I live in Massachusetts, and have been friends with my next door neighbors for the 10 years I've owned my house. Last year, because of our long friendship, I agreed to their request to temporarily host their homeless friend's trailer on their side of our joint gravel driveway. This is one short, narrow driveway, of which we both own half, and it is my only access from the street to the steps to my house. We're not sure where the exact property line is, but I can guestimate within a few inches. The trailer turned out to be quite large, and if it isn't partially covering my property, then he at least needs to use my side of the driveway in order to access his vehicle.
At first, he seemed very grateful to have a safe place to fix up his trailer engine so that he could move to a warmer climate, but now it seems like he's planning to stay for good. Within the past few weeks, he has begun to refer to the ground surrounding his trailer as "my property," and has started to spread out. Without my permission, I discovered that while I'm at work, he had been tying his two dogs to a tree in my yard, allowing them access to the one walkway that leads to my steps. My grass was turning yellow in patches, and then I stepped into a pile of feces. I requested that he not tie his dogs on my property; explaining that being pregnant, I must avoid outdoor animal feces which could cause birth defects. He finally did move them, but not without a heated argument. He then refused to move his trailer, claiming that it "didn't run" when I had a work crew digging up my driveway trying to install a new septic and water system. On top of that, one evening I found him helping himself to a pile of gravel that the workmen had left behind for use the next day. When I asked him to stop taking it, he refused, and continued to shovel out the pile in order to improve "his" driveway. Last weekend, he left a bucket filled with human feces next to my car for two days during the hot, muggy weather (on "his" property, of course.) When I attempted to discuss the situation with my neighbor and pointed out the bucket of feces, she told me that she didn't have a problem with this, turned her back on me and went into her house. The matter is clearly not up for discussion.
I have never agreed to host a permanent residence for him, and now after he has resided here for a year and a half, he has become a nuisance and even a hazard. He seems a bit unhinged, and I want him out of my driveway. My neighbors do not have another convenient space for him elsewhere on their property, and I'm sure they won't acquiesce without a fight. They and their guest are very popular in our close-knit town, and I don't want to look like the bad guy kicking out the poor homeless veteran. I'm also concerned about some sort of retaliation, though I don't know for sure if he would actually do this. I can't afford a lawyer at the moment. What should I do?
At first, he seemed very grateful to have a safe place to fix up his trailer engine so that he could move to a warmer climate, but now it seems like he's planning to stay for good. Within the past few weeks, he has begun to refer to the ground surrounding his trailer as "my property," and has started to spread out. Without my permission, I discovered that while I'm at work, he had been tying his two dogs to a tree in my yard, allowing them access to the one walkway that leads to my steps. My grass was turning yellow in patches, and then I stepped into a pile of feces. I requested that he not tie his dogs on my property; explaining that being pregnant, I must avoid outdoor animal feces which could cause birth defects. He finally did move them, but not without a heated argument. He then refused to move his trailer, claiming that it "didn't run" when I had a work crew digging up my driveway trying to install a new septic and water system. On top of that, one evening I found him helping himself to a pile of gravel that the workmen had left behind for use the next day. When I asked him to stop taking it, he refused, and continued to shovel out the pile in order to improve "his" driveway. Last weekend, he left a bucket filled with human feces next to my car for two days during the hot, muggy weather (on "his" property, of course.) When I attempted to discuss the situation with my neighbor and pointed out the bucket of feces, she told me that she didn't have a problem with this, turned her back on me and went into her house. The matter is clearly not up for discussion.
I have never agreed to host a permanent residence for him, and now after he has resided here for a year and a half, he has become a nuisance and even a hazard. He seems a bit unhinged, and I want him out of my driveway. My neighbors do not have another convenient space for him elsewhere on their property, and I'm sure they won't acquiesce without a fight. They and their guest are very popular in our close-knit town, and I don't want to look like the bad guy kicking out the poor homeless veteran. I'm also concerned about some sort of retaliation, though I don't know for sure if he would actually do this. I can't afford a lawyer at the moment. What should I do?
