What happens if I post public information about my neighbors?

K

Kaun

New Member
Jurisdiction
Washington
I hope this is the correct forum for my questions.

I have been the victim of harassment by my neighbors. I had to call the police on them once because the verbal abuse in front of my 3 year old would not stop for the second day in a row. Since then they have unleashed a harassment campaign threatening to kill my son's pet, reporting me to the city for alleged code violations and continuing verbal abuse.

I wrote an apologetic letter, asking them for reconciliation. In response I received a letter from a lawyer making a demand that I am not allowed to talk to them or even to look at them. I invited them to mediation through their lawyer which they declined.

This is a 2 part question;
For one, what exactly is a "demand"? There is no legal vehicle behind the lawyer's demand (there has never been an incident where I responded in profanity or threatened them in any way). What can the lawyer do if I talk to them anyway (of course I cannot enter their property).

Second, since this situation is no acceptable for me I have to do something. The only thing that could work is to tell the community exactly what happened by putting up a big sign in my front yard telling the whole story and naming my neighbors and telling the community that they filed a complaint about me (the complaint is about a solar shed I built which the community has loved). I believe that if the community is upset at them that they will change their behavior and stop harassing my family.

So my second question is, what could possibly happen to me if I post such a sign. Could this be construed as harassment although it is actual and non-defamatory or do I have a right to express myself? Of course I would not tell neighbors to go their house to harass them.

Thank you kindly for you advice.
 
If you want to really escalate the whole thing and bring down the wrath of those neighbors on you, then by all means post that sign. I'm sure you won't mind the host of letters from lawyers you will receive demanding that you take it down, not to mention making the rest of the neighbors think you're a loon. But if you want to behave like a grownup and take the high road, do nothing and do not talk to the neighbors who have made it clear that they do not want any contact with you.
 
Don't you believe posting that sign will make things worse for you?
 
Do I only get useful replies if my intentions are being approved of? I did not want to get feedback on my intentions but I was hoping to get my questions answered. Thanks
 
What could happen to you if you post the sign?

Anything from "nothing at all" to your being arrested for harassment and/or defamation. The crystal ball is out of order.

However, I will say again,for you to do ANYTHING other than completely ignore the neighbors, since they evidently want no contact from you whatsoever, is only to escalate the situation. In that case, on your own head be it; you've got no one to blame but yourself if you post the sign and things go badly.
 
No one can predict the result of your juvenile act, but it is safe to assume, it will not result in puppies and unicorns and rainbows. Expecting all of your neighbors to read the sign, side with you, and stand up to the bullies who run away like the villains in an afterschool special is naïve.

Ignoring these folks who seem to not want anything to do with you is the way to go. Creating more drama and dragging the neighbors into it, is asking for trouble. Asking us to predict the response of those we have never met is unreasonable.
 
I don't know what happened or caused the situation but I'm guessing it was perhaps something to do with the shed in your yard. I encountered this many years ago when a neighbor decided to erect a huge shed that was two stories high in his small back yard within a residential housing area of connected homes. It was like the Death Star hovering over neighbors small land plots. I can't say your situation is the same, in spite of what the neighborhood might love. Still, we don't know the root nature of the problem so we can't really speak to the essence of the issue.

Legally speaking, a lawyer can't tell you that you're not allowed to speak to your neighbors although you can be told they don't wish to hear from or communicate with you. Stating that you can't even look at them is laughable and probably designed to scare you silly. You can sit on your lawn or patio facing your neighbors if you wish. But what do you want to accomplish?

Writing an "apologetic" letter, if that's what it was, doesn't sound very good. You can't force resolution to happen either. And some people just aren't reasonable and don't care to be. If your neighbors actually threatened to kill your son's dog them you can and should report them to the police. But be very sure they said what you think they said.

Can you put up a sign? Even if you can, do you actually think it will improve your reputation and resolve the situation? You'll need to fit a lot of words into a small space. And will passers by stop and read your bulletin on the front of your lawn? Maybe they will and perhaps the impact on the "community" will be very different than you anticipate.
 
For me and my son to ever feel safe again in our yard I need to hear from the neighbors mouths that they will leave me alone. Since they are indifferent to animosity the only way for them to want to make peace is if they are negatively effected by the situation which, sadly, only an escalation can provide. I ran out of other option since an amicable letter was sent and since invitations for dispute resolution and mediation were rejected.

And many neighbors are interested in the solar shed and asked about it. A sign telling a brief story about what happened and that I may have to dismantle it again because of my neighbors may upset them but, since it is important to them how they are perceived, also provide an incentive to make peace. Thank you
 
Clearly you are determined to do what you want and are not interested in hearing any arguments to the contrary. Their leaving you alone is not enough - they have to SAY that they'll leave you alone? That's BS, frankly.

But since you're not interested in any opinions counter to your own, you go right ahead and do what you want to do. Please don't come looking for help here when you get sued.
 
Closed, OP has resolved his/her own concern and will take her/his desired action.
 

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