Bible Discussion Thread

Pt. 3

It bothers us that our neighbor had been planning for some time to take this property without having to pay us anything using a statute that would not qualify him for taking possession of the property. We were being good neighbors to him by giving him permission to use the property. We don't regret doing so, but it is maddening that he would try to take advantage of our kindness and also force us to hire an attorney to defend our legal right to our own property at our expense.

Please pray that this will be settled by him paying us a reasonable price for the strip of land and not go the route of adverse possession. Not only would this satisfy his desire to have the property but also satisfy us to receive legal payment for it. I do think that this solution is the best and will allow us to continue to be amicable neighbors going forth. We desire that, but we do not want to be push overs or bullied into giving in to his demands. My heart is disturbed by this. I want to have a forgiving attitude and not begrudge him. I know that the Holy Spirit will help me in this, but I appreciate your prayers for us and for our neighbor.

So, thanks for hearing me out and especially for your continued prayers until this is settled properly and legally transferred to him with payment to us.

Reply to Gigi

I will be praying for you. Some time back you were having trouble with tree roots ruining your drive way.

Maybe the same neighbor?

Living next door to him for nine years probably has had its moments. Your trust in God brought you to this place. Keep trusting him. He will see you through it all.

I agree with you. Legally is the best

way to resolve this issue.

You showed him kindness by willing to compromise. He is not a kind-hearted person.

An old saying,

"Some people take your kindness for ignorance."

Be blessed.

Dear Mother Mac,

The tree root problem was the other next door neighbor. She finally consented to removing the huge maple tree when branches hit our car and shattered the windshield and made multiple dents in the roof. This was after a similar wind event a few days earlier that sent branches all over our yard. We are glad to see the tree come down as it was a hazard. Now we can redo our driveway and regrade our front yard, removing the roots, and re-seeding with grass.

The property dispute is the man next door. Always seemed like a fair guy, was friendly to us all this time, and so his behavior in this issue seems unlike him. But perhaps it just reveals more about him than maybe he wants us to know.

As for us, we want to be prayerful and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in this matter as in all matters. If he will agree to buy the strip of land from us, then we both can be happy. So that is the best way to solve it at this time. We just wonder how long he has been planning to take possession of this strip for free using the statute that he does not qualify to apply to this situation.

But God is his judge and knows who are His. We are trusting in Him to bring a good end to this.

Thanks for your comments and your prayers are treasured.

I too am so sorry to get this news GiGi with you having to put up with your neighbor's antics over this property matter. You are wise to hire an attorney, who should also have access to your land corporation (or the equivalent you have there), which no doubt will have on file the correct land area measurements for both yours & his properties. And since you are willing to forego that small part of your land, then hopefully the attorneys would simply, via correspondence, come to some amicable arrangement quickly. Will certainly keep you both in prayer for strength & a correct speedy resolution of this matter.

Hello Chris,

Thanks for your prayers and concern.

I do wish for a quick and fair resolution where God is honored above all.

That is unfortunate you have a challenge with your neighbor, dear GiGi. Praying for your neighbors and their salvation will help. If I were in your position, I wouldn't say anything more for now. Just document everything thoroughly and avoid making any statements about selling your land or agreeing to any demands. It's not legal for someone to just take part of your land-especially if you have a deed and have been paying taxes on it for years. If that were possible, you could just put a shed on their land, snap a photo, and claim ownership of their property too, which isn't how the law works.

It's also unlikely that your county would allow property lines to be redrawn without going through a formal and complicated process. So that probably isn't even a realistic option. It might be worth reaching out to a Christian lawyer-some might be fair and honest with their rates, and there are even ones who won't charge unless you win. Blessings to you.

Thanks, T-Rex.

Yes, I am keeping him in prayer for salvation.

If it ends up being a complicated matter, then that may be. We put our trust in the Lord. We have not done anything wrong here. So hoping to be exonerated and having this come to a fair conclusion.

Like you mentioned, we have paid the taxes for this strip all these years. The land is worth a certain amount at the going rate for residential land. We hope to find out soon what this would be. Honestly, we just want to recoup from him our attorney fees, taxes for the last 9 years on that strip, the fee for the second survey, and some payment for the land. I suspect we will sell it for much less than it is worth, but hope to get at least enough to cover the above expenses.

Thanks for your prayers and input.