On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 12:24:19 -0500, "Michelle C"
wrote:

Three years ago, my neighbors were storing a canoe up against the chain link
fence that separates our backyards. It was an eyesore.

Use of this term always makes me bristle. Clean laundry on a line is
an "eyesore." Car restoration/repair in a driveway is an "eyesore."
Unless the canoe was emiting noxious vapors, it probably didn't
actually hurt your eyes.

It sounds as if you came up with a very satisfactory solution. For
you. Were you initially aware the vine would spread? You say you trim
*your* side every 2-3 weeks. Many people don't care for plants that
require that much maintenance.

Your neighbor very reasonably brought to your attention that *your*
plants were becoming a nuisance. Perhaps they don't regard your
"magnificent backdrop" in the same light as you do. They might even
regard it as an "eyesore." At any rate, it's become troublesome to
them.

I believe you are wrong in thinking they are unreasonable. They very
nicely said they'd be perfectly happy if you'd take care of
maintenance on their side of the fence. They did *not* ask you to
remove the plants entirely. They merely told you you had created a
quite real problem for *them* and suggested a remedy.