I bought a house in 93, next door to a couple of psychotic nut cases. The guy, Bill started off being friendly at first. He made it a point to approach me on my second day when first moving in. At the time, I didn't realize that his inquiries and friendly gestures of "just wanting to get acquainted" were nothing more than a ploy to obtain as much information about my personal business with the intent of using later. I now think back and vividly recall that he asked where I work, who all would be living in my house, my age (in a round about way when asking if I knew his son Bill jr., which led to him offering when his son graduated from high school in order to coax me into revealing when I graduated so he could calculate my approximate age. I now realize that Bill was quick to make his interrogation before his crazy live in, Betty, had the chance to begin her antics, which could have jeopardize my willingness to share the information he set out for. (Knowing my place of work will a part of the harassment claims I describe later on). My first encounter with Betty occurred about a week later while unpacking my boxes and getting things put away in my new home. I received a loud knocking at my door. Assuming that it could be a neighbor coming over to tell me my stereo was playing too loud, I quickly turned down the sound and answer the door. Betty began with a rude and sharp tone; "I'm Betty your next door neighbor, I interjected with; "I'm sorry, was my stereo too loud? She responded; "No!" "Your stereo is fine, it's your dogs you need to worry about!" "As a pet owner, it's your responsibility to control your animals and their barking!" She proceeded to scold me about my dogs barking and I had better make them stop, etc. When I tried to open my mouth to politely tell her their names and let her that she was more than welcome to yell at them to shut up, but I couldn't even utter a simple word since she wasn't about to take a breath long enough from chewing me out to let me get one word in! The conversation ended with Betty threatening that if I didn't control those animals that she would take care of them herself in "her own way!" and stormed off not giving me any opportunity to even speak.
Just prior to that meeting, I was told a shocking story by the neighbors on the other side of Bill and Betty who were living there at the time in 93. These people truly believe Betty poisoned their dog and only told me when I was out looking for my dog that ran away when I first moved in. I confirmed this accusation with an animal control officer who had been called out several times.
This was just the start of the hell these neighbors have inflicted on me for the last 11 ½ years. They have verbally harassed or interrogated family or friends that come by, a phone repair man, cable guy, construction workers, etc. They either start getting verbally abusive as if they have no right to be at my house, or interrogate them about what they are doing.
Betty tracked me down and called me at work, just to complain that my dog's barking was bothering her pool session and she had noticed that I had been home for lunch and left, but wanted to know why I didn't spend my 30 min lunch break making them stop. She called as soon as just returned to my office.
Bill put one of his friends up to pretending he was from the city and had this guy call me AT WORK. This was in order to get me cut down a tree they complained non-stop about and said that it was "messing up their pool filter". I confronted the man because it was so suspicious that a City worker would track me down at work, and the guy admitted that Bill put him up to it. Yet when my dad who was living with me at the time, offered to cut the tree back and had asked if Bill would give him hand to do it, Bill refused. He and my dad nearly went to blows, and my dad is the mellowest guy you'll ever meet.
At times, for no reason what so ever, while I'm minding my own business in my back yard, Betty will deliberately squirt me with her water hose over the fence or at my pet parrot to antagonize me.
Betty has called animal control on me numerous times whether my dogs were barking or not. Most of time she leans over and sprays them to and gets them started barking. One time during the late afternoon on a weekday when I was home on vacation and both dogs were in the house sleeping all day and had only went outside early that morning for less than 20 min. They hadn't had the chance to be barking outside that time! The animal control came to my house and the officer said he had just been at Betty's. He said that he was welcomed in at her home at first and offered some ice tea, but he referred to her little dogs with the term "nip nip dogs", she went hysterical and threw him out.
They complain if one drop of water hits the fence when I water my backyard. They come pounding on my door late at night flipping out over it. Betty screams that I'm damaging her pool equipment. Yet they get mad at the neighbors on their other side for the getting the fence wet too. But the pool is near my side along the fence and there is no pool equipment near their other neighbors.
We don't park right if we park on the street.
Another time Bill came pounding on my door one evening when my sister was here visiting from out of state. He wanted to know if we were running a "Whore house". Apparently, my sister had been in the guest room and spayed on some perfume. (This was during summer so my windows were open), and Bill was ranting and claimed that his swamp cooler drew in the smell of the perfume into his house and said that we must be running a "whore house".
Another incident with Betty was a day that a friend (co-worker), of mine had planned to meet me at my house for lunch. I was late leaving work, so my friend arrived a few minutes early. She parked in my driveway and while waiting for me she decided to balance her checkbook. In between looking down at her lap to do this, she periodically looked up towards the direction of the street she knew I'd be coming from to see if I were on my way. Suddenly, a screaming voice from nowhere, (according to my friend), began cussing her out and accusing her of staring at her. This was of course Betty, who happens to be in her front yard, which my friend hadn't even noticed she was there until Betty began screaming and yelling obscenities to my friend! My friend was quite shook up, and dumbfounded over this psychotic episode.
I have no right to hammer my side of the fence.
When I first moved in, there were two fences between us, Bill & Betty's fence and a shorter one on my side that was tore up. When I started replacing my fence, Bill was all nice and said that I was welcome to just tear down the bad one and not worry about building one along that side that divides our yards. He said he just built his in front of the fence since the previous owner of my house wouldn't help pay for a new one so I did. Now he's screaming at me that he's calling his lawyer, I'm over the property line.He's the one who gave me permission and the one who build the only existing fence that's now there! We offered to tear down the existing fence between us and move it over more towards my side, but that's not an option according to him.
On different occasions, they've screamed at innocent little kids for no reason. One day a little girl approx age 7, (she was African American), was at my door selling candy. She was crying her eyes out and couldn't talk. I told her if she stop crying and tell me what was wrong, I'd buy two boxes. She said the man at that house (Bill and Betty's) called me the "N word".
I've heard stories about former renters who lived in my house and had a baby that would cry at night, and Betty to come over all hours of the night banging on the baby's room window screaming for it to be quiet.
Over the years through all of these antics, I have tried to ignore it, never have provoked it, only yell back at them to stand up for myself. Lately the worst harassment has been happening more often and is getting worse. They spy on me in my backyard, of the time Betty does. After knowing I'm being watched I can always count on the next step. She eventually will pop her head over and starts making nasty hateful cracks to ensue a confrontation.
Coincidentally, I happen to know the landlord who rents that house on the other side of them through some mutual friends. (The same house that the people who were living in back in 93 made accusations about Betty poisoning their dog). I finally got up the nerve to contact the landlord and ask if his renters ever complained about Betty and Bill. He said he too bought that house in 1993 and has 5 diff families live there up to current date. He said all families at one point have called him to complain about these nut cases that have harassed them about; dogs, kids, parking, water and lifestyles. Quite similar to my harassment! This landlord said he would be happy to sign a statement to back me up if I file a civil suit, and so did the current renters living in the house. I spoke to them and they too had a million stories of their encounters with Bill and Betty.
Bottom line, it goes on and on and I'm sick of it and absolutely livid that I am not allowed to have privacy in my own back yard that I work so hard on and can no longer enjoy. If I pay the fees (a rather large amt of $286) and include statements from various people, who have witnessed their behavior, will it do any good in the courts eyes? Do I stand a good chance, or is there any other solutions other than murder? (Just kidding, on that, they're definitely not worth it!) Do my statements have to be notarized?
Just prior to that meeting, I was told a shocking story by the neighbors on the other side of Bill and Betty who were living there at the time in 93. These people truly believe Betty poisoned their dog and only told me when I was out looking for my dog that ran away when I first moved in. I confirmed this accusation with an animal control officer who had been called out several times.
This was just the start of the hell these neighbors have inflicted on me for the last 11 ½ years. They have verbally harassed or interrogated family or friends that come by, a phone repair man, cable guy, construction workers, etc. They either start getting verbally abusive as if they have no right to be at my house, or interrogate them about what they are doing.
Betty tracked me down and called me at work, just to complain that my dog's barking was bothering her pool session and she had noticed that I had been home for lunch and left, but wanted to know why I didn't spend my 30 min lunch break making them stop. She called as soon as just returned to my office.
Bill put one of his friends up to pretending he was from the city and had this guy call me AT WORK. This was in order to get me cut down a tree they complained non-stop about and said that it was "messing up their pool filter". I confronted the man because it was so suspicious that a City worker would track me down at work, and the guy admitted that Bill put him up to it. Yet when my dad who was living with me at the time, offered to cut the tree back and had asked if Bill would give him hand to do it, Bill refused. He and my dad nearly went to blows, and my dad is the mellowest guy you'll ever meet.
At times, for no reason what so ever, while I'm minding my own business in my back yard, Betty will deliberately squirt me with her water hose over the fence or at my pet parrot to antagonize me.
Betty has called animal control on me numerous times whether my dogs were barking or not. Most of time she leans over and sprays them to and gets them started barking. One time during the late afternoon on a weekday when I was home on vacation and both dogs were in the house sleeping all day and had only went outside early that morning for less than 20 min. They hadn't had the chance to be barking outside that time! The animal control came to my house and the officer said he had just been at Betty's. He said that he was welcomed in at her home at first and offered some ice tea, but he referred to her little dogs with the term "nip nip dogs", she went hysterical and threw him out.
They complain if one drop of water hits the fence when I water my backyard. They come pounding on my door late at night flipping out over it. Betty screams that I'm damaging her pool equipment. Yet they get mad at the neighbors on their other side for the getting the fence wet too. But the pool is near my side along the fence and there is no pool equipment near their other neighbors.
We don't park right if we park on the street.
Another time Bill came pounding on my door one evening when my sister was here visiting from out of state. He wanted to know if we were running a "Whore house". Apparently, my sister had been in the guest room and spayed on some perfume. (This was during summer so my windows were open), and Bill was ranting and claimed that his swamp cooler drew in the smell of the perfume into his house and said that we must be running a "whore house".
Another incident with Betty was a day that a friend (co-worker), of mine had planned to meet me at my house for lunch. I was late leaving work, so my friend arrived a few minutes early. She parked in my driveway and while waiting for me she decided to balance her checkbook. In between looking down at her lap to do this, she periodically looked up towards the direction of the street she knew I'd be coming from to see if I were on my way. Suddenly, a screaming voice from nowhere, (according to my friend), began cussing her out and accusing her of staring at her. This was of course Betty, who happens to be in her front yard, which my friend hadn't even noticed she was there until Betty began screaming and yelling obscenities to my friend! My friend was quite shook up, and dumbfounded over this psychotic episode.
I have no right to hammer my side of the fence.
When I first moved in, there were two fences between us, Bill & Betty's fence and a shorter one on my side that was tore up. When I started replacing my fence, Bill was all nice and said that I was welcome to just tear down the bad one and not worry about building one along that side that divides our yards. He said he just built his in front of the fence since the previous owner of my house wouldn't help pay for a new one so I did. Now he's screaming at me that he's calling his lawyer, I'm over the property line.He's the one who gave me permission and the one who build the only existing fence that's now there! We offered to tear down the existing fence between us and move it over more towards my side, but that's not an option according to him.
On different occasions, they've screamed at innocent little kids for no reason. One day a little girl approx age 7, (she was African American), was at my door selling candy. She was crying her eyes out and couldn't talk. I told her if she stop crying and tell me what was wrong, I'd buy two boxes. She said the man at that house (Bill and Betty's) called me the "N word".
I've heard stories about former renters who lived in my house and had a baby that would cry at night, and Betty to come over all hours of the night banging on the baby's room window screaming for it to be quiet.
Over the years through all of these antics, I have tried to ignore it, never have provoked it, only yell back at them to stand up for myself. Lately the worst harassment has been happening more often and is getting worse. They spy on me in my backyard, of the time Betty does. After knowing I'm being watched I can always count on the next step. She eventually will pop her head over and starts making nasty hateful cracks to ensue a confrontation.
Coincidentally, I happen to know the landlord who rents that house on the other side of them through some mutual friends. (The same house that the people who were living in back in 93 made accusations about Betty poisoning their dog). I finally got up the nerve to contact the landlord and ask if his renters ever complained about Betty and Bill. He said he too bought that house in 1993 and has 5 diff families live there up to current date. He said all families at one point have called him to complain about these nut cases that have harassed them about; dogs, kids, parking, water and lifestyles. Quite similar to my harassment! This landlord said he would be happy to sign a statement to back me up if I file a civil suit, and so did the current renters living in the house. I spoke to them and they too had a million stories of their encounters with Bill and Betty.
Bottom line, it goes on and on and I'm sick of it and absolutely livid that I am not allowed to have privacy in my own back yard that I work so hard on and can no longer enjoy. If I pay the fees (a rather large amt of $286) and include statements from various people, who have witnessed their behavior, will it do any good in the courts eyes? Do I stand a good chance, or is there any other solutions other than murder? (Just kidding, on that, they're definitely not worth it!) Do my statements have to be notarized?
