Problem with the neighbor

[HighVelocity]

Maybe your neighbor has Tourette Syndrome.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_tourette.htm

Maybe he needs a visit from a state sponsored mental health professional (aka guys in white jackets)

 

[R.H. Lee]

1) Some people are just irrational, and there's nothing you can do about it.
2) You do not want an ongoing war on or near your turf.

My suggestion is to wait him out; sooner or later he will be involved in some 'event'; a road rage incident, a bar fight, something that will take him out or seriously debilitate him. In the meantime be courteous, but firm. If you have to pick up trash from your yard from time to time, just do it. Don't back down from him, but remember you're in control of your own reactions and don't do anything to escalate it.

My .02

 

[crucible]

I don't think you did anything wrong, nor do I believe that being prepared for anything is wrong here either. And anything means the guy could turn into a violent lunatic at anytime, never mind the naysayers here who seemingly think you're the bad guy somehow.

Don't escalate, but don't back down either. Don't change your life because of this guy; do document him and his behavior if he get's beyond the PIA stage and contact the authorites accordingly. Trust your instincts-you and your family's safety depend on them.

Chris

 

[joab]

it would take quite a few trees (and a good number of years) to block him off completely.

Try a Viburnum hedge. I don't know if it is Indiana compatable but down here it will grow 3 ot 4 feet a year and I have seen them close to 20 feet tall plant them on 4 foot centers and they form an almost impenetrable wall

 

[hso]

If his pumping water onto the road happens to run into your yard and creates a problem then you may want to ditch that edge so that the water is carried down the road away from your yard. You could request the county do this and cite the water in your yard from runoff out of the road.

I do think that you should consult with your attorney concerning the possible fire hazard of the bottle rockets.

If not for the yelling and cussing the other issues would probably not by so agrivating. This sort of agressive behavior may not be something that you can change so how do you "solve" the problem?

Keep in mind that you and this guy will be living across from each other for years and you want to solve problems with the minimum level of conflict. If you can block him off from the view of your house with just enough foliage to put him out of sight that could reduce contact and opportunity for bad behavior. If you need to build a case for legal action you need to have an official record of his behavior so calling the police is a good first step. I don't see that carrying the revolver just because of his yelling is any more or less appropriate than it all of the time.

 

[GregGry]

maybe I spelled it wrong, but it's a fence you put up just to "spite" your neighbor. It's usually big, high, and not overly attractive.

Haha I know about thoes all to well. I put up a fence for a old woman this summer, it was high, ugly as heck, and served no real purprose. I know she did it to show spite at the neighbors, but what she requested me to do after it was built, made me laugh. She asked me if I could cut half a panel out of the fence, where a tree used to be. I looked at her and said a smart remark, thinking she was joking, but she wasn't . So I just took my saw, chopped half a panel out, and called it a day. The half panel I cut out was where a tree was, that the neighbors chopped down. The woman said the tree was hers, but the property line showed it was her nieghbors. Well the neighbors chopped it down, the woman was bitter, and the entire fence was put up (1,400 might I add) just to show spite. The neighbors have no dogs, no kids, no nothing. I drive by the fence atleast once a week, and I still can't stop laughing as I see a 50+ foot fence with a 3 foot gap in the middle of it .

 

[Nick1911]

Try a Viburnum hedge. I don't know if it is Indiana compatable but down here it will grow 3 ot 4 feet a year and I have seen them close to 20 feet tall plant them on 4 foot centers and they form an almost impenetrable wall

+1 These things grow like mad. Also known as a cranberry bush of some type or another.

 

[secamp32]

We had a neighbor

in our last house, that was trouble. There were 2 or 3 families living in a single family home. They were loud. Yelling and screaming, loud music. Their yard looked like crap, making the neighborhood look like crap. In the 2 years we were neighbors not 1 word past between us. It was hard but we ignored them. Eventually they moved out. (They left in the middle of the night) It turned out that they were renters. The house had fist size holes in a bunch of the walls. Silence was the best strategy. But watch your back.

 

[CAS700850]

I agree that silence is best. Law when needed. Weapon handy is a given.

Fortunately, I had a different option when we had neighbor problems. Came home from a search warrant wearing raid jacet and vest, handgun openly displayed on hip, shotgun carried into house. On a Saturday afternoon. With all the neighbors outside doing stuff. The neighborhood kids loved it.

He moved away a few months later.

 

[Ryder]

If he comes for blood you are going to defend yourself with a pistol? I would not depend on a pistol if I expected something in advance. Shotgun or rifle would make me feel better.

I've spoken with all my neighbors at least once in the last dozen years. Some a few times more than that. Pleasant enough people and we always wave. I'll discuss problems with them if any develop but if they want to get bent out of shape they'd best use a lawyer. Verbal assault from a stranger is a precursor to physical attack. Condition orange stuff. I don't take that, kids or no.

In the country with acreage? I'd have to put up a backstop and sight in a long gun or two. Doing this should cause your neighbor to develop a newfound respect for you and shut his pie hole.

 

[jnojr]

His side of the road is slighly higher than mine, so what he's doing it piping it to the very edge of his property (which is technically legal) and it just all runs to my yard.

I would hazard a guess that it is not legal to pipe water and such to the "edge of your property" with the intent that the discharge go to someone elses property.

Normally, I'd suggest that you ask him nicely to please reroute his pipe. But that's looking like a dead end. IIWY, I'd ask "the authorities"... code enforcement, engineering, etc. Maybe even a local attorney who's familiar with this type of issue.

You could also try piping or ditching to get the water along the property line to the street, if there's a way for it to run off.

Or, if you're an especially venemous type, you could get a Bobcat or something to build the area up a little to send the water back his way

As for him launching bottle rockets at you, I'd call the police or Sheriffs every single time.

 

[Polishrifleman]

I live in the city but have some acreage in the boonies that I hunt, hike, and chop wood at. 3 adjacent neighbors and 3 more within a mile. I know them all and we watch over eachothers stuff. My thought is that a lot can happen in a rural setting and you don't need any enemies.

Unfortunately you have a loose cannon next door. Don't back down, don't be confrontational, video tape what you can, write down the rest, try to involve the police as little as possible as this will probably set the guy off eventually. Protect you and yours and get a dog.

 

[gm]

get a bicycle horn and squeeze it until he stops...just kidding.



sooner or later your neighbors' mouth and "agression" is going to get him in over his head. These things have a funny way of working themselves out if you just let nature take its course.

 

[psyopspec]

get a bicycle horn and squeeze it until he stops

Or keep an air horn handy and give a little blast whenever he opens his mouth at you .

 

[Mr Kablammo]

Buy him enough whiskey, vodka, or hard liquor of choice that he will drink himself to death. Or at least your mornings will be peaceful while he sleeps it off.

 

[Gordy Wesen]

In WA, yelling at somebody is verbal harrassment. Cops say, "you can't do that anymore."
Ignore him and keep the paper trail going. He wants you to REACT. If you do, you're screwed.
Stand on your rights, go about your business and steadily be upright.
The dude has weak nerves... just like the dog who hangs his head out a window and barks because he thinks he's tough.


Good luck.
Been there.
It doesn't last forever but it sure sucks that it has to be a part of your life.

 

[mnrivrat]

Moredes,

Grow up and get over it. Your neighbor's a big bag of air whose short a full deck; and your behaviour resembles his.

Geeze guy, what a high road way of expressing yourself.

Sounds like you must be his neigbors boy friend or something ? It's assinine replys like yours that turn people off .

Have you ever heard of the old saying that it's not always what you say, but how you say it ?

 

[moredes]

mnrivrat,

Sorry, I didn't realize I had to be so "PC" for those that needed their truths sugar-coated. I'll try and do better next time so the dainty can take it without whining.

 

[mnrivrat]

Moredes

There IS a difference between PC and being a polite person .

I can see that your a person with attitude.

I was mearly trying to get accross to you that if you have a valid point, that is presented in an invalid way , you might be contributing attitude rather than spreading intelligence.

 

[sfhogman]

Now HERE is a spite fence.
http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/basep.../sfentries&cmd=list&range=0,50&cmd=all&Id=123

 

[rick_reno]

Your options left off the obvious one - get creative with this POS.

 

[Ala Dan]

Paranoid?

Greeting's All-

FWIW, I NEVER step out of my house without a working handgun on my
person. One NEVER knows what he or she may encounter before
re-entering their home. Recently, an older widow (80 something?) was
working in her yard, when a young punk entered her home and stole her
life saving's which amounted too a little over $20,000 cash dollars.
Now, just suppose this perp had hid within the victims house in hopes
to do ill will towards her. I'm afraid she would not have been prepared
too defend her life. These kind's of cowardily acts are common place
in the suburbs of Bombingham, AL.

 

[Bravo11]

I'm going to have to go with the block party on this one.
If he doesn't show, at least he will see the solidarity of the
neighborhood. If everyone else in the neighborhood are peaceful
people then he'll be considered an outsider and will probably start to keep
to himself. If the other neighbors don't show up and they are also
negative to you then I would look for another place to raise my kids.
Remember that things have the tendency to escalate and I would hate
to think that my family might be endangered by some lunatic, while I'm
at work, because I decided to go head to head about issues that could be handled peacefully.
Be cool, be prepared, be packing your piece.

 

[DarthBubba]

Most of us know this type all too well

Most of us know this type all too well.


I am sorry to say that even as far out in the boonies as I live that I still have bad neighbors.
They trespass on my land all of the time they are nature hippy granola folk and I am a Texas rancher who has stolen the land from something or the other according to them, personally I never listen to them when I catch them and throw them out. They say they are hiking and I see no real harm in that but they never close the Bleeping gates when they go through and my stock ends up all over the place.
The somewhat male looking member of the twosome gets more confrontational every time I throw them out and knows I am armed, I open carry on the ranch and I think he is trying to get a rise out of me.
All I want is to be left alone and have them close the gates, is that to much to ask I don't mind them hiking but I do mind the gate thing that resulted in me having to barn raise 15 calves born out in the dead of winter it is an extra cost and effects my bottom line and I have had it.
I guess my point is you can have bad neighbors anywhere and you have done right by them so far.
Keep it up remain calm and do not let this horses @$$ push your buttons just call the law whenever this guy gets out of hand and protect your self only if he becomes a physical threat, do not go looking for a fight it sounds like if you give this guy enough rope he will hang himself.
Follow this path and you will be sitting pretty stray from it and it could go Hatfield and McCoy on you and nobody needs that.

DarthBubba :banghead:

 

[JamisJockey]

Someone mentioned a neighborhood BBQ and making sure to invite Mr. Mouth. This might placate him and make things much more tolerable; or he might just come over, get drunk and pee in your garden. If that fails, I'd tell him to shut his pie-hole. Bullies are bullies because nobody stands up to them. Just make sure not to threaten him in any manner (shut up or I'll make you, blah blah blah).
Consider getting a restraining order against him.

Darth: Next time, call the local authorities. Charge them with Trespassing. Usually, they get cited with a warning and then if they ever come back, its straight to the lockup.