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Should I offer to help rake my neighbors' yards?
My yard is full of giant trees that cover the entire neighborhood with leaves each fall. Several of my neighbors have no trees at all, and yet they spend hours cleaning their yards of leaves from my trees. Would it be the neighborly thing to do if I offered to clean up after my tree, like I do my dog?
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October 10, 2009 04:43 PM
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Do your neighbors enjoy the benefits of your trees? For example, we lived in a house at one time where out trees shaded the neighbor's house as well as ours and so the neighbors benefitted from our trees. In that case, I would let the neighbor be responsible for raking the leaves.
On the other hand, if the neighbor four doors down is having to rake leaves from your tree, then offering to rake them is the polite thing for a tree owner to do.
Is it necessary? No. Do you have any obligation to do it? Not legally. Morally, it's kind of a gray area. The tree is a naturally occuring fixture (even if you planted it) and as it's owner you have no control over nature. it's not like you could order the tree not to shed its leaves. Additionally, the presence of the tree(s) probably enhances the value of your property and by extension the values of other properties in the neighborhood.
I think if your neighbors are physically fit and able to rake the leaves, you could offer but its not necessary. If your neighbors are elderly or otherwise unable to rake the leaves themselves and the yard maintenance is costing them money, then offering to help is not only polite, it's good karma.
On the other hand, if the neighbor four doors down is having to rake leaves from your tree, then offering to rake them is the polite thing for a tree owner to do.
Is it necessary? No. Do you have any obligation to do it? Not legally. Morally, it's kind of a gray area. The tree is a naturally occuring fixture (even if you planted it) and as it's owner you have no control over nature. it's not like you could order the tree not to shed its leaves. Additionally, the presence of the tree(s) probably enhances the value of your property and by extension the values of other properties in the neighborhood.
I think if your neighbors are physically fit and able to rake the leaves, you could offer but its not necessary. If your neighbors are elderly or otherwise unable to rake the leaves themselves and the yard maintenance is costing them money, then offering to help is not only polite, it's good karma.
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October 10, 2009 10:13 PM
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You said your trees cover the yards of the whole neighborhood. That's a lot of people to help on account of your trees. It would be a nice gesture to offer to help your immediate neighbor(s) who get the worst of it once a week while the leaves are falling. I stress that you *help* them, meaning you're neighbor should be out there with you. It is still their yard and it's a bit much to expect you to rake up more than one yard (your own) by yourself. I think your neighbors would appreciate the gesture, for sure, as long as your willing and able!
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October 11, 2009 02:10 AM
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If you have the time and energy and the compelling feelings then do it.Otherwise just leave like that. You know, if you are my neighbor, an I am getting the shade of your tree, I won't complain. The trees will attract a lot of birds too. It is all enjoyable to me without having the trouble of keeping the tree. I don't mind cleaning my yard.
If you have fruit trees, I would like to have some free fruits though.
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If you have fruit trees, I would like to have some free fruits though.
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October 11, 2009 04:58 AM
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As a homeowner, I've found that my neighbors always really appreciate anything I do for them. If you can spare the time, it will most likely benefit you somehow down the road. I do nice things for the people that live around me, and they do really nice things for me too (clearing snow, for instance). It's a win-win, and a good chance to get to know someone a little better too.
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October 11, 2009 10:47 AM
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I dunno... is he crippled?
I had a neighbor who was on crutches from a permanent injury, so I did lots of yard work for him, just as a matter of course, at the same time when I was doing my own... i.e., if I was mowing the lawn, it was just a longer swath to cut.
Mind you, I was lucky, in that the yards were adjascent, so it was easy.
Otherwise... hmm... I guess if they really needed the help, sure, why not?
But if it's because they are just being too damn lazy to rake their own leaves... hmm...
For those ones, it makes you wonder if they'd notice if you were dumping your leaves in their back yard, doesn't it?
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I had a neighbor who was on crutches from a permanent injury, so I did lots of yard work for him, just as a matter of course, at the same time when I was doing my own... i.e., if I was mowing the lawn, it was just a longer swath to cut.
Mind you, I was lucky, in that the yards were adjascent, so it was easy.
Otherwise... hmm... I guess if they really needed the help, sure, why not?
But if it's because they are just being too damn lazy to rake their own leaves... hmm...
For those ones, it makes you wonder if they'd notice if you were dumping your leaves in their back yard, doesn't it?
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