Out of control neighbor problem - Just For Fun Off Topic

Out of control neighbor problem

funchy
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 128 north eastern corner of Maryland
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2005-07-11 113275

Is there anything a person can do when their next-door neighbor is out-of-control and not quite in touch with reality? Is my only choice to give up my home, take a financial loss, and go elsewhere?

I finally had it when I had to �celebrate� 4th of July weekend watching him shoot large, airborne (illegal) fireworks over my horses' paddock for amusement. Horses are prey animals and loud noises will cause them to bolt. The horses would just settle down again and another explosion would go off right over their head, BOOM! They'd run in a blind panic again. They ended up sweaty, stressed, and unable to eat for hours.

I went over to talk, one mature adult to another, since he didn�t seem to understand what he was doing. A 1100 and 1700 lb pound animal can get into a lot of trouble if forced to stampede repeatedly, and it was only a matter of time before one got impaled on something, busted through a fence, or somehow hurt themselves or caused damage. He seemed to understand. I walked back and got as far as my front door before the next explosion went off. Now the fireworks were being aimed right over my home�s roof! I went back over to plead with him to stop. His just-as-nasty wife interrupts me to tell me to go the hell home.

I finally called the police� twice. They never showed up.

I�d complain to the HOA in the context this is a Deed Restriction violation, but he is president of the HOA. And even know I am VP, we�d never get a fair hearing in a neighborhood with only 6 lots. (I will NEVER buy a house with Deed Restrictions again! They simply don't work)

This is just one act of aggression of many. The guy bought the first lot when the subdivision was created and he enjoying doing what he pleased for a year or two. I think he resented losing �his� open land where he used to ride his horses, target practice, hunt, whatever.

He�s gone to far as to call the authorities with any lies and stories just to get them to act. For example I had an investigator from the Motor Vehicles out here on a complaint that I had illegally affixed someone else�s dealer tags on my cars?! I did no such thing and have never had a dealer plate on any of my vehicles. It was just embarrassing to have a guy from the State come by and question me and inspect all my cars.

He�s gone to the neighbors with a letter outlining outlandish claims of Deed Restrictions he says I violate. He uses the old-standby argument of �decreasing everyone�s property values� to argue his point. I don't think I am doing anything awful. None of the other neighbors have ever said anything to me about anything I�ve ever done wrong. He�s just rationalizing his anger.

The funny thing is that right now he�s breaking at least 6 Deed Restrictions and a few more if you count the not-so-clearly defined ones. He runs a horse boarding business from his little 2 acre pasture. He has too many horses/acre boarded there anyway. He doesn�t mow his own backyard or horse areas. He leaves their manure out. He brings tractor trailer cabs home. He throws wild, noisy parties sometimes. He plants hedges that exceed Deed Restriction height but still complains at me about my choice of shrubbery. He built a barn that doesn't follow Deed Restriction guidelines. His dogs run at large and are known to bark outside late at night. His �barn cats� run at large and have actually taken a dump in my cars if the windows are left open!

I can ignore the annoying things he does. I believe in "live and let live". I know I may not always love the things a next-door neighbor does. But I draw the line when he *intentionally* terrorizes my horses & dog, shoots explosive devices at my home, lies to anyone he can to get me in trouble, and then refuses to speak to me.

What would you do? Would you move? Ignoring him isn't working by itself.

I hate to say it but I�ve been thinking of amusing pranks to play on him (harmless ones, ones he couldn�t prove I did)� I need to vent my frustration and to stop being so angry. Any ideas ?

I did put in a plant barrier between me and him since privacy fences aren�t allowed. It helped for awhile and helped buffer his noise & view. But 2 weeks ago they came over complaining about that, too! It was growing too well. They didn�t like the plants leaning, growing into, or being so close to "their" property line.

A friend told me to start acting really insane when I am in view of him & his wife. Act normal around the rest of the neighbors. He�ll start to worry I really am irrational and maybe he�d leave me alone.

Help!

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