Word Examples for Common Neighbor Letters

How do you say it?

Have you ever had a neighbor with a barking dog? Or a noisy house on your block? And did you wonder how you might best convey this information to those neighbors? Neighborhood Services is offering a few wording examples to help neighbors deal with sticky situations. You can use these examples and fill in your own specifics. Even if you don't want to send a letter, these might give you some ideas on how to approach a neighbor and start a conversation. We have also included a welcome letter to help break the ice as you meet and greet new neighbors!

Wording Examples

Welcome to the Neighborhood
Loud Noise
Barking Dog

EXAMPLE: Welcome to our Neighborhood

Welcome to the neigborhood! We hope you enjoy living here as much as we do. This neighborhood offers many great things including diversity in age and lifestyle. We have young families with small children, older adults that have lived here for more than 20 years, and young adults who are attending school. The neighbors here take pride in their homes and are comfortable looking out for one another and helping when needed. As a neighborhood we have established a few norms that make living here better for everyone. These norms include:

Drive the residential speed limit of 25 mph. We find that most neighbors observe this speed limit but many times it’s our guests that don’t. Please inform your guests that there are small children in the neighborhood.

Practice courtesy when parking. Please take care not to block driveways, obstruct the sidewalk, or park facing the wrong direction. All neighbors appreciate being able to park in front of their home, so please consider this when you are parking and when having guests over.

Maintain the exterior of your house. City code addresses some of these issues by requiring weeds to be no more than six inches tall, not allowing parking on yards, requiring snow to be shoveled within 24 hours of a storm, and by ticketing inoperable vehicles and rubbish. You will notice that many homes in the neighborhood have well-cared for yards. As neighbors, we would ask that you please maintain your yard in a manner that keeps our neighborhood pleasant looking.

Reasonable Noise. Our neighbors have differing needs. Please be respectful to all neighbors by keeping loud noise to a minimum, particularly after 10 p.m. This includes the extreme bass found in many car stereos.

Again, welcome to our neighborhood.

Example: Barking Dog

Dear Dog Owner,

I am a nearby neighbor and I recently noticed your dog barking continuously at certain times of the day. Most often I hear the barking between ____ and ____ and occasionally at night around ____ p.m. I don't know if you are home during these hours or if the dog only barks when you are away. Since I work at home (at night, etc.) the barking is very disturbing and disruptive for me. If you could please work to keep your dog quiet, I would appreciate it greatly. I am afraid if it continues to be disruptive for me I will need to call animal control. (Optional: insert your name and number so they can contact you).

Thank you,

Example: Noise and Parties

Dear Neighbors,

As your neighbors, we must inform you that the recent noise and parties at your house are very disruptful to those around you. While we recognize your right to have parties and to enjoy your property, we also will not tolerate being awakened at late hours, having your guests walk through our yards, or having cups and other trash left in yards and in the street. Also, cars of residents and visitors must be parked legally, going the right direction, and not blocking driveways or sidewalks. Cars are not permitted to be parked on unimproved front yards.

The City of Fort Collins noise ordinance does not use decibel measurements to determine unreasonable noise and is in effect 24 hours a day. Noise that can be heard beyond property lines is probably too loud. Police determine if noise is unreasonable by considering the time of day, numbers of people, type of noise, and other factors. If the noise is determined to be unreasonable, a ticket may be issued and violators can be subject to fines of up to $1,000 for the first offense. Repeated violations can also be prosecuted under the Public Nuisance Ordinance.

Please keep this in mind when you are having friends over. Frequently, it’s not you or the music that is problematic, it is your guests leaving and talking loudly or slamming car doors. We would appreciate it if you could remind your friends this is a family neighborhood where most neighbors go to bed by 10 p.m., and encourage them to be quiet. If you have questions of any of us and would like to further clarify what is disruptful to us, please let us know.