I live on in an area where all of the original houses had been built as summer vacation homes. The lots are all 1/4 to 1/2 acre lots and the original layouts had been somewhat lax in following plot plans. I know on one neighbor whose property line actually runs thru the neighbors kitchen. Another lot line in the area goes thru another neighbors living room nearly cutting the house in half. My own lot had portions of 3 septic systems on it. i knew it when i bought, but as i had expected, the problem came in very handy years later when the two encroaching neighbors decided to make a fuss about my own business nonconformity. but that is another couple of funny stories that i won't get into here. i did eventually sort out the septic problems and have managed to increase the capacity of my own system.
the front of my property fronts against a corner in the road. Once i obtained my own back hoe and loader, i decided to level my hillside property along the road so i could increase my septic capacity. (I'm sure there are those in attendance here who might even suggest that my propensity for stories might indicate a serious need for septic system expansion [scratch chin]) I first built a high stone retaining wall (about 8 feet high using stones anywhere from hand held size to many weighing as much as 1/2 ton) immediately in front of the house. With that step completed, i levealed of a narrow area between the first wall and the roadway. i built a low, 18" to 24" high along the edge of the corner of the road. As i was placing the last two or three stones, i looked up to see a car stopped beside me.
"Do you know your wall is on right of way property?"
"Not according to my map, it isn't"
"I think you should move the wall off of the right of way."
"Who are you?" I was thinking he was just a nosey neighbor and wanted to give me a hard time. The corner stakes were still at the property corners and the road had what seemed to be the proper curve. i felt i was on firm ground if push came to shove.
"I own the road," the man replied. I knew the road had been put in at same time as the entire area had been developed. I also knew that the road had never met with town specifications to be accepted by the town. i had not know, until then, who really owned the road. We discussed the matter for a little while and i found the road owner to be not too hard to get along with and he assured me he was really ok with my construction. He was not going to try to improve the road, but if he could ever unload responsibility, the town migh force me to move the wall. we ended our conversation ammicably and i finished my project.
Sometime before the above conversation, a friend had located a very heavy granite post that had, at one time, been used as a corner highway marker. he had found it lying in the woods and the two of us had driven into the forest to retrieve the marker. We were both a little lubed up with suds of Bud fame and by the time we had loaded the granite marker onto my truck, my back was in somewhat bad shape and my friend had a big bruise on his leg so he could barely walk the next day. When I got home with the stone, i could not move it without the hlp of my newly acquired skid steer loader. i had an idea where i wanted to put the stone, but wanted to finish my stonewalls first.
After my conversation with the "road owner", I knew exactly where it would reside. I had an old rusty oil drum lying in the brush that i had planned to take to the land fill, but it was just perfect to fill with concrete and to bury the bottom (very rough elongated ball) of my granite post. With the assistance of my trusty skid steer with 4in1 hydraulic bucket, i had little trouble in placing just right and in full view of all who might drive past my property.
The "road owner" was also the owner of a popular restaurant in town; a great eating place that, once i had made acquaintance with the owner, my wife, 2 kids and I made use of many times over the next several years. when i got to know the man a little better and realized he really had a sense of humor, i told him about the stone at the corner of my wall and what was the significance.
We all know the significance of raising a single finger for prominence of view. Need I explain any further? [ban] I needed no extra description for him.
Tinker
PS: A few years later, when I wanted to add on the the front of my house, i had to have a new survey and found out that not only was the lower wall on roadway property, so was some of the high wall as well. Oh well, no body in the neighborhood wants the road widened. they all are aware that widening would very likely lead to an increase in traffic as well as traffic SPEED. There is a guy who lives right on a corner of the road who makes sure everybody in the development understands that. :
