Neighbors revoked previously agreed upon access

[poolnoobgrandma]

Another potential way to look at this since we don't know the neighbors or their situation... What if the original post had said something like this:
"Our wonderful neighbors had given us permission to access their yard throughout our pool build, but they have just found out that their son, who suffers from PTSD, is going to move in with them for a while. Also, the wife is going through chemotherapy. Anyway, with all of that going on, the pool build access was just one stressor too many, and they no longer feel comfortable with all of the chaos it might bring. I completely understand, and I'm looking for ideas from this group to work around the situation so that we can still get the pool installed with minimum disruption to these folks."
Would our responses be different? This isn't a criticism of the OP or their post. It's just a suggestion that we may not know everything about the situation, and when in doubt choosing kindness is rarely the wrong thing to do.

 

[Kathleen2252]

That's really funny..
Serenade them for " their goodwill" with Kanye West full blast from 9:00 pm - 12mn for several days.

 

[HeyEng]

They're just being difficult, plain and simple.
There's no logical reason to make things hard for these people.
Being neighborly and doing the right thing works both ways.

Always 3 sides to a story.

I am glad that I don't have some of y'all as neighbors.

 

[Bperry]

Another potential way to look at this since we don't know the neighbors or their situation... What if the original post had said something like this:
"Our wonderful neighbors had given us permission to access their yard throughout our pool build, but they have just found out that their son, who suffers from PTSD, is going to move in with them for a while. Also, the wife is going through chemotherapy. Anyway, with all of that going on, the pool build access was just one stressor too many, and they no longer feel comfortable with all of the chaos it might bring. I completely understand, and I'm looking for ideas from this group to work around the situation so that we can still get the pool installed with minimum disruption to these folks."
Would our responses be different? This isn't a criticism of the OP or their post. It's just a suggestion that we may not know everything about the situation, and when in doubt choosing kindness is rarely the wrong thing to do.

I suspect everyone is just having a bit of fun and not really suggesting to do anything rude. I know I’d prefer not to have my yard messed up because a neighbor was having work done. They’d for sure have to make it all right when it was done for me to agree to have the fence removed. If the fence was old and worn and they are replacing it with a new one at their cost, I’d be more willing to accommodate.

 

[Casey]

I'm grateful to my neighbor for saving my pool build and allowing me to use his property to keep this pool off the borough's new road. He literally saved me. He's allowed to swim any time he wants!!!

 

[Kathleen2252]

Always 3 sides to a story.

I am glad that I don't have some of y'all as neighbors.

Likewise

 

[Kathleen2252]

Those who need "something for nothing" or dont help their neighbors out when ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO should live alone on a desert isle where no one is building a pool.

 

[BowserB]

Still another look at this. I assume the plan was to take down a fence between the two properties, so that instead of, say, 6 feet of space to move in and out, there would be 12 feet (or maybe it's 5 feet and 10 total or 7 and 14.) I was lucky. My neighbor two doors down was getting a pool the same time as me in 2018. The lot between us had no house on it yet and didn't even have a contract to build a house, so the construction manager told us that while he couldn't officially give us access from that lot, he just wouldn't notice. That worked fine for both of us. Subs even pulled trucks up onto the lot right next to the open fence section, which each day when they finished, they would more or less put that fence section back in place, held there with bailing wire. Also the builder had a portacan on that vacant lot. We were lucky.

Our mess, though, was totally on our property, and it was a big mess. Giant trash pile, irrigation system was out for the whole house for the duration, and it was a semi drought summer. Had to water from hose bibs--and those were potassium softened water. I was going through a bag of potassium chloride water softener salt a week. $32 a 40lb bag and using one a week. The north side of our back and side yards were never quite the same after the pool building venture. The mess and trash and occasional noise and dust was such that I can't imagine even asking a neighbor to share that experience--for the sake of MY swimming pool.

So, to the OP, maybe the people next door became aware of what they had agreed to allow, and as a result of what they expected to happen, they concluded it was you who was the presumptuous and selfish neighbor, asking them to put up with living in a war zone for several months (the people who bought a house on the once vacant lot next to us got a pool this year--dug in early January; finished mid August) just to make it easier for your pool builder. Maybe they see you as the bad neighbor. Just another thought.

 

[Jacquelyn1215]

Thanks, all, for the constructive ideas - as well as a few laughs. To clarify, my intent in posting was truly to get advice on how to handle (not handle with the neighbors at this point, but with our PB) and whether or not this project was even going to be feasible without the previously agreed upon access between ours/our neighbor's yard. There is zero intent of any retaliation, it's just a frustrating situation and like I said, truly trying to get suggestions on how this might work - so thanks for those ideas. We are truly newbies with this and couldn't be farther from DIYers (though we're already learning a lot). We've reached out to BYOP and are waiting to hear back from the excavator, so will share here once we figure out our solution.

 

[jark87]

They should move to a retirement community where they can listen to ambulances coming and going 24 hours a day.

We had a 2nd home in a retirement community that we sold recently. The running joke was that every time you heard an ambulance, you knew a used golf cart was about to be on the market.

 

[Squash21]

I would not let my neighbor use my yard as access to build a pool unless the builder agreed to a quick timeline with steep penalties, and some sort of security deposit. Especially not after the insane amount of delays I am experiencing now with my own pool build, and the disaster my own yard is.

Edit: Complete resod, redo of irrigation, trugreen contract for a year, complete fence rebuild, and so on.

 

[klanel]

,.... delays I am experiencing now with my own pool build, and the disaster my own yard is.

I was thinking about the same thing with my pool which I was told would take 12 weeks and now at 24 and nowhere near completed which has taken me from excited to stressed.

It is unfortunate the neighbor rescinded the agreement but I can't say I would blame them for not wanting to put up with the disruption to their tranquility for a pool that is not theirs. I can't say I would be willing to do the same having my fence taken down and whatever else goes with it. Having said that, it is unfortunate that they changed their minds after the process was started.

As posted already, removing the AC and patio or using smaller equip seems to be the only real option. I am grateful that I don't have to deal with all of that and can focus all my displeasure solely at my builder who has been a total disappointment.

Hope you get everything worked out!

 

[jimmythegreek]

I deal with this from time to time. Usually it takes money to make it happen. New landscaping, fence, something they want. And of course to put things back to previous conditions. People are worried that the budget gets blown and the clean up stage never has the funds needed....
It's often true tho

 

[HeyEng]

I would not let my neighbor use my yard as access to build a pool unless the builder agreed to a quick timeline with steep penalties, and some sort of security deposit. Especially not after the insane amount of delays I am experiencing now with my own pool build, and the disaster my own yard is.

Edit: Complete resod, redo of irrigation, trugreen contract for a year, complete fence rebuild, and so on.

Plus, I would have questions for the pool builder's insurance company. As in, would my property be adequately covered if they tore up something and it wasn't technically part of the build or one of the employees were injured on my property?

We get along with all our neighbors just fine and are happy to help with all sorts of things, but there are limits. When they built their massive pool (50 or 60K gallons), we politely said, "sorry...can't help" when they asked to use our well pump to help fill the pool. Selfish? Perhaps...but I also know that if our expensive well pump burned up in the process they wouldn't chip in for a new one.

Oh, and their build took nearly a year. I would NOT be happy with our yard being thrashed for that long for something that had zero ROI for me.

 

[Bperry]

Plus, I would have questions for the pool builder's insurance company. As in, would my property be adequately covered if they tore up something and it wasn't technically part of the build or one of the employees were injured on my property?

We get along with all our neighbors just fine and are happy to help with all sorts of things, but there are limits. When they built their massive pool (50 or 60K gallons), we politely said, "sorry...can't help" when they asked to use our well pump to help fill the pool. Selfish? Perhaps...but I also know that if our expensive well pump burned up in the process they wouldn't chip in for a new one.

Oh, and their build took nearly a year. I would NOT be happy with our yard being thrashed for that long for something that had zero ROI for me.

They wanted to use YOUR well pump to fill their pool? That’s nuts!

 

[phonedave]

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 work for a telco. I have seen field techs carry a pole through an apartment and hand set it in the back yard. Clearly it only works with railroad apartments, but it has been done. Open the front door, open the back door, get a bunch of techs, and straight on through.

I know it does not help the OP, but when my wife and I were looking at houses, one of my requirements was backyard access. I have a 12' gate at the end of my driveway now. I had to have a large dead tree removed from my backyard. The tree guy was able to drive his boom truck right into my backyard and take it down in no time. I also have really good neighbors, but you never know.

I lived in too many previous houses where I had 36" gates into the backyard. I was not about to do that again.

 

[Newdude]

I just can’t get over the neighbor issues that come up here time and time again. I mean. I work with the general public so I see it everyday, but at my house I’d have 2 questions for my neighbor. What do you need and are you going to fix whatever happens ? If I am away I want them caring if they see people coming and going next door. If I was a jerk they wouldn’t. And it’s only a matter of time until I needed their help for something.

I just don’t get people sometimes.

 

[chiefwej]

Allowing access for a neighbor’s pool is a HUGE ASK. ”Gee, is it alright if I tear down your fence and destroy your property for months, just so I can have a pool in my yard?” “Oh, and it may or may not be restored properly, depending on my pool builder and my relationship with him (and you) at the very end of this long process.
I have seen a lot of damage left behind after a pool builder “restored” the yard. If fact, the fine print on most all pool contracts specifically exempts the pool builder from damage to vegetation, irrigation systems, etc.

 

[HeyEng]

They wanted to use YOUR well pump to fill their pool? That’s nuts!

Yep. We were out of town (and they knew we weren't home) and sent a random text almost as though it was a given. Something like, "You don't mind if we hook up a hose to help fill our pool, do you?"

Maybe some folks may think I was an Rear, but "giving" only goes so far...especially when you KNOW they will "take, take, take."

 

[Newdude]

Allowing access for a neighbor’s pool is a HUGE ASK. ”Gee, is it alright if I tear down your fence and destroy your property for months

To a point, yes. But to the other point, it’s really just for the dig as there is no way to pipe the excavator into the backyard.

The fence should be easy enough to put back up, as well with whatever sprinkler heads get flattened by the excavator. Both of which would be sworn to be fixed ASAP beforehand, of course. When the open hole sits for months waiting on rebar, plumbing and electric, that won’t be the neighbor’s issue to look at in theory