And your son isn't replacing the shutter, why? If your son is married and you get along well with your daughter-in-law, I'd be tempted for the two of you to just, git-r-done! It is too bad to be blamed for spoiling the neighbor's chances (although nothing is selling; I live on the water and there are two, three-quarter-of-a-million dollar+ houses up the street that have been on the market for 3+ months now, don't look like they're even getting nibbles and there isn't anything wrong with their looks). Mine's a much more modest price but there are several like it on the market too and nothing's happening).

It's hard being a neighbor. We bought our previous house belonging to the daughter of our neighbors (wonderful older folks) and they told us really nightmare stories of the renters that had been in the house earlier. The lawn needed mowing, had gotten to be really tall, and one rarely saw the renter husband so the owner's/neighbors thought he was sick or something so a bunch of neighbors got together with lawn mowers and went over to mow and he came out on the porch with a beer and cussed them out, ordered him off "his" property.