Harassment/Vandalism

[Marlboroman]

New Jersey. This is a complicated issue for me that probably would be a police matter. My neighbor has been harassing me for many years now and in the past few years has been causing problems for the people on the opposite side of my property. Among other things, he has caused thousands of dollars in damage due to vandalism. The Linden N.J. police have been called on several occasions due to his actions. My neighbor and I have no video prof of what may be referred to as criminal mischief on his behalf. I personally witnessed this man kicking down my yard gate. He also has a sign on his fence facing my property that reads "Pervert". As I stated we have no concrete evidence to support our claims. However, I do know his reasons for vengeance, though I'm not saying they are valid. What we mostly have is circumstantial evidence. You can know when someone is guilty as sin, but how do you prove it? This viscous individual should definitely not be allowed to get away with the acts he has committed.

 

[Just Blue]

New Jersey. This is a complicated issue for me that probably would be a police matter. My neighbor has been harassing me for many years now and in the past few years has been causing problems for the people on the opposite side of my property. Among other things, he has caused thousands of dollars in damage due to vandalism. The Linden N.J. police have been called on several occasions due to his actions. My neighbor and I have no video prof of what may be referred to as criminal mischief on his behalf. I personally witnessed this man kicking down my yard gate. He also has a sign on his fence facing my property that reads "Pervert". As I stated we have no concrete evidence to support our claims. However, I do know his reasons for vengeance, though I'm not saying they are valid. What we mostly have is circumstantial evidence. You can know when someone is guilty as sin, but how do you prove it? This viscous individual should definitely not be allowed to get away with the acts he has committed.

I suggest putting up security cameras around your property. If he does this again you will then have proof.

 

[adjusterjack]

Yep, cameras.

 

[Marlboroman]

It's funny you should say that because two years ago there was extreme act of vandalism committed against myself and my neighbors property. Somehow this individual knew either us was not at home. I did in fact install cameras on 4 corners of my house after said incident. It only served to enraged the neighbor from hell even further. The vandalism continued, and I was accused of using the cameras to watch his daughter sunbath in his back yard. His favorite means of causing damage is to throw very large landscaping stones in the direction of our property's. He uses the very same stones for his landscaping. I have had 2 windshields broken on my truck. Somehow he manages to evade being seen by my cameras.

 

[LdiJ]

It's funny you should say that because two years ago there was extreme act of vandalism committed against myself and my neighbors property. Somehow this individual knew either us was not at home. I did in fact install cameras on 4 corners of my house after said incident. It only served to enraged the neighbor from hell even further. The vandalism continued, and I was accused of using the cameras to watch his daughter sunbath in his back yard. His favorite means of causing damage is to throw very large landscaping stones in the direction of our property's. He uses the very same stones for his landscaping. I have had 2 windshields broken on my truck. Somehow he manages to evade being seen by my cameras.

Then your placement of the cameras may not be good or you may need more cameras. Obviously you have some blind spots.

 

[adjusterjack]

I had some really lousy neighbors. Real trash. Violent kids. Ugly yard.

I eventually realized they would outlive and outlast me so I sold my house and moved.

Hint.

 

[quincy]

New Jersey. This is a complicated issue for me that probably would be a police matter. My neighbor has been harassing me for many years now and in the past few years has been causing problems for the people on the opposite side of my property. Among other things, he has caused thousands of dollars in damage due to vandalism. The Linden N.J. police have been called on several occasions due to his actions. My neighbor and I have no video prof of what may be referred to as criminal mischief on his behalf. I personally witnessed this man kicking down my yard gate. He also has a sign on his fence facing my property that reads "Pervert". As I stated we have no concrete evidence to support our claims. However, I do know his reasons for vengeance, though I'm not saying they are valid. What we mostly have is circumstantial evidence. You can know when someone is guilty as sin, but how do you prove it? This viscous individual should definitely not be allowed to get away with the acts he has committed.

Can anyone but you see the “pervert” sign? What is that all about?

Defamation is the publication of false statements of fact, to someone other than the person who is the subject of the falsehood, that causes demonstrable harm to the reputation of the person targeted.

Here is a link that describes the elements of defamation in New Jersey that must be met to have a successful claim:

https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/assets/civilcharges/2.16.pdf?c=gzK

Your description of the incidents with your neighbor sounds less like defamation (with the possible exception of the sign) than it does harassment. Capturing the vandalism on camera will help support a legal action (e.g., a civil suit to recover damages; a criminal action if evidence can be obtained).

 

[stealth2]

Can anyone but you see the “pervert” sign? What is that all about?

Probably because neighbor thinks OP is watching the daughter sunbathe?

 

[quincy]

Probably because neighbor thinks OP is watching the daughter sunbathe?

That could be. The neighbor should be careful with the wording on his sign, if that is the case. Without explanation, the label “pervert” is problematic.

 

[Marlboroman]

I feel I need to explain the situation in more detail. When you live next to someone for 25 years, you get to know them pretty well. He has always had an attitude problem and a sense of entitlement. Hurray for me and screw you. It is only in the past 10 years I began having a lot of problems with him. An example of his ways to get at me would be to trap a possum and let it die in the cage, and then I would find it on my front lawn in the morning. The animal trap was in plain view on his property. It wasn't hard to figure out where the possum came from or how it got there. Littering my front lawn or throwing refuse over his fence into my yard is a habit with him. The more serious problems began 2 years ago on Easter Sunday. The person in question is a carpenter and handyman by trade. A vacant house next-door to mine was put up for sale more or less as a handyman special. I can only speculate that he desperately wanted to buy the property. His bid was turned down in favor of another buyer. A month later, it was discovered 2 sides of the house had been covered in used motor oil. An educated guess would be 5 gallons. 6 window screens were slashed, and MS 13 was scratched into the glass of several windows. I was renting a space at the back of the owners driveway for a vehicle I own. It was also covered in oil, and damaged from large landscaping stones that I can only surmise were thrown from the suspects back yard. There continued to be numerous rock attacks up until only recently resulting in serious property damage. My new neighbor recently witnessed rocks sailing over his house one night coming from the direction of the suspects home. He owns a detailing business next to his property and I can only imagine the intent was to damage vehicles that were parked there. Yes, I was accused of using my cameras to spy on him and his family. I lost my wife 2 years ago, and this man is robbing me of what little quality of life I have left. He cannot be reasoned with. God knows I've tried. If I was able to file charges against this man with the police, the repercussions on my part would most likely be drastic.

 

[Marlboroman]

Can anyone but you see the “pervert” sign? What is that all about?

Defamation is the publication of false statements of fact, to someone other than the person who is the subject of the falsehood, that causes demonstrable harm to the reputation of the person targeted.

Here is a link that describes the elements of defamation in New Jersey that must be met to have a successful claim:

https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/assets/civilcharges/2.16.pdf?c=gzK

Your description of the incidents with your neighbor sounds less like defamation (with the possible exception of the sign) than it does harassment. Capturing the vandalism on camera will help support a legal action (e.g., a civil suit to recover damages; a criminal action if evidence can be obtained).

Two of my other neighbors can see it!

 

[quincy]

Two of my other neighbors can see it!

You can (and should) continue to report any vandalism and property damage to the police (and to your insurer) but, with no evidence that your neighbor is the one responsible for the damage, the police can do little other than record the incident. You need more than suspicion to back up a claim.

Using surveillance cameras, as suggested earlier by “Just Blue,” seems to make the most sense. You need to position your cameras so they pick up activity around your home (public street, sidewalks, yards), being careful not to intrude on the privacy of your neighbors (no focus on windows, home interiors, or other areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy).

You might want to check if your city or county has a private outdoor video surveillance camera registry where you can register your surveillance equipment. This could help protect you from false claims made by your neighbor that you are “spying” on his daughter.

As to defamation, it sounds as if your neighbor is already well known in your neighborhood as being an unpleasant and unreasonable sort. The sign probably reflects more poorly on him than it does on you.

You can consult with an attorney in your area for a personal look at the properties and the sign and for a closer review of the specifics, to determine better if there are any other options available to you that have been overlooked by us here.

I am sorry to hear about the death of your wife.