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Harassment by Neighbors

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M

MYFlorida

Guest
What is the name of your state? Florida

I live in a house with two other guys. All three of us, as well as our friends, are car enthusiasts. The three of us own a total of six vehicles, all of which run well. We regularly have two or more of the cars in the back yard to swap parts, repair broken pieces, add mods, etc. All of which is 100% legal. We occasionally have friends over and we all work on cars together.

One set of neighbors constantly calls every authority possible on us, however. Just today the police were called again, because I was cleaning my car in the (fenced) back yard. Yesterday they were called because I'd spraypainted the underhood to prevent rust. They claim we're running a business or disposing of oil incorrectly or polluting or making too much noise (note, we never work on the cars after dark). They routinely call the police and EPA on us and every time the police/EPA comes to check us out, they tell us everything we're doing is 100% legal.

Is there any way to stop this harassment? It's getting out of hand with having to prove that we're not doing anything wrong, almost daily.

Is there any remedy to this civil harassment?

Many thanks in advance.
 


I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
My response:

Ever heard of an "over and under" shotgun? How dare those damned neighbors complain about your engine noise, and other bullcrap you're doing to disturb them!

IAAL
 
M

MYFlorida

Guest
Actually, I've no idea what an "over and under" shotgun is. After reading some of your other replies, though, I have a feeling you're being facetious and sarcastic. ;)

Really, though, we don't make excessive noise and we contain all of our work to our own yard. Edit: Also, all of the complaints are about untrue things, such as us running a business - they know we aren't. Or about improperly disposing of oil - they know we aren't. They just want to harass us.

Is there a remedy? Or should I just suck it up and deal with the police every day?
 
Last edited:

I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
MYFlorida said:
Actually, I've no idea what an "over and under" shotgun is. After reading some of your other replies, though, I have a feeling you're being facetious and sarcastic. ;)

MY RESPONSE: Really? You read my other posts? Wow, it's nice to be read, and popular! Gee, do you really think I was being "facetious and sarcastic"? How could you tell? Could it be my use of the word "shotgun"?



Really, though, we don't make excessive noise and we contain all of our work to our own yard.

MY RESPONSE: Yeah, right. Says you! I'd bet if you asked your neighbors, they might have something different to say about your noise, and other bad neighbor actions! In other words, 4 guys in one house is a recipe for all sorts of bullcrap. Who the hell are YOU trying to kid?


Is there a remedy? Or should I just suck it up and deal with the police every day?

MY RESPONSE: Yes, there's a remedy. Do yourself and your neighbors a kindness - - move. Then, everything will stop. Four guys with hotrods in an otherwise quiet neighborhood are just a pain in the ass.

Here's the truth - - it's YOU and your roommates that are the trouble.

IAAL
 
Hey IAAL, in the part of Florida I call home three guys in a house who use the yard as a hobby shop and junk yard is the sign of a pretty good neighborhood. Done right with a washing machine and a couple of old refigerators it can be kind of artsy.

Besides moving is not always that easy, you have to get the tires inflated and Uncle Bubba to bring his truck in to pull the house away.

Alligatorob
 
S

Sarah12730

Guest
I understand where you're coming from. In your own yard, you have the right to do what you want. If you are not breaking the law, it doesn't matter what your neighbors think of your car hobby. We are actually going through something much the same, except our neighbors are my husband's stepmother's parents. And when complaining about my husband's car didn't work, they decided to make up stories about us dealing drugs. Now, we're embroiled in a fairly "heated" family "discussion" about the whole thing.

It all comes down to basic rights. If they don't like the fact that their neighbors work on cars, then THEY can suck it up and move. I get the feeling that if it weren't the cars, it would be something else. The grass not being mowed often enough, perhaps the vague "messy yard" complaint, maybe your phone rings too loud? Or perhaps you have too many people over sometimes.

Regardless, the neighbors should realize that unless they are *perfect* they should just hush up. And I would do as much asking around (especially to the police and other authorities they send out to your house) as to what you can do to stop these nuisance complaints.
 
T

tinkerbell967

Guest
Sarah is right. We have 2 houses on one lot. Our Landlord (our aunt) lives in the front and our family (her nephew and neice) lives in the back. Our neighbors make a whole heap of noise (the neighbors to our left sing kareoke till 2:30am every other night and our neighbors to the right starts their lawn mower and boat engine 6:30 in the morning the next day) yet they call the cops on us because when my boyfriend starts his car they claim his muffler is too loud or that we're constantly burning rubber or street racing up and down the street (which is not true-how can it be when at the times the cops come by he's at work??) all because my boyfriend drag races on a legal drag strip. Yet the neighbor up our road can speed down the road (b/c for sure they ain't going 20) and nobody cares.

It's an unfair world and I'm pretty sure something can be done in your situation. The last time the cops visited our house they said if we can prove who's making the calls we can press harrassment charges. I'm not too sure how true that is. I completely understand where you're coming from though. This might not help you out, but I just wanted to let you know you're not alone.
 
O

oberauerdorf

Guest
In your own yard, you have the right to do what you want.
What kind of crap is that? Of course you can't 'do what you want' in your own yard, in your own house or in your own mind.

Geeez, so the next thing you'll tell me is you can kill someone as long as it's in your own yard, or gun your engine at 2 a.m. as long as it's in your own yard.

The fact is, you cannot do as you please 'in your own yard' if it creates a public nusiance.

As to the original poster:
We regularly have two or more of the cars in the back yard to swap parts, repair broken pieces, add mods, etc. All of which is 100% legal.
You said it's 100% legal to have non-operational vehicles in the back yard to 'swap parts'. O.K. giving you the benefit of the doubt, cite the city code or state statute that says it's legal.

Is there any remedy to this civil harassment?
Yes.
 
S

Sarah12730

Guest
When I say that "you can do what you want in your own yard" I mean that you can do whatever you want to on your own property that is legal. Of course, you cannot kill people on your property simply because it is your property. But, you can repair vehicles if it is permissible by law, you can sunbathe if you're not exposing yourself to neighbors, etc. If what is going on in these THREE cases is true, then you should ALL be afraid of where the law is going. If we don't have the right to do whatever legal practices we choose on our own property, then what sort of country are we living in?
 

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