Harassment by neighbor(s)

Status
Not open for further replies.

sadinojai

New Member
Hello. A sheriff where I lived suggested that I try to contact someone to see if there is any help for me.

For over 11 years we have been harassed by our neighbors in a very systematic way. They call agencies on us all of the time often with false allegations.

We have agencies at our home often, including the sheriff do to these calls. I will list some of the types of calls:

Building & Safety, claiming we have too many rocks in front of our home
Planning/Zoning, claiming we have our light shining on their home and above wattage
Humane Society, claiming we abuse our animals
Humane Society, claiming our animals have holes in their head
Humane Society, claiming our animals do not have care, food, water
Animal Control, claiming our animals bark continuously
Sheriff, claiming our dogs bark continuously
Sheriff, claiming we have put a curse on them and they are possessed because of us.
Rubbish Company, claiming we run a commercial slaughter plant at our home (we lost our trash pickup for a period of time because of this)

The list goes on, many calls over many years. We feel it is racially motivated.
We want these people to cease and desist. The sheriff wants to help but says there is nothing they can do yet as they haven't committed a crime.

We have had a fence on our property rammed by one of them- they admitted it. The sheriff said it was on private property and there was nothing they could do. We have had our front fences damaged, one time they caught the person trespassing on the adjacent property who had been damaging one of our fences. They said there wasn't anything they could do again. Our front wrought iron ($1500) has been damaged and no witnesses nothing can be done.

They harass and tease our dogs trying to make them bark. In the last week they have been doing this repeatedly, have called in a complaint to animal control and to planning.

Recently one of the neighbors became confrontational with the police and tried to get them to charge me with a misdemeanor for my dogs barking all day when they hadn't been (proved) and with justifiable cause when they did.

At some points we have had an agency at our home almost weekly. We also have been woken up in the middle of the night by these calls. The recent calls may place by business in jeopardy and they are stealing the enjoyment of my home and property.

We had a swastika carved on our fence when we put it up soon after we bought our home. We have at one point been told that a black person could not own our property by a man after we moved in. We also have at one time been told by a woman who lived down the street that our children would be shot if they walked to school down the street about 7 years ago by a man.

The sheriff believes we are being harassed.
The humane society believes we are being harassed.
Planning/Zoning the old supervisor believed we were being harassed. The new person in charge of our area is not familiar with all of the things.
Animal Control will make us goto a public hearing.
Building/Safety- unknown

The agencies don't appear to work together so we go through this over and over again with them as it happens. Depending on who we get depends on what happens each time.

My husband is dutch and Portuguese and could appear to be black to people. I am native american indian. We can not afford to leave our home and have another. We are under constant duress from these people and do not know what to do. If anyone can help me somehow to know what I can do or how- I would be most grateful. I have talked to a local attorney and he has stated that the law is structured in such a way that these people can call in complaints to these agencies as often as they want and there is nothing we can do about it.

Please we need help, I don't know what to do.
 
Last edited:
Unless I missed it (and it's possible - I am only on coffee #1), what state do you live in?

- Carl
 
Wow ... looking at your message again, it seems as if you have been to all the agencies you can go to. Have you consulted an attorney? If there is sufficient proof of false reports, and the time frame of these complaints has been relatively small, you might be able to make a case for a civil harassment suit. Unfortunately for you, the system is not set up to penalize people for calling the authorities for perceived legal violations (police, animal control, zoning, etc.). But, a civil case might be able to be made.

The carving of a swastika, and these other threats, should have resulted in calls to the sheriff's department.

I wish I had an answer for you, but, you might consider consulting the attorney.

- Carl
 
Harassment by Neighbors

I also have neighbors who make false complaints about my dogs barking all day (not true) and I have determined that I must consult an attorney about civil action. I wish there was an easier way. Unlike you, I live alone, and it is hard to document their lies because it is a he said/she said case. I have taken to turning on a tape recorder whenever my dogs are out. I also have been told that as far as Animal Control is concerned my dogs are guilty as charged if they receive ANY complaint.

This whole thing is making me physically ill.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top