• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

And the Drama Continues

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

JoDa

Member
Like a large portion of the Eastern part of the US, we had a nice day today. Nearly 70 here in DC! So I went out in the yard with my dog (ONLY my dog) for a while. A neighbor came by with his dogs (2), and I invited him into the yard to let our dogs play and have a beer (him, not the dogs, of course!), and then another dog owner in my building came out with her dog, so we had 4 dogs in the yard for a short time. Of course, during the 30 minutes we were chatting and letting our dogs play (with 3 owners supervising 4 dogs), neighborhood busybody came limping by and AGAIN called the police, again claiming that "aggressive dogs were threatening her." You might think she watches and waits for an opportunity to complain...

BUT, this one backfired on her. After confirming that the dogs were contained and supervised, the police told her they had previous complaints about her harassing dog owners at our address, and she either needed to move on or be arrested for making false complaints. She started to throw a fit, but once one of the officers got his cuffs out, she scoffed something about "these newcomers having no respect" and moved on. I think I might have actually won the war. I mean, the police and AC never had any problem with me, but, damn, they threatened to arrest her! Once she ambled away, the police told me that they were just generally sick of her. She has, apparently, complained about anyone who moved into the neighborhood with a dog/got a new dog during the whole *2* years she has lived here (such a "longtime resident"...while I have only lived in my *current* home for a couple of months, I've lived in the neighborhood at large for over 3x longer than she has), but I've been the only one to follow through with a complaint against *her.*

So, I guess, don't back down, if you're doing nothing wrong. Your complaints mean just as much, to a reasonable police force.
 


quincy

Senior Member
Like a large portion of the Eastern part of the US, we had a nice day today. Nearly 70 here in DC! So I went out in the yard with my dog (ONLY my dog) for a while. A neighbor came by with his dogs (2), and I invited him into the yard to let our dogs play and have a beer (him, not the dogs, of course!), and then another dog owner in my building came out with her dog, so we had 4 dogs in the yard for a short time. Of course, during the 30 minutes we were chatting and letting our dogs play (with 3 owners supervising 4 dogs), neighborhood busybody came limping by and AGAIN called the police, again claiming that "aggressive dogs were threatening her." You might think she watches and waits for an opportunity to complain...

BUT, this one backfired on her. After confirming that the dogs were contained and supervised, the police told her they had previous complaints about her harassing dog owners at our address, and she either needed to move on or be arrested for making false complaints. She started to throw a fit, but once one of the officers got his cuffs out, she scoffed something about "these newcomers having no respect" and moved on. I think I might have actually won the war. I mean, the police and AC never had any problem with me, but, damn, they threatened to arrest her! Once she ambled away, the police told me that they were just generally sick of her. She has, apparently, complained about anyone who moved into the neighborhood with a dog/got a new dog during the whole *2* years she has lived here (such a "longtime resident"...while I have only lived in my *current* home for a couple of months, I've lived in the neighborhood at large for over 3x longer than she has), but I've been the only one to follow through with a complaint against *her.*

So, I guess, don't back down, if you're doing nothing wrong. Your complaints mean just as much, to a reasonable police force.
I am glad to hear that the police responded as they did. I hope for peace in your neighborhood from here on out, JoDa.



Here are links to the two now-closed threads on JoDa's situation with her neighbor:

https://forum.freeadvice.com/libel-slander-defamation-88/neighbor-scared-my-dog-calls-police-repeatedly-611776.html

https://forum.freeadvice.com/libel-slander-defamation-88/washington-d-c-s-animal-laws-611876.html
 
Last edited:

JoDa

Member
And, really, peace is all I want. As I told the police before, if there are specific times that she wants to walk by, I'd be happy to keep my dog inside/away during those times, so long as they are short and specific. If she would say "I need to go catch the bus between 8 and 8:30 AM, and walk home from the bus between 6 and 6:30 PM, weekdays; and need to go to the grocery store between 2 and 3 PM and return between 5 and 6 PM on weekends;" guess what, I would actually keep my dog inside or walk him on-leash, away from my yard/her route during those times! I'm not totally unsympathetic to people who are afraid of dogs. But "anytime I want to walk by" *my* yard is not a "reasonable accommodation" to her fear. I'm not a "bad neighbor"...heck, I invited a neighbor to sit and have a beer with me and chatted with him and another this afternoon. Most of my neighbors know me by face and name after only 8 months in my current home. *I WATCH NEIGHBORS DOGS AND THEY WATCH MINE WHEN WE TRAVEL OR ARE OTHERWISE BUSY.* I need someone to let my dog out/walk him over a weekend coming up (I am doing something local, but it will keep me away from home 12+ hours/day), and I had no fewer than three neighbors offer to do it, because they know I would do the same for them...
 

quincy

Senior Member
And, really, peace is all I want. As I told the police before, if there are specific times that she wants to walk by, I'd be happy to keep my dog inside/away during those times, so long as they are short and specific. If she would say "I need to go catch the bus between 8 and 8:30 AM, and walk home from the bus between 6 and 6:30 PM, weekdays; and need to go to the grocery store between 2 and 3 PM and return between 5 and 6 PM on weekends;" guess what, I would actually keep my dog inside or walk him on-leash, away from my yard/her route during those times! I'm not totally unsympathetic to people who are afraid of dogs. But "anytime I want to walk by" *my* yard is not a "reasonable accommodation" to her fear. I'm not a "bad neighbor"...heck, I invited a neighbor to sit and have a beer with me and chatted with him and another this afternoon. Most of my neighbors know me by face and name after only 8 months in my current home. *I WATCH NEIGHBORS DOGS AND THEY WATCH MINE WHEN WE TRAVEL OR ARE OTHERWISE BUSY.* I need someone to let my dog out/walk him over a weekend coming up (I am doing something local, but it will keep me away from home 12+ hours/day), and I had no fewer than three neighbors offer to do it, because they know I would do the same for them...
I am glad all seems to be resolved. Good luck.
 

JoDa

Member
She apparently took the lesson to heart, since I had my dog out in the yard (fully supervised, only my dog) around 6:30 this evening, and she just strolled by without comment or hassle. She didn't even freak out when my dog ran up to the fence and wagged his tail at her.

But, man, a politically connected B got the police to execute a no-knock warrant for "suspected animal abuse" just last week (no knock warrants are banned in DC), and he is currently out on large bail and his dog is being detained as evidence, because of a political beef. This happened only a half-mile from my house. I love this city, but situations like this worry me. You make the right connections, and then the authorities bow to your will...
 

quincy

Senior Member
She apparently took the lesson to heart, since I had my dog out in the yard (fully supervised, only my dog) around 6:30 this evening, and she just strolled by without comment or hassle. She didn't even freak out when my dog ran up to the fence and wagged his tail at her.

But, man, a politically connected B got the police to execute a no-knock warrant for "suspected animal abuse" just last week (no knock warrants are banned in DC), and he is currently out on large bail and his dog is being detained as evidence, because of a political beef. This happened only a half-mile from my house. I love this city, but situations like this worry me. You make the right connections, and then the authorities bow to your will...
That unfortunately can be true wherever you live.

I am glad that all has calmed down with your neighbor and that your tail-wagging dog is not resulting in a 911 call. That is a plus. :)
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top