Neighbor Harassment

10-24-03 | Cowgirlcutie

[petuniasevan]

Man, the chat forum is dead tonight. Where IS everyone?

Anyway, do you have a noise ordinance in your neighborhood? How about other neighbors? Are they being bothered by the noise and litter?

Do you own a camcorder? If not, get one. Tape the events next time. Make sure to do it from within your own property, and don't make any commentary of your own on tape. This is in case of counter-claims.


I just had an unworthy thought. If this neighbor is having drunken parties at midnight, he will be hungover and irritable in the AM. Fire up that lawnmower or leafblower and run it as close to their window as possible at 10:30 AM or so. Hey, you're just doing yardwork.

Won't solve anything, but you'll feel better.

[cyborg]

What about the police? children are involved, drunkenness and all that...

[petuniasevan]

First things first. She needs to make sure that her side of the story is well-documented.

Second, if this lout has made threats before, he might react badly to a police visit. The harassment might elevate or even turn into revenge actions.

Third, the neighbor lout has been there longer. He might be buddies with some of the local law enforcement. If that's the case, she'll be the one in trouble, unless she can prove otherwise in court.



My parents had a similar experience with the neighbors' teenage son and his loud parties. They complained. After that the neighbors egged our cars, harassed us kids, and threw their Great Danes' droppings over the fence into our yard. When we complained the police questioned OUR behavior...never did they question the neighbors or the kid. Ever. Finally the kid moved out and the harassment dropped off.

[cyborg]

Fortunately I've never had problems with neighbors. When we first moved into where I'm living, our next door neighbor didn't take kindly to my mom. He didn't like foreigners,etc. and used to harass my mom. That was until my father, a 300lb Italian truck driver showed up at his doorstep. Next day, he was being REALLY nice to my mom...lol

Most of the time feuding neighbors can be handed without police, but I'd say sometimes police have to be brought in. I live in New York, and here on the Island the local police are friendly and all that, they go out for the people. I can only assume that the police would be the same way in the 'country'. I'm sure this can be handled without the whole thing ending up on COPS or the evening news.

[cowgirlcutie]

After I wrote this last night, my husband heard some commotion outside and the drunk was putting a child on top of our fence to climb over and retrieve a tennis ball that he (the drunk) had thrown over. My husband and I went out and made sure that the child used the gate to get out. The camcorder idea is good. As far as calling the police....you're right. He's lived in this area FOREVER. It probably wouldn't do us any good, darn it. It's sad when you never bother a person, who seems determined to bother you.

[cowgirlcutie]

We've never had problems with neighbors, ever, until this guy. Our fence seems to irritate him. One reason is that he was under the assumption that his property line was further over than it really was. When the property was resurveyed, he found out that he had less than he had been assuming. We've said nothing to him about his "boombox" in his shed, that he uses serenade us. I think a couple of the other neighbors have complained a couple of times about his loud music at night, but he just turns it back up. The man is just useless.

[aimhigh]

throwing things over the fence so that the children will have to come get them..

A big dog might solve this problem.

[cowgirlcutie]

That's another good idea. We've also thought about one of those cameras you put on your house. We are just SO fed up with this. After working as hard as we do all week, the idiot's antics don't make for a very relaxing weekend.

[pubmom]

If things get worse, don't overlook the calling the police angle. Just because he's lived there forever doesn't mean he has a sparkling reputation, or is well thought of in the community.

[cowgirlcutie]

You're right. He's already had words with a couple of neighbors in the past. Someone earlier said something about using a camcorder, which I think would be a good diary for us to keep to show police, when he's out in his "clubhouse" getting wasted and making lots of "lovely" racket.

[Oorang]

I think a couple of the other neighbors have complained a couple of times about his loud music at night

Talk to these other neighbors and see if they would be willing to sign a letter of complaint to give to the police. Then it's not just you and your husband doing the complaining. Power in numbers.

Good luck. You have my sympathy.

[uvular]

It may be costly, but consider fencing in entire yard, or at least place some big rocks around perimiter where kids are riding on your property.

Motion detecting lights by your doorways (if you do not already have some) can at least give ya some warning if they are getting too close to your home (and if attached to the house, hopefully they can't/won't try and break them).

Being out in the country, I, too, recommend you getting a good sized and well trained dog and the cam-corder is a good idea also.

Good luck, I know how miserable a lousy neighbor can make your life. We finally moved....

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

No big dog. If the kid gets bit you will be in more trouble then you can shake a stick at and you will feel awful.

You will likely win out over the legal trouble but that kind of thing can drag on and if the police are not on your side that makes it worse.

Getting together with your neighbors is a good idea. A united front makes it much easier for all concerned.

And the video camera is a wonderful idea

[cowgirlcutie]

I thought about doing that too. It's sad, but we work so much, that I don't really know any of my neighbors except for the one on the other side and he keeps to himself.

[cowgirlcutie]

How sad that while he abuses our hearing and peace with his loud music and other abuse, we have to now worry about him sending kids into our yard. I think the camcorder idea is a good one. My husband was also thinking about those cameras that you mount on your house.

[cowgirlcutie]

We're planning on planting some big bushes from the front edge of our fence down to the edge of our property by the road. We're also going to be putting up the motion detecting lights. My concern is that he'll just get one of the kids to ride their four-wheeler right through our bushes, if we plant them.

[cowgirlcutie]

I really hope we don't have to move. I really love my house and the other neighbors don't bother anyone. He's the only pain on this street and loves directing his self-hatred at us since he found out his property line wasn't where he thought it was.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I don't believe I'm saying this, but call Child Protective Services. Drunken adults dropping children over 6 foot fences is cause for a visit.

[FUMETTI]

I have a lot of sympathy for you and the hubby as something similar I dealt with rude neighbors. I had an apartment made from an old Victorian house in a neighborhood I thought was very quaint and quiet and neighborly. The apartment-home had lots of charm but thin as hell walls. I just had back to my native city (Rochester NY) from Boston where I got my MA degree. I got a job in an outsourcing firm and worked long hours. I had pretty good neighbors (who shared the other 1/2 of the house until a college frat moved in.) I had the type of landlord whose philosophy was "screw background checks...as long as they can pay the rent." I got not only parties (where the music of choice was bass-thumping wall shaking rap music like the phony wiggers they were) where I could not sleep on the weekend, I had beer cans all over the lawn and I used to pick them up for deposit. These bastards had the audacity to say it were "their" bottles I was taking. They filthied up the walk with toilet paper and openly had arguments with their girlfriends on the porch at 4 in the morning when I had to get to work at 8am. Then, they had a party that was so destructive one weekend (lots of breaking glass, fights on the lawn et. al.) that I called the police. They came and went...thanks a lot. Then for revenge the kids went downstairs and BASHED in my electrical box and all my lights went out. They came knocking on my door in hoards, on top of my car and broke my antennae. One kid said "I am going to kill you...crush your head in bastard!!" in a RAGING voice. I somehow fumbled in the black darkness and called 911 and the police showed up. The sounds of breaking glass and banging on my door were so frightening but the police came finally. They caught three people running like Owens and were almost 1/2 mile away. They asked me to identify these people and to their FACE I said they were the ones who broke the stuff and made threats against my life. They asked if I want to press charges (this was 3:30 in the morning mind you) and I looked in the kids' eyes and said "yes" and signed the papers. They were led away and the party dispersed. I was given in return for release from prison a one year restraining order, and their fraternity was given a one year penalty or something. My landlord said they were OUT FINALLY...but because of a fluke, they were allowed to stay for another few months until their lease ran out. I got out and broke my lease and told him to sue me if he wanted to (he got me out of it and promised a recommendation) and in 2000 I moved to the apartment I still live in...mature tenants, respectful landlords and even an underground indoor garage! (I had on street parking...yechhh!!).

So you can see that I have heaps of sympathy for you. MANY of us had the roommate or neighbor from HELL.

I defy anyone to say otherwise! ;-)

My advice is to ask yourself whether living there is worth it or not, and if the answer is no, get legal advice on how to get out ASAP.