neighbor vandalized my floodlight, my options?

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: Doog
I have had 2 neighborhood :disputes" one was a property line dispute with a doctor adjacent to my property. I had my builder send his licensed surveyor out and re-survey the lot. While he was surveying the lot she came home and stood 10 feet away shouting obscenities and threatening him.

He put 25 orange flags and 6 orange property line surveyor pins (which are illegal to touch) on the line and called the police. So a police officer had to stand there for 3 hours while he finished. I filed a police report.

while BBQing the next weekend she came out and screamed at me. I filed another police report. Then I gave both police reports to my attorney who sent them a registered letter warning them of an impending lawsuit if they did it again. My attorney also called the city law director who had the police pay them a visit and warn her that she would be charged with menacing if she did it again.

8 months later the couple moved.

So I recommend filing a police report and having your attorney handle it.


Exactly, the only solution for some individuals is that they will suffer SERIOUS consequences if they act. No amount of reasoning, civility, or neighborliness will make any difference.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Doog
I have had 2 neighborhood :disputes" one was a property line dispute with a doctor adjacent to my property. I had my builder send his licensed surveyor out and re-survey the lot. While he was surveying the lot she came home and stood 10 feet away shouting obscenities and threatening him.

He put 25 orange flags and 6 orange property line surveyor pins (which are illegal to touch) on the line and called the police. So a police officer had to stand there for 3 hours while he finished. I filed a police report.

while BBQing the next weekend she came out and screamed at me. I filed another police report. Then I gave both police reports to my attorney who sent them a registered letter warning them of an impending lawsuit if they did it again. My attorney also called the city law director who had the police pay them a visit and warn her that she would be charged with menacing if she did it again.

8 months later the couple moved.

So I recommend filing a police report and having your attorney handle it.


Hopefully, she moved down south to Cincinnati or something.

 

[datech]

I really sympathize with Cutehumor as I've had my problems like this as well. They always turned out to be kids, which are almost harder to deal with than adults.


It's becoming more and more apparent to me that technology like video, motion detectors, etc., are sometimes the only way to deal with these kinds of problems.

 

[Olas]

Does a 'Trespassers will be shot' sign cnstitute fair warning in your state?

If not, try an electric fence or bury landmines in your garden

 

[Mr Nice]

I still think talking to the neighbor face to face is best.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
I still think talking to the neighbor face to face is best.


And I still think it isn't....and he's done the best thing up to this point.

If the wack-job does anything now, he's got him.

 

[Mr Nice]

Verbal communication has worked for many years.

I would talk to the neighbor face to face. Its not like the unibomber is living next door.

 

[andrewg]

So....what would the plan be in this discussion exactly?

Beat around the bush and be overly polite to a weirdo that vandalizes your property.......then rings your bell and then runs like a little girl?

How do you talk to a clown like that?

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
So....what would the plan be in this discussion exactly?

Beat around the bush and be overly polite to a weirdo that vandalizes your property.......then rings your bell and then runs like a little girl?

How do you talk to a clown like that?




Indeed, essentially when you interact with this
criminal you are actually encouraging him to continue with his disturbing and destructive behavior. When someone acts in that way I say make it cost them in significantly uncomfortable ways, arrests, monetary damages, and possibly prison time. NEVER enable creatures like these.

Don't reward idiots like that because it then tells them they should continue with their malignant behavior.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell

Exactly, the only solution for some individuals is that they will suffer SERIOUS consequences if they act. No amount of reasoning, civility, or neighborliness will make any difference.

I see our talks are helping. You are correct that some people won't reason, but some will. If I were the OP, I'd have a conversation to find out which one he is. If he's not willing to talk, then I would act.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: andrewg
So....what would the plan be in this discussion exactly?

Beat around the bush and be overly polite to a weirdo that vandalizes your property.......then rings your bell and then runs like a little girl?

How do you talk to a clown like that?




Indeed, essentially when you interact with this
criminal you are actually encouraging him to continue with his disturbing and destructive behavior. When someone acts in that way I say make it cost them in significantly uncomfortable ways, arrests, monetary damages, and possibly prison time. NEVER enable creatures like these.

Don't reward idiots like that because it then tells them they should continue with their malignant behavior.


No offense....but I don't often agree with you. But on this matter, I do for the most part. Probably because I've dealt with mental cases like this more than once.

It WOULD be a reward of sorts to treat him as though he is capable of normal, decent, discourse at this point.

Nail him to the wall, I say.

 

[Mr Nice]

You can't be a chicken [censored] when a person damages your property.

Just talk to the guy....

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
You can't be a chicken [censored] when a person damages your property.

Just talk to the guy....



When a guy trespasses AND damages your property....you either pound him in his face (if you catch him in the act)....or if AFTER the fact (as in this case), you do what the OP has done and gather evidence any way you can (video will work great) so that you can nail the coward through legal action.

 

[antiqueshell]

I'm just amazed that folks know this subject is a certified
kook, guilty of criminal trespass, and destruction of property + vandalism, yet they are still acting as if
neighborly chit chat will solve all the issues...

You guys are in denial.

 

[Subdued]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
This thread shows a lot of what is wrong with society today. Rather than act like a mature adult and discuss the situation with a neighbor, the original poster chose to continue to escalate it. Then there are all the wild speculators that claim everything from a citizens arrest to knowing that the neighbor is insane.
Living behind fences? Posting no trespassing signs all over your property? Putting up security cameras and blasting the neighborhood with floodlights? What a sad way to live.



What's your address? I have to blow off some steam so I may as well vandalize a house...

 

[cjcride]

It's too bad you can't hook us up to a live feed from the cameras. There is not much on TV lately up here.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: cjcride
It's too bad you can't hook us up to a live feed from the cameras. There is not much on TV lately up here.


That'd be SWEET!

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: cjcride
It's too bad you can't hook us up to a live feed from the cameras. There is not much on TV lately up here.


I agree. I'd certainly volunteer for live time monitoring security duty. We'd call cute and the local police department.

 

[BRZED]

Bob is the Neighborhood Watch Guy.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
I'm just amazed that folks know this subject is a certified
kook, guilty of criminal trespass, and destruction of property + vandalism, yet they are still acting as if
neighborly chit chat will solve all the issues...

You guys are in denial.

Let's say you're right. If the OP goes to the police, what do you think happens? Does the neighbor suddenly decide to act rational? Does he decide to stop his irrational behavior? Why do you think the neighbor will back down? You've said in the past that if a person treats you poorly, you would treat that person worse than they treated you. If the neighbor acts like you suggest, what happens to the OP's house and family then?