One Man's Trash...is Sitting on Your Property Line!

Well, it's that lovely time of year again in the Upper Midwest, where all the items left in the yard last fall - and all the ones the dog left over the winter - come peeping out of the grayish snow. It doesn't usually take a whole lot to get everything cleaned up and looking sharp again, but there are some properties where that just isn't going to happen.

When you drive through a residential neighborhood in town, the fronts of the houses typically face the street. For the most part, you won't see a whole lot of extra items sitting around because they are out there somewhere in the back yard. But on lake properties, the back of the house is facing the street (some people will argue this point, but I stand behind my opinion here), and so all these attractive treasures add to the curb appeal!

There is not a better month for junk viewing than March. We all know it as kite-flying season, but up north it should also get the distinction as "Ugly Yard Month." Leafless trees and bushes are just no competition for these lonely yardicles (new word that I created) that have been hibernating during the cold winter days. They are very much attracted to sunshine, which my daughter found out the other day after she stepped in one of my dog's yardicles that immediately stuck to her shoe. But here I go again off on some tangent, talking about things that have nothing to do with lake properties.

What I was really trying to get at was how to deal with lake homes and cabins where the next door neighbor is a little slow at going to the dump. You know the kind of place I'm talking about: old docks, boat lifts, snowmobiles, bird houses...and a supply of old pipe in a vast array of sizes, extensive enough to start a plumbing supply store.

If you are the next door neighbor and you are thinking of selling your place in the near future, you may have a bit of a challenge on your hands. Here is an article by Brad Boisvert that talks about some ways you might go about dealing with the situation. But one thing you always need to keep in mind is how to approach this person without turning them against you and making your sales process even more difficult. However, it is wise to work at it rather than ignoring the issue, because it could very well affect your value or the ability to get your lake place sold.

As a prospective real estate buyer, you are probably starting to get the urge to go out and drive around some of the lakes as the days get warmer and the daylight gets a bit longer. You have been sitting home looking on the Internet at all these great photos of towering pines, sand beaches, sparkling blue waters and nostalgic cabins...and now it is time to hop in the car and get a sense of the real thing. But surprise...surprise, there were no photos on the website that showed pile of junk next to the neighbor's garage. And even this cute little cabin - you drove two hours to take a peek at - has several well-worn items sitting around that didn't show up online. By the way, don't worry too much about the items on the property you are interested in, because removal of debris will be covered in the purchase agreement.

Well, let's go back to the beginning of this article and consider the overall issue. First of all you are looking at the back yards of these properties, and most people (unless you are on a small lot in the city) do have a few things sitting around their yards. In addition to that, lake homes and cabins require extra amenities like docks, boat lifts, yard tractors, and extra lumber for repairs on decks and sheds that are more prevalent here.

Secondly, it is "Ugly Yard Month," and it will get better once the buds come out. Try to look at the density of trees in the vicinity of the items to see if they will even be noticeable once the outdoor season begins. And also remember that you may want to leave a few things out behind your garage, so they will fit neatly next to your new neighbor's pile.

But if the lake property you are most interested in has an overabundance of these intertwined gizmos - that you know are going to be just a little too agonizing for that neighbor to get rid of - you may want to either make your offer subject to the seller taking care of it before closing, or just pass on this one for now. Chances are that if the seller has any kind of a relationship with this person, he may be able to help them haul this stuff away. If so, it probably won't collect again for some time, since it has most likely taken many years to grow this big.

But make sure you are comfortable with the situation, as I have seen a lot of interesting things in this business over the years!