When does this become harassment?

[Subjection1]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WI

I'm a homeowner of 19 years, and the people next to me (a house just a few feet away, literally) are renters who just moved in last November. They have an 11 year old that throws things around his yard and often hits my house. I'll be sitting in my home and suddenly hear a loud BANG, and then I go to the window to see what's going on. The kid is out there and knows what he did and frequently looks back at me through my window. This had been going on for several weeks until I finally told the kid to stop, which resulted in the parents banging on my front door and having a confrontation with me, which I made a video recording of.

Long story made short--I eventually was told by the mother that she doesn't want me looking at and "intimidating" her kid by looking out my window. She informed me that she called the police on me in the past and was advised to install a security camera, which is something I noticed aimed at my window about a week prior. She said that if she hears that I looked at her son again or say anything to him, she'll call the cops on me again. Since then, I've noticed the mother standing outside staring at my window for extended periods of time, and her son looking into my window whenever he walks past it. He even runs around my front yard with his dog. Doesn't seem very intimidated to me. He doesn't even clean up after the dog.

But I find myself afraid to look out the window now, or even sit out on my front porch lest the kid sees me and goes running to mommy and saying I'm looking at him and then have to end up on the defensive end of a police visit. The mother has this kid spoiled and believes everything he says, and he knows it. He even mouthed off at me after I had told him to stop throwing things at my house and said, "I'm calling the police!", just as his mom no doubt trained him to do.

What I'd like to know is when this whole thing officially becomes harassment by legal definition, and what the police would do about it. The mother apparently thinks it's ok to stand and stare at my windows and point a camera into them, but it's not ok for me to look out. I even noticed her staring at me while I was mowing my lawn last year. If she saw me doing that, she'd call the police on me. With Summer coming (eventually), I'll want to sit on my front porch, and the kid will be out there as well. I don't feel I should be afraid to do that. So, at what point are their actions officially considered harassment? At this point, it's hard to point to any one action and call it harassment, but all of it put together sure feels like it.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

You looking out your window will never be harassment or anything else illegal.

You should probably get your own security camera and video the little brat trying to damage your house.

 

[Zigner]

Every time something hits your house, call the cops.
Also, put up your own cameras.

 

[Subjection1]

You looking out your window will never be harassment or anything else illegal.

You should probably get your own security camera and video the little brat trying to damage your house.

Well, here's the thing with cameras. I actually had an incident about 13 years ago where a different tenant's kid in that same house did damage to the walkway between mine and their property. I didn't have any kind of camera to record the incident, so seeing it happen made no difference to the police or landlord and I had to pay half for the repairs. Afterwards, I got my first digital camera. Then the kid was outside doing the same thing as before that damaged the original walkway. I got my camera out and started recording. The kid saw me and ran to mother, and then I heard her knocking on my door. I didn't answer it. She moved a short time after all this. But I have a feeling she told other neighbors that I was filming her kid, which may have resulted in me having a bad reputation, and may have even gotten back to my current neighbor, which would explain her paranoia about me. So, having a camera pointed at their property seems like it would only reinforce what they think of me, even though they have a camera pointed at my window. This lady seems to have a double standard that way.

I was thinking of putting a camera in my window pointing back at theirs, but then they would have a picture of me pointing a camera out the window and could tell the police that it's "proof" that I'm filming her boy.

I'd like to also point out that I've drafted a letter to send to these people's landlord. I have a feeling he wouldn't want to have tenants causing neighbor problems like this. I was planning on sending it out if anything else happens.

 

[Zigner]

Well, here's the thing with cameras. I actually had an incident about 13 years ago where a different tenant's kid in that same house did damage to the walkway between mine and their property. I didn't have any kind of camera to record the incident, so seeing it happen made no difference to the police or landlord and I had to pay half for the repairs. Afterwards, I got my first digital camera. Then the kid was outside doing the same thing as before that damaged the original walkway. I got my camera out and started recording. The kid saw me and ran to mother, and then I heard her knocking on my door. I didn't answer it. She moved a short time after all this. But I have a feeling she told other neighbors that I was filming her kid, which may have resulted in me having a bad reputation, and may have even gotten back to my current neighbor, which would explain her paranoia about me. So, having a camera pointed at their property seems like it would only reinforce what they think of me, even though they have a camera pointed at my window. This lady seems to have a double standard that way.

I was thinking of putting a camera in my window pointing back at theirs, but then they would have a picture of me pointing a camera out the window and could tell the police that it's "proof" that I'm filming her boy.

I'd like to also point out that I've drafted a letter to send to these people's landlord. I have a feeling he wouldn't want to have tenants causing neighbor problems like this. I was planning on sending it out if anything else happens.

SMH...

Get security cameras. I'd think it was creepy if you stood there with a camcorder recording my kid too.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Well, here's the thing with cameras. I actually had an incident about 13 years ago where a different tenant's kid in that same house did damage to the walkway between mine and their property. I didn't have any kind of camera to record the incident, so seeing it happen made no difference to the police or landlord and I had to pay half for the repairs. Afterwards, I got my first digital camera. Then the kid was outside doing the same thing as before that damaged the original walkway. I got my camera out and started recording. The kid saw me and ran to mother, and then I heard her knocking on my door. I didn't answer it. She moved a short time after all this. But I have a feeling she told other neighbors that I was filming her kid, which may have resulted in me having a bad reputation, and may have even gotten back to my current neighbor, which would explain her paranoia about me. So, having a camera pointed at their property seems like it would only reinforce what they think of me, even though they have a camera pointed at my window. This lady seems to have a double standard that way.

I was thinking of putting a camera in my window pointing back at theirs, but then they would have a picture of me pointing a camera out the window and could tell the police that it's "proof" that I'm filming her boy.

I'd like to also point out that I've drafted a letter to send to these people's landlord. I have a feeling he wouldn't want to have tenants causing neighbor problems like this. I was planning on sending it out if anything else happens.

While a little creepy it isn't illegal to record someone from somewhere you have a legal right to be. But a security camera takes at least some of the creepy out of it.

Write the letter. NOW.

 

[Subjection1]

SMH...

Get security cameras. I'd think it was creepy if you stood there with a camcorder recording my kid too.

I'm glad you used the word "creepy". She actually said that she thinks it's creepy that I have my kitchen curtains open which face their house. I explained to her that it's my largest south-facing window that's unobstructed and I have the curtains open to let in sunlight. She argued that I don't need them open because I don't have any plants in there.

I guess some people think they have more of a right to look into my windows and aim a camera into them that I have the right to have curtains open and look out.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

You have no reason to be explaining anything to her. Write the letter and call the police any time the kid hits your house.

 

[Subjection1]

While a little creepy it isn't illegal to record someone from somewhere you have a legal right to be. But a security camera takes at least some of the creepy out of it.

Not being illegal, especially from inside my own house, is probably why the police didn't come when my neighbor from 13 years ago had a problem with it.

Write the letter. NOW.

Since the neighbor said she'd have the kid stay away from my house and be more careful, I thought I should hold off on that for right now. I'm hoping these people will keep their distance since our last confrontation. But the staring, and the threat that if I look at or say anything to her kid again that she'll call the cops is something that I'm not sure would be substantial enough to write about unless there's another incident. Even if she shouts something derogatory at me while I'm outside would qualify.

One more question: Would it be legal for me to post the video of that confrontation I recorded? I was hoping to get peoples' opinions about it and how I handled it.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

N

One more question: Would it be legal for me to post the video of that confrontation I recorded? I was hoping to get peoples' opinions about it and how I handled it.

Are you talking about the video from 13 years ago? If so, it is creepy that you still have it and nothing is going to be gained by us seeing it.

 

[STEPHAN]

Your hesitation is the problem. You need to know your rights and act accordingly.

Get security cameras. Call the police if they ever hit your house again.

 

[Zigner]

One more question: Would it be legal for me to post the video of that confrontation I recorded? I was hoping to get peoples' opinions about it and how I handled it.

Without touching on the legality...grow up. You don't have to post every single thing that happens in your life on the interwebs.

 

[Subjection1]

Are you talking about the video from 13 years ago? If so, it is creepy that you still have it and nothing is going to be gained by us seeing it.

No, no, no. Not that one. I barely even got anything that time. I'm referring to the one from my "conversation" with the current neighbors that happened on April 8th. I was wondering about the legality of posting it. I was thinking of putting it on Youtube and linking to it from there. That's the only way I know of to post a video. If there is another, I'm willing to hear about it.

 

[Subjection1]

Without touching on the legality...grow up. You don't have to post every single thing that happens in your life on the interwebs.

Perhaps not. But I was simply looking for some advice about it from people who could see it as it actually happened rather than my own view of it. Sometimes it's easier to judge something by seeing it for yourself rather than someone's own description of it.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

If you told her anything other than to keep your kid from hitting my house you handled it wrong. No need to see the video.