Neighbor problem

[Grant Lamontagne]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

[Don Pablo]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

A house costs more over here. 

[Smashie]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

Wow that website is a rabbit hole of interesting places to look at, for some reason there seem to be a lot of islands for sale in the Caribbean? I wonder what happened there recently to make all these people sell up   

[pomsbz]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

It's rather cheap. What's the catch?

[Grant Lamontagne]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

It's rather cheap. What's the catch?

Technically it is in Quebec.

Realistically it is close enough to Ontario that you can pretend you aren't actually in Quebec.   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

Wow that website is a rabbit hole of interesting places to look at, for some reason there seem to be a lot of islands for sale in the Caribbean? I wonder what happened there recently to make all these people sell up 

I'd risk it.  A couple of days of nasty weather and some broken branches beats 4 months of winter in my mind.  I have been in a hurricane- not a huge deal.

Def

[Mechanickal]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

+1

$1000 even.

If that get's me to come and stay for free (food and drinks at cost naturaly) it would make for the perfect vacation.
And let's face it. $1000 for a lifetime of free vacations? Bargain!

[Smashie]

If it was assured that it would lead to having our own island, I'd fork up more than 100. 

Here you go:
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/canada/quebec/fitzpatrick-island

Everyone could hunt, fish and play in the woods and water all day long.

I was hoping for something more tropical, but this is a hard one to argue with.

Def

Wow that website is a rabbit hole of interesting places to look at, for some reason there seem to be a lot of islands for sale in the Caribbean? I wonder what happened there recently to make all these people sell up 

I'd risk it.  A couple of days of nasty weather and some broken branches beats 4 months of winter in my mind.  I have been in a hurricane- not a huge deal.

Def

Fair point, although I don't mind the winter

[glenfiddich1983]

First of all sorry to hear this 

Sorta building on what Nix said, I would skip saying this,

"That having been said, I would also like to communicate my extreme disappointment ..."

If they are going to feel bad about it, they are more likely to if you don't act like they did something wrong. Better is to blame it on the city, and just apologize, and hope for the best.

Now if it happens again, then I would even get irate. But for the initial contact about this, I would give them a chance to feel guilty and avoid putting their back up more than it might be already. Blame the city, saying the city said your dogs are too loud. Tell them you want to know if and when the dogs are loud so you can fix it because you are sorry. Even complain that you are worried about getting fined by the city. Just don't point a finger at them.

This may appear to be the wise thing to do, but on the other hand...

If it was the people upstairs, I am tempted to contact the city about their excessive abuse of cannabis and the smell that  permeates our apartment as a result, or the loud, aggressive fighting between them.  If it's the woman next door, I will lodge my own noise complaint about the very loud, lengthy and disturbing noises that keep us awake on nights when her boyfriend visits.

I have some doubts about people like these being amenable to feeling guilty about adressing the city instead of talking directly to Def.

Maybe it's best to wait it out, and in the mean time keep your eyes and ears open in order to find out who filed the complaint.
If you immediately respond to the letter you received from the city, the complainer knows two things:
- he/she has the citys' support in his/her complaint
- you're in the defensive role, trying to avoid trouble, wanting to please the city and/or the neighbour etc

This all may lead to the complainer feeling more secure about being right about complaining and that the complaints may even get the complainer what he wants.

I believe that a complainer that achieves success in complaining will keep on complaining.

Just my 2 cents

[GuacamoleBay]

You have to license your dog? That is the most ridiculous bullsmurf i have ever heard. Sorry for your neighbor issues Grant. Send an email! Maybe take some of these wise folks advice about patience but i would make sure you get your point across as well

If you think that's bad look up Montreal's pitbull ban!

[ThePeacent]

You have to license your dog? That is the most ridiculous bullsmurf i have ever heard. Sorry for your neighbor issues Grant. Send an email! Maybe take some of these wise folks advice about patience but i would make sure you get your point across as well

If you think that's bad look up Montreal's pitbull ban!

here in my city you also have to license it (they can then confirm you're getting them vaccines, not abandoning  them on the street etc,) if you live within the urban limits   

and if you own a potentially dangerous breed (Rottweiler, Pit-Bull...) you have to go through a Psychological test (similar to the ones you have to pass to own a firearm) and have a special carry license. Also they must always carry mouth muzzle whenever in urban, peri-urban or near-city environments

[theonew]

My dog never had a license and it never stopped him from being a dog

I'm in for a thousand on the island

[G-Dizzle]

You have to license your dog? That is the most ridiculous bullsmurf i have ever heard. Sorry for your neighbor issues Grant. Send an email! Maybe take some of these wise folks advice about patience but i would make sure you get your point across as well

If you think that's bad look up Montreal's pitbull ban!

here in my city you also have to license it (they can then confirm you're getting them vaccines, not abandoning  them on the street etc,) if you live within the urban limits   

and if you own a potentially dangerous breed (Rottweiler, Pit-Bull...) you have to go through a Psychological test (similar to the ones you have to pass to own a firearm) and have a special carry license. Also they must always carry mouth muzzle whenever in urban, peri-urban or near-city environments

I will refrain from continuing to state my opinion of these regulations.

[Nix]

It may be hard to tell, but this is actually a dog. My dog.

He was bred to have the world's most annoying and piercing bark. The theory being that, if he is down in a hole chasing foxes or badgers or Jaffa cakes, he can be located underground, down to a distance of  3-4 km. Which is nice in theory, but causes problems in the real world.

We've had complaints from the USGS that his barking has interfered with their seismic detection equipment and caused false earthquake readings. We've established a neighborhood trust fund so that people can replace their windows without feeling the need to sue us....again.

Mrs Nix is still upset with me for taking him to the vet to be put down. I thought it was my civic duty. When the vet entered the exam room, he knew something was up and....yup, barked. So the vet runs from the room with her ears bleeding. We're still disputing the bill. I had warned her to wear ear plugs, and she never completed her professional services, so I feel I'm in the right here.

Strangely, I've found that he can be distracted by using a multitool as a pacifier. One barking problem solved, but buying replacement multitools is expensive. Still, cheaper than vet bills.

[Don Pablo]

You have to license your dog? That is the most ridiculous bullsmurf i have ever heard. Sorry for your neighbor issues Grant. Send an email! Maybe take some of these wise folks advice about patience but i would make sure you get your point across as well

If you think that's bad look up Montreal's pitbull ban!

here in my city you also have to license it (they can then confirm you're getting them vaccines, not abandoning  them on the street etc,) if you live within the urban limits   

and if you own a potentially dangerous breed (Rottweiler, Pit-Bull...) you have to go through a Psychological test (similar to the ones you have to pass to own a firearm) and have a special carry license. Also they must always carry mouth muzzle whenever in urban, peri-urban or near-city environments

I will refrain from continuing to state my opinion of these regulations.

I can see the point of the psychological test but either apply it to ALL prospective dog owners or not at all.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but dogs take after their owners? So a bad^* owner will raise a bad dog. 
Doesn't really matter the breed, Labrador, Collie, Pitbull, if it's a bad^* owner you'll end up with a dangerous dog.

Likewise, a good owner = good dog.

I mean, look at this cutie!

(pic from Google, you should really try googling "cute Pitbull"  )

*Bad meaning... Well know. A meanie. Willing to steal candy from a baby.

[Nix]

*Bad meaning... Well know. A meanie. Willing to steal candy from a baby.

Does that make me a bad person?   

[Don Pablo]

*Bad meaning... Well know. A meanie. Willing to steal candy from a baby.

Does that make me a bad person?   

Yes. Bad nix! 

[Don Pablo]

And another thing...
When it comes to docked dogs(I dislike the practice very much by the way.  ) and bobtail breeds, I tend to be hesitant about them, as it can be harder to gauge their friendliness. This might factor in with the preception of certain breeds being dangerous? 

[Nix]

Well....vis a vis the baby candy.....I just figured I was preventing poor oral hygiene....you know....public health?

And, agreed, I don't like docking a dog's tail. For social reasons, as you suggest, both canine and human.

[Don Pablo]

That's a really cockeyed way of seeing it. 

[ThundahBeagle]

Might I suggest that it's possible no neighbor complained at all?

Someone from the town (city?) , such as policeman or fireman, or town hall employee that lives nearby may see you with dogs all the time and only recently realized where you stay. Checking records for Megan's address, they see they are missing out on their take of dog license money, and sent the letter, blaming a nameless neighbor.

In my experience, town actions move slowly, except when there's money to be had.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I doubt that.  This city is so far up it's own arse (capitol city) that no one would go to that much effort for something menial like a dog license.  They are only $20 anyway, and in a government town you never know who you may be pissing off (or who they are related to etc) if you go looking for trouble.

Self important individuals may try to pick fights but the official policies are to look the other way whenever possible.

Def

[Syncop8r]

Some things councils will only attend to if they receive a complaint, then they have to act.
Like when I received fines for having my unwarranted, unregistered car parked on the street outside my house in a quiet suburb. There was absolutely no reason for a parking warden to be there, except I had a nosey old neighbour who speed-dialled the council every time he saw some sort of infringement.
(I managed to get off with a well-worded letter)
Many months later my flatmate got pinged for having a For Sale notice on the window of his van, which was apparently in breach of some obscure bylaw.

[Aloha]

When I lived in the "hood" people mined their business.  I liked it that way, mostly.  You could do damn near anything and people minded their business.  When the cops showed up people went indoors and spoke thru the door to them if at all.  The bad was people minded their business.  When something happened no one was there to report or act as a witness.  If a car was broke into or a home you could count on people minding their business.  When I moved to a new development we had neighbors who seemed to be on patrol.  Neighbors who seemed to know damn near everything about everyone.  Not a lot went on in that neighborhood.  The bad was people were all up in your business.  If your car was parked for extended periods of time on the street you could be sure a traffic officer would ticket you.  If your lawn wasn't mowed you could be sure a letter was coming from the HOA.  Seemed a lot of anonymous calls were made to powers that be. 

I am not sure where the balance is.  Do we want neighbors who will complain?  Do we want neighbors that mind their business?   

I live in the hood again.  While my street is quiet the outlaying area has issues.  People keep to themselves.  Neighbors do not talk to one another.  When I moved in I saw my neighbor and waved, they kept on with no acknowledgement.

I realize a simple call to you or a letter would have sufficed.  You are a reasonable person and would have done what you could.  I think some people rather not deal with others in that manner so they call authorities.   

           

[raistlin65]

I am not sure where the balance is.  Do we want neighbors who will complain?  Do we want neighbors that mind their business?       

I think we just want neighbors who are good people. That means neighbors who watch out for each other to protect the neighborhood, but also communicate with each other.

[Don Pablo]

I am not sure where the balance is.  Do we want neighbors who will complain?  Do we want neighbors that mind their business?       

I think we just want neighbors who are good people. That means neighbors who watch out for each other to protect the neighborhood, but also communicate with each other.

In this world, that can sound like having your cake and eating it too..

[ducttapetech]

I am not sure how you gents do it. You are tougher than I am living in the cities or towns. I like having zero neighbors. The closest one is about 300 yards from my place and they are my parents.
Next one is about a quarter mile up the road. Nobody complains about dogs, or loud music, or shooting guns, or tell when you have to mow your yard. No stupid rules, no by laws, no parking meters. Nothing. And for the most part, the few who do live out here are good people.
My hat off to you guys.

[Aloha]

I can agree with that.  Certainly works for me.   Lets assume for a second that Boss' dog is barking quite a lot ( in the opinion of the complainant ).  To Boss it doesn't seem like a lot so nothing is ever done on his end.  The neighbor smokes herbs within their home which to them isn't an issue.  To the Boss it isn't a big deal either but he'd rather not have to smell it.  He says nothing yet would like if they didn't smoke.   

Where is the balance? 

It can be a tight rope walk to ask your neighbor to refrain from something they don't feel is wrong or annoying.  Sometimes its easier to make a call or write a letter to the powers that be than confrontation. 

I'd love to live in MTO utopia but the truth is we all have to compromise with our neighbors.  I don't know where the balance is at times honestly.  What I do might feel neighborly yet offend my neighbors and vice versa.   
           

[Aloha]

I am not sure where the balance is.  Do we want neighbors who will complain?  Do we want neighbors that mind their business?       

I think we just want neighbors who are good people. That means neighbors who watch out for each other to protect the neighborhood, but also communicate with each other.

In this world, that can sound like having your cake and eating it too..

Pretty much.  At least where I live. 

[pfrsantos]

smurf I hate people.

Humanity in general continues to disappoint 

 

General Continues!