I don't have any experience dealing with a dilapidated house in my neighborhood. At least,
nothing like this. So it's difficult for me to know just how realistic
these Clinton residents are when they rant against the City's impotency or unwillingness to actually do anything about trouble houses. Are their expectations fair and reasonable?
We all wish our neighbors would take good care of their property, but most of us don't want our neighbors getting too nosy about what we do with our homes. Many "newer" neighborhoods have agreements of varying strictness regulating what can and cannot be done to a property. That's a reasonable, private way of handling the matter, although it can in some cases have the unpleasant side effect of stripping character and color from an entire neighborhood. Beyond those agreements, to what degree am I responsible for the effect of my property's state on your property's value? Do I have any obligations to my neighbors, beyond reasonable health and safety measures?
There are a lot of interesting questions here. How we discuss and answer these questions will say a lot about Lincoln as a community. What will you argue for and against as this conversation develops?