Off to find a lawyer......

So I've had enough....4 years and its all I can take. Bought my house 4 years ago the day before sheriff sale...the judge forced the guy to sell because he was forcing it to foerclosure in a nasty divorce mess....well he still lives next door because he was screwing the lady that lives there....hence the divorce from the previous wife. So I buy this dump...no siding, windows smashed out, garage falling down...a real fixer upper. So dad and I take the better part of a year and make me a nice home. Well about 3 months after I bought it, this guys new hunny had her kid out back who was like 12ish....him and his buddy were banging baseballs off my garage so I told them to stop....well her and this guy come out and threaten physical violence, and verbally harass me. Its been downhill ever since. They put water in my fuel oil tank which screwed the finish on my new oak floors(called cops, couldnt prove it) and screwed up my boiler. They have harassed me over the years, had me arrested once and trump charges that I got thrown out....made them and the state trooper look dumb in front of a judge....well last night the wife and I got home and I parked my 2500HD in the driveway which borders their house(homes are close together on this street) and even though it had rained they mowed their 12 inch deep yard that day. I jumped in the Dually to make a parts run for the mower and left the GMC parked and the wife at the house. When I came home I noticed the neighbor had made two passes blowing grass out which covered...and I do mean covered my driveway, the side of my GMC which just got painted on that side from a guy hitting me a month or so ago, and my white sided garage.....I had to wash my garage, and my truck last night before I could leave.....I've had several other problems with them as well(dogs barking constantly, dogs in my yard, their dogs running and crapping in the cemetery across the street, not cleaning up their yard and the bugs being so bad I couldnt sit on my porch in the summer, trespassing, and the balless wonder of a boro manager we have wont do a thing, the boro council head sent a letter telling both of us to stop going to the boro or it would go to the District Magistrate(if I farted crossways she'd complain to the boro).....so folks I'm at wits end....I've had enough, and I'm seeking legal council. Anyone have any other advice? I own my home, they rent and their landlord wont do crap either.....this is ridiculous...... Sorry for the long rant.....

Install a fence down that side of the property.  A tall privacy fence if the local code will allow.

Sounds ike you need to invest in fairly good quality security cameras, if you intend to stay there.  Put one or two on the other side, and three or four on their side, make sure you can't see in any of their windows, and record ALL the time.  Start calling the cops only when you have hard evidence of a serious crime, lawn clippings on your truck and house, no matter how bad are not a crime, but water in the oil tank is.  The cameras will either stop the crap, or give you the evidence you need to bring charges and actually win.  When you have altercations do it in plain view of the cameras, then if he hits you, and you don't hit him.....don't try to set him up either, let him hang himself!!!

Benny,

Stan IL&TN wrote: Good fences make good neighbors.

Gees what a foggy memory I have.  Wasn't it John Steinbeck tht figured that out?

Now you know why the place was a dump when you bought it. Move ASAP. Nothing a lawyer could do will solve any of your problems and could actually make them worse.

I think I'd go the fence route Benny, that is if the Boro lets you. Selling the place might not work because with all the houses on the market people won't give you a second look when they see the dump next door. Security cameras might be a good idea though. I'm sure Shameless could probably give you a few "creative" ideas too. Good luck.

Dave H wrote: Stan IL&TN wrote: Good fences make good neighbors. Gees what a foggy memory I have.  Wasn't it John Steinbeck tht figured that out?

I think Robert Frost.

Benny - I had my share of neighbor problems both next door in a rental house and down the street both ways - all three the proverbial "white trash".  Had not all 3 of these sets of people moved on their own we had very seriously considered at moving ourselves.  It is extremely stressful to you and your family.   You are constantly pi$$ed off - you go to bed mad, you wake up mad and all you can think about is dropping a ton (or twenty) of bricks on these low-life's. 

I agree with the comments about not hiring a lawyer to go after these people directly with a lawsuit.  Talking to one might be useful for some advice though.  The only place I can see where legal pressure might work is on the landlord.  Yes you've "talked" to him but if you feel compelled to lean on anyone I'd start there.  He's the one with the relative "deep pockets" and is likely to have liability insurance to cover damages by his tenants.   If you found out who his insurance company is and have a lawyer send them a letter they for sure would apply a BUNCH of pressure on him if they think they'd have to pony up to defend a lawsuit and pay damages.  What I will tell you though is if you actually follow through with filing suit you'll risk a bogus counter-suit and as many have said, the situation will get much worse at that point.

Don't you have other neighbors - esp. on the other side of these people?  If others are unhappy with these people the situation changes dramatically if it's them against many instead of one-on-one.  Mike


Edited by Skyhighballoon(MO) - 20 May 2011 at 9:10am

Benny, I would sell and move. You don't want your new bride to have to live in that situation, it puts added stress on everything.
I was in a similar situation with a new wife several years ago, and eventually sold and moved. Best thing I could do as the h0le neighbor was not going to move; he bragged about how he had forced the previous owners to move, also.  If I hadn't moved, he would have died from "lead poisoning", and then I would have been up the creek!!

I agree with the others...go find a real estate agent instead of a lawyer.

I agree with Glenn, move and rent the place out to people worse than them....

John has the answer. Buy his rental from the owner and evict the SOB. Then you can pick your neighbors.

Lots of good suggestions.  What I would do... is put up the fence, then put LOTS of work into your new place... make it look really good, and get the assessment value really high... then sell the house for something 'reasonable'.

What'll happen... is YOUR house's assessed value will go up substantially, as will the PITA neighbor.  They'll end up getting taxed right out of their home.  ;-}

Don't become a plaintiff in a long-drawn suit, particularly a risky one.  Better to be a defendant, particularly in a suit where your defense is pretty ironclad.  Looser pays for the bulk of litigation costs!

Finally, don't ever get mad at someone who's doing you wrong, just file the complaints.  If he threatens you, file the complaint, let the police deal with it.  If the local authorities cast you off, THEN you call in the lawyer.  Always leave your adversary just enough rope to hang themselves, and finally... go looking for a nice place out in the country... someplace quiet, fairly secluded, where you and your wife can be who you are, without having to listen to the racket of the rat-race.

Don't think for a minute that you're backing down or giving up... you bought a fixer-upper, and you did it, proved that it was done.  Value raised, and sell it for the best you can get... consider it a stepping stone... make your next step, one that has septic and well, a 'livable' place that you can put sweat-equity in, or mebbie live in long enough to break ground and build a modern place... mebbie a couple'a run-down outbuildings and at least one fairly good one...

Never met an honast lawer. Waste of money.  Cameras OK But probably wont' get you any where. Kill them with kindness. They feed on haveing conflict.