My Brother in Law borrowed my garden hose pump one wet winter because his basement was starting to leak and he couldn't find his and the stores were all sold out. Fast forward two years in the fall and I needed my pump for a project. I asked for it and was told " I really don't want to let it go out right now with the rainy season approaching." He really said that! This is the same guy that borrowed my reloading press for a short time. As the next fall approached I had to call him to get my press back. He said " I've got it all bolted to my bench now, is there any possibility you could just come do your reloading here?" Needless to say, both situations were remedied immediately with very ill grace on his side. That was the point he went on my "No Loan" list! He is now perpetually offended. I have found myself able to live with that!
I essentially have one neighbor. He and his wife are both retired and about twenty years older than my wife and I. We help each other out all the time and treat each other the way neighbors should. We don't always grow the same things in our gardens; so we share things the other doesn't grow. When he had surgery a few winters ago I cleared his snow. When his lawn tractor broke I cut his grass. He is a professional fly- fishing guide who charges big money to take people trout fishing. He takes me and my son for free. He makes his own wine and will often give us bottles to sample. I could go on, but you get the idea. Neither of us like to borrow, but we are always willing to help each other out when the need arises. Good neighbors are worth their weight in gold and should be treated accordingly.
Same thing here! Except there are no woods in town. The neighbor (clueless) put up a dog fence for his little foo foo dogs but when it came to the property line, he jogged over into our yard so they could do their business on our land! 99 said, don't say anything. That worked for a few weeks, then I knocked on the door one day and asked just what the heck where you thinking????? Straighten out the fence and get it off our lawn!! (this is the same guy that will take short cuts across yards so he won't have to drive around the corner to get into the alley)
My BIL is nothing of the above. He is a very successful, intelligent and studied manipulator. I had written a half page rant in reply to your post but have deleted it (Mercifully to all here). We'll just let it go at that!
I loaned my relatively new splitter to my neighbor. Why, because he lent me his years ago, and he gives me a lot of trees, I've got two cords cut to stove length on his land that I'm waiting for fall to haul out of his woods. Oh yeah, he's a mechanic so he can fix anything that might go wrong. It's all good.
My BIL once asked if he could take my Harley for a ride, I replied can I take your wife for a ride??? that ruffled some feathers. My wife was not happy being thats her sister but she did laugh it off. Everything he touches breaks BIL can break an anvil.
I'd lose my chit over either of those responses and probably drive.overbthere and kick the door open, whether they were home or not and go take my stuff back. Thankfully, no family nearby for me to loan to.
As far as loaning out tools, as my Dad taught me when you loan out a tool or money make sure you kiss it goodbye because you are probably never going to see it again.
friend of my (now ex) wife...….I got a new landscaping rake....all aluminum hand rake, forged aluminum head....hadn't ever used it (cost me a bit over $100). My wife offers it up for them to borrow. A couple weeks later, I get it back, missing several teeth, and bent. Being forged, teeth aren't replaceable. What did he do? Pulled it behind his 4 wheeler to use it. Never said a word. I wont lend them a screwdriver....."Sorry, man, don't own one".... The folks I lend to now are trustworthy, but we still have an unwritten rule.....you borrow it and break it, you REPLACE it with the same brand of equal or greater value.
At the moment my splitter is sitting next door at my neighbors. I've also brought him some of the best wood from this area, cut 16 to 18 inches. The reason I've done this is because he and his family are some of the best people I've met. I wouldn't trade them for any other neighbors because I don't think I could do better. They've brought over homemade soup that they jarred for us and cookies on x-mas morning to name just a couple of things. When you get neighbors like that you treat them accordingly.
There's an old sayin.....people like that outta be knocked down n kicked for fallin....my mothers old proverb...
My ex-tree fairy wanted to borrow my pressure washer. Took a year to get it back and had to replace the carb. Turned out he used it at a pawn shop for something or other. Offered to just go pay the pawn shop to get it back, but he did get it back to me. The really sad thing is, "I can't seem to learn my lesson."
Very sad story, he was a very nice guy and I got some good scores from him, but in the end I would waste all day for a few sticks or do have half the work/most the ground crew work. He got hurt and hooked on pain killers. Tried to help but how do you help someone who doesn't want to help themselves. Anyway, still happy to try to help others who are willing to help themselves.
