The most immediate solution would be a berm with hedges planted on top. That might be the most pricey solution but it would also keep your neighbor from encroaching on your property.

I like the berm (a high one) with hedges (prickley ones, firethorn is nice), but something bothers me ......

Your comments "he is running these right up to my property line" and "if he had cut the driveway 6 inches over, it would have been on my land" leave me wondering about zoning in your town. Surely there are setback regs - not to be a trouble-maker, but if he's in violation of zoning or codes, this is the time to address it.

I'm sorry for your loss of the wall of green - I'd be mad too!

Thanks folks, I'm continuing to look at options. The berm is definitely high on my list with a hedge. Zigzag, I'm a step ahead of you there my friend. I called Zoning first thing this morning when I saw that thing pull in. He is running really close on the law here, and zoning is sending out an enforcement officer tomorrow to see if he is abiding by the law. Unfortunately, when you get outside of the city and organized sub divisions,(which I ran screaming from) the zoning regulations are much more lax. But there are regulations and he is walking all over them as I see it. He has houses out here with the lots not even completely cleared. Just left the scrub except for a little space to put the house. He isn't putting in any landscaping at all, no grass, shrubs or even gravel for the driveway. Just parking the trailer and walking away. One particularly bad one has pit bull kennels behind it with chicken coops built out of tin and scrap wood swiped off the abandoned farm behind my property. The dogs are all on chains in the yard and I even saw roosters tied to stakes in the yard!! The siding on some of them is falling off, seriously, flapping in the breeze! In addition to ruining my privacy, this is destroying my property value. I built a 2100 sq. ft home with 4 br's and 2 baths. I've built a new 18 X 21 foot garden shed and a new 12 X 16 storage building in addition to the house. I planned my property to be mostly natural and young forest. I only cut out/cleared enough for the house, some garden areas, and a small lawn. Privacy and beautiful trees has been my main objective. One idea that come to mind for me today is to further "enclose" my immediate yard area. I took some measurements today and came to the conclusion that if I had some strategically placed trees, about 8 to 10 ft., I could block the view from my inside my home and yard. So I'm looking at fast growing hedges and some rapidly growing trees as a quicker and interim solution until nature takes care of me. I also know that nature will take it's course over the next 5 years or so. The growth on my young trees has been amazing!! Some of my young pines literally put on 2 to 3 feet this past year. Tree and hedge suggestions would also be greatly appreciated. My first action is to place the rest of my No Trespassing signs. I've already had to eject people who live in houses he has out here from my property!! Eventually, I'm guessing I'll be fencing in the perimeter of my entire 15 acres. But for right now, I'm clearly marking the lines for my property and hoping to find a solution so I don't have to watch them take the garbage out every evening. Thanks again to everyone for any suggestions and listening to me vent.

Nannerbelle,
I am so sorry to hear of your dilema.
I totally understand how you feel about having your privacy.
When you bought your property, were there any deed restrictions?
I am rural, and we have deed restrictions to prevent what is happening to you right now.
You can call your assessors office and ask about deed restrictions.
There is also a rule about how many feet you can build or locate a property in regards to property lines.
Build the berms!
It will cost a little now, build them!
Big, tall, berms.
You won't see them at all after the berms go up.
They are only on the one side of your property, right?
I don't know if you are in the south or not, but a native southern fast growing beautiful tree or shrub hedge is wax myrtle, and they aren't expensive.
Berms and wax myrtle.
GOod Luck and let us know what you do.

Another thought that is native and natural, nannerbelle, is the cross vine (Bignonia capreolata), a fast-growing, evergreen vine that has a brief but VERY SHOWY bloom period each April. The leaves aren't that big (about 3" x 1"), but the vines will grow up to 70 ft. long and in the wild naturally grow to the tops of trees and bloom up there... I use one of these as a fence cover on a chain-link fence in my yard, and it follows the top of the fence, then pretty much grows the the ground, making a VERY THICK screen... if you could get a good number of these (I can always provde cuttings, as I keep a spare "heeled off" in my planter for such purposes), you could possibly have them growing from tree to tree and draping down until you get the fence, then maybe used as fence screen... Of course you need to allow them to get enough length to reach from one tree to another and then make the connection yourself, but this is a PROLIFIC grower that will also put up new sprouts in the soil.

There's a cultivar called "tangerine beauty" that has prettier flowers, but I just finally got one of those last fall and am just getting around to planting it, so I don't have any of that one to spare, yet. The species, however, still has pretty flowers and the vine grows fast and full... Makes a great screen.

I sure wish you luck with this. Hate that your neighbor decided to do that!
Jeff

Thanks folks!! Butterfly4u, no deed restrictions. That is very uncommon unless you are in a sub division around where I am. And honestly, I wouldn't want them here, the one who would have written them is the same one who is putting in single wide trailers on my property line. When I purchased my land from him, I showed him my house plans and told him what I was doing and my purpose. He promised he would only put 2 or 3 houses, yes houses, on the 20 acres next to me. He had his development across the street and showed me that plat. That land was divided into 4 to 6 acre tracts which I would be perfectly fine with. However he lied to me and has the 20 beside me divided into 12 lots, the largest is 2 acres. There are some county restrictions, The minium lot size is 1 acre and according to the plat, he is holding to that barely. But the county setbacks are a different story. That is why the county is coming out today to check on him, make sure he is within the law there. I've pretty much made my mind up the berms will go in. The one good thing here is that I do have 15 acres so I do have enough room to block out what I don't want to see. Now just getting the funds to put them in. As an interim, I'm going to try the landscaping with some select view blocking features. I don't want to go into debt to do anything like this considering I work for a big bank and the current financial markets. We are paying for everything as we go till this financial mess blows over. So keep those plant ideas coming!! Thanks for the vine recommendations Jeffahayes. I think I got some reasearch to start on!! :-)

Planting loblolly and white pine seedlings will provide a thick screen one day. You can do this in addition to whatever else you do - a multi stage approach.

Pine seedlings can be obtained very cheaply from the forestry service in your state.

Berms and strategically placed plants in the meantime sound like a good approach. It is a good idea to take the view from your house and then address plantings. I would stick flags in the ground (or something) and then go back in and determine if the placement was good and adjust as necessary.

Tulip poplar is a fast growing deciduous tree. Others include Red maple and Red/Scarlett/Shumard oaks. For evergreen trees, consider Wax myrtle, Carolina cherry laurel and Japanese cryptomeria (not leyland cypress).

Good luck.

Nothing is better than running bamboo when it comes to screening out trailer trash or anything else you find objectionable. I recommend black bamboo and golden bamboo highly. They are evergreen, tall and fast growing, and will block the view of whatever offends you. I have a grove of black bamboo on one side of my house and a grove of golden bamboo on the other side, but thankfully, no mobile home subdivision to be concerned with. Bamboo provides a graceful Oriental effect, which will probably be lost on the denizens of the mobile home park. However, you and they could harvest an occasional bamboo pole to use down at your local fishing hole. Tender young bamboo shoots may also be used as a dietary supplement. Yum, yum, yum. Both black bamboo and golden bamboo are hardy down to around zero degrees Fahrenheit. Black bamboo develops beautiful black culms the second year they shoot from the ground. Golden bamboo has golden culms and is of a slightly lesser stature than black bamboo. The groves develop a delightful, dense impenetrableness, which will discourage unwanted visitors from the neighboring encampment. In the springtime, the loud, annual popping of the bamboo, as it prepares to send forth its new growth, sounds much like drive-by gunfire, which may also help to discourage those intruders on you fifteen acres. Pop! Pop! Pop! Help, Mommer, help! Our neighbor is shooting a gun at me!

Interesting recommendation Jay, I've actually been considering bamboo somewhere in my landscape as I'm planting a lot of EE's, Banana, Palm, Hisbiscus, in my landscape design. I've been a little hesitant on it due to reading so much about it being difficult to contain. Just how hard is it to keep where you want it? And does it really pop?? My, could I get some laughs on that one!!! :-) It is a beautiful plant and would definatly accent what I've already started with my yard. I think I've pretty much identified where I want to put "Stage One" of my green screen. I'm drawing it out now, and researching plants and trees.

IMHO, 1 house per acre is not very dense housing. I understand that you bought your lot wanting privacy, but if you didn't want to see anybody, then you could have bought more land from him. People who lived in that area before you did maybe didn't want to see new houses, like yours, either. Perhaps other people who are buying land and houses from him will put landscaping in and screen you out too.

Sorry about the chained chickens and flapping siding. This is why people want to have zoning regulations, even in "rural" areas.

Another plant suggestion would be Viburnum awabuki 'Chindo'. It has a pyramidal shape, a rapid growth habit, and it is very tolerant of both sun and shade. It also flowers and bears decorative fruit. Oh, it is also very drought tolerant.
I think a mixed border/barrier is the way to go.

Zcat, sorry if I offend you with my desire to have what I PURCHASED and expect people to HONOR THEIR WORD!! If you have nothing constructive to offer, please go to another thread. No one is forcing you to assist me with your advice and I really don't appreciate you trolling my thread. I'll be perfectly happy if you choose to ignore my posts. I'm asking plant advice and advice about how to turn my property into what I want. I didn't come here to hear you complain about what "I'm trying to do" here. And to everyone else, thank you so much for your constructive ideas and advice!! I do appreciate your knowledge and ideas. And I got a lot of plant research to do to find the right solution for my property as I'm getting good ideas from everyone.

A fast growing evergreen is pyracanthus 'Mohave', it is thorny, has showy flowers and berries and will grow 2' - 3' per year. It is also a variety that is resistant to fireblight. It is also very easy to propagate from cuttings so you can make more for free. I did cuttings in Sept. and they have been growing under lights since. and are already 8" high.
My sympathies on your plight.

Any reason you don't want to add some leylands? They do very well in my area but we rarely get ice.
I have chindo's also and they grow several feet a year and have a lustrous dark green leaf. A beautiful shrub and one I would plant in a mixed border.
Also burgundy lorapetulum grows rapid and is nice in a mixed border. It gets 10'-12'+

Yes, nannerbelle, the two types of bamboo that we grow really pop, and pop loudly, in the springtime as they begin their growth cycle.

Our black bamboo has overtaken a large camellia and a young magnolia. It is aggressive but beautiful. The easiest way to control bamboo is to knock down the young, emerging shoots as soon as they appear. At that stage, they are tender and easy to control. However, they grow up fast; so you have to stay ahead of them. If you want fewer problems with bamboo control, plant a "clumping bamboo" instead of a "running bamboo." Clumping bamboo is less trouble if management is an issue.

Hi nannerbelle,

I read with interest your posting about the new neighbors and such. Since I technically live in a "city" I too have neighbors whom i do not wish to see each and every day, especially with their trash containers and falling down houses, huge amounts of guests drinking god knows what and their vehicles taking up every bit of grass they once had for a backyard. I do have a nice fenced in lot, and on the other side of that is a strip of land about 3 feet wide which divides the properties. In that 3 foot strip there are wild growing trees, not sure what they are. But I too am thinking of ways to screen off my property so people wont be able to see my day to day activities whatever those might be at the time, at least on ONE SIDE. Since you have such a large lot, I totally second, third, fourth the opinion of building that berm. it could be in the shape of an arc perhaps to fill in space on two sides of the property ( assuming it's a large square). That being said, you could even plant it up with roses or something that might vine or grow profusely in the sun, or make the inner section of the berm a sort of outdoor living area, complete with some chairs, table, etc, etc.....better yet make it a nice area for a POOL,so we can all come visit you for a swim and trade cuttings and stuff. HAHA, just kidding, that would cost a fortune. But seriously, I absolutely know what you are going through. My other neighbor next door to me is great, and we share a fenceline where we have planted things together, and now there is a large area where it blooms morning glories that we both like to look at. Azaleas, the glories and lilies don my side, his veggie garden adorns his. I get some free veggies, he gets a great colorful view in the summer. *S*

hang in there! Lyle

The plant suggestions you folks have give me are wonderful!! I'm having a hard time choosing what to put on my plan but I think I'm starting to narrow the plan down. My immediate plan is planting, and LOTS of it. Lyle, you hit it with the tract of property being so large. Here is a little better description for everyone. My property is basically a large rectangle. I'm roughly 600ft of frontage and down the sides about 1200 ft. My house is almost dead center of it. My drive (and the developing side) comes into the house from about 75 ft off the property line in an slight angle to the house. The area between my driveway and the property line is where my most problem area is at this moment. Now that could change at any time as there are more lots cut in further down my side line. This area is all natural right now, and I have a lot of young white pine growing up there. DH isn't real keen on the berm idea and this would be the area I would need to have it put in. He is very supportive of trying to do this with plants and trees instead. So I'm going to try to boost the White Pine population with some new trees, and run a nice line all the way down the driveway to help with blocking the view. My current Pine took off like crazy last summer and some of them put on close to 3 ft. So I think I can get the evergreens to kinda build me a nice wall there. My house is a ranch, so I don't need Godzilla trees to block this out, fast growing is a bigger concern for me. At the entrance to the driveway, where the single wide is so close, I'm going to boost the pine population between the line and my driveway, and put up a gate and short fence to define the entrance, and put in some Pyracantha. Great suggestion BTW, I remember Mom had one at the house I grew up in. It was HUGE and beautiful!! I can see it detering unwanted visitors coming over from the yard next door. Up closer to the house I'm going to put in a line of large evergreens, I'm looking at Thuja Green Giants. But I've read deer love to munch on them. And I got a deer mega city here. I haven't ruled out Leylands, but I also heard there is a bad diease problem with those. So I'm still deciding on those. That line will be a semi circle around to the back corner of the house. I'm going to define the front yard a little better with a nice corner planting on each of the front corners with a grouping of some nice fairly tall growers like the Viburnum and Loropetalum that was suggested. Maybe some Camelia. And I'm going to put in a line of flowering trees, I'm looking at Redbud, Dogwood across the front line of the yard to create a natural blooming fence. The goal is a lot of greenery to block as much as I can. Maybe the berms later on, as soon as I get DH to support that plan. We all know that unless your spouse supports it, it won't get done. And Lyle, the pool is in the plans for out back :-) I sure can relate to having bad neighbors in the city. I was very fortunate with my last house to have wonderful neighbors. But the rental we lived in while we were building needed to have a 15 ft privacy fence all around it. The neighbors there were a total nightmare. I'm drawing it up so I'll scan it and post when I'm done if you folks would like to see.

Oh, I'm so glad your plan is coming together, Nannerbelle!

I'm a little hesitant to offer much advice since my yard is soooo small and most of my trees are single ornamentals, rather than living fences. That said, my front yard boasts a few already mentioned above - Chindo Viburnum, Japanese Cryptomeria and lorapetulum (forgive my spelling, pls). All have grown amazingly large and fast and thrived - none seem to be victimized by deer which saunter our streets. What I most like about these three is that they're evergreen foliage full from the base up - ergo great screens - and they've grown fast.

I mentioned firethorn above, as have others - mine is in the fenced back yard so I can't speak to its' deer resistance except to say that I can't imagine deer munching on those thorns! And pyracanthus has year round interest along w/being an invader deterrent.

You have such a large area to play with - such an opportunity for a vertical tapestry! Have fun and keep us posted!

Nannerbelle,

So eventually we can all visit and go for a swim and trade seeds, plants and cuttings? AWESOME! *L*

Your idea for the line of pines is great. Around here some of the fortunate few who have large lots actually make more than one line of trees, and they stagger them with another variety of some sort to give the huge area either more color or some sort of dimensional effect. Which is great. The fast growers like you mentioned would be nice too, 3-4 years you should have tall healthy living fences.

I recently rejoined Arbor Day, and took advantage of a tree sale they were offering privets for a buck 49. I ordered 40 of those buggers! I think they will do nicely in the spot I want to put them in, and mostly block out the north view of my neighbor for the most part. Too bad hedges and trees couldn't block loud music, bass and car traffic!

Lyle

I am scared to death of bamboo. Let the buyer beware...

The loblolly pines are used frequently around here and work well as a faster growing evergreen. And by all means plant some camellias or rhodedendrons too! They're slower growing than the pines but will fill in the bottom when the pines get too tall to do the screening job. Plus, you'll get flowers in the shade.

I can attest to the loblolly pines as a nice fast growing evergreen. I've got lots of them on my property and the natural woods surrounding it. They are fast growers and seed around even in this sand that I have here. I have a couple of long-leaf pines that I prize even more. They really glisten in the winter sun. But the loblollys are faster growing and a better screen. The long-leaf are more sculptural and whimsical in habit. Interplanted with camellias and redbuds, maples, oh my, the possibilities are endless.

We have growing wild here on the farm at BB's a large stand of prunus americanus. They are blooming now. One of the first things to bloom here in spring with a lovely fragrance and nice little prune sized fruits mid-summer that you have to fight the birds for. They colonize growing stoloniferously into a stand. They could also make a nice screen eventually with more shade loving plants intermixed. I managed to get a couple of small saplings by shovel pruning them away from the main grouping in early spring, leaving them there through summer and digging them out early fall to plant in their new home on my property.

You will eventually be able to take your negative and turn it into a positive. I can see you are definately up for the challenge. Have fun. Adele

Pitbulls? First I'd start with a 12' chain-link fence. Then, the bignonia that Jeff suggested. It really does grow fast. It outgrew my 4' fence in two years. Obviously not 12' fence needed but something at least 6' for safety.

You could try another approach and that is to cover up the eye sores. Make a stealth planting of kudzu next to each trailer. They should be covered by the end of the summer :o)
The rooster chain gang crowd might not even notice their homes being overtaken (just kidding)
In all seriousness it sounds like you have lots of ideas here and everyone else has been reminded that when buying property no matter what they tell you is planned for the area....you are taking a risk.

You have my deepest sympathies and I think you re on the right track for privacy and screening. But how about a great idea for barrier planting that is the living equivalent of a six to eight foot barbed wire fence? I m talking about those Robin Hood rose hedges they sell in every catalog. For getting rid of unwanted four or two legged guests, they are unmatched. They are cheap, grow to four or five feet the first year, easy to grow, actually quite pretty, and FULL of the most wicked thorns you will ever encounter. Seriously, the only way you or anything could get through it is in a suit of armor and I m not joking. Just a thought...

LOL, more good suggestions coorscat!! Maybe I can find an assortment of Kudzu and Mimosa seeds, do a midnight strike and seed every mobile home yard that I can see :-) LOL if only I had an evil personality!! carolinabluesky, those hedge roses sound like a definate for somewhere in this plan, I love roses!! Thanks!! I'm working on the first step now, I'm calling SC Forestry sales with a couple of questions I have and placing an order for a couple hundred trees todday. So we are moving forward here!
And you are correct, when you want the rural isolation I want, you are taking a chance. But I wouldn't take anything for my place. I love the usability of my property, with it being so level. And the house is exactly what we wanted. Thank goodness, I'm just stubborn enough to fight the privacy invasion. Once I started getting this all on paper so DH had a visual, he is spitting and cursing less and sharpening his post hole diggers. Hindsight being 20/20, the only thing I would change is that I would have built in the budget during construction for berms and some more trees and landscaping. I do love my house and land.

Contact landscaping companies that remove dirt for new houses in your area. Post in online forums and maybe an ad in the local paper. See if anyone has fill dirt they are trying to get rid of for building berms.

Leylands grow really fast too. And I second the pyracantha "Mohave". I have rooted several cuttings. Very easy to propagate. You can also buy it fairly cheap in the summer.

For a more instant screen, you might consider installing 10' tall posts along the property line. Use wire and staples to create a trellis for annual and perennial vines until your landscaping catches up. A morning glory seed every two feet should give you summer privacy. Replace the annuals with perennials as the years go by. And plant plant plant. Choose large varieties native to your area.

Personally, I would stay away from any running bamboo especially in our zones. It can be disastrous if you decide to get rid of it. Clumping bamboos are a great option though.

I can relate as I am going through a problem with trespassers and vandalism.

I have planted "screening" plants on three borders of my property. The fourth border is a creek and that is where most of the trespassing occurs. Unfortunately, I can not plant a border there as it will eventually get washed out during heavy rains.

Savannah hollies have done well and have grown about 2-3 feet a year. I have leylands that are about 30 feet tall but I am constantly watching for the diseases that are affecting leylands in the south east.

My magnolias have grown fairly fast. The cherry laurels have not grown like I had hoped.

I have planted arbovitaes in case I start losing leylands to disease.

Please do not plant kudzu as it will find its way to your property and you will not be able to get rid of it.

I, like you, have some acreage and do not understand why people feel free to ignore trespassing signs.

I wish you the best.

What a great group and great advice!! I do sincerely appreciate everyone's input!! And thanks so much for all the well wishes for success with this project!! lsst, the kudzu is a bad, evil thought joke on my part :-), my grandfather had it on his property and I remember as a child his constant battle to keep it from taking over his garden shed and keep it back out of his veggie garden. I hate that stuff and would never ever consider planting it. Needless to say, I need a LOT of trees. The developer next door decided to clear more lots yesterday and had the bull dozer running all day.

I'm going with a layered hedge. The wider, the better for me. I'm going to put in a first line of White Pine. That is going to be my main line down the property line on his side. I've found a great deal on them from both SC Forestry and Arbor Day. I need to find my second "layer" and researching that now. Holly is quite interesting to me, and so is the pyracantha. Both I love. Economical is a key here, as I need so many to form this hedge. I'll be getting more into the magnolia, flowering Cherry, smaller hedge plants up closer to the house in my strategically placed bed areas. I want to define my actual "yard" area more and almost create an enclosed courtyard type of feeling with plants. But my first step is the LONG line of evergreen to block the majority of the view.

lsst, I agree, why can't people just read the signs?? My property is posted, and one of the teenagers from the pit bull, yard chicken house has driven once and walked right past the 2 signs at my entrance to come uninvited to ask if I'll sell him one of my classic muscle cars. The first time, he was told no and asked to leave. The second time DH took him and showed him the No Trespassing signs and asked him to leave. One of the same group DH had to run off the back acreage. He seems to have no memory or sense of private property. When I was a child, both my Dad and Grandfather taught me that I was not to even cross a fence line that wasn't posted. And if posted, totally off limits! Both of them were avid outdoors men and even taught me that if I was out for a walk and came up on a pasture, to walk around the farmers fence. I guess that etiquette is now gone forever. Sad to see.

Sadly, some of these kids have no idea the meaning of 'trespassing' or 'soliciting'. Some can't read well.
It is, however , amazing how fast they become experts when they learn they can sue you if they are injured while on your property.
Might want to check your homeowners insurance policy and liabilities if folks from this new 'neighborhood' are trespassing.

So true Dottie!! I do believe in high levels of insurance and make sure I'm well covered and review every year. One thing though about this one particular kid. He has been warned, property is posted and I won't hesitate to send the Sheriff to visit him if I see him on my land again.

Hi, What a great thread! Just wanted to jump in and let you know that if you join the arbor day foundation for your $10 membership they award you 10 free trees!! Plus discounts on other trees!

Good Luck and happy gardening!

Here is a link that might be useful: Arbor Day Foundation

Thanks luvnaz61!! I will be joining with them in the very near future. I've already got what I want picked out!! :-) They have some excellent selections and very, very reasonable prices! I don't want to order too much at one time and run the risk of hurting the plants and trees I get in to plant. There are 100 2 year old white pine seedlings due to be here tomorrow from SC Forestry!! I'm excited too, I can't wait to get those babies in the ground and all happy!! The developer is moving even more in and it's getting ridiculous what he is doing!! He did move a double wide in on the last lot on my property line, it's a repo that is white siding with lots of bright green alge or mold growing on the siding and broken windows. Nice guy, didn't even power wash the thing. He moved another one in on a side lot to my property line, they can stare from their sliding doors on the back straight into my master bath and weight room windows. This one totally destroys any privacy I have on my new deck DH is putting up now as well. I'm going to be out in my yard doing the ancient "Grow Trees Grow" dance!!

nannerbelle, I just wanted to say that if you decide on the Leyland Cypress idea that possibly a better choice might be Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja 'Green Giant'). It will give you the same result. Leylands are starting to suffer from a branch dieback caused by a canker. I've included a link for 'Green Giant'. Hope this helps.
Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: Thuja 'Green Giant'

white siding with lots of bright green alge or mold growing on the siding and broken windows. Nice guy, didn't even power wash the thing.

Maybe you don't want him to wash it - imagine how much more noticeable a clean WHITE building would be!!

Glad to hear you got some trees from the state forestry. They are a great, underused, source of seedlings. For folks that are interested, there is a similar organization in almost every state.

I think I read somewhere that fast growing trees are not particularly long lived. So maybe a multi line approach mixing fast growers with something a bit more substantial. Also, the multi line thing works well when a tree dies because then there isn't a gaping hole.

I think a running bamboo or some other invasive that could be bush hogged once a year to keep in check is a really good idea. I bet your neighbors won't notice it slowly encroaching on THEIR land.

As for the kids, seems that signs posted make it that muc more desirable, ya know, like sneaking out after curfew..... it might be time to take up target shooting. The sound of occasional gun shot seems to make everyone respect no trespassing signs a bit more.

If you really are that rural, I wouldn't suspect a chained rooster to live that long. Hawks, owls, fox, dog all kinds of animals like the taste of chicken. In the mean time you won't have to set your alarm clock.

I understand that the man who sold you the property lied to you about his intentions and he should be held accountable for his actions and unlawfulness. However the people who are moving in are not involved in his ruse. Please try to not direct your anger for him at them. (They may be deserving of there own anger, just not for buying land from this guy) I have lived through this type of discord, just on the other side. It is tough trying to make a home in an area where you are not wanted and it is through no fault of your own. Maybe the new tenants have issues of their own with his behavior. Joining forces with some of the more respectable people might help your situation.

Nannerbelle, I sincerely hope I have not offended you with my last statement. It is truly meant in the most helpful of intensions. You may be doing a great job separating your emotions, just your post seemed to touch a chord in my heart.

tanya

Hi tietie, no offense at all taken here. Believe me, I do understand what you are saying and agree with you. Thank you for honest, well said input. LOL funny you mention the wildlife. Yes, I'm sure it's all enjoying the free dinner. We have an abundant supply of Hawk, Owl, Fox, Bobcat and Coyote here. And with that said, we do target shoot, and carry as a rule when outside. In addition to the wildlife mentioned above, we also have Rattlesnake. And that is about the last thing I want to run up on without a way to protect myself and my pups. It does seem to help. We have a few houses that basically move in and let it all go to heck in a handbasket. But I say 30 to 40 percent of the folks are trying to improve their property and make a nice home. And I applaud them and wish them the best. My biggest issue is I left the city and all the conveniences to be rural and not have neighbors. And despite promises from a seller, I find myself right in the middle of a subdivision. I saw the new owners of the single wide our installing a sidewalk and landscape lighting yesterday. Looks like they were prepping to plant grass as well. I hope so, it would be great if the only thing I had to deal with was the fact I didn't buy into a subdivision and blocking the view to shore up my privacy. I know that when you live in the country, you have property around you that you don't have control over or any rules to govern. Believe me, I'm not out to make anyone's life miserable. I'm just a stay at home, homebody kind of person. And I don't say a word about anything to the neighbors or even know their names. I have however called the county zoning on a house who has lose siding flapping on their house and trash piled up around it. Since most all of them have moved in within the last year, they need to be on the developer like a hawk on a chicken and make him get their house right. But with a nice multi line hedge, and well placed landscaping around the house and deck, I think we are going to be able to accomplish blocking the view with a little time for things to grow in. I'm just thankful at least I bought enough land to be able to work with it and accomplish my goal.