And to add to the continuing saga "Why We Wanted the Hell Out of *********"city name deleted as it will not serve any purpose anyway.

The previous issue about the landscaping in the right-of -way had am interesting twist to it also.

In the right of way, approximately two feet from the edge of the road [[gravel) there stood a Box Elder tree, described by the city forester as a junk tree. It died, and there is an ordnance that before any tree is removed, a permit must be issued by the city. So being a good citizen, and also because the dead standing tree is on city property [[which we as the property owner have to maintain) they were notified.

The forester comes out, agrees that the tree is dead, and it can and should be removed. Then I ask him when the city will remove the tree, he informs me that we are responsible for removal and disposal of the tree and the stump. Oh yes, and when we fell the tree it CANNOT block the street.

Well, a couple of neighbors and I cut it down and dropped it right in the street. Better than trying to top it in the poor condition it was in, injuring someone if a limb broke or taking a chance on it falling on my house. We all made up the story if the cops came by, "It got away from us".

And the water runoff problem, well the city offered to fix their screw ups in road maintenance by putting in retention basins, storm sewers and other improvements at a slight cost to the homeowners of only 8 to 10k [[estimated) in 1996 dollars. THAT, my friends went over like a cat turd in the punch bowl! They finally fixed the street the year after we moved out, probably a "glad to get rid of him" [[meaning me) gift to the neighborhood.

I can't blame anyone for just saying "screw it, let's move", for whatever reason you have, it's your reason.