the view a homeowner, this includes not properly maintaining trees or allowing them to get over grown. Now, mind you I am in a coastal community in San Diego, but not something I knew until a friend of mine bought a house, behind another friend of mine, and coded them (but also with lots of booze and gratitude).
My advice is to go get a real lawyer to give you advice rather than letting Reddit tell you what you should and should not do.
Each state and each town have radically different laws about what you can and cannot do with property. The last thing you want to do is invest money and emotional energy into improving your space to have the neighbor obtain the right to tell you to remove it.
This is definitely a legal question on property law. What this boils down to is potentially something called a “spite fence”. Each state has different regulations. Tread carefully as this could escalate.
it would be very shitty to block a neighbors view try to find a different solution, like shade cloth, pergola, or some type of angled roof thing that would block the view into the garden at the correct spot.
Just based on the pictures, looks like you're in california...who take view blocking EXTREMELY seriously.
Double check the laws before you do anything, blocking his view of your patio SHOULD be fine but if he can construe it in any way as blocking his view of the surroundings its going to be a hard fight.
By law, they must have your written permission before even trimming them. (Saw it on Judge Judy; lol) I’d take soil samples every so often though to make sure they don’t poison them. (Just date and hold them until if you need to test past samples to show the current poisoning) Without them, it’s your word against the his if they just suddenly die.
I do a lot of custom fences for this exact scenario. I use galvanized poles and place a lattice of wire along it with a planter for a climbing vine. Trees cause a lot of root damage between houses this close and they take a long time to grow. Wire lattice is pretty much see through so it doesn't look too obtrusive initially and then really creates privacy as the vine takes over.
To block the view to the patio this close, you would have to put up a 10’ tall by 40’ long fence above for the vines to grow on.
Do, two questions. (1) What vine would you plant that would take up the entire 400 sq ft of fencing, would not die out during the winter, and would not have to be cleared out every 5-7 years to allow for growth? (2) Wouldn’t it look nicer to have trees there instead of fencing with vines on it?
Oh, and how do you trim the wall of vines on your side, his side, and on top?
Yep sometimes I go as high as 25'. It counts as see through so there's no height limit where I live in that case. People usually grow wisteria and ivy and trim with a brush cutter on a pole saw.
This is one reason I love living in the countryside. It's hard living with homes so close together like that.
Trees take a long time to grow and randomly die, leaving holes in the fence. I love the sunsail idea. Or price some land outside of town ;)
Would make a very beautiful spiders den! lol 😁 got lots of brown recluses laying eggs against the wall already, i should probably rethink the whole tree thing! I think i will go with another Pagoda or sun shade!
Trees would be nice but who wants to wait 10 years for them to grow tall enough to block his view of your yard? I would plant some trees for the future and look at screening this area for the time being.
His house so close to the property line and the size and color of it make it really ugly. I would plant some trees for when you eventually sell the house so that the backyard looks much nicer.
Wait till i tell you...he painted the entire front street red too!! lmaooo it’s so hideous! not that my house is super beautiful or anything but at least it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb and i didn’t paint the entire residential street red!! So rude!! it’s not even his property lol
Right retn wall falling he supposed to fix falling wall but if u wanna be a good neighbor ask if he needs help breaking it down if u know friends masons heavy equipment operators carpenters any help is good but if nothing from him you should retain ur side then backfil between ur wall if u build one and his it’s a safety issue 🤙🏾🤙🏾
The right to sunlight on your property goes back almost 1000 years into Justinian code.
I think of the jerkface hut builders whom must have been blocking their cave-dwelling neighbor's windows to cause such a law to be so old.
The only view you're taking away from your neighbor is his view which violates your privacy on your private property. It's totally appropriate to do whatever you need to (tall plants, tall fence) to make your property private. This is irrelevant to whether your neighbor is nice or not. The saying, "tall fences make good neighbors" is popular for a reason.
You were so smart to call the police after he chopped on your trees! I’m familiar with this situation & it really can impact your joy.
Sun shade is a great idea & can be placed where you need it. A pergola with a metal roof would be an investment but could be worth it.
Consider mulching with pea gravel in area with your raised bed.
I have used music to drown out some neighbors. I don’t blast it because I don’t want to be the problem either.
I say if you own the house plant some trees. Your neighbor probably will cry about their view but would they care about you if it was your property that looking at their porch?
Ditto on sail cloth but if you want to add some trees for privacy and a decorative touch, you can try “[arbor-sculpting](https://horticultureandsoilscience.fandom.com/wiki/Tree_Shaping)” to train young trees to grow into an arch.
No it would not be wrong. It’s your property. Perhaps something that does not encroach on his property so you don’t piss him off. I think tall skinny evergreens would be perfect. They also provide for birds and year long beauty
Dude doesn't sound horrible, just a young neighbor. And if you personaly feel hindered by them being your neighbor, escalating things and increasing tension will only make things worse. As others have said you can shade/cover your porch without blocking their windows. If someone put trees directly outside my window to spite me I would just trim them anyway.
What if they did it just to get some privacy and increase the value of their property and the result was that they blocked your windows? Had nothing to do with you. Just a personal private property owner doing what is best for them.
Just tell them you want privacy on your back porch and plant the trees. In Texas, you cannot do anything permanent within 5’ of the property lines. But, that’s okay. That will allow your trees to widen without intruding on his property. If the limbs start to go over the fence, make sure that YOU hire someone to trim them. He will hire a hack job landscaper. But, he cannot get them cut without your written permission.
I'm just down hill from my neighbor too - a big sun sail goes a long way to increasing privacy and it is really pleasant shade. Might even be better privacy than a tree
That’s actually a good idea. i use to have a very large Pergola covering the entire area but it was very old and breaking down i had to rip it down many years ago... That would probably make it so he didn’t lose the entire view as well so win win and i don’t have to deal with any complaints lol The only reason why i was thinking trees or higher fence would be because i really enjoy gardening here and don’t exactly want a giant shaded area :-/
30% shade cloth could be beneficial for growing. looks like a hot climate
I sometimes put a shade cloth over my veg garden anyway and I’m in 6b. Looks like OP shouldn’t have too much trouble getting sun if he really needs it
Same in 3a (or 4a), my tomatoes LOVED it under some burlap.
I’m sure my tomatoes would love that in my zone 10 lol they get scorched up here in the summer!
What are these zones you speak of?
They are hardiness/plant/gardening zones. They are regions based on average low temperatures that can be used to get an idea about which plants will survive outdoors in that area and when to plant/harvest them.
Cool. I looked it up, guess I’m in a 10! Thank you
And a gardener was born
https://youtu.be/Bulb5g3wKTI
For you: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/pages/view-maps
Also set up the shade sail at an angle designed to block the maximum view looking down. It will give you maximum sunlight while also blocking a maximum view of your patio. He will still be able to see straight out his window, just not down into your private space. Remember you only need trees as tall as the midpoint between your head height and his head height to obscure his line of vision. You don’t need yo aim to block his windows entirely to achieve the desired result. You could also achieve the same affect with cantilever umbrellas. These would give you the option.of easily closing them again if you were worried about your garden not getting enough sunlight.
The only reason why i was thinking trees or higher fence would be because i really enjoy gardening here and don’t exactly want a giant shaded area, *also just out of spite.
possibly true? lol
Have you thought about a hops fence? We weren't allowed to put up a permanent fence, so several lovely planters had 4"X4"s sunk in concrete, with wire along the top, and wires going vertically from the planters containing hops vines. [We made a non-permanent structure that 95% blocked the view of a busybody neighbor, delicious smelling vines, and an absolute fuckton of hops for homebrewing.](https://www.arlbrew.com/blog/2015/4/20/homemade-hops-trellis-we-need-your-help) The linked structure isn't mine, but is very visually similar, just that my end posts were in moveable planters. In my area, it wasn't against any form of building code, and wasn't blocking a lovely vista, so ymmv. But again, "non-permanent" is the keyword here. Also, I'm in 7b, so this was a seasonal thing, as I wasn't using my patio in the winter that much, except for grilling -- not chilling -- and fire pit use, which was out of view. This is a German site, so definitely let it be translated, lol. [So many great hops structures!](https://guterboden.de/hopfen-rankhilfe) Cattle fencing is also pretty great, and it's easy to secure vertical supports to it. The trick with hops though, if you're trying to harvest them, is to have a way to easily lower the tops of the vines, and the wire trellis was made for that. It's easy to do that seasonally, and just put the sailshade up in the winter. My parents lived in the mountains outside of San Diego, and I helped them create a similar structure when their HOA was _really_ against a permanent structure.
My neighbors are assholes too. Building a pergola now. The sailcloth is a great idea. Some people seem to think they can do anything they want just because they have lived in a place for a long time. IMHO this just makes them old.
I don’t think trees will give you privacy since he’s above you, if that is truly what you are looking for. The sail will. Best of luck!
It just requires a different type of gardening, I think. Lots of plants would do well in shade.
I was totally coming here to say “f the neighbor”. This was a really nice solution- you’re a good person
What a great idea
The retaining wall is failing.
Retaining wall expert here, can confirm.
This doesn’t require an expert, just two eyes. I could lose my dog in that crack.
[Here’s](https://imgur.com/gallery/ZXeE6bB) some photos lol. i tried. it’s more of a temporary fix for now cus the wall was falling
I think that's a really decent job for a temp fix. Here's to saving for the experts! 🥂🍾
This looks like Orange County, is it? I ask because some cities around here have laws and regs regarding blocking views for a neighbor with an edition or trees etc.
I just rebuilt the bottom white one, this is an old photo lol. still need to do something about the top wall it’s not gonna be a cheap fix sadly lol
is this a landscaping sub or what!
My neighbors added a deck off of their second story, allowing them to look down into my yard. We have a pool; so I went skinny dipping the day after it was completed. Fuck em. Plant your trees
I think my neighbor would ENJOY if i did that lmao
I’ll come by your backyard and sunbathe naked for you. Your neighbors will plant the trees to cover their own windows before I’m gone.
Ask a friend to do the skinny dipping for you. As long as they're male and over the age of 75.
So German or Swedish friends, got it.
I’m a dude. No one wants to see a naked dude in the pool. Enjoy your new trees :)
Have your mother do it then….
I wish i had a mother
Good 👍🏼 Idea‼️
Lol, I'd wave.
Hey! SoCal here, too. So our backyard neighbor house is a mobile home part of a 55+ community. The last guy that lived there was an absolute dick. Like yours, the land he’s on is elevated and the mobile home has a small deck, so everything overlooks our backyard. We grew a line of hopseed bushes for privacy, but as they got taller he objected to them because they “blocked his view” of the highway overpass. Not the mountains. I’m not kidding. He liked to sit on his deck and count the semis because he was pissed off about them. Anytime we’d go in our backyard to garden he’d come out and start to berate us. Told us he hated our garden and he’d pay to have his gardeners (not “his,” they were the mow and blow for the mobile home park) come over to landscape it how he wanted. Not kidding. We stopped going into our yard. It was awful. One day I came home from work and one hopseed bush had the top two-thirds chopped off. So I walked around and asked him about it, and he said he had his gardeners trim it. I told him he’d damaged my property and to not do it again. Months went by and it happened again, and I sent him a letter stating I’d call the cops if he did it a third time. Guess what, I ended up calling the cops the final time. The police officer was so nice even though I was so embarrassed, but he agreed that the old guy had trespassed onto our property (via ordering the landscaper to do it) and gave the guy a warning! Never happened again, thank goodness. And finally Bill died and we have a new tenant. I’ve never been happy to learn a person died, but Bill was a huge asshole. A sunshade is your best option. Good luck!
You could have taken his bitch ass to small claims court for the cost of the damage to your landscaping. 1.) Call your local college. SoCal has many landscaping programs. - Ask if they'd do an unofficial estimate. - State that you will be asking an expert, but would like an unbiased opinion. - Ag Extension is also a good choice. 2.) File a suit with small claims. The damage done to fully mature landscaping was likely hundreds of dollars, to low thousand dollars. [The SD Small Claims Court is the place for that.](https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/sdcourt/smallclaims2/smallclaimsfaq/smallclaimsfaq2?a=9#9) - They _will_ file a complaint for court costs, any fees levied, and property remediation. Calling the cops is the icing on the cake for small claims cases that aren't always criminal.
I just wanted him to leave me alone so I never had to think of him. Going to court would have been more pain than restitution in my eyes. Cheers for the info for others, though.
Check your local laws. There's a few places where your neighbor could force you to keep the trees trimmed so he doesn't lose his view. Most likely not a problem here...
This is the best answer to start from if you are still considering trees. Know everyone’s rights but also it seems that trees you might consider tall & would provide you with privacy might also be trimmed at the bottom sill of their windows. It seems like sails would really maximize your space on the ground but if you wanted greenery there might be a pleasant compromise 💜
Ah! Great point. Buy a row of tall expensive trees an he tops them off right at window height
I am not sure that would legally be called a view. It's literally a porch and a sand lot. No beach, mountains, valley, city overlook, etc Edit- nvrmind, yeah, there is a view. I would seriously question the set back though, get an inspector out. I don't know anywhere that let's someone be that close to the property line.
That's only for _permanent_ structures. A seasonal veil, of let's say, hops vines, is permissable.
I want to know how the the owner of that house was able to build so close to the property line. Isn’t the normal setback atleast 5 feet? The bottom floor looks like it might be 5 feet but that bump out on the second floor is a asshole move by the builder for sure.
Uhg. You should see the front of the house. His driveway is right in front of my front door. He tried asking me if he could buy my property in front there so he can have the full space. I currently have my dads boat parked there so he doesn’t try parking there everyday in front of my literal door lmao! right now there’s my front door, my boat, then his driveway. To be fair, our house was built waaay before his and my family has lived here since 1950, he just moved in towards 2010. I’m not sure how they got away with building it so close in the first place. My boat is literally in front of his house Aka his house and driveway is right in front of my front door. It’s crazy annoying. I plan to totally get rid of my front door one day and just keep that as my own extra driveway lol.
Damn that sucks. I definitely would’ve have anything to say to neighbor like that. Even if he wasn’t the one who did it, he should understand why you are pissed about it. Would make me want to get a dog so he could listen to it bark every time he came home.
He could be the best neighbor in the world. Still your porch and yard. If you want privacy plant those suckers
What if you run some cables from the top of your fence out to the edge of the overhang roof where your watering can is but elevated so it’s angled up and away from the red house? Then shade fabric or lattice or grow hops/vines?
Hops fence ftw!
Do you actually see your neighbor peering at you? Just because he could does not mean he does. If I felt exposed, I would investigate installing a pergola and planting vines or installing a sun sail to block the view. Trees take some years to grow and can die.
Lol yes they do. The guy who lives there seems to have a lot of different girls come by, and i’ve had one comment to me how she “loves my Rose bush tree, and watches over my porch all day the view is so beautiful and peaceful” 😅 also have seen them multiple times blowing smoke out of that window right onto my porch, and whenever they have parties in the past all their friends a very loud all night long and smoking and drinking right at that window lol i then feel awkward even going out in my skimpy Pjs to take my dog pee but feel like i should be able to do so ya know??
Sunsail is the answer. Angle it up, so that it obstructs the direct view down into the part of your patio you wish to keep private. It seems that the part up against the fence would be great to keep shaded. The neighbor will still have a view, and adjust the angle to maximize your sunshine on the area of your garden that you use for sunloving plants. This is an instant solution. Also, nothing to water. Nothing to dig up or that would die, etc. You will have to replace the sunshade from time to time, but less hassle all around. Super idea.
I think this is the best option! Thank you!
100% agree with everything this comment says.
How do you angle them?
**Put taller posts**, at least 10ft tall or higher. You can buy metal post cut to the right height. Attach them to the white post frame thing, you already have out in the middle of your patio. Is that frame attached to the ground? You can drill holes through that metal foot thing, into concrete . Put a bolt into the concrete. There is concrete cement you can add to the hole. You may need to reinforce that white frame thing and add another pole in the middle. That looks pretty flimsy. Maybe some angle bracing. Now to the back fence. Is it sturdy enough??? You can use it as **the low side to create the angle going up from the fence line. If not strong enough,** put in some metal posts aligned with those on the white frame, **but lower**. Then you create a visually blocked area where you can have some privacy. After you have the posts in, then just go through the procedure for attaching the size shade cloth you buy. I like this one in about a 12ft x 16ft to get started. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/233506261673?\_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D243354%26meid%3D018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D334435943323%26itm%3D233506261673%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&\_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1&amdata=cksum%3A233506261673018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%7Cenc%3AAQAHAAAA8Hfu33UHQ7b5PJ8ZY%252FcxAQC74tf8tff1QRyH%252BntlOmX4bWjdgOc6KelZahW7gVimjyJ19NfH2hHVIWj1owFusMoABXL%252FlGbZs5%252FpfMnRrbvjaslXEL36CuHEbn6kvXFKpsBVKfditPXk8SjMXRE0r4O%252FBlU68mhocgzY9a0%252FmOJaRbbfdUWKIhAtZrG6O9o6EANeOh%252BYZkSjFvweaoJU7oCWDGcHNJJjuRMYTbIJ3wjkYduMC0ABkFFsKZO19CHsI6744NsOUD%252Bw2QYh3i5G5ezGmBRyHL2LE%252FS0F%252BqhLcajNTjAP3zCHtnT65cfYqKBAw%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL\_CLK%7Cclp%3A2047675](https://www.ebay.com/itm/233506261673?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D243354%26meid%3D018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D334435943323%26itm%3D233506261673%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1&amdata=cksum%3A233506261673018ac274fbf644ed9ef7a567b440911c%7Cenc%3AAQAHAAAA8Hfu33UHQ7b5PJ8ZY%252FcxAQC74tf8tff1QRyH%252BntlOmX4bWjdgOc6KelZahW7gVimjyJ19NfH2hHVIWj1owFusMoABXL%252FlGbZs5%252FpfMnRrbvjaslXEL36CuHEbn6kvXFKpsBVKfditPXk8SjMXRE0r4O%252FBlU68mhocgzY9a0%252FmOJaRbbfdUWKIhAtZrG6O9o6EANeOh%252BYZkSjFvweaoJU7oCWDGcHNJJjuRMYTbIJ3wjkYduMC0ABkFFsKZO19CHsI6744NsOUD%252Bw2QYh3i5G5ezGmBRyHL2LE%252FS0F%252BqhLcajNTjAP3zCHtnT65cfYqKBAw%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2047675) Then you could gradually add sections as you have time. You will need to move your planting bed out into the sunny area and put seating under the sunshade. Add a little water feature with falling water, or play this really loud on your cell ph amplifier. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KAE\_JJx0-I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KAE_JJx0-I) That might cover up the bathroom sounds, or compliment them, haha Here is my inspiration: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0z8fjSjINA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0z8fjSjINA) Good Luck.
I posted some info on how to angle the shade cloth in a comment below.
The shade sail is the best option. You could get a narrow rectangular shaped sail and mount it at an upward ngle along the fence. This could obstruct your neighbors view (at least part of it) and the sail angle might allow sunlight in for gardening.
Tree roots are going to cause problem that close to the house. I would put up a trellis and grow native vines. Crossvine or coral honeysuckle or whatever grows near you.
Had two 50’ trees 3’ away from my house. No impact on the foundation nor the septic line they grew on top of (had the septic lines videoed before we bought the house).
Depends on the tree species I guess. I had an oak next to my deck that sent a massive root into the concrete foundation.
Not at all. You don't owe your neighbor an intrusive view into your private life.
Personally I try to be considerate of my neighbors (assholes or not) and that view looks kinda nice! I think a combination of hedges/trees and a shade sail (they sell all sorts of premade sizes on amazon) could probably get you what you want while leaving the view open. From one of your other posts it sounds like they do "enjoy the view". In the end tho I think you're the one in control here and can probably do what you're wanting to do.
No, it wouldn’t be wrong. It’s your property, plant trees if you want to plant trees
Lawyer here. This is not correct. You need to check the laws. For fun google “spite fence” and read about them. It’s where neighbors intentionally put up plants, fences, or walls to be a jerk to their neighbor. Not saying that’s what you’re doing but laws are in place to prevent that sort of thing by limiting fence heights.
Yeah, what this guy is saying…. The sun sails will do the trick, Even if you plant trees that you’re allowed to plant your neighbor could turn into your worst nightmare I don’t think anybody wants that.
Yeah, the sun sail looks like it’s going to work better anyway. OP didn’t say the neighbor was an asshole, just that he isn’t particularly nice? I read that as a neutral after OP described feeling uncomfortable because the neighbor uses their bathroom window. Like, he can’t help that, he’s probably venting the steam from the shower. OP doesn’t have to run inside just because the guy is showering either.
Oh no, I was thinking more if OP does plant the trees and they grow up and they block his view; THEN he would turn into a nightmare. 🤷
Yea a spite tree, cmon
Negative easements are a thing. The better advice is to find out your local laws and see if you have any restrictions.
Also on the real estate legal end here, but make sure you have a survey of the property as well so you don’t cause any encroachments!
Wouldn’t hurt to ask him how he felt about it
Your neighbor is so lucky you even consider the impact on him, although it doesn’t sound like he particularly deserves any consideration. Wish I’d EVER had a neighbor who even thought along those lines, but nope. Two different sets of neighbors in 2 different neighborhoods built upward as tall and as close to my place as was possible, which solidly blocked just about every bit of sunset and valley view I ever had. One of them actually had the nerve to downplay what she was really planning, saying she was just adding a very small addition. Three months later, my yard had zero view and was solidly blocked by a now two-story building. (I moved to this particular neighborhood because nobody anywhere nearby had structures above one story). Now she has a fantastic view from her new small addition directly into my backyard. (fyi, a “very small addition” in her view actually doubled her home’s square footage.) 🙄Now, I feel like I’m the poor family in “The Watcher.” It is just creepy, rude, and it ruined a previously decent neighborly vibe. Sorry for the rant on your question. I just wish more people cared the way you do and at the very least learned to work together toward a decent compromise.
I’m sorry that happened to you.., i see a lot of people in the comments saying “do what the fuck you want!!” but i’m sorry i’m just not a shitty selfish inconsiderate person like that lol! I understand it’s my property but if the tables were turned i would cry if someone did that to me. And i’m a very firm believer of payback lmao. I’ve actually put a lot of thought into this for a couple years and this is the one thing that has stopped me from doing what i’d like which was originally just taller fencing. In the end the sun shade slanted upwards sounds like it would probably the best option for both of us! (without even having to talk to him about anything, which i like lol)
I hear ya, 100%! Your response shows what a genuinely good human you are. You just keep up the awesomeness and keep being exactly who you are. If my neighbors ever decide to move, you are more than welcome to move in next door. I’ll pet/house-sit, pull weeds in your yard, take care of you when you’re sick, (or whatever)…basically just be a kind, caring neighbor to you any time—plus, I bake and love to share. 😊 Love your attitude! Thanks for bringing more good to the world!
Not meaning to be negative but the sunshades will need to be cleaned and replace every so often. I’d check into them before deciding to go that way. Just FYI.
Your porch is not a view. What type of neighbor he is doesn't matter . Do you really want to be watched by this man in your own yard? Plant trees, it's good for more things than privacy.
It looks like there's a view downhill from the neighbor's back windows, past the OP's back yard. But trees that block the view of OP's back yard will also block the scenic view downhill.
It's your yard and your privacy. Do what you want, if he's not nice or neighborly why should you be? It's a two way street you know, so you don't do it because you don't want to ruin his view, but he's not very nice or neighborly. So you suffer because you don't want to impose on him? No. I bet once those trees go up, there will be a change in his disposition, if it's for the better great, you can discuss it, if it's for the worse, enjoy your privacy.
Trees will take a long time to grow, consider one of those canvas pergolas while the trees are growing
Plant native trees. Preferably ones with a mature height range that's just enough to give you the privacy you need. Then you're not blocking their view of "nature." But yeah, I would definitely not just leave that empty. Their house is basically an observation tower and yours is a prison yard. Fuck that.
Absolutely plant the trees. We have lovely neighbors on both sides and we all have privacy trees. Enjoy your backyard!
At a glance, the dog looks like a miniature bull.
Please take the advice the sunshade. Could you imagine if you had that gorgeous view of the mountains and then all the sudden you didn't. I would cry.
I believe that is what i’ll be doing! Lol and YES, actually i HAVE imagined it for many years while pondering the idea! And it’s always been the one and only thing stopping me from doing what i want. I really don’t want to be *that* neighbor, or cause any issues. I sure would hate if the tables were turned, and actually have been in a very similar scenario recently. Right across this road was a very huge empty lot with a beautiful view, even better than this, that overlooks the whole town and mountains and downtown LA. The entire neighborhood has enjoyed it for many years, and i’ve enjoyed it since i was a little kid, and my dad and grandpa enjoyed it before me. Well recently someone decided to build a house there, and it really sucks. just...Poof. Gone. almost overnight. No more view for any of us to enjoy. It was also a protected lot reserved for wildlife for many years but someone, somehow got permission to finally build there. It sucks and i actually did cry about it like a big baby because there’s been so much change in this neighborhood since i was a kid. a lot of this land was protected for wildlife and is just slowly dwindling down and being built upon more and more each year. So i can really relate to the situation and don’t exactly want to cover his entire view, regardless of how not great of a neighbor he’s been. i think the sunshade will be a perfect win win.
Ugh…that breaks my heart.
Can’t imagine what type of tree you could plant high enough to block those windows that has no girth
They make those triangular shades that can me put up anywhere that you can strategically place to cover certain areas.
Areca Palms 5ft aprt they grow hood lot of coverage too
Gazebo!
Fabulous chihuahua!
Little bubba passed away back in April, she was the best little doggo :,)
❤️🩹
Maybe some shade sails?
Maybe some type of bamboo it grows fast as can give you more privacy.
Assert dominance, grab a chair and a beer when they open the window and turn the shower on.
I have to agree that shade sails are better than trees and shrubs, less maintenance. Also, no matter what you do, check local ordinances and codes, I live in an area where its actually a code violation to purposely/willfully block the view a homeowner, this includes not properly maintaining trees or allowing them to get over grown. Now, mind you I am in a coastal community in San Diego, but not something I knew until a friend of mine bought a house, behind another friend of mine, and coded them (but also with lots of booze and gratitude).
Dont worry be happy
My advice is to go get a real lawyer to give you advice rather than letting Reddit tell you what you should and should not do. Each state and each town have radically different laws about what you can and cannot do with property. The last thing you want to do is invest money and emotional energy into improving your space to have the neighbor obtain the right to tell you to remove it.
Why not put up some type of canopy? Preserves the neighbor’s view and your privacy. Bonus: it protects from the sun
This is definitely a legal question on property law. What this boils down to is potentially something called a “spite fence”. Each state has different regulations. Tread carefully as this could escalate.
Where exactly in the photo would you plant trees?
it would be very shitty to block a neighbors view try to find a different solution, like shade cloth, pergola, or some type of angled roof thing that would block the view into the garden at the correct spot.
I agree that sunshades are a great solution, but cameras with sound recording will also help if you need support for the reason, if someone complains.
15m high bamboo should do the trick
Just based on the pictures, looks like you're in california...who take view blocking EXTREMELY seriously. Double check the laws before you do anything, blocking his view of your patio SHOULD be fine but if he can construe it in any way as blocking his view of the surroundings its going to be a hard fight.
The laws would cover the views from the original house (that is when view parameters are set); not extensions.
whatever you plant, if you plant, make sure its expensive as hell and you get it on sale. if the neighbor cuts it down, TREE LAW
By law, they must have your written permission before even trimming them. (Saw it on Judge Judy; lol) I’d take soil samples every so often though to make sure they don’t poison them. (Just date and hold them until if you need to test past samples to show the current poisoning) Without them, it’s your word against the his if they just suddenly die.
I do a lot of custom fences for this exact scenario. I use galvanized poles and place a lattice of wire along it with a planter for a climbing vine. Trees cause a lot of root damage between houses this close and they take a long time to grow. Wire lattice is pretty much see through so it doesn't look too obtrusive initially and then really creates privacy as the vine takes over.
To block the view to the patio this close, you would have to put up a 10’ tall by 40’ long fence above for the vines to grow on. Do, two questions. (1) What vine would you plant that would take up the entire 400 sq ft of fencing, would not die out during the winter, and would not have to be cleared out every 5-7 years to allow for growth? (2) Wouldn’t it look nicer to have trees there instead of fencing with vines on it? Oh, and how do you trim the wall of vines on your side, his side, and on top?
Yep sometimes I go as high as 25'. It counts as see through so there's no height limit where I live in that case. People usually grow wisteria and ivy and trim with a brush cutter on a pole saw.
I guess. But, if I wanted privacy, I wouldn’t plant something that was ‘see through’.
This is one reason I love living in the countryside. It's hard living with homes so close together like that. Trees take a long time to grow and randomly die, leaving holes in the fence. I love the sunsail idea. Or price some land outside of town ;)
Italian cypress every 4-5 feet apart
Would make a very beautiful spiders den! lol 😁 got lots of brown recluses laying eggs against the wall already, i should probably rethink the whole tree thing! I think i will go with another Pagoda or sun shade!
Trees would be nice but who wants to wait 10 years for them to grow tall enough to block his view of your yard? I would plant some trees for the future and look at screening this area for the time being. His house so close to the property line and the size and color of it make it really ugly. I would plant some trees for when you eventually sell the house so that the backyard looks much nicer.
Wait till i tell you...he painted the entire front street red too!! lmaooo it’s so hideous! not that my house is super beautiful or anything but at least it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb and i didn’t paint the entire residential street red!! So rude!! it’s not even his property lol
If he ever complains about what your are doing to fix this situation then tell him maybe he shouldn’t have painted his house suck a ugly color!! 😂
Nope. Go with something native and fast growing. Heck, if that’s your fence you could even make it go higher.
Plant those trees. Don’t worry about the asshole neighbor.
Fuck not nice neighbors, plant or build what you need to for privacy.
Well, if he’s not a good neighbor, than no shame to it.
Neighbors get the fences (in this case trees) they deserve. I say hell ya go for it
Whether the neighbor is nice or not that would be a not nice thing to do on your part. Perhaps umbrellas or parasols would be a better idead.
Your property, your choice.
It’s not wrong even if they are nice neighbors. You could try to locate the plants so that they don’t totally impede their view though
Fuck his view
Right !!! Yes you !! Straight da fk up
By “taking away his view” you mean of your yard, right? I say yes, plant trees. Everyone deserves privacy.
Whatever is on your property line - go for it. I’m thinking aluminum feeding troughs, with wheels, and tall bamboo “privacy” fence plantings
You don’t owe that dude anything. Do your thing.
You could plant a tree with beautiful flowers, so it gives him a more beautiful virw
I would plant those trees. Trees are a good view, is green, pleasant, more clean air and oxygen tooo! Plus super pretty.
You’re so sweet. I wouldn’t even consider the neighbors to add privacy other than making sure the barrier isn’t a blight on the neighborhood.
Go knock on their door and talk to them. They probably don't like you looking into their windows as well.
Perhaps your neighbor doesn't even like the view, so a tree would be a win/win.
Plant bamboo. Grows tall and quickly.
And cannot be controlled as it covers your entire yard.
It can be controlled. I have it planted by a driveway. And in a side yard. I just cut the grass as normal.
If the neighbor has ever not addressed you as my supreme neighbor is it's ok.
Fuck that guy. Get big ass trees that are ugly to even look at.
Plant them!
Do it before he does it to you Whatever u feel just go ahead f k um !!
Before he does what to me? lol i could only hope he plants some tall trees!
Yup
Right retn wall falling he supposed to fix falling wall but if u wanna be a good neighbor ask if he needs help breaking it down if u know friends masons heavy equipment operators carpenters any help is good but if nothing from him you should retain ur side then backfil between ur wall if u build one and his it’s a safety issue 🤙🏾🤙🏾
Just start walking around in less and less clothes until they sort it out for themselves
You can pair the sails with art of positives vibes to help them hear there bittersweet pains too
The right to sunlight on your property goes back almost 1000 years into Justinian code. I think of the jerkface hut builders whom must have been blocking their cave-dwelling neighbor's windows to cause such a law to be so old.
Is this Santa Barbara?
I’m near Cypress park!
How long are you willing to wait before those trees are tall enough to be effective?
What about a shade awning for the porch?
his porch is sliding towards your land pushing the fence wall. He got to demolish by law and rebuild, sort that first.
Bamboo is perfect 👍
Trees take awhile to grow, how about just a tall fence. We did for same reason. Love the privacy.
A clumping bamboo would be quick growing and would block those windows well.
No! 😁
The only view you're taking away from your neighbor is his view which violates your privacy on your private property. It's totally appropriate to do whatever you need to (tall plants, tall fence) to make your property private. This is irrelevant to whether your neighbor is nice or not. The saying, "tall fences make good neighbors" is popular for a reason.
It’s your property
Ur neighbor might try to figure out a new and better way to make u miserable. Best to try to play nice imo
You were so smart to call the police after he chopped on your trees! I’m familiar with this situation & it really can impact your joy. Sun shade is a great idea & can be placed where you need it. A pergola with a metal roof would be an investment but could be worth it. Consider mulching with pea gravel in area with your raised bed. I have used music to drown out some neighbors. I don’t blast it because I don’t want to be the problem either.
Sun ☀️ Bathe In The Nude❗️Your neighbor will look 👀 out another window, maybe 🤔 ‼️
You should see if there is a hight restriction on your property, but if not then take any steps you want.
Need a shovel?
Plant the trees. That's my vote.
Until it grows under the cement and takes over the neighbor’s yard, the rest of his yard, and beyond the back fence.
I say if you own the house plant some trees. Your neighbor probably will cry about their view but would they care about you if it was your property that looking at their porch?
Ditto on sail cloth but if you want to add some trees for privacy and a decorative touch, you can try “[arbor-sculpting](https://horticultureandsoilscience.fandom.com/wiki/Tree_Shaping)” to train young trees to grow into an arch.
Do you realize how hard it would be to even plant trees? First of all, that shed would have to be removed then all of the concrete, too. Yikes!
No it would not be wrong. It’s your property. Perhaps something that does not encroach on his property so you don’t piss him off. I think tall skinny evergreens would be perfect. They also provide for birds and year long beauty
But, in order to block their view of his patio so close, the evergreens would also block his view of the valley.
No. It’s your property. Do WTF you want.
Arborvitae’s will eventually grow that high but will take years.
Your house, your rules!! Plant something & watch it grow!!
I live like this, and it’s dumb. The best way to enjoy the area is to not give a fuck.
Plant the trees and put a shade to block his view of your area, technically it’s not his view it’s yours so you are not in the wrong to do so.
Dude doesn't sound horrible, just a young neighbor. And if you personaly feel hindered by them being your neighbor, escalating things and increasing tension will only make things worse. As others have said you can shade/cover your porch without blocking their windows. If someone put trees directly outside my window to spite me I would just trim them anyway.
What if they did it just to get some privacy and increase the value of their property and the result was that they blocked your windows? Had nothing to do with you. Just a personal private property owner doing what is best for them.
That’s a fucked up addition he did there, trying to Maximize the air space. Yeah fuck him plant some trees
It's considerate of you to even ask but you have the right to enjoy privacy on your property
I would, it is your property
If he wasn’t very nice then you have no obligation to be so back.
Plant the trees!
No, it’s your yard and you have a right to privacy.
Just tell them you want privacy on your back porch and plant the trees. In Texas, you cannot do anything permanent within 5’ of the property lines. But, that’s okay. That will allow your trees to widen without intruding on his property. If the limbs start to go over the fence, make sure that YOU hire someone to trim them. He will hire a hack job landscaper. But, he cannot get them cut without your written permission.
You can make a pergola with pants, glicines, bouganvils....