Sounds like they park cars i the street ad ten use buckets on the adjacent sidewalk to wash them?

The sidewalk parallel to the street in front of your house IS a public sidewalk.

Short periods of use for things like car washing should not be a big deal. Why is it for you?

It's not a big deal if the stuff wasn't all over my front sidewalk to the point that I can't walk through it and their attitude is really bad at all times....but anyway, I guess they are just a bunch of unsettled, jealous people and its not worth stressing over them, I will keep my good ways and respecting my neighbors always, maybe they'll learn some good manners eventually.... Thanks for replying brickeyee! :-)

Do your dogs use their yards for a toilet? Maybe that is the problem. Should carry a bag with you & little scoop & pick up after your dogs or make sure they potty at your house on some space they are trained to use. Other than that some neighbors are a problem & some get very aggressive so best to try to keep out of it. Maybe you moved into a Polish neighborhood & didn't know it. I've known Polish folks after they finally told me, we were probably discussing recipes, didn't matter to me. I don't ask people "what they are" some take offence.

Amalia, I don't think there's enough evidence to say it's racism. They probably did exactly the same things when the prior residents lived in your home. Many people are simply inconsiderate or totally unaware of how their actions affect other people.

While the sidewalk is public property, they don't have the right to block it. Use it, yes, but not deny its use to other people.

"Those who practice such tactics are acting just as vile as true racists. "

In many cases THEY seem to actually be the racists.

I know some of you may find it offensive when I referred my neighbors attitude as it may be racist and I apologize for it, but lets get real! It still exists and we can't avoid or ignore the subject. Yes Sunnyca, I do clean my doggies after they poop, part of my responsibility to have them is to clean after them (common sense) :-). Anyway, I will give my dear neighbors the benefit of the doubt, it may just be a lack of manners and education on their side!... :-)

Doesn't sound like racism to me. they're just plain stupid and oblivious. They are definitely clods,jerks, insert any insulting name you want...

More like common sense as that seems to be the most lacking these days!!

"Sounds like they park cars i the street ad ten use buckets on the adjacent sidewalk to wash them?
The sidewalk parallel to the street in front of your house IS a public sidewalk.

Short periods of use for things like car washing should not be a big deal. Why is it for you?"

The OP said 'they put all their buckets of water and stuff to wash their car, they even put their wet rugs to dry on my metal fence!'

Brickeye, if the OP neighbors were letting their dog crap on her lawn, would you call her touchy for not going along with this too?

Amalia77, do the neighbors have their own sidewalk? Do any of the other neighbors do this in front of other neighbors houses? If so, then I might understand. I'd never hang rugs on a shared fence unless my neighbors were ok with it.

I would consider it a 'big deal' if my neighbors HAD their own area but still chose to wash their crap in front of my house instead of their own.

Amalia77, I think we both know that there are plenty of racist people out there. I don't think it is out of the question that your neighbors might be this way, nor can I understand the vitriol your attracting in this thread by even suggesting this......

"Brickeye, if the OP neighbors were letting their dog crap on her lawn, would you call her touchy for not going along with this too? "

There are often laws about cleaning up after dogs.

Since when is using a public sidewalk to hold a bucket and washing a car illegal?

"The vitriol is because the OP immediately jumped to racism without presenting ANY information that remotely backed it up."

You don't live there, nor have you even met this person but you are quite sure that everything she has said completely rules out ANY possibility that it is racism.

Interesting.

"Since when is using a public sidewalk to hold a bucket and washing a car illegal?"

I'll bet the law might have something to say about flooding the neighbors yard with dirty water.

Brickeye, if your neighbor had their own driveway/sidewalk yet insisted on making a mess in front of YOUR house to the point that sudsy water was pouring onto your lawn, how might YOU handle that?

I would venture a guess they have been doing this since Moses was a babe in arms. The previous neighbour probable never said a word.

The stuff on the sidewalk that impedes Amalias access is what bothers her.

Politly ask then to keep the walk clear after you hand them a plate of homemade cookies introducing yourself to your new neighbours, have you introduced yourself yet?

"You don't live there, nor have you even met this person but you are quite sure that everything she has said completely rules out ANY possibility that it is racism."

I never said there was no possibility of racism. I'm say that if the OP is going to make an accusation of racism, she ought to provide some information to substantiate the claim. What is racist about hanging rugs on a fence and being unhappy when asked to move them? What is racist about refusing to remove buckets from a public sidewalk? Inconsiderate? Sure.

"how might YOU handle that? "

I simply do not care.

Sudsy water is not going to hurt anything.

I have the old house (very old compared to the ones around me, 1930 vs. 1975) on an infill development area.

Owning a corner with the largest lot I have more curb space than anyone else.

About a third of the houses are on private pipe-stems, many with relatively steep hills.

At the first prediction of snow all tho pipe-stem owners move their cars up to the public street (many cannot make it up the driveways with the slightest bit of snow)..

They park so many cars my wife must use the garage to leave enough room for my car in the driveway.
It is 'juggle the cars' whenever she wants to go out.

[sarcasm]It is just horrible they use all the public spaces despite having driveways and garages.

And then they have the GAUL to remove snow from their cars and drop it in front of my house.[/sarcasm]

Some folks just need to get over themselves.

it's hard, moving in to an established neighborhood, especially if you're not native to the area, and have at least some idea what the place is like - because you're not just buying a house, you're buying a community.

I'm from the way outer burbs (like dairy cows across the street outer burbs) and when I moved into 'town' and bought half a twin, it took me a year or two to get used to parking spots, property lines, sidewalks, and fences, which were all things I'd never had before.

you sound like a nice lady, but it's clear you weren't expecting to have to share your new place with quite as many people quite as freely - even on the sidewalk.

You may be able to raise up the neighborhood and all its people - but you have to find your place first. 'Rude' is a tricky thing - in some places, one neighbor washing their car is cause for a car washing party, in others, everyone looks the other way as if embarassed.

give it time, and maybe look for opportunities to make whe whole place kinder.

Brickeeye,

I need to learn something new everyday, may I ask what is meant by " pipe stem "? Thanks.

"what is meant by " pipe stem "? "

A single driveway for one or multiple houses that runs between other houses.

They often have a dedicated larger area at the end for turning around, giving them the look of a pipe and its stem.

They are used to feed a house(es) that are built on behind another (though sometimes the individual houses face the stem, sort of a very short private street).

They are also called 'flag lots' for the major area of the lot being the flag, and the narrow driveway being the 'flags' staff.

In my little development they where zoned R8 (no altered to R6 to discourage redevelopment).

I am on 1/3 of an acre, but cannot subdivide to the higher density and put in a second house.

There are a lot of flavors of "Neighbors From Hell" (NFH), and only some of them include racism. :-]

Hindsight, too late for you, but prior to purchasing a home, you really should drive through the neighborhood a few times on different days and times so you know what to expect.

We did that for a home we just purchased, and actually stopped and chatted with a neighbor. He told us the best thing about the neighborhood is the neighbors, and he was right!

On our road, everything is cool! But driving through town, it pains me to see one neat little house surrounded by neglected properties with weedy lawns and a bunch of cars and trucks proudly displayed on their weedy lawns. I feel sad for the owners of the cute little house.

This stuff happens everywhere, and I hope your kindness is repaid eventually!

"Hindsight, too late for you, but prior to purchasing a home, you really should drive through the neighborhood a few times on different days and times so you know what to expect. We did that for a home we just purchased, and actually stopped and chatted with a neighbor. He told us the best thing about the neighborhood is the neighbors, and he was right!"

When we were house hunting, I always tried to check out who we would be living near so we wouldn't end up next to a neighbor from hell. I hoped I'd see people outside so I could ask them questions.

We ruled out several houses because of sexual predators living nearby (offender list), hunters, or teens with ATV's.

Our closest neighbors have been helpful. When we had our house inspected the furnace died. I went over to see if they knew who the owner was. They didn't know him, but the husband came over anyway to try to give us a hand with the furnace. It didn't help but we had a chance to see what kind of folks they were and that encouraged us to go ahead with the purchase.

Perhaps the OP could try to meet some of the friendlier neighbors and see if they could help thaw some of the ice.

Garage sales are one way to do this.

I live in McDowall (Queensland, Australia) Been living here since 1981. About 20 years later, Rednecks moved in to McDowall from the south. When I put with racism, I collect my dog poo and dump it over the racists fence. Just paying my respects to racists. Victims of racism, come down to Australia and learn from me.

With all due respect, I think you are doing more to encourage their hatred than anything.

A wise person once said:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and
self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of
selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false
friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat
you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could
destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be
jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget
tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may
never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between
you and your God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

- Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Even I have Polish neighbor. They are very possessive. They try to keep their house and garden clean, but they put their garbage on other neighbor houses. They are quite noisy people in the whole neighborhood. Their kids are always playing outside. The problem is those kids are not playing in their back yard, but the in front of the neighbors house. They have new speaker system installed in the back yard and the music is on almost everyday in the summer time. They are having parties almost every Saturday in their backyard. It is very annoy to live with them anymore. The worst thing is they are good at lying gossiping.

It could be racist behavior ... I don't doubt it.

When we had boundary issues with neighbors, we simply turned our sprinklers on that jetted water onto and over their cars. They quickly stopped parking in front of our house. :)

Who knows? The reasons don't really matter in the end. For the past few years I've lived in a predominantly black neighborhood with SO. Our neighbors have had mixed reactions to me. Some are friendly, some are downright rude. (Mostly females) I have been told to my gave that they didn't like me because I was a "stringy haired white *itch stealing their men" Now we moved to a more rural,mostly white part outside of town,and it's no better. The people across the road from us had taken to firing their guns for no reason. Another neighbor told me when I asked about it that they were doing it because we were an interracial couple and wanted to scare us into moving away. When they did it again one day, SO solved the problem by firing HIS rifle into the targets behind our house until the clip was empty. We haven't heard anything from them since. On another occasion,we stopped by a local dollar store to get light bulbs and while waiting to check out, the man in front of us looked at us,said nothing,but reached down and rolled up his pants leg to reveal a huge tattoo on the back of his leg of a man hanging from a tree. Subtle. I think i preferred the direct approach we got in the more civilized city neighborhood. But in the end, as long as they don't cause any real trouble, or set foot on our land,who cares. The reason we moved out there was to get farther away from people anyway,and we have enough land to to just that. In your case, it seems to be causing you problems. I personally wouldn't care about the car wash thing, but if someone were leaving trash on my property,I would have a big problem with that, whether they were doing it because they were racist or simply because they are a-holes. Just remember, all racists are a holes but not all a holes are racist.