I'll try to make this as brief as possible. Last summer I planted a container garden behind my apartment. This summer I planted another one, same apartment, but increased the container garden's size. The grass behind my spot is dead, so I thought it'd be no big deal, if anything I am covering up dirt with living plants. Today, I was talking with the maintenance guy about the plants (he gardens too) when he mentioned that the property manager had mentioned to him that he thought my garden was "excessive." The maintenance guy thought it was horsecrap, mentioning that they wanted people to plant behind their apartments so why essentially punish me for being successful (my 5 tomato plants are all 6 feet plus). By coincidence, I run into the property manager today who asks me whose plants those are, so I tell him they are mine. He stumbles and says something about how they want people to plant but mine is excessive and too tall, and he wants me to cut the number of containers down to 5. It should be pointed out here, that while the plants weren't as tall as they are now, this garden has been in place since the beginning of April. If I were to cut it down to 5 containers, I'd be out at least $300 in cash spent on plants, ferts, soil, stakes and other miscellaneous stuff. Not to mention the value of the crop yield I would instead be buying at the store, which is compounded by the fact that the initial investment was made on anticipation of the return.
So I drove around today and saw other peoples backyards. While none were as tall or as big as mine, there were plenty that were just tilled right into the ground and made raised beds, and others that had much more than cluttered the space behind their apartments. Of course the lease has the typical lessor language that the tenants can't make permanent use of the grounds in the apartments without their permission, yet for this particular property I am renting the bottom unit and paying more so that I can have some sort of backyard space. I highly doubt anyone has actually called the office to ask if they can leave their grill out back or such, when I was signing the papers three years ago they told me I could use the backyard space and keep a grill out there and put tables and chairs, etc.
Not really sure what I am going to do. I am hoping to call the main office behind that property manager's back and get some sort of permission to finish out the season, and hopefully I'll be out of there and in a house by next Spring.
If anyone has any experience with this or any advice I'd appreciate it. I'm a law school grad but won't be taking the bar until February, so not a whole lot I can do in terms of self representing right now.
So I drove around today and saw other peoples backyards. While none were as tall or as big as mine, there were plenty that were just tilled right into the ground and made raised beds, and others that had much more than cluttered the space behind their apartments. Of course the lease has the typical lessor language that the tenants can't make permanent use of the grounds in the apartments without their permission, yet for this particular property I am renting the bottom unit and paying more so that I can have some sort of backyard space. I highly doubt anyone has actually called the office to ask if they can leave their grill out back or such, when I was signing the papers three years ago they told me I could use the backyard space and keep a grill out there and put tables and chairs, etc.
Not really sure what I am going to do. I am hoping to call the main office behind that property manager's back and get some sort of permission to finish out the season, and hopefully I'll be out of there and in a house by next Spring.
If anyone has any experience with this or any advice I'd appreciate it. I'm a law school grad but won't be taking the bar until February, so not a whole lot I can do in terms of self representing right now.
j/k
