Homeowners and sellers have several options when trying to force a neighbor to clear the clutter from a messy yard.

Q: We are planning to put our home up for sale, but we’re worried about how our next-door neighbor’s messy yard will harm our ability to find a buyer and get the best price. His front lawn looks like a junkyard, with a couple of old cars up on blocks, rusting power tools scattered around, a bunch of rotting boxes and a year’s worth of dog poop on the dead grass. We asked him to clean it all up before we list our property for sale, but he just laughed at us. What can we do?

A: I can see why you’re concerned about your neighbor’s nasty yard. It will certainly turn off many prospective buyers when they come to tour your property, and it might easily drive down the price that someone would want to pay.

If you’re in a financial position to do so, consider talking with the neighbor one last time and offer to pay half (or even all) of the cost to have the junk removed. It would likely cost you several hundred dollars, but it would enhance your own property’s curb appeal by thousands.

Also call City Hall. Many cities and even some rural areas have ordinances that prohibit the parking of cars on front yards, and a few even ban the parking of inoperable autos on the street or in a driveway.

A local government inspector could order him to remove the crummy cars, and then have the city itself do the towing if the owner refuses to cooperate.

Other local agencies could help, too. The fire department might be concerned that all the junk poses a fire hazard, while the police or sheriff’s office might worry that the rusty power tools constitute a safety risk to a child who might wander into the yard. The health department might order him to pick up the dog feces or even demand that he completely clear the yard if it’s a haven for rats or other vermin.

If your calls to the city won’t help, it certainly would be worthwhile to visit a real estate attorney. Bring along a bunch of photos, showing what a mess your neighbor has created.

The lawyer might then be able to persuade a judge to declare the property a “private nuisance,” which would force the man to clean it up quickly or pay a hefty bill if the city must do it for him.

Q: Is it true that it’s illegal to jump from the top of a house or office building?

A: Yes, nearly every state has a law that says making such a leap is illegal. Most of these laws are designed to discourage suicides, though no “successful” suicide attempt has ever been prosecuted by government officials.

Under the law in New York and a handful of other states, people who jump from a high-rise but survive may face the death penalty. Kind of ironic, huh?