Neighbors making trouble

[manicpanic]

What is the name of your state? New York. I have been harassed by multiple people in my neighborhood for the last 3 years. The local police have not, and seemingly will not, do anything about this. I am gay and live with my partner of 15 years. We mind our own business and have taken a run down old house and restored it along with putting in very expensive landscaping. Today, memorial day I came in from gardening and after about one hour the police came to our door and said that a neighbor had complained that I was taking their pictures. I have not used my camera outside since the beginning of April and that was to adjust the lighting feature. I was told at one time to take pictures of any strange activity to show for my records, although I haven't done this < YET>. The police went back to the people who complained who live about half a block away and then left after a few minutes to go and sit in the post office parking lot. We live in a small rural village so everything is within eye shot. The police sat there and the people came down and walked back in forth in front of our house while their kids rode their bikes back and forth. I am being harassed, there is no doubt. I want to know if it is somehow illegal to take a neighbors picture or anyones picture, and if the police should have come to my house asking in the first place. I need to find a good civil rights attorney but cant seem to get anyone to talk to me locally about this. Please I need advice, no one seems to want to help me and I cant live like this. I cant afford to pick up and move either, I need to stick this out and get this solved LEGALLY !!!!

 

[msiron]

Don't panic. Get a video camera for your property. What type of specific harassment are you suffering from? People walking and children riding bikes in front of your property does not constitute harassment.

You can take pictures or video of anything you damn well want as long as you don't invade someones reasonable expectation of privacy (such as a ladder on a fence and look over to take pics, or through their windows, or setup covert video in someones else's residence, a public or private restroom etc....to name a few)

I know there are losers out there who harass and slander gays so document everything on video if you can. If you receive voice mails, save them.

 

[manicpanic]

Huh, me panic ?

Don't panic. Get a video camera for your property. What type of specific harassment are you suffering from?

The kind of harassment that goes like this. People driving by at all hours honking horns or loud boom boxes only while directly in front of my house. People giving me long hostile stares, people making the slashing throat gesture, pointing gun at head gesture. Spitting at me, flicking cigarettes directly at me or in my general direction, people calling me a f-cking fagot, c-cks-cker, or aids ridden pedophile. One neighbor woman came up on my front porch and banged so hard on my plate glass door that it shattered. She then went on to wedge herself in between my door and me calling me all kinds of names and refusing to get off my private property. When the police arrived I was called the trouble maker by onlookers. The woman was arrested but later on a family friendship with the local justice got her released without any charges and I was called into the justices chambers at midnight by the police and told that I better stop complaining or else !!! The the justice tried to call me back into court while his " constituents" levied their complaints against me and I was told I would have to reckon myself to them. IN other words "Get out of town" I didn't go and the justice tried to have me hospitalized, thank God I had the presence of mind to go to an ACLU office in the nearby city. Their lawyers in the long run did not help me but in the short term they got that crazy justice off my back. At one point I had to leave my home because some kind of spray was sprayed into my lower level air conditioner. I couldn't breath and got so sick I vomited for 3 days. While I was gone my home was broken into and property was destroyed and private papers were taken. AND THE POLICE refused to take a report. The locals are all connected to the volunteer fire dept and they in turn have connections to the police. NO ONE WILL HELP ME My partner was assaulted in the dark near our garage. I have to clean my yard daily because pieces of old/raw meat are thrown onto my lawn where my dog plays. I have found butcher knives forks and other large metal objects sticking straight out of the ground along with graffiti that says " Your going to hell" on the sidewalks, 7 windows have been broken on one side of the house alone. shingle's are shattered from hard objects being thrown against the house. This is just a sampling of what goes on, and we cannot afford to sell and move. No one is buying in this rural area and we are stuck. I have been recently diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome on top of a general anxiety disorder, I also have stomach problems and cant sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time. That is how I am being harassed. I am told by the police that I cannot use cameras now to make a record of what is being done to me. The Police are complicit, and an attorney here tells me to contact a civil rights attorney and he says he cant do anything. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND CRIMINAL that this can happen in this country.

 

[msiron]

You need a civil rights lawyer, keep trying to find one. Instead of calling, send letters to everyone in the yellow pages, (outline all these incidences, (copies of police reports) hopefully one is bound to help you.)

The cops are outright lying to you which from everything you state that is happening doesn't surprise me. You can videotape your property, inside and out, all you like. It sounds like you really need help fast since the whole village (town) is a bunch of prejudice nuts and hell bent on running you and your partner out of town.

Try the county bigwigs. Send certified letters and name 'names' at the local police department. You may need help from the media, so send them letters also. It can't hurt.

Put no trespassing signs in your yard. Be careful for your pups (poisoning) watch the pups at all times and take them with you when you leave. The meat thrown in your yard may have been laced with poison.

You've had breaking and entering, multiple assaults, and destruction of property... you need help. Keep trying. I wish you the best and you'd be very welcome to be my neighbor.