Any Lawyers: Neighbor's roofers shingles and nails all over my backyard and driveway.

[Kinetic]

I woke up this morning with a terrible cough and a slight fever, so I called in sick. I kept hearing this banging sound outside and though "ok the neighbors are doing construction". Finally I get out of bed and look. Pow! Shingles, nails, trash all over MY driveway (thank god my car wasn't parked there) and my backyard flanking their house.

I complained with the owner of the house and the roofing contracter people. They basically had rakes and were raking off shingles and kicking them off the roof.

I told them I'd call the police, so they quickly started cleaning up the driveway, but dared not enter my backyard. I came out and shot a few pictures of what was left.

shouldn't they have a truck? should I call the police?

[Jeffrey Porter]

ya know batguano is never here when you need him.

[Kinetic]

http://i.xkinetic.net/10-06/shingles/backyard_full.jpg

http://i.xkinetic.net/10-06/shingles/on_tree.jpg

http://i.xkinetic.net/10-06/shingles/shingles_backyard.jpg

driveeway they cleaned up really quickly, but a few nails remain:

http://i.xkinetic.net/10-06/shingles/nail_driveway.jpg

[dc]

They are messy people, but they should not be chucking them your way. That's pretty how they did our roof, but the owner made sure there wasn't pice of shingle on the ground when they were done. I'd complain to the owner of the shingling company.

[Kinetic]

i think they're just a private contractor, and they don't have a license =/

[Jeffrey Porter]

get a metal detector for your yard

[dkh0331]

As the ever so wise one Deb suggested, call the owner of the roofing company. Tell him/her that you do have pictures and ask him/her if you should email them to him or to your attorney.

David

[mike4271]

In that case call the building inspectors and enjoy, No Permit could mean a big loss to the homeowner, and a penalty to the contractor. Since the last bad hurricanes, roofing has been really tightened up, they don't mess around any more. Batpoo was last seen following an ambulance, should be back soon. :lol:

[Ebmorri]

See if they pulled a permit, It should be posted. If not ask them to clean up, then contact the county and let them knwo there is no permit. If the roof is done by the time the inspector comes out, they can make them take off the roof again, pull a permit and then redo it. Thats my 2cents and is based on things here in Denver, might be different there

[Kinetic]

thanks for the help =)

I'll forward the pictures to the company or whoever's in charge.

I have a huge magnet that's made for grabbing nails out of the grass, I'll use that.

[dkh0331]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8306789#post8306789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kinetic
thanks for the help =)

I'll forward the pictures to the company or whoever's in charge.

I have a huge magnet that's made for grabbing nails out of the grass, I'll use that.

I wouldn't do didly. Let them clean up the mess.

[english83]

I would make them clean up. Why should you? I would start calling the company and call the city. Thay might know of who would be the best people to call. I wouldn't be nice about it at all. You stayed home to recover, and you weren't able to because of their mess that became your headache.

[batguano]

You don't need a lawyer. I have a guy named Bruno. He'll come over there and put all that garbage in their livingroom.

[Jeffrey Porter]

wow you posted a reply without the word sue.

[Freed]

That was his name as a boy, Sue

[batguano]

Yeah, this is the new me, less litigious, more practical. Freed, that was beerguy that had a girl's name until he was 13.

[Freed]

Your mom and dad didn't listen to Johnny Cash?

[otolith]

The nails on the driveway would probably **** me off...but I guess I wouldn't be that tough on them given that the roof is what, 3 feet from your yard? I guess I would give them the benefit of the doubt that they'll clean everything up by the time they leave...but that's me. :) It doesn't mean I wouldn't make it very clear that I was not overly pleased with what I see. :D

[Agu]

Their biggest mistake was not contacting you before the job started. With homes that close there's no way stuff wasn't going to end up on your property. With advance warning and a promise to clean everything up it would never have been an issue.

Since it's after the fact ask to talk to the foreman, express your concerns, and give them permission to enter your property (at their own risk) to clean up.

Or you could threaten them and clean it up yourself when they say "So sue us". It'll never get to court before you get sick of the mess.


jmo,

[Ritten]

I agree with Agu. However, Kenetic, if you have kids or pets, you pretty much have to clean every square inch yourself, they won't care if they miss a nail or two . . . one nail could be tragic to kids or pets.

[Kinetic]

ritten: exactly! after they finished, I went and got at least 24 more nails in the grass =(

[BigSkyBart]

I agree with Agu above, they should have contacted you, and also should own a few large tarps.
Buying 3 large tarps: $75.99
Spread them on the ground 1.5 man hours
Tear off the roof $500.00
Pick up all the big chunks and
sweep the rest off the tarp 2.0 man hours


Goodwill with the neighbor Priceless!

Roofer needs to operate on a better business plan

[bsaastad]

We had a bunch of roofs done in our neighborhood over the last couple of years, including us and our neighbors on either side. The houses are pretty close and there is really no way to keep some pieces from going over the fence, BUT ...

... we and the neighbors all made it clear to our respective crews that they would clean up any neighboring yard debris, including the magnet nail search, at the end of each workday. The foreman gets tired really fast of starting off each day with a bag of missed nails and a secondary yard search before starting, so things got cleaned up pretty well pretty fast.

Of course, prior good relations with the neighbors helps, but you have no reason not to feel justified in talking directly to the crew and insisting they clean your yard daily.

[Muttling]

I'm with the comment a few posts bag, contact the local building inspector to complain. If he can't address it, he'll know who can.


BTW....You need them to pick it all up and then go over your yard with a rolling magnet to get the nails. Unfortunately, you'll be finding nails for a long time to come and even after the magnet.

Be sure to NOT let your kids or anyone else in the yard when you mow.