DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I bought the house I grew up in from my parents right before they moved to a retirement community in Georgia.
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The house is in a neighborhood built in the late 1970s, early 1980s and a handful of the original owners are still kicking. It has become a hot upcoming neighborhood and the younger people, like around my age, are always working on their front lawns and making their homes really eye-catching.
The man who lives next to me is one of those original owners. He is in his late 70s and amazingly spry. The thing is, though, he isn’t into keeping the front of his house looking like a magazine. OK, he only cuts the grass once every three or more weeks and he has been threatened with citations.
I really like Mr. H. He is a great guy and a kind of neighborhood grandpa. Because everyone on the block knows I have known Mr. H. for forever they think I should talk to him about being less lazy about taking care of his front lawn.
I don’t want to offend him, but I kind of agree his spikey overgrown lawn isn’t a good look.
How do I go about talking to him about this problem without making it a bigger deal than it is? --- HE’S A GREAT GUY
DEAR HE’S A GREAT GUY: Although it puts you in a bit of a sticky situation, I agree with the suggestion that Mr. H. stay more on top of his lawncare might go down better coming from you, rather than those with whom he’s not as familiar.
Even the spryest gentleman in his late-70s can find it increasingly challenging to take care of his property. If his apparent neglect isn’t something he’s long been known for, it’s possible Mr. H. now needs help with the outdoor chores.
For that reason it could be a good idea to have some viable suggestions to constructively address this potential problem before you approach him.
One tack to consider is pointing him toward free or reduced-fee lawn mowing services for seniors in your area. Although not all communities have them, a good number of them do.
Another avenue to investigate is if there are any teens in the neighborhood willing to make a few bucks keeping the lawn at Mr. H.’s house appropriately trim. So long as Mr. H. provides the mower and fuel, then all he needs is someone willing to do the work for a fair price.