Bad neighbors
We’re having an issue with hostile neighbors who have been against us since we bought our property in 2014. We understand they must’ve been disappointed the previous owner wouldn’t be paying the taxes and maintaining it like a park for their exclusive enjoyment and maybe always thought they could just pretend it was theirs forever, but they could’ve bought it, just like us. It’s not our fault.
We’ve been struggling to get all permits since June 2014. It’s a big work here in Hawaii.
Fifty percent or probably more people on the Big island live with something unpermitted. The only time action is taken, seemingly, is when there is a complaint. We actually went to the Planning Department and let them know about our plans to live in an RV while building our permitted house. We have two properties that we could move to every 30 days. Planning agreed, with no signed statement though, that in order to protect your building materials it might be necessary to be on the property.
We have an agriculture structure with a bathroom and processing facilities for our orchard, so we thought it would be safe to live in our RV and access the facilities in our structure. We’ve seen so many RV’s on building sites and even people living in tents and containers for the duration of their projects. I would never think to harass those folks by reporting them. But our neighbors did. And even being the president of our so-called “community association,” instead of calling a meeting or discussing with us directly, they cowardly made an anonymous complaint.
The whole fiasco cost us thousands, but what is really sad is it ended any possibility to have a good neighborly relationship in the future. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones is the saying but why would anyone with a heart even want to cause such hardship to others unless you are dearly affected by it? She already had told us when we were building the structure that the noise didn’t bother her. So why would you do it to your neighbors who you will have to see for all the time you would live there?
Even in this Trumpian age I thought the spirit of aloha might rule over the hate. Let’s get back to living pono, loving and talking to our neighbors rather than reporting them. I’m really saddened by the whole experience and wondered if any others want to air their experiences or have suggestions for dealing with hostile neighbors like this.
Joan Hildal
Hakalau
