[QUOTE=trubandloki;7867516]
I am another person who is shocked that the OP was allowed to build her riding ring that close to the property line.[/QUOTE]
This! In my neck of the woods, any construction (except fencing) must be at least 10’ back from the property line.
In rural areas without zoning you can build pretty much what you want, where you want. The issue is not “legal requirements” but operational convenience.
That’s the Good News about living in the country. The Bad News is that the same rules that give one person freedom to do what they want give that same freedom to everyone else. This means that folks who want to be good neighbors don’t go out of their way to annoy or infringe upon the rights of others. City folks have a lot of trouble with this when they move to the country. They forget that freedom out here is a two-way street.
Unless the OP has a pretty big change of heart I foresee a serious game of “family feud” in the offing. That is a Very Bad Thing. The potential for problems is huge when one neighbor decides that another neighbor is a wrongdoer (whether they are or not). I know of at least two murders in our county that stemmed directly from such friction. There have been too many cases of assault and vandalism to count.
My advice is to meet and greet the new neighbors is a dis-arming situation (like a casual drinks and snacks or maybe a “dutch treat” dinner invite) and discuss differences. Before dirt gets moved it’s pretty easy to work out modifications to a plan. After dirt starts to move that is a lot tougher. Making demands or pointing out legal requirements is probably not the best opening gambit. There may come a time for this, but when that time comes let your lawyer be the “bad cop.” Horses are usually a pretty good opening so a tour of the barn would be in order along with an equine “meet and greet.”
Put another way, a soft answer turneth away wrath. Ditto for a soft question.
In any event the horses will get used to the noise and hubbub and smell of a garage. Just as the folks in the garage will get used to the smell of horses.
G.
[QUOTE=MSP;7868125]
If they don’t start anything there won’t be anything. The light is kind of starting something in my book. I like it dark. My animals are properly housed and protected and I don’t need their light.[/QUOTE]
O.M.G. They are not starting anything. They are putting a light on THEIR property so THEY can see what is going on their premises.
Just because you take it as a personal afront, it is not. They wanted light. Perhaps if you talk to them like a reasonable human being, they can change the angle or wattage.
We have zoning and they need to get a permit before they build so they will have to follow the zoning restrictions. I don’t need to become friends with them. They need to answer to the County and I need to be happy with property that I have spent all these years building.
I don’t know why all the confusion over my riding arena. My riding arena is not a structure or building. It is in the corner of my pasture and consists of post and rail fence. The surface is built up for good drainage and it is covered in grass. Our zoning restrictions do not require that a fence needs to be back 10’ from the property line. I have 3 acres and when I built we were not zoned but under a covenant that stated that we cannot build within 50’ of the property line on 3 sides, back 100’ in front. So there isn’t a lot of wiggle room when placing my house and barn. Therefore my pasture goes to the property edge with room to walk around the outside.
I also don’t see how any of that has to do with me wanting to shield my view from my neighbors who are too close to my liking.
Yes, perhaps when we ask about the light they will pay the electric company to come back out and mount the light so it points toward the center of their property and not into the woods and my property. And if not then I consider it invasive and inconsiderate. She comes by to check mail and so I am sure she has seen the light and how it is mounted. Maybe they even asked to have it mounted that way! I think the electric company would have asked how they wanted the light mounted!
You are sounding more and more like my neighbor with every post. How dare these people do something with their land that you do not like. Gasp. Do they not realize that since you were there first they must ask you to get your approval before doing anything. The nerve.
Anyway, what where your ring, right at the property line, has to do with the issue is you are the one complaining that them building something legally on their property will make your ring spooky for your horses. If your ring was not right at the property line this would not likely be a problem. If the ring was not so close to the property line they could build and use their building and you could use your ring and it would be no big deal.
[QUOTE=MSP;7868321]
Yes, perhaps when we ask about the light they will pay the electric company to come back out and mount the light so it points toward the center of their property and not into the woods and my property. And if not then I consider it invasive and inconsiderate. She comes by to check mail and so I am sure she has seen the light and how it is mounted. Maybe they even asked to have it mounted that way! I think the electric company would have asked how they wanted the light mounted![/QUOTE]
More assuming.
Does she check her mail at night time? If not she might have no idea how much light the new light fixture throws or where it throws it. In the day all it looks like is a light on a pole.
You are also giving the electric company versus what you want relationship way too much credit. It is more likely they asked for a light and a service and the electric company gave a light and a service. I know I had no say where the electric company put our utility pole or about them cutting down the tree on the property across the street to run the power from over there to the pole they put on our side for us. The electric company just did it.
You sound like the women who hate on the other woman when their husband has an affair instead of getting angry at their own husband. Be mad at the people who sold the land, sure, but these people just bought it and are using it.
Sounds like a bit of sour grapes going on. Understandable since you wanted to buy the land in the first place, but I feel like invoking the Serenity Prayer here.
A dusk till dawn light like that would drive me batty. Dark skies are a valuable resource. A light on for a purpose - if they’re out there working, or for a riding arena - that doesn’t bother me. But all night every night? Yuck!
It may be possible to cowl the light so that it stays directed to their desired lighting area.
Good luck, OP.
[QUOTE=MSP;7868321]
I don’t know why all the confusion over my riding arena. My riding arena is not a structure or building. It is in the corner of my pasture and consists of post and rail fence. The surface is built up for good drainage and it is covered in grass. [/QUOTE]
Is it possible you can relocate your riding area from their property?
[QUOTE=trubandloki;7868346]
You are sounding more and more like my neighbor with every post. How dare these people do something with their land that you do not like. Gasp. Do they not realize that since you were there first they must ask you to get your approval before doing anything. The nerve.
Anyway, what where your ring, right at the property line, has to do with the issue is you are the one complaining that them building something legally on their property will make your ring spooky for your horses. If your ring was not right at the property line this would not likely be a problem. If the ring was not so close to the property line they could build and use their building and you could use your ring and it would be no big deal.
More assuming.
Does she check her mail at night time? If not she might have no idea how much light the new light fixture throws or where it throws it. In the day all it looks like is a light on a pole.
You are also giving the electric company versus what you want relationship way too much credit. It is more likely they asked for a light and a service and the electric company gave a light and a service. I know I had no say where the electric company put our utility pole or about them cutting down the tree on the property across the street to run the power from over there to the pole they put on our side for us. The electric company just did it.
You sound like the women who hate on the other woman when their husband has an affair instead of getting angry at their own husband. Be mad at the people who sold the land, sure, but these people just bought it and are using it.[/QUOTE]
Wow, you really are after me. Maybe your neighbor is OK and it is you that has a problem. Like a chip on your shoulder. Please go back and read my first post. If you have any plant suggestions or screening ideas I would love to hear about it.
I think you are wrong about the light pole. People around here get these light poles for their yards. The electric company is not going to just place it in a random location. Electric to buildings here is underground not in a pole, this is a request for a light. Besides, the Electric company called me to talk about the installation. As a rule they said they like to call when the requested pole is being placed close to a property line. They requested it placed there. I made sure they didn’t run the line up my property and then over to theirs. They only have about 12 ft of street frontage, just enough to enter their property.
[QUOTE=TBROCKS;7868412]
Is it possible you can relocate your riding area from their property?[/QUOTE]
Funny you should mention that… while in the barn last night I had a thought about building a new barn on the other side of our back yard and convert the old barn into a garage for DH’s car collection and mowers. I can fence off any part of my pasture to ride in; I put it in back of the barn to be in the quietest part of my yard. Lol Ironic!
Am I the only one thinking that if my neighbors put a large spot light next to my barn and riding ring that would be on every evening, I would be so happy that I would probably bake them cookies or brownies weekly to thank them for allowing me to ride after work in the winter?? :lol:
Sorry, OP, I don’t have any advice for you other than what’s been given already. But seriously, would this extra light not help you ride when it gets dark early? Is there any silver lining?
As you’ve well discovered, there aren’t always a lot of options on where you can put things on three acres. It’s just not a lot of land.
Frankly, it sounds like you need to go buy 100 acres or so and put your house and barns smack dab in the middle of it. Then you shouldn’t be bothered by your neighbors.
Light is shining on front of barn and into my backyard. Riding ring is behind the barn so just shadows created. It will be next to the purposed work shop. The ring is mostly used for training the rescue horses and for my beginner kids. I ride all over the pasture as well as the ring when I am schooling my horse. But I did invest in a lot of $$ for dirt because our land here is a muddy sponge. If I want to ride at night I have lights I can turn on and then off!
We have a large yard, however, my outdoor arena is about 40 feet away from our garage/house upstairs. Covered wood furnace about 60 feet from arena, near paddocks. When not working nights as a machinist, my DH hauls huge logs, then splits for firewood-done 20 cords so far this year. Plows and sands about town during the winter… He also repairs tractors and equipment for the farm, and regularly runs the skid steer, backhoe, bulldozer, here and there. Sandblasts further down the back in a large shed.
In short, A LOT going on…something everyday. As a result, my horses have always been pretty much bombproof. There is not much that fazes them at all. I can’t say I’m particularly happy about the way parts of the yard looks at some times-and automotive smells aren’t the greatest, either, but ya know, it’s what it is.
I say try to catch flies with honey rather than vinegar…As mentioned, if your hostility comes through to them like it is to the majority of us, they will definitely start going out of their way to annoy you. And be real as*holes, rather than just the nasty rednecks you are assuming they are. I can tell you, as one who straddles major upper income neighbors, and more down to earth “rednecks” and farm folks, I’ll take the latter, once I get to know them. A little neighborliness goes a LONG way.
I would NICELY mention the light is positioned a tad too much toward your property, perhaps it can be redirected somehow? Possibly use a lower wattage, or have a motion sensor light put in-if it is for PM security?
As far as the garage, if they are as “lower one income hobby mechanic(s)” as you’ve mentioned, perhaps the garage will never be completed…could take some time. Relax, see what happens. Plant some low cedars or other trees to PARTIALLY screen the view. Totally obscuring the area will cause MORE riding problems than less, as the horses can’t see what’s going on.
REMAIN CORDIAL. Then you will be kept in the “loop”…“By the way MSP”, my monster truck from h*ll is just about done. Gonna fire her up these next few days. Just lettin’ you know, neighbor"…Wouldn’t a heads up here and there be better than than them reveling in making your life miserable? Because that is where this is headed. Seen it with some friends and their “neighbors”, and it is NOT pretty.
I have owned three horse properties in my life. The first was 20 acres in the middle of no where, the next was 2 acres in a very horse friendly town and my current one is 12 acres in a nice rural setting. When one keeps horses on such small acreage it is impossible to keep a real rural feeling as much as you wish it would be so. You are essentially horse keeping in glorified suburbia.
I understand your unhappiness and frustration. However, you are not in real rural land, instead on small acreage hobby farm land. Just like living in suburbia you are going to have much more contact with your neighbors. No way to expect to feel like you are living on 100acres when only on 3 acres. It was hard when I moved from 20 acres to 2 acres. I made it work, but couldn’t wait to get back out into true country land. Even with 12 acres I hear my neighbors 9 collies barking all night long, hear my other neighbors music playing in his garage-man-cave and my other neighbors fighting and screaming at each other. Part of living where I live and I love my neighborhood! The one with 9 dogs farm sits for me, the ones that fight all the time are actually really fun nice folks, just very vocal:) and the last guy I don’t really know well as he is like a cave man but when some texting teenager drove off the road through my fence he was the first one there to help the kid and fix my fence!
[QUOTE=MSP;7868125]
I am not your neighbor so stop assuming how I feel and attacking me because I want peace on MY property. I can think whatever I like about them… That is the way this neighborhood works. Some of my other neighbors have feuds that have resulted in concreting drainage pipes, altercations involving police and I have one that loves to call animal control on the family across the street. If they don’t start anything there won’t be anything. The light is kind of starting something in my book.[/QUOTE]
This sounds like a threat to me. You’re trying to rationalize how they’re starting the fight (hint: they’re not).
I think you need to take a deep breath, recognize that they can do whatever they want on THEIR land within the constraints of the law, and chill out. You can ask them politely about the light & potential noise hours, but be willing to graciously accept “no” as an answer.
You don’t have a right to enjoy peace & quiet your property. You’d just like to do that on your property ;).
What about a board behind the light? That is what my old BO did behind her arena lights to keep them from shining in the house. But all you can do is ask - NICELY.
But so far OP, you sound so whipped up about this, I do not see it going well - I guess look forward to many long years battling with your neighbor? You certainly do not sound willing to “work things out”.
They probably aren’t even aware that you are having a fit, and foreseeing all kinds of future anguish because they are going to have a shop ON THEIR PROPERTY and a light…
But it sounds like your neighborhood is full of bad, feuding neighbors - must be a delight!
If I purchased a raw piece of property - I don’t think I would consult the neighbor before putting in a light. Should they ask you were YOU would like them to put their buildings etc?
What if neighbors moved in and didn’t put up a light - but instead insisted that you NEVER turn on your arena lights - would you be happy about that?
But I have never had problems with “shadows” or noises when working with horses. And yes, for a number of years those were horses that were pulled from auctions with questionable histories. Those horses were able to be trained in the middle of LOS ANGELES with lights, sounds, airplanes, freeways, motorcycles etc etc - really, it can be done, and you will have better horses for it.
Sorry to be so “nasty” but this is all coming off as rather silly. Did you have any neighbors when you bought your property? Most aren’t thrilled to live next to a place that produces horse sh!t, flies, smells etc. It goes both ways.
Can’t believe no one has posted this link yet. Enjoy. 
http://elitedaily.com/humor/neighbors-legendary-argument-floodlight/
We are in farm rural area in a cluster of estate residential zone. Not the suburbs. Some lots are 6, 9 or 11 acres or more. We don’t lock cars and sometimes the house. We have 42+ acres undeveloped behind us, a state reserve down the road and a large lake at the end of the road. We have a 1200 acre farm up on the hill so we are surrounded by empty.
Just because I am frustrated and my property value may go down and I hate the light doesn’t mean I am going to start a war with them. I will have very little to do with them like everyone else around here.
[QUOTE=Appsolute;7868645]
Sorry to be so “nasty” but this is all coming off as rather silly. Did you have any neighbors when you bought your property? Most aren’t thrilled to live next to a place that produces horse sh!t, flies, smells etc. It goes both ways.[/QUOTE]
Empty field when we built and all others on street built same time as us. I guess if they don’t like manure they probably should not have moved to a street with 3 horse properties and then right next to me.
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