Neighbor issue (acres, house, wild, costs)

[MechAndy]

We are from California and have a second home in Washington.
One of our kids lives here full time.
The wife and I come up every 6-8 weeks.
We have been here a couple months this time to shelter in place.

Our neighbors are from Seattle and this is their second home as well.

So we received a text yesterday from them.
They don’t like me burning firewood in my wood burning stove.
They even said they don’t want us to use our burn pile outside for yard burning.
They said that they would even haul away my yard burn debris for free.

No way will I ever allow that.
I am being as nice as possible so we are still on good terms.

But what the heck?
I’m the guy that moved here from CA.
Shouldn’t I be the one to want to change things ?

We are allowed to use our wood burning stove and do yard burns.
We are each living on several acres.

To be fair they are probably going through hard times with the virus thing and they are clear cutting about 50 acres across the street.
Their house is right next to the road and I’m sure she is just hating that.
Just wait until they do that 50 acre burn .
I’m about 150 yards through dense forrest off the road.

I think I will try to be nice and burn hot fires in the stove and ask them which day would be best for them to do my yard burn.

This situation sucks but I’ll give it a bit before I tell them to stick it you know where.

Have any of you dealt with this before?
Thoughts?

[2mares]

Just one that complained about our ATV getting mud on the chip and tar road, and complaining about gun fire noise (totally safe gun range with a back stop). IMO that is why I live in a rural area (designated farm/ag) out of the city limits where there are no regulations about mud on your tires or target practice.
You sir are kinder than I.

[MechAndy]

Yeah that is why we bought this place as well.

My patience and kindness does have limits and I tend to get rather nasty when I’m being pushed.
If it means me being “nice” for a couple of weeks I think I’d rather do that then turning into a nasty _______.

They gave my kid a welcome basket of goodies when my kid moved in so I’m going to give them the benefit of a doubt with the thought that they are currently under a lot of stress right now.

I am a guy that just doesn’t like to be lead so I don’t think this will end well but I will give it a bit and then treat them accordingly.

[Nonesuch]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

So we received a text yesterday from them.
They don’t like me burning firewood in my wood burning stove.

Ask them if they're willing to cover your heating costs for all the extra fossil fuel you need to heat with because you aren't using the wood stove as much.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

We are from California and have a second home in Washington.
One of our kids lives here full time.
The wife and I come up every 6-8 weeks.
We have been here a couple months this time to shelter in place.

Our neighbors are from Seattle and this is their second home as well.

So we received a text yesterday from them.
They don’t like me burning firewood in my wood burning stove.
They even said they don’t want us to use our burn pile outside for yard burning.
They said that they would even haul away my yard burn debris for free.

No way will I ever allow that.
I am being as nice as possible so we are still on good terms.

But what the heck?
I’m the guy that moved here from CA.
Shouldn’t I be the one to want to change things ?

We are allowed to use our wood burning stove and do yard burns.
We are each living on several acres.

To be fair they are probably going through hard times with the virus thing and they are clear cutting about 50 acres across the street.
Their house is right next to the road and I’m sure she is just hating that.
Just wait until they do that 50 acre burn .
I’m about 150 yards through dense forrest off the road.

I think I will try to be nice and burn hot fires in the stove and ask them which day would be best for them to do my yard burn.

This situation sucks but I’ll give it a bit before I tell them to stick it you know where.

Have any of you dealt with this before?
Thoughts?

Where I live just about everyone has woodstoves or at least woodburning fireplaces. I have never had anyone tell me they don't like me burning wood in an appliance designed for that purpose. To text you something like this isn't very neighborly. I don't care how politely they put it. They don't have the right to tell you what safe or legal things you can or can't do on your own place. They do not own the air. They can (just as politely) pound sand. What they might have grounds for is requesting that you don't burn trash/garbage that creates a lot of stink or smoke on days the wind is going to blow in their direction, or if there's a local burn ban.

What some other landowner is doing doesn't matter. How annoyed they are because of it doesn't matter. Everyone is somewhat stressed due to sheltering in place including you. Doesn't give them any special dispensation. If they have some sort of respiratory sensitivity to smoke they need to deal with that themselves.

I think your ideas to manage your stove well (seasoned wood, hot fires until the flu warms up, damp it correctly...good ideas no matter who suggests it) and check with them before doing a yard burn are good. If you feel you must reply to that text I wouldn't acknowledge anything about the wood stove at all, and simply say you'll check with them before doing a yard burn on legal burn days. They should realize that you got their message but also that you aren't going to bend the knee to the neighborhood bully/Nosy Parker. They fired an experimental shot across your bow. You can reply without sinking either vessel.

[bobspez]

Where we live it's illegal to burn leaves in the yard. That stuff stinks and makes a lot of smoke. If you are burning leaves, weeds, twigs, etc, why not just dump them in the forest?

[EastwardBound]

I would politely explain to him that you will continue to burn wood in your wood fireplace, as it is completely legal and within regulations. I would suggest not burning the yard debris though, anyway, but spread it in the forest as additional mulch and organic material to deteriorate.

[MechAndy]

Yeah I think they will need to be pounding sand soon.
I just don’t think I can help them.

Kinda reminds me of a saying, “give them an inch and they will take a foot” or something like that.

We don’t have lots of leaves here on this property.
It’s all dense tall pine trees and brush.
Pine trees always drop branches in the storms, trees fall and brush grows wildly needs to be cut and burned.

We bought this place from the estate of a 90 year old lady.
She did not keep up the yard work so the is a bit of yard work to do.

We don't even get a a green garden waste garbage can here because we are expected to do yard burns.
This is country living in the PNW and we are allowed to burn.
I have a designated safe burn area on a field that has been used forever
We are several miles away from a town that has 100 residents.

Heck I don’t even feel like burning my wood stove to hot.
That just costs extra wood if you don’t dampen it down after a bit.

I just don’t think I can accommodate their needs.
I also think this is rude to me.
I was just wondering if I am insensitive to their needs.
After some thought I now think they are insensitive to my needs.

Effing entitled rich city people wanting to change things is what I am thinking.

That’s all I got.
Andy.

[Rivertowntalk]

Are they older folks? If one of them has some type of underlying health condition such as asthma, lung, or heart problems, I have heard wood smoke can be a problem. If you are 150 yards a way, that seems like sufficient space, but, if their house is near a draw, maybe the smoke is settling on them. It would probably not stop me from burning either, but I might be more aware of the wind direction when burning, relative to their house.

[kokonutty]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

Yeah I think they will need to be pounding sand soon.
I just don’t think I can help them.

Kinda reminds me of a saying, “give them an inch and they will take a foot” or something like that.

We don’t have lots of leaves here on this property.
It’s all dense tall pine trees and brush.
Pine trees always drop branches in the storms, trees fall and brush grows wildly needs to be cut and burned.

We bought this place from the estate of a 90 year old lady.
She did not keep up the yard work so the is a bit of yard work to do.

We don't even get a a green garden waste garbage can here because we are expected to do yard burns.
This is country living in the PNW and we are allowed to burn.
I have a designated safe burn area on a field that has been used forever
We are several miles away from a town that has 100 residents.

Heck I don’t even feel like burning my wood stove to hot.
That just costs extra wood if you don’t dampen it down after a bit.

I just don’t think I can accommodate their needs.
I also think this is rude to me.
I was just wondering if I am insensitive to their needs.
After some thought I now think they are insensitive to my needs.

Effing entitled rich city people wanting to change things is what I am thinking.

That’s all I got.
Andy.

I can see the request to stop using your stove as an imposition and you have said you'd try to run it to put out as little smoke as possible but I don't understand your insistence on burning stuff in your yard if they say they'll haul it away themselves. Just pile it up where they can get at it and be done with it which would help them with any respiratory problems.