Slandering my house?

[scobb99]

What is the name of your state? Florida

I am not sure what category this falls under but I recently discovered that the man who lives across the street from 6 affordable houses that I built has been warning off prospective buyers, telling them [untruthfully] that there is a lot of drug dealing in the neighborhood.

I am appalled by this behavior, which is costing me deep in the purse as the saying goes. He seems driven by his annoyance that I built houses on what was for many years a vacant [though trash strewn lot]. I am at a loss as to what to do about him. The houses are a great buy, with free down payments available through a state program, but only one has sold in the 12 months since they were completed (and that buyer happens to be deaf, which may explain why she never heard this guy's lies).

Stephen

 

[xylene]

This is the hazards of speculative real estate.

Your houses may not be selling because of the flat, soft market.

Do you really think this old coot is having that much influence?

He is perfectly free to air his opinions about the problems with drugs.

That isn't slander or Libel.

He could even say he thinks you are selling them to druggies (not slander or libel)

Slander or Libel would be this guy asserting you are selling these homes to drug dealers for a cut of their profits.

Get the idea.

 

[scobb99]

>This is the hazards of speculative real estate.

I fully understand the risks of speculative real estate but we had a lot of people interested in buying houses in this area and price range [which we are the only builder serving, everyone else around here builds more expensive homes] before we built them.

>Your houses may not be selling because of the flat, soft market.

Possible, but...

>Do you really think this old coot is having that much influence?

Well he's not old, but he is making a difference. The buyer who backed out today told us that she did so specifically because of what this guy said.

>He is perfectly free to air his opinions about the problems with drugs

Well, apart from the fact that he is lying about the problem, because there is no problem, he is akin to me standing outside a grocery store and telling every who goes in that all the food in the store is poisoned. I have to think there are some limits that kind of behavior.

Or is the answer for me to picket where he works with signs saying he is telling lies to people to keep his street unpopulated? Would that be legal?

S.

 

[TomD1974]

Well, apart from the fact that he is lying about the problem, because there is no problem, he is akin to me standing outside a grocery store and telling every who goes in that all the food in the store is poisoned. I have to think there are some limits that kind of behavior.

Your analogy brings up the question as to how he is able to tell these prospective buyers. Is he coming onto your property to intercept people with his rants? If yes, you at least have a tresspassing complaint. Otherwise, if he is standing in his yard yelling at visitors, he is likely to be breaking more than one local ordinance by doing that.

Otherwise, I believe as do others, that some of this could be a misperception on your part. The idea that instead of the above scenarios, people are seeking out his "advice" behind your back is dubious, to say the least.

 

[quincy]

The smart home purchaser investigates a neighborhood prior to purchasing a home.

Even if what this neighbor says is false, a prospective buyer may not want this odd fellow as a neighbor. If there are houses where owners keep old cars in the yards, or there is a neighbor with a lot of blue plastic tarps covering yard garbage, or a neighbor has a pen full of pit bulls, or the house is on a busy street corner, or even if a house is located across from an excellent elementary school or there is a church in the area or a city park, a purchaser may not want the noise of school children or additonal cars in the area every Sunday or people picnicking across the street - any of these factors can determine whether a person will consider purchasing a home or not. Especially in a real estate market where there are a lot of houses to choose from, one strange guy across the street may make the difference between the purchase of a house or not, whether he is yelling about drug deals or merely swinging on a porch swing.

There is no defamation when someone spouts opinions about the area they live in, even if his comments are hurting your sales.

 

[Quaere]

You don't have a defamation claim but that does not mean you have no recourse. Research "Tortious Interference".

Tortious interference with business relationships occurs where the tortfeasor acts to prevent the plaintiff from successfully establishing or maintaining business relationships.

 

[seniorjudge]

You don't have a defamation claim but that does not mean you have no recourse. Research "Tortious Interference".

Tortious interference with business relationships occurs where the tortfeasor acts to prevent the plaintiff from successfully establishing or maintaining business relationships.

And maybe these people are not buying because of the coot (old or young) who is telling these tales. Maybe they don't believe the tales but they sure don't want to be in a neighborhood with him!

 

[Quaere]

And maybe these people are not buying because of the coot (old or young) who is telling these tales. Maybe they don't believe the tales but they sure don't want to be in a neighborhood with him!

Exactly. It would be easy enough for OP to warn prospective buyers that there is an old coot that will lie to them but that in itself could scare potential buyers.

There is certainly nothing new about this type of problem and I'm sure there is a remedy specific to real estate law. OP, try reposting your question in the real estate forum.