How would you handle
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2003
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How would you handle
Here it is.Kinda long.I have been snowplowing my 2 neighbor's driveways for the last two years one has his home for sale &doing it just for people to drive up and look at it and for the open house (he lives in az) The other guy is not elderly has grown kid's and just a snow blower both drives are gravel and kinda long not asking for anything jusy being a good neighbor.But now it's getting to kind of a pain and extra wear&tear on my truck, cost of gas etc..I guess being honset and telling them i dont want to do it any more.How would you guy's handle it.Dont want to be acrappy neighbor charing them $$$$ could open up a whole new can of worm's!and i'll bet if my truck breaks down they wont help!thanks for the help.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: N. Mississippi
How would confronting the neighbors, the one in AZ especially, make you a crappy neighbor? I bet that if you did confront them and they got mad and told you to never mind doing it, the one in AZ would have to "hire" it done and the other would have to get off his rear, make his kids do it or hire it done.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Calgary, Canada
Well, if the subject has never come up before in any discussion whatsoever, I would bring it up by way of a question... Been doin your driveway for X years,... blah blah, do you actually want me to do it or have you got it covered...
"Oh, you can continue doing it."
"Oh, I'd kinda like to be compensated for my time and wear and tear on my truck and equipment..."
"Oh, you can continue doing it."
"Oh, I'd kinda like to be compensated for my time and wear and tear on my truck and equipment..."
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Alamogordo, New Mexico
It's probably time you let them know you can't plow their driveways anymore. It's really nice to be able to help your neighbors out every once in a while but it gets to a point where you start being taken advantage of. The one who is selling his place can probably afford to pay you or someone else to plow the snow. You are helping to sell his home by clearing the drive for open house day. Put that responsibility back on him and his agent.
If the other neighbor has kids old enough to be over there helping their father, then they really should be the ones doing the work.
If it's going to create problems if you ask for a few beans to help with the cost, then you need to let them know you can't plow anymore. Or at least put them way down on the priority list. Way down. Way way way down. And let them know you will get it when and if you can and maybe you can wean them off that way.
Hope it all works out without creating too much of a fuss.
Rich
If the other neighbor has kids old enough to be over there helping their father, then they really should be the ones doing the work.
If it's going to create problems if you ask for a few beans to help with the cost, then you need to let them know you can't plow anymore. Or at least put them way down on the priority list. Way down. Way way way down. And let them know you will get it when and if you can and maybe you can wean them off that way.
Hope it all works out without creating too much of a fuss.
Rich
Posting Guru
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From: Princeton, MN
I would probably finish out this year and then during the summer when you run into them just casually mention that you had some trouble with your plow and truck from too much wear and tear. You could throw it into a conversation about the weather and how much snow you had etc. Then when you don't show up again next year they won't be surprised.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2007
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I would just stop. If they ask why, you can tell them you just don't have the time or money to over the fuel. You should not feel obligated to clear some one's driveay that gives nothing to you in return. You know, scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, thing 
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Kempton, PA!
I'm sure if you explain the situation to them, if they are reasonable, they will understand. I bet if you are willing to plow for a fee, they would probably pay. Everybody knows how much fuel is, and if you arent being paid, you arent required to continue. Although if you plan on stopping altogeather, let them know. I know I would be sort of annoyed if it snowed and then got a call saying you wont do it.
Garrett
Garrett
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From: MA
I wouldn't just stop in the middle of winter.. That would cause some resentment towards you for leaving them hanging..
I go along with Buckarcher on this one..
I used to plow my elderly neighbors driveways and charged just $20.00..
Over the summer they put in fencing along the drive which made it difficult to plow.. Also they are the ones that contacted the town for my sons trucks in the yard..
So he asked me during the summer if I was going to plow and I said NO..
Haven't done it since after 3 years..
Don't be afraid to ask for money for next year if you want to continue.. Just let them know that money is tight and the cost of fuel is killing you..
You can still be a good neighbor and not charge full price...
I go along with Buckarcher on this one..
I used to plow my elderly neighbors driveways and charged just $20.00..
Over the summer they put in fencing along the drive which made it difficult to plow.. Also they are the ones that contacted the town for my sons trucks in the yard..
So he asked me during the summer if I was going to plow and I said NO..
Haven't done it since after 3 years..
Don't be afraid to ask for money for next year if you want to continue.. Just let them know that money is tight and the cost of fuel is killing you..
You can still be a good neighbor and not charge full price...
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 748
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From: Indiana
When I live in WI our neighbor had plowed our drive for two years. On the 3rd year mom tried to pay him. He refused, and when she gave them bannana bread to thank him, he droped the basket back off with a note saying thanks, and never plowed our drive again.
The person doing the plowing is the only one that should have a problem with it.
Most people are more than willing to pay for their drive to be plowed!
Expecially if the person is dependable, and wont stand you up, leaving you to get stuck in your own drive.
The person doing the plowing is the only one that should have a problem with it.
Most people are more than willing to pay for their drive to be plowed!
Expecially if the person is dependable, and wont stand you up, leaving you to get stuck in your own drive.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,476
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From: Frequently frozen MN
I'd call them now and say that it's costing too much and you're too busy.
If they're decent people, they'll be sad, but they won't resent it. If they're jerks, well they're jerks.
I didn't check where you are, but here in Minnesota snowplow guys regularly quit the business altogether. It's always the same thing -- too hard on the equipment. If you've been doing it for free, they should be glad for all of your help, and move on.
My neighbor has a larger ATV, and he often does part of my drive -- the one to 4 inch stuff. I occasionally give him a thank you gift, but that's all. He doesn't want to be paid, and he's made it perfectly clear not to count on him. Works for both of us, and if he just stopped completely, I'd still appreciate all that he's done.
ford2go
If they're decent people, they'll be sad, but they won't resent it. If they're jerks, well they're jerks.
I didn't check where you are, but here in Minnesota snowplow guys regularly quit the business altogether. It's always the same thing -- too hard on the equipment. If you've been doing it for free, they should be glad for all of your help, and move on.
My neighbor has a larger ATV, and he often does part of my drive -- the one to 4 inch stuff. I occasionally give him a thank you gift, but that's all. He doesn't want to be paid, and he's made it perfectly clear not to count on him. Works for both of us, and if he just stopped completely, I'd still appreciate all that he's done.
ford2go
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i don't know what is the deal with people being afraid of being confrontational now days, computers to blame?
you are not a bad neighbor by telling them you can't do something you have no obligation to do. just tell them straight up like you basically said here, if they get an attitude over it then they are not good neighbors anyway.
if you still want to do it but need money for it, then tell them why, an explanation for thigns goes a long ways and someone would have to be a total dope not to understand why you would need some cash for plowing the driveway, obviously not for profit but for wear and tear along with fuel would be the reason.
you are not a bad neighbor by telling them you can't do something you have no obligation to do. just tell them straight up like you basically said here, if they get an attitude over it then they are not good neighbors anyway.
if you still want to do it but need money for it, then tell them why, an explanation for thigns goes a long ways and someone would have to be a total dope not to understand why you would need some cash for plowing the driveway, obviously not for profit but for wear and tear along with fuel would be the reason.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
just curious - how'd this get started. Did you one day just start doing this from the goodness of your heart (commendable) or because you felt for the older guy while he was living there and didn't want him to do the shoveling himself and started doing for the other neighbor since you were doing it for the first?
I'm kind of thinking if you were clearing for the older neighbor WHILE HE WAS LIVING THERE AS A NEIGHBOR, that was nice, but if he's moved away and selling his house, you've kind of done your part. And if the other guy and his now-grown sons are standing there watching you freeze your bits off cleaning their drive all the time, its probabling time to mention you are seeing a lot of maintenance on the blower, and need to scale back a bit so you can make 'er last a few more years.
What I'm getting at, was there some quid pro quo originally - you were doing stuff for them and they for you and it kinda tapered off on their end? Or have they been pure freeloading off you all these years. If so, it's probably time to make a change somehow.
G' Luck,
Ya sound like a pretty good guy to live beside
Bill
I'm kind of thinking if you were clearing for the older neighbor WHILE HE WAS LIVING THERE AS A NEIGHBOR, that was nice, but if he's moved away and selling his house, you've kind of done your part. And if the other guy and his now-grown sons are standing there watching you freeze your bits off cleaning their drive all the time, its probabling time to mention you are seeing a lot of maintenance on the blower, and need to scale back a bit so you can make 'er last a few more years.
What I'm getting at, was there some quid pro quo originally - you were doing stuff for them and they for you and it kinda tapered off on their end? Or have they been pure freeloading off you all these years. If so, it's probably time to make a change somehow.
G' Luck,
Ya sound like a pretty good guy to live beside
Bill