neighbor vandalized my floodlight, my options?

[MNgopher]

The one last piece I'll leave here is this:

If the first contact your neighbor gets on this issue is from the police / HOA / Code Enforcement / Sheriff, do you think the neighbor won't know who called them in? How will things be between you two after that?

And the Vice President / President / CEO title is actually common with complaints we receive - often these are folks who want to be or have to be in control - even when its in the neighbors yard that they don't control and there aren't laws / rules / ordinances / codes against it.

I don't think I'm manlier or braver than anyone else. I'm just not afraid to have an honest conversation with a neighbor if it needs to be had - and clearly it does here. That's it - nothing deeper. I'd expect a neighbor who has an issue with me to come talk rather than do these silly things.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Andrew, I think you need to move to Canada. You strike me as a really nice guy that lives in a very [censored] place. I for one, would love to have you up here.


Nice thing to say Overkill.

I have a lot of respect for Canadians and Canada as a whole. No....not crazy about the political leanings....but the people and the society seem real decent. You folks always seem well mannered, polite, and more civilized than you get credit for.



Perhaps Alberta would suit you?

The gulf islands no doubt would not. I know someone who was welcomed to the neighborhood with a group hug.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha...that was funny! A group hug? Ha ha ha....seriously???

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
The one last piece I'll leave here is this:

If the first contact your neighbor gets on this issue is from the police / HOA / Code Enforcement / Sheriff, do you think the neighbor won't know who called them in? How will things be between you two after that?

And the Vice President / President / CEO title is actually common with complaints we receive - often these are folks who want to be or have to be in control - even when its in the neighbors yard that they don't control and there aren't laws / rules / ordinances / codes against it.

I don't think I'm manlier or braver than anyone else. I'm just not afraid to have an honest conversation with a neighbor if it needs to be had - and clearly it does here. That's it - nothing deeper. I'd expect a neighbor who has an issue with me to come talk rather than do these silly things.


The neighbor already BLEW his chance to be treated like a decent, NORMAL man.

He's shown that HE is not honest at all and NOT worthy of being treated like he is honest. He's not.

Talk to him? Why? So it can turn into him accusing the OP of something like harassment or trespassing? A control freak or nut job (as this fella seems to indicate he is) would love an opportunity to accuse the OP of something like that.

I would NEVER have expected a neighbor to come over to my home (repeatedly) and knock/ring the door then run! That is HIGHLY weird. Unscrewing the bulb is also strange.

Nope...I'd stay clear of the weirdo and record what he does for the police. Let them warn him to knock it off.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: andrewg


The neighbor already BLEW his chance to be treated like a decent, NORMAL man.

He's shown that HE is not honest at all and NOT worthy of being treated like he is honest. He's not.

Talk to him? Why? So it can turn into him accusing the OP of something like harassment or trespassing? A control freak or nut job (as this fella seems to indicate he is) would love an opportunity to accuse the OP of something like that.

I would NEVER have expected a neighbor to come over to my home (repeatedly) and knock/ring the door then run! That is HIGHLY weird. Unscrewing the bulb is also strange.

Nope...I'd stay clear of the weirdo and record what he does for the police. Let them warn him to knock it off.



You "get it" and have large amounts of common sense.

Thank you.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
And the Vice President / President / CEO title is actually common with complaints we receive - often these are folks who want to be or have to be in control - even when its in the neighbors yard that they don't control and there aren't laws / rules / ordinances / codes against it.


At some companies, they hand out the title of VP to low level employees so that their customers will be impressed that they're working with a VP. For instance, Goldman Sachs has 33k employees in 2011 and 12k of them were VPs.

 

[geeman789]

Your neighbor doesn't like your lights, but won't speak to you about his concerns, but will trespass and "modify..." your lights...

You have a problem...

You need to at least try to talk to him, politely, and maybe record it... hopefully you can work something out... if not, the next step is to talk to him more firmly, and mention a camera and the police... last step, if the issue persists, is the camera images and the police...

But if talking to him politely doesn't work, it is very likely that, regardless of the next steps, you will be enemies for the foreseeable future... and that can lead to bigger and bigger issues, until somebody finally moves.... or worse.

Remember, he knows where you live, what your routine is, who your wife is etc. And if provoked, he may do something much worse than unscrewing your lights...

They say tall fences make the best neighbors. Sadly, sometimes it's true.

 

[antiqueshell]

Something tells me that this guy has a past history of issues, and likely has a police record. Don't bother to engage him, it won;t solve the problem, call the police and have them act as go between. This way the trouble making idiot knows that serious consequences will be had if he does trespass on the property the next time. Because of his repeated trespass, vandalism, and harassment, this issue has gone beyond neighborly discussion.

If cute wants have the police ask the moron if he has an issue that they can relay back to him. But the looking threat of law enforcement is many times enough to deter more actions.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: bradepb
Strange way for your neighbor to act but I totally get the annoying lights thing. Why do people feel they have to light up there yard like Vegas?
The two single girls next door have 3 large dogs and there yard is lit up with halogen spotlights. I cant enjoy my yard at night or the stars. I have lived here for over 30 years and have never heard of any crime.
Same here. City folk move out here then light up the place all night long like vegas, complain about the smell of chickens, cows etc.


LoL..."city folk"? What are you...Ma and Pa Kettle?

This guy lives in a development that came with floodlights already installed.

Lights equal a measure of security. In case you haven;'t been off the "farm" lately, people get murdered and broken into constantly. Unlocked doors and/or windows are one bog cause...the other is not having outdoor lighting.

I'll tell you what....if you ever have the misfortune of being robbed or attacked in the middle of the night, you'll change your mind about living in the 1950's and realize how dangerous people are. You'll install lights and an alarm system, buy guns, and get a big dog...all within a week.
I have lights. I can and have turned them on if needed. Our houses here are all on 5 acre parcels,unlit dirt roads etc. We watch each others backs and we all have dogs that let us know if some one is snooping around. I also have guns.in fact we have shot Clays at various neighbors houses including mine in the past. I also have motion sensor alarms and lights. IMO light on all night long just make it easier for a creeper to get around.

One simply can't move around here in the dark with out getting stuck in a patch of jumping cholla ,twisting an ankle on a rock or riling up someone's dogs.

We don't live like its 1950's...more like 1880's. We have ways of dealing with trouble makers...I'm sure you saw on the news how our police deal with a horse theif.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
The one last piece I'll leave here is this:

If the first contact your neighbor gets on this issue is from the police / HOA / Code Enforcement / Sheriff, do you think the neighbor won't know who called them in? How will things be between you two after that?



Do you mean there's a chance he could lose the wonderful relationship they have now?

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
A 40-50 year old man acting this way is not socially normal.

Correct, but that doesn't mean he's mentally unstable.

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
I am a VERY easy person to get along with IF you follow the law, and western societal norms.

But you'll gladly compromise your integrity if those around you don't follow the norms. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Something tells me that this guy has a past history of issues, and likely has a police record.

I'd love to know what this wild assumption is based on.

To the OP, if I were in your shoes, I'd read everything Antigueshell post, and do the opposite.

 

[onemig]

I have read the entire thread and have an idea how you could engage in a mature conversation with your neighbor.

One poster mentioned sending a letter to the neighbor. How about sending one to him and posting a letter on the light fixture and next to the doorbell button saying something like " Hi, from what I have been observing, you seem to have a problem with my lights. I honestly think that they are fine the way they are set up. I would like to see/know the issue from your point of view so we can come to a solution. Please, don't hesitate to call/talk etc. to me."

In doing the above, you avoid the risk of him accusing you of threats etc. and you also have proof that you tried to come to a solution if he still persists with his behavior.

 

[Trav]

If you catch him just send him home looking like this guy.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Trav
If you catch him just send him home looking like this guy.

Uncle Fester, my hero.

 

[Al]

Sign up for a short subscription of http://www.spokeo.com/
For an additional $25 you can find everything there is to know about this nut.
The report will tell you if it is prudent to deal with the guy.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: bradepb
Strange way for your neighbor to act but I totally get the annoying lights thing. Why do people feel they have to light up there yard like Vegas?
The two single girls next door have 3 large dogs and there yard is lit up with halogen spotlights. I cant enjoy my yard at night or the stars. I have lived here for over 30 years and have never heard of any crime.
Same here. City folk move out here then light up the place all night long like vegas, complain about the smell of chickens, cows etc.


LoL..."city folk"? What are you...Ma and Pa Kettle?

This guy lives in a development that came with floodlights already installed.

Lights equal a measure of security. In case you haven;'t been off the "farm" lately, people get murdered and broken into constantly. Unlocked doors and/or windows are one bog cause...the other is not having outdoor lighting.

I'll tell you what....if you ever have the misfortune of being robbed or attacked in the middle of the night, you'll change your mind about living in the 1950's and realize how dangerous people are. You'll install lights and an alarm system, buy guns, and get a big dog...all within a week.
I have lights. I can and have turned them on if needed. Our houses here are all on 5 acre parcels,unlit dirt roads etc. We watch each others backs and we all have dogs that let us know if some one is snooping around. I also have guns.in fact we have shot Clays at various neighbors houses including mine in the past. I also have motion sensor alarms and lights. IMO light on all night long just make it easier for a creeper to get around.

One simply can't move around here in the dark with out getting stuck in a patch of jumping cholla ,twisting an ankle on a rock or riling up someone's dogs.

We don't live like its 1950's...more like 1880's. We have ways of dealing with trouble makers...I'm sure you saw on the news how our police deal with a horse theif.


Your community is so far removed from what the OP is dealing with that it's like apples and oranges.

Security measures, terrain, neighbor relations....just about everything.

I know what cholla is as well...very nasty stuff.

Sounds like you have it very nice....don't ever move.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Something tells me that this guy has a past history of issues, and likely has a police record. Don't bother to engage him, it won;t solve the problem, call the police and have them act as go between. This way the trouble making idiot knows that serious consequences will be had if he does trespass on the property the next time. Because of his repeated trespass, vandalism, and harassment, this issue has gone beyond neighborly discussion.

If cute wants have the police ask the moron if he has an issue that they can relay back to him. But the looking threat of law enforcement is many times enough to deter more actions.


I actually agree with you on this.

I think once the neighbor realizes he's been recorded and the police warn him....I would be willing to bet that he stops.

If not, it seems like a fairly simple case for law enforcement and legal action.

 

[Cutehumor]

I called the HOA who manages dozens of properties in our area. The service rep answers first. I told him the situation where I think the neighbor has damaged my floodlight to point straight down. the rep said "oh, that's vandalism". I asked if there was any regulations about floodlights for my subdivision. the HOA rep said not that he knows of. I asked if it is ok to put a surveillance camera in my own backyard. He said I needed to talk to the property manager for my subdivision about putting up a camera. He ended our call and transferred my phone call to the property manager. There was no answer, I left a message for the HOA property manager to call me back.

 

[Mr Nice]

Install camera and film this idiot. Then call police and show them your video.

Why go to HOA???

 

[Nick1994]

You need permission to put a camera up on YOUR property? What kind of communistic neighborhood is this? Just another reason for me to add to my list of why I will NEVER live in an HOA.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Install camera and film this idiot. Then call police and show them your video.

Why go to HOA???


Yea really. I have found if you ask for permission for something that you could logically do anyway...you will get answers you don't want to hear. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.