Alley damage and construction companies

[Billy Pilgrim 1984]

We live in Dallas on a corner lot that is pie shaped. Garbage trucks, utility trucks, etc used to cut the corner when making the bend and had eroded a significant amount of the back yard between the back fence and the concrete alley. The trucks left huge wheel ruts that would collect water and cause mosquito problems. We filled the eroded section in with gravel to make a French drain of sorts. We also started putting our trash cans on our back yard between the fence and the alley at the bend, more or less forcing trucks to stay on the paved alley rather than cutting the corner which has worked for a while.

 

Now, neighbors down the street are putting in a pool. Dump truck comes through the alley way this morning and moves our trash cans down the alley and cuts the corner putting a huge wheel rut in the area we filled in with gravel.

My wife goes over to the house where they’re putting the pool in to talk to the foreman. She explains the issues we’ve had and that is why we put the trash cans (which are on our yard, between fence and paved alley) so we’d appreciate if they left our trash cans alone, they are there for a reason, and stop cutting the corner/driving over our yard. The foreman is an asshole- basically tells her that the alley is city property, not ours. They’re going to be bringing trucks through there for the next few weeks, there’s nothing we can do about it. If we’ve got a problem- take it up with city.

 

the plan is to put in big landscaping boulders to block the area in question but can’t get them in for a few days.

is the foreman correct? Is there any recourse to prevent them from driving through the back section of our yard even though it’s not fenced in?

[gsoda3 3281]

this oughtta do https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-5x-Tire-Tyre-Puncture-Triangle-Nail-Spike-Anti-theft-Security-Car-Vehicle/202628285446?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Daa788ea78d5e4add9aa964125f29039c%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D27%26sd%3D253936441737%26itm%3D202628285446&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598 

[Billy Pilgrim 1984]

3 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

this oughtta do https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-5x-Tire-Tyre-Puncture-Triangle-Nail-Spike-Anti-theft-Security-Car-Vehicle/202628285446?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Daa788ea78d5e4add9aa964125f29039c%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D27%26sd%3D253936441737%26itm%3D202628285446&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598 

I thought about it but don’t want to disable the garbage trucks or other utility trucks.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21920]

Do you have a copy of your lot survey? If so it should show exactly what’s yours and any right of ways. If you don’t have one you should be able to get a neighborhood plat at the county tax assessor office. If they’re driving on your property and there is no right of way tell the job foreman, and the other home owner, that you will be suing for damages.

[77horn 216]

How far is it from your fence to the property line?

[Chilly Water 416]

Usually 1-2 feet on either side of an alley is city owned right of way. As far as recourse for damages, you probably don’t have much in the way of options if it is city property. Boulders would be an expensive but probably effective solution.

[Prepuce of Doom 21102]

31 minutes ago, Billy Pilgrim said:

 

the plan is to put in big landscaping boulders to block the area in question but can’t get them in for a few days.

 

Get the boulders delivered asap. Having them installed mid-project will be a nice "fuck you" to both the foreman and your neighbor. 

Hell, write "fuck you, [construction company]" on them with chalk when they're first put in so that the message is unmistakable. 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Prepuce of Doom

[Fuck Tim Beck 3834]

You need a Czech hedgehog. And a machine gun perch on your roof 

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Fuck Tim Beck

[Billy Pilgrim 1984]

24 minutes ago, 77horn said:

How far is it from your fence to the property line?

Survey says 8.7’ from fence to property line. Looks like a couple of feet on either side of paved alley don’t fall within my property line

[woohorn 1131]

It is almost certainly your property subj to a gas/power row, but who cares who owns it-are you going to shoot or take trespassers to small claims court?

Sorry to say, but it will get worse before it gets better. I'd wait until landscappers/fence/etc. are done and deal with pool Co or owners then. Strong chance anything you repair or fortify now will be disturbed again just because of the nature of construction.

Same just happened to me. Mud from ruts and sand/gravel from concrete and landscaping ran down alley and past my house down street curb for months, but at completion of pool SOMEONE repaired the ruts and cleaned up the dirt and debris (workers food wrappers, etc. too). I was eventually going to ask my neighbor to fix, but didn't even have the chance.

You could use the city of Dallas app to report the shit out of every little violation of the 7am7pm noise rule, alley blocking, construction fence problems, etc. if you want to I guess tho.

[Kennythetiger 9450]

30 minutes ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Get the boulders delivered asap. Having them installed mid-project will be a nice "fuck you" to both the foreman and your neighbor. 

Hell, write "fuck you, [construction company]" on them with chalk when they're first put in so that the message is unmistakable. 

Please forgive Prepuce.  He's getting soft in his old age.  He meant to type "spray paint" instead of "chalk".

[Prepuce of Doom 21102]

I assure you - Prepuce is still hard. 

I figured that chalk would get the message across in the immediate future while avoiding unsightly and permanent vulgarity adorning the new landscaping. 

But by all means, spray paint works too! 

[luke duke 6414]

The foreman is an asshole- basically tells her that the alley is city property, not ours.

Ask him to see written permission from the city to drive on their land.

[luke duke 6414]

I’m also pretty sure that one of his subcontractors dropped a 2x4 full of nails on your property by the alley.