Neighbors revoked previously agreed upon access

[JoyfulNoise]

Since you are in an HOA you must have gotten approval for this project. The HOA certainly can't force your neighbor to take down the fence for construction but, as long as your project is approved and you follow all of the HOA rules to the best of your ability (ie, keeping common areas clean and free of obstruction, respecting any work hour limitations, etc), then your project can proceed and you can take whatever time you need to get the excavation done properly. Excavating companies that do pool digs are very resourceful and are used to working in tight environments. If you were on a big open stretch of land, they'd bring in the 2-ton excavator and dig it out in half a day. If you're in a tight yard, they'll use bobcats and small diggers as well as a few poor unfortunate souls with shovels and wheelbarrows. They are going to dig that hole and they'll figure out the best way to do it.

Ignore your neighbors and be the bigger the person. They are simply grumpy busybodies that want to tell everyone else what to do but wouldn't lift a finger to help when asked. You can't control their bad attitudes or behavior but you have 100% control over how YOU respond. Paying back unkindness with unkindness never ends well; simply go about your business and do what you have to do. Follow the HOA rules and let those neighbors stew in their own anger. You are better than their childishness.

 

[Poolnerdgrandma]

Since you are in an HOA you must have gotten approval for this project. The HOA certainly can't force your neighbor to take down the fence for construction but, as long as your project is approved and you follow all of the HOA rules to the best of your ability (ie, keeping common areas clean and free of obstruction, respecting any work hour limitations, etc), then your project can proceed and you can take whatever time you need to get the excavation done properly. Excavating companies that do pool digs are very resourceful and are used to working in tight environments. If you were on a big open stretch of land, they'd bring in the 2-ton excavator and dig it out in half a day. If you're in a tight yard, they'll use bobcats and small diggers as well as a few poor unfortunate souls with shovels and wheelbarrows. They are going to dig that hole and they'll figure out the best way to do it.

Ignore your neighbors and be the bigger the person. They are simply grumpy busybodies that want to tell everyone else what to do but wouldn't lift a finger to help when asked. You can't control their bad attitudes or behavior but you have 100% control over how YOU respond. Paying back unkindness with unkindness never ends well; simply go about your business and do what you have to do. Follow the HOA rules and let those neighbors stew in their own anger. You are better than their childishness.

While I'm not sure how not wanting their yard, fence, and irrigation system damaged makes them "grumpy busybodies that want to tell everyone else what to do but wouldn't lift a finger to help when asked," I agree with the overall sentiment.
We've lived in our home for 36 years, and getting along with all the neighbors makes life so much better.
I hope when the pool is finished and this is all behind them, the OP will be able to forgive and move forward.

 

[Jacquelyn1215]

Maybe we are not fully considering the neighbor's situation and the reasons for their decisions.

It's never good when neighbors can't get along.

Hopefully, you can stay on good terms.

Agreed. It's not the decision that is frustrating; it's the fact that they previously agreed and then changed their minds months later and telling us "on a whim." Just complicates things.

 

[Jacquelyn1215]

Since you are in an HOA you must have gotten approval for this project. The HOA certainly can't force your neighbor to take down the fence for construction but, as long as your project is approved and you follow all of the HOA rules to the best of your ability (ie, keeping common areas clean and free of obstruction, respecting any work hour limitations, etc), then your project can proceed and you can take whatever time you need to get the excavation done properly. Excavating companies that do pool digs are very resourceful and are used to working in tight environments. If you were on a big open stretch of land, they'd bring in the 2-ton excavator and dig it out in half a day. If you're in a tight yard, they'll use bobcats and small diggers as well as a few poor unfortunate souls with shovels and wheelbarrows. They are going to dig that hole and they'll figure out the best way to do it.

Ignore your neighbors and be the bigger the person. They are simply grumpy busybodies that want to tell everyone else what to do but wouldn't lift a finger to help when asked. You can't control their bad attitudes or behavior but you have 100% control over how YOU respond. Paying back unkindness with unkindness never ends well; simply go about your business and do what you have to do. Follow the HOA rules and let those neighbors stew in their own anger. You are better than their childishness.

Yes, we have HOA approval. And that is our plan - just ignore them from here on out and do what we need to do.

 

[Poolnerdgrandma]

Agreed. It's not the decision that is frustrating; it's the fact that they previously agreed and then changed their minds months later and telling us "on a whim." Just complicates things.

Fully understand your frustration! Vent here so you can get support and helpful ideas on the complications. Hopefully it will all be a distant memory when you're floating in your pool with an umbrella drink! (Of all my build headaches, the safety fence thing was one of the most irritating, call-the-owner issues, and I had completely forgotten about it until I responded to this thread )

 

[Jacquelyn1215]

Jacquelyn, I hope you're taking the retaliatory suggestions here as just off the cuff venting. Escalating issues with neighbors never helps and often invites return escalation. Just be nice, and when your pool is finished, you won't owe your neighbors any thanks or invitations to come over for a swim in your pool.

100%. We've done plenty of our own venting in the past 24 hours but that's all it is. We won't stoop to that level - will go about our business and get it done however we can.

 

[Diggy77]

We decided to build our pool just after covid hit. We are adjacent to a green space, that I was given HOA permission to use to get materials to our yard. As it turned out, the scheduled delivery of my pool shell got bumped up, and didn't coincide with my excavation timeline, so I craned the pool onto the green space with the expectation that I'd had it moved in 2 days.

For our first 3 years of living in this house, the neighbors across the street were pretty much the only people that we had talked to and were friendly with. All of that changed when they saw the pool shell sitting in the green space. They freaked out on me personally and wrote emails to the HOA (which eventually circulated to the entire subdivision). Their cries fell upon deaf ears, but being a nice guy, I craned the pool one more time into my backyard, impeding my ability to get the dig done in the time frame in which I had planned.

We quickly discovered that we have a lot more friends in our neighborhood that believed the people across the street were very petty in their actions.. and the neighbors across the street are not currently welcome to enjoy our beautiful pool... makes me wonder if they regret their decision.

Not exactly the same as your situation, but being a good neighbor can have its benefits.

 

[reggiehammond]

To go along with the “they’ll figure out a way sentiment…”

At our first house, in an old neighborhood, a storm knocked out power on a gross, terribly hot August afternoon. As we settled in for a brutally hot night, I looked out and saw a giant crane headed up our hill. Being too hot to sleep, I walked up and asked one of the Oncor (power delivery company) what was going on. He said a pole had snapped in a backyard and they couldn’t get the equipment needed into the yard to replace it.

I stood there and watched a crane, on a tiny residential street, lift a power company truck (with the pole lifting gear) up and over two houses and dropped into a back yard. 30 minutes later, power came back on!

 

[revitup]

If it was me, those uncooperative neighbors would be the first ones I would invite over for a swim. Heh heh.

 

[Gladius Nova]

We decided to build our pool just after covid hit. We are adjacent to a green space, that I was given HOA permission to use to get materials to our yard. As it turned out, the scheduled delivery of my pool shell got bumped up, and didn't coincide with my excavation timeline, so I craned the pool onto the green space with the expectation that I'd had it moved in 2 days.

For our first 3 years of living in this house, the neighbors across the street were pretty much the only people that we had talked to and were friendly with. All of that changed when they saw the pool shell sitting in the green space. They freaked out on me personally and wrote emails to the HOA (which eventually circulated to the entire subdivision). Their cries fell upon deaf ears, but being a nice guy, I craned the pool one more time into my backyard, impeding my ability to get the dig done in the time frame in which I had planned.

We quickly discovered that we have a lot more friends in our neighborhood that believed the people across the street were very petty in their actions.. and the neighbors across the street are not currently welcome to enjoy our beautiful pool... makes me wonder if they regret their decision.

Not exactly the same as your situation, but being a good neighbor can have its benefits.

Not petty….called it what it is..they are jealous!

 

[setsailsoon]

Neighbors can be a real pain or a real delight. I've got one of each!!

 

[KCNM]

To go along with the “they’ll figure out a way sentiment…”

At our first house, in an old neighborhood, a storm knocked out power on a gross, terribly hot August afternoon. As we settled in for a brutally hot night, I looked out and saw a giant crane headed up our hill. Being too hot to sleep, I walked up and asked one of the Oncor (power delivery company) what was going on. He said a pole had snapped in a backyard and they couldn’t get the equipment needed into the yard to replace it.

I stood there and watched a crane, on a tiny residential street, lift a power company truck (with the pole lifting gear) up and over two houses and dropped into a back yard. 30 minutes later, power came back on!

I love these types of solutions! Why bother craning just the pole and having workers try to do it by hand when you can just crane in the whole truck? Smart and funny!

 

[JW9DVC]

Crane the equipment in. Done.

 

[Oswald]

Crane the equipment in. Done.

Our friends across the street were looking into doing exactly that when none of their neighbors would allow access. One finally relented before it came to that but there are ways!

 

[zea3]

Neighbors not allowing access also sound like they expect there to be a lot of noise after the pool is installed, so I would expect to get complaints about kids screaming and loud music even if there isn't any of that going on.

 

[Kathleen2252]

Exactly.
The old crotchety ones next to us looked like they were going to cry when they saw the spa going in.
Too much time on their hands.
Probably envisioned the pool grotto at the playboy mansion.

 

[JamesW]

Helicopter backhoe.

 

[Aquaman7]

Maybe park your cars on the street in front of their house to “make room for the excavation equipment” as punishment for “forgetting”?

Ahh. Yes. Everyday that will surely Tick them off. Just make sure you know what the parking restrictions are. Some towns don’t allow parking from 2-6AM.
They will probably use skid steers to complete the dig. Yes it will take longer but none the less it will get done.

 

[Aquaman7]

O and don’t forget your speakers around the pool and through out the yard. Might as well do it while everything is a mess in the yard.

 

[anotherpyr]

I say this jokingly. Have the excavator moved to your yard via crane lifting it over their house. Of course they have to break for lunch while It dangles above their house.