Nasty neighbor terrorizes family, horses, & dog; police never show up. What can I do?

[marylandGirl]

Nasty neighbor terrorizes family, horses, & dog; police never show up. What can I do?

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Maryland

Background:
I'm on 15 acres & have only one neighbor right close to my house, But he's on only 2 narrow acres and he's quite a bully. He constantly complains at me about anything & everything. But if anyone else asks him to do something, he pretends to hear and they doesn't lift a finger. He regularly lies to me, and he's gone to far as to intentionally lie to other neighbors and the Motor Vehicles department (telling them I had illegal tags on my car; I don't)... all in an effort to get even, in his own words "tit for tat".

My outlook is live and let live. When he started getting nasty, I planted bunches of trees, shrubs, and plantings along the property line as a buffer. This included fruit trees, pine, bamboo, flowering bulb-based plants like daylily, ornamental grasses, and native trees like oak. The plants started doing well and filling in. All was well until 2 weeks ago the wife called me over to talk to her. Her complaint this time: she & her husband were upset the plants were doing TOO well and I needed to cut them way back (on my own property). She has a whole list of ideas of things I should do with my plants. As a favor to them I told the wife verbally we'd see about thinning some of the stuff right up against where they say the property line is. But I gave her no specifics since I had to talk to my husband first. (By the way my husband thought I was foolish to even talk to her and he wasn't really interested in helping out with this favor)

The Big Problem:
A week ago they had a big party at their house on the 3rd of july. Then they started with large, illegal airborne fireworks. The live on a very narrow 2 acre lot and they chose to stage their show right in front of their house, maybe 50' from the property line at the most.

I ignored it and kept trying to reassure my old dog who was terrified, barking & shivering, each time a explosion went off. I thought I could cope till I looked outside to see my two horses in a panic for their life! Every time a rocket went up and exploded, the noise would send them into a frenzy. They paced along the fenceline, working up a sweat & unable to calm down. One of them is under a vet's care and must eat several times a day for medical reasons, but neither one would touch their food. The fireworks sounded like gunshots and with each "crack!" the horses would bolt again.

Horses are prey animals and the drive to run is very strong in them. Also keep in mind these are 1100 and 1700 lb animals respectively. In the dark and in a panic they could run through a fence and damage neighbor's property or get onto a roadway. They could also find themself impaled on a post or tree limb in their panic. This was a dangerous situation!

So I went over to the neighbor's yard and politely explained the problem. I asked if they could cut back on the biggest fireworks or do something so the horses wouldn't spend the rest of the night in a panic. He agreed. I walked back and got as far as my front step until I heard the next loud BLAM! Now the rockets are being aimed right over my roof!

I really don't like a fight but I had no choice. I had to get to sleep for work the next morning and my poor old dog simply wouldn't stop barking (he was indoors). My horses were still pacing, intermittenly bolting, and refusing to eat. So I went back over the and asked again. The wife started going off on some story that made no sense about how my dog used to bark alot when I moved into the neighborhood 8 years ago and somehow that made tonight's fireworks ok. I reminded them my dog lives indoors -- he couldn't have been the dog they heard barking at night years ago. They told me "whatever, just go the hell home", "they weren't going to stop till they had shot off all their fireworks". So I left.

The rockets resumed flying over my home and my horse's paddock. I called the county police because these fireworks that they were using are illegal. The police didn't come. So I waited awhile and called the police again. Dispatch said a "car was on the way". It never arrived and the fireworks continued for hours.

My Questions:
If the police don't bother to enforce the laws, is there any other recourse for me when my neighbor breaks the law? Can police just voluntarily decide not to enforce certain laws if they feel like it?

If my horses had gotten injured in a panic due to his fireworks, would I have any grounds to sue? I did warn him they were in a panic. These aren't million-dollar horses, but they are members of the family in a sense. I would've spared no vet expense to treat them if they did get injured.

Or if he kept driving them in a panic till they broke through the fencing, would I be responsible for any damages the horse did? Or would he? (we are assuming I would immediately try to recapture the horses, not ignore the problem)

I am now finding bits of spent fireworks all over acres of my property; the display went on constantly for hours. These bits are a ingestion hazard for the horses and if any of the fireworks have metal parts on them, they’re also a puncture hazard for horse feet. I’ve picked up the debris as I spot it. But how can I get him to cease and desist shooting at my property?!

Are there any Animal Cruelty laws in Maryland that might discourage a person from terrorizing animals who is detonating fireworks right over the animals' heads repeatedly? I am an animal lover and his actions were downright cruel to these horses.

I am not clear on if I could sue him to get him to stop this intermittent but illegal & dangerous activity. Or why I should even need to sue someone to get them to stop breaking a criminal law? Is there some way to require the police to do their job? I was very disappointed they never showed up at all. I did tell the police dispatcher on the phone about the horse situation and about how he was aiming right at/over my home.

Do I still need to thin the plantings along the property line? I'm a busy person and I no longer feel like doing them this favor. And honestly, the more buffer I have between us and them the better. Can they force me to trim back my own plants on my own property ?

Do I legally need to speak to these people any more? For example next time they call me over to their yard, is it really bad for me to just walk away? If any of our neighbor problems went to court I want any judge to see I was the one making the good-faith effort to be a good neighbor...but at the same time I'm tired of the lies and verbal abuse.

Please don't tell me to just move. A person should be able to feel safe in their own home. I can personally ignore these people, but I draw the line at them tormenting my animals or family.

Please help! THANKS!!!

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

I feel for you on the pet issue, as my husky runs for cover when he hears them. The police did not respond to your call, and I am left to wonder why they did not.

If it is illegal in your county, and you can show damages............Then sue them.

If not, let it go as you mentioned a "Tit for Tat" thing,.........yet never said what you did to them.

 

[marylandGirl]

If not, let it go as you mentioned a "Tit for Tat" thing,.........yet never said what you did to them.

Thanks for your kind words!

After reading more posts on this site, I began to realise I wasn't the only person with an unreasonable neighbor. It comforted me to know I wasn't the only one who had to deal with an unhappy neighbor who wouldn't compromise or communicate.

'Terrible' things I've done to this neighbor since moving in:

- buying the empty lot next to his. This is where he used to ride his horses. He was the first one to build in the neighborhood and enjoyed doing what he pleased on the empty lots. So he was left with nowhere to ride his horses and ended up selling his own horses soon after I built. Incidentally, he never thought to ask me if he could use my trails; he just seemed to resent no longer having the land open.

- when we moved in I was in my mid 20's so we were about half his age. He worked his whole life to buy up to his house and even then could afford only the smallest lot in the neighborhood. I think he felt rowdy kids were going to ruin the the neighborhood, and he didn't understand how we could afford to buy & build. But we were always quiet, never played music outdoors, and preferred to be indoors reading books than throwing wild parties. I suspect the generation gap kept us from seeing eye to eye.

- shortly after moving in, he went nuts when I stored some bales of hay at the corner of my driveway for a week until its new owner would get it. I did have it stacked neatly and carefully tarped. (Remember horses are allowed here, so having hay shouldn't be a crime). Daily he'd bother me about the invisible "vermin" who moved into the freshly stacked hay. I told him the hay would be gone within a few days, and I didn't argue with him. Yet he still came over every other day to tell me about how it was "a nusiance". It was there only a week, no exaggeration. Incidentally he stores large amounts of hay on his own property on an ongoing basis and always has! Again it's a case of him being allowed to do X but nobody else.

- we had a problem with dozens of feral cats for awhile. Our county had a big problem with rabies, and stray cats can carry it. In order to round up the strays I had to know which cats were owned by people and which were unvaccinated, unneutered, & unowned. He took offense to this, refusing to identify or put collars on his own cats. He also wouldn't keep them in while I did humane trapping for a few weeks because they're "barn cats" and "should roam". These are the same nice cats who pee and crap on my car seats if I leave windows rolled down.... ewww! And they've shredded the bark on my ornamental trees. But I haven't brought the issue back up with him ever since he went nuts on me the first time. His cats still run loose getting into trouble, and I can't leave my own car windows open in my own driveway. I keep being tempted to catch all unfriendly, uncollared cats on my property and take them to the shelter, but I fear his wrath if I accidentally caught one of "his" strays.

- his dogs run at large. I had been ignoring it in an effort to be a good neighbor; I don't want a fight. The dogs seemed to accidentally "escape" every few nights for as long as I could remember. Last summer I brought horses home to live here. Horses, when annoyed by dogs, will strike at a dog. A horse can maim or kill a dog with one well-placed kick. When I saw their dog in my horse area bothering the horses, I'd bring the dog back to them. They HATED this; 'how dare i' was their attitude. I did explain why strange dogs couldn't be left to roam in with the horses. I was only looking out for their dogs who i'd rather not see hurt (and covering my butt against a lawsuit waiting to happen).

The husband has got a rep for bothering other neighbors with silly things. He got into a huge battle with a former neighbor because his barn isn't up to Deed Restrictions but he didn't want to hear this from the other neighbor. (I was not involved at all in this). The other neighbor did something wrong breaking some rule he felt, though I don't know exactly what. They got into a big arguement and didn't get along. This neighbor put his house up for sale a little later.

Funny thing is he loves to cite the Deed Restrictions whenever he gets mad at anyone in the neighborhood. But right now he's clearly & intentionally violating at least 6 Deed Restriction rules, plus a few others if you count the not-so-clear rules. I guess the rules don't apply to him.

Another example: this guy wanted the community lane repaved & widened even know the asphalt was only *2* yrs old when I bought here. At a mandatory cost of at least $3,000+ per lot owner, I wasn't too excited about this at the time. The road was still good except for some cosmestic cracking. He didn't like that I wasn't as excited as he was about the idea. I didn't take "his side" at the HOA meeting and they voted not to do his idea. He let it be known to me he didn't lile that I didn't take his "side".

He doesn't like that my introverted husband isn't eager to talk to him or his wife. He interprets my husband's quiet, introvert nature as some sign that we were against him or out to get him. But my husband never talks to any of the neighbors much unless he has something specific to say; he's just not a social butterfly.

It's just a million silly little things that to a normal person wouldn't lose sleep over. I suspect anyone who live next to him would be put under the same scrutiny. He just likes things his way, no compromise or discussion allowed. I'm willing to ignore his control-freak attitude, but it's hard to look past his intentional hostile acts against my family & pets.

I'm starting to think that I do need to give up my home & move to feel safe, don't i?

 

[Realist101]

Same problem! Horses and dog terrorized in INDIANA !!! AND NO HELP.

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Maryland

Background:
I'm on 15 acres & have only one neighbor right close to my house, But he's on only 2 narrow acres and he's quite a bully. He constantly complains at me about anything & everything. But if anyone else asks him to do something, he pretends to hear and they doesn't lift a finger. He regularly lies to me, and he's gone to far as to intentionally lie to other neighbors and the Motor Vehicles department (telling them I had illegal tags on my car; I don't)... all in an effort to get even, in his own words "tit for tat".

My outlook is live and let live. When he started getting nasty, I planted bunches of trees, shrubs, and plantings along the property line as a buffer. This included fruit trees, pine, bamboo, flowering bulb-based plants like daylily, ornamental grasses, and native trees like oak. The plants started doing well and filling in. All was well until 2 weeks ago the wife called me over to talk to her. Her complaint this time: she & her husband were upset the plants were doing TOO well and I needed to cut them way back (on my own property). She has a whole list of ideas of things I should do with my plants. As a favor to them I told the wife verbally we'd see about thinning some of the stuff right up against where they say the property line is. But I gave her no specifics since I had to talk to my husband first. (By the way my husband thought I was foolish to even talk to her and he wasn't really interested in helping out with this favor)

The Big Problem:
A week ago they had a big party at their house on the 3rd of july. Then they started with large, illegal airborne fireworks. The live on a very narrow 2 acre lot and they chose to stage their show right in front of their house, maybe 50' from the property line at the most.

I ignored it and kept trying to reassure my old dog who was terrified, barking & shivering, each time a explosion went off. I thought I could cope till I looked outside to see my two horses in a panic for their life! Every time a rocket went up and exploded, the noise would send them into a frenzy. They paced along the fenceline, working up a sweat & unable to calm down. One of them is under a vet's care and must eat several times a day for medical reasons, but neither one would touch their food. The fireworks sounded like gunshots and with each "crack!" the horses would bolt again.

Horses are prey animals and the drive to run is very strong in them. Also keep in mind these are 1100 and 1700 lb animals respectively. In the dark and in a panic they could run through a fence and damage neighbor's property or get onto a roadway. They could also find themself impaled on a post or tree limb in their panic. This was a dangerous situation!

So I went over to the neighbor's yard and politely explained the problem. I asked if they could cut back on the biggest fireworks or do something so the horses wouldn't spend the rest of the night in a panic. He agreed. I walked back and got as far as my front step until I heard the next loud BLAM! Now the rockets are being aimed right over my roof!

I really don't like a fight but I had no choice. I had to get to sleep for work the next morning and my poor old dog simply wouldn't stop barking (he was indoors). My horses were still pacing, intermittenly bolting, and refusing to eat. So I went back over the and asked again. The wife started going off on some story that made no sense about how my dog used to bark alot when I moved into the neighborhood 8 years ago and somehow that made tonight's fireworks ok. I reminded them my dog lives indoors -- he couldn't have been the dog they heard barking at night years ago. They told me "whatever, just go the hell home", "they weren't going to stop till they had shot off all their fireworks". So I left.

The rockets resumed flying over my home and my horse's paddock. I called the county police because these fireworks that they were using are illegal. The police didn't come. So I waited awhile and called the police again. Dispatch said a "car was on the way". It never arrived and the fireworks continued for hours.

My Questions:
If the police don't bother to enforce the laws, is there any other recourse for me when my neighbor breaks the law? Can police just voluntarily decide not to enforce certain laws if they feel like it?

If my horses had gotten injured in a panic due to his fireworks, would I have any grounds to sue? I did warn him they were in a panic. These aren't million-dollar horses, but they are members of the family in a sense. I would've spared no vet expense to treat them if they did get injured.

Or if he kept driving them in a panic till they broke through the fencing, would I be responsible for any damages the horse did? Or would he? (we are assuming I would immediately try to recapture the horses, not ignore the problem)

I am now finding bits of spent fireworks all over acres of my property; the display went on constantly for hours. These bits are a ingestion hazard for the horses and if any of the fireworks have metal parts on them, they’re also a puncture hazard for horse feet. I’ve picked up the debris as I spot it. But how can I get him to cease and desist shooting at my property?!

Are there any Animal Cruelty laws in Maryland that might discourage a person from terrorizing animals who is detonating fireworks right over the animals' heads repeatedly? I am an animal lover and his actions were downright cruel to these horses.

I am not clear on if I could sue him to get him to stop this intermittent but illegal & dangerous activity. Or why I should even need to sue someone to get them to stop breaking a criminal law? Is there some way to require the police to do their job? I was very disappointed they never showed up at all. I did tell the police dispatcher on the phone about the horse situation and about how he was aiming right at/over my home.

Do I still need to thin the plantings along the property line? I'm a busy person and I no longer feel like doing them this favor. And honestly, the more buffer I have between us and them the better. Can they force me to trim back my own plants on my own property ?

Do I legally need to speak to these people any more? For example next time they call me over to their yard, is it really bad for me to just walk away? If any of our neighbor problems went to court I want any judge to see I was the one making the good-faith effort to be a good neighbor...but at the same time I'm tired of the lies and verbal abuse.

Please don't tell me to just move. A person should be able to feel safe in their own home. I can personally ignore these people, but I draw the line at them tormenting my animals or family.

​

Please help! THANKS!!!

Hello. Just a note to let you know you are not alone. We have this same problem in INDIANA. Absolutely ridiculous and it's terrorism. We have moved and it does no good. Until the laws are changed and the cops do their job the RIGHT way, it will continue to be a nightmare for people like us. I send best wishes and hope you'll let me know how you are? Take care!!! Susan in Indiana

 

[STEPHAN]

Please don't necropost. Star you own Thread. After 9 years that will somehow have solved.