Externalities and the Coase Theorem: My neighbor never cuts his grass or cleans up his yard. Doing the work necessary to make the yard look nice would cause $400 of disutility for him. On the other hand, having to look at his messy yard causes me $600 in disutility. a. Suppose I have the right to require him to clean up his yard, though he can continue to have a messy yard if he pays me enough to get me to accept it. Will he pay me, or will he clean up his yard? Explain.
b. Suppose instead that he has the right to keep his yard as he wishes, but I can pay him to clean it up if I wish. Will I pay him enough to get him to clean up his yard? Explain.
c. Based on your answers to (a) and (b), does the final result (whether or not the yard gets cleaned up) depend on the definition of property rights (whether he has the right to a messy yard, or whether I have the right to require him to clean it up)? Explain. Does the definition of property rights affect the overall well-being of the two parties involved? (Am I better off in one case or the other? Is my neighbor better off in one case or the other?) Explain.