Jerk neighbors - what to do?

[lowkee]

Let me begin with saying I have an awesome oasis of a property. I spend 99% of my time here because it has everything I want. I have a pool, a garage, a privacy fence surrounding me and a great screen porch to chill in.

Enter my jerk neighbors...

One side has a dog which they let stand on a dirt mound in their yard and bark constantly over the privacy fence. So, not only is the barking annoying, it is always full volume (choc lab). This same neighbor walked over to my house not long ago and began listing the items I had to remove from 'her property', as she claimed she owned 10' of my property. So I ended up biting the bullet and hired a surveyor. Sure enough, it is my land, not hers. Money well spent? Not even close.

Behind me is the next jerk. This couple has a high-watt halogen spotlight aimed right at my house. Apparently they decided one day their own light was too bright, so they aimed the majority of it at my house so their yard would only get an afterglow. And not shockingly.. this neighbor also has a dog which barks incessantly at my fence. After asking this neighbor (politely, twice) to adjust his spotlight and quiet his dog, he has called code enforcement on me for every building in my yard, my screen porch and, once he realized that hadn't annoyed me enough, once again claiming my boat restore project was an unlicensed back yard boat business. The light is still aimed at my house and the dog still barks all of the time.

What is wrong with these people? Does no one think about others anymore?

I have tried going through the town to force him to shape up, but to no avail. They claim all they can do is 'ask' him to be a decent neighbor, since our town doesn't have any kind of ordinance against what he is doing. (They have an ordinance against spotlights if he was a business, but somehow the shortsighted board didn't think homeowners should be included). I am at the cusp of bringing him to small claims court. This is just retarded at this point. All of this just to enjoy my property without getting blinded or a headache or (usually) both.

Bah! Had to rant somewhere.

Any suggestions as to how to proceed? Anyone else in a similar situation?

 

[JB]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

What a great example of why I live on 120 acres in a modest "double wide".

None of my neighbors is closer than 1/2 mile and we all get along very well.

 

[natemoore]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Wow. I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I'm currently blessed with great neighbors on all sides and up and down the street, although someone did call the FL DOT on me when I put in some drainage pipes in a ditch running across my property without a permit. Nothing happened though except a visit by a permits engineer.

My previous home was on a canal. Beginning at around 5:45 a.m. and lasting to about 11:00 p.m., a boxer (dog) would post itself at the waterline across the canal and bark nonstop, 7 days a week. I used to lie in bed, fantasizing about how I would blacken my face, don my black wet suit and slip across the canal after dark with a piece of meat. My plan was to lure the dog to the waters edge with the meat, then grab his paw and pull him under to his watery grave.

I read about a fast growing tree called the "Austree." Seems cheaper than a 20' tall privacy fence.

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Austree.htm

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Man Lowkee.....what a bunch of jerks!

Want to borrow my 5mm? Its a high powered air rifle..would fix that spotlight in a hurry and a couple rounds in the barking dogs rear ends would change their attitude...

We have one neighbor behind us who moved in a couple years ago.
She is in real estate and the first thing she done was call the Sheriff about my van parked out back.She told them it was a junk vehicle.
The cop showed up wanting to know why i had a junk van in the yard.
I asked him what the heck he was talking about. It has legal tags,insurance and i opened the door,reached in and started it up.
Case closed!
Since then i have sold the van but parked an extra boat trailer,a jet ski, my travel trailer and my Chris Craft back there just to tick her off!

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Does your town have a noise ordinance? If so, video with sound the dog barking and file a complaint against the offender.

Buy a spotlight similar to your neighbor's and aim it right at their house. You'll turn yours off when they turn their's off.

MOVE!!!!!!

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Get a big mirror outside

 

[Landscaping Wiz 808]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Buy a spotlight similar to your neighbor's and aim it right at their house. You'll turn yours off when they turn their's off.

MOVE!!!!!!

Agreed, aim it exactly where theirs was originally pointed. That should solve that problem...or at least be a little bit satisfying.

I've found that when I get flustered de-carbing engines always soothes my nerves. You should give it a shot, but make sure to check the wind direction first, it gets pretty smokey!

Good luck - Bob

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Buy a spotlight similar to your neighbor's and aim it right at their house. You'll turn yours off when they turn their's off.

MOVE!!!!!!

thats what i say to do lol. sounds kinda like the movie lakeview terrace in a way haha. hope it gets resolved, but i think returning the spotlight is the best idea.

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

I has some neighbors move in right beside me that were partying all night sleep all day type. After a month of this I started to mow my lawn around 6am and I would "work" on my outboard early in the mornings , Had to get it ready you know. As far as the bright light concern and if you can depends on your laws and regs. You can plant some hedging call red tips, They grow fast,thick and tall. see pic. As far as the dog bb's or civil complaint.

 

[beerfilter]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Hmmmm .

How prepared are you to engage in a protracted war involving city officials , lawyers , vindicitive neighbors , the police , etc.. ?

Have you really attemted to get to know them , maybe invite them over for a barbeque ?

I make it a point to meet my neighbors and get to know them .
I may be something of an anachronism these days , but IME , taking the time to get to know your neighbors prevents a lot of potential problems .

In many cases , people just do not know any better , and tend to get thier backs up when they are addressed by a stranger . Resolving any issue is much easier when you have something in common and are a known quantity .

An escalating situation of reprisals , involving legal or quasi-legal actions is NOT something you want to engage in if you can absolutely avoid it .

IF you havn't tried being overtly friendly , give it a whirl .
You just might get some new friends . If it does not work , you at least tried to take the high road .

I have been in similar situations , and , there have been very few that were impossible for me to deal with in a civil matter . For these I arranged some innovative solutions , but , this board frowns on such things do I won't post any explicit examples .

 

[basspirate]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

like the last guy said try to avoid any legal actions and get to know your neighbors. if you have a boat and your working on it at some point your gonna wanna start it on earmuffs. if you dont know this produces a LOT of noise and smoke depending on your engine. the sound goes way beyond most towns sound ordaniances. if you go the legal route it could come back to really bite you

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Luckily we have great neighbors. Could be because I am the outboard and small engine "fix it" man in the area.
The light thing, put up a cheap frame and cover it with the shiny side of aluminum foil. The reflection back will make them think twice about switching it on. Alternatively if it's a spotlight a single mirror back to the interior of their house will help encourage them to change their minds.
The dog, keep throwing food over for it to eat. A full stomach = sleep.
However getting to know them before doing any of this is a great idea.

 

[FBPirate95]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

I would place a mirror blocking the one neighbors light, aimed right back at them. (I wouldn't put my own light....why pay the electricity for it when a mirror would work) As for the dogs, try this link:

http://www.ultimatebarkcontrol.com/ds_pro.htm

Claims to ultrasonically stop neighbor dogs from barking as well.

As for the request for the 10' clean up, make sure your neighbor gets a copy of the property line drawing.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

i like the mirror idea for the reflection. actually invest in a solar panel. you can get free energy off that light and also reflect it back at their house. not sure about the dog issue though. a 'special' dog treat sounds in order. i know, i know, cruelty to animals. but i just love to watch people watch their dogs past my house and let their dogs poo on my lawn and keep on going. i actually had a neighbour across the street that had a dog, a husky, come over and do his business in my yard and driveway. one winter night he came over and did his 'thing' without me knowing. well we had a few inches of snow that night and i went out with the snow blower the next morning and hit that of poo. the white snow turned brown and the side of my house turned brown. and the stink...well. anyway the dog is gone now. and i wasn't sad to see it go. and no, i didn't do anything to it.

anyway, i wish you luck.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Hmmmmmmmmm ..... I was in the music business for quite awhile. I could probably get my hands on some EAW cabs & subs, plus about 40,000 watts worth of amps ..... wanna borrow them?

 

[Bass Tracker TX17]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Can't imagine why you bit the bullet for a surveyor. If she was claiming then it was up to her to prove it. I can claim you owe me 500 bucks. Are you just going to bite the bullet and hand it over to me ??

As far as barking dogs local codes should be checked. A barking dog isn't against the law however, excessive barking can be. Disturbing the peace is a offense.

Unfortunately i have found the ones that break the law know the loopholes in the law real well. That's why all the retaliation cause they know the code enforcement have to come out.

There is no sure fire way to handle this and i am sorry.

You can do what others have suggested and
get to know them better.
Call the police or code every time the dog barks.
Get your own floods and aim the right to there windows.
make video and audio
Other board suggestions
Or live with it.

It's a no win situation because if you win, you lose.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

I sympathize with your plight. Similar neighbors on BOTH sides of me. Barking dogs and loud music. Tried the nice neighbor approach but got me nowhere. Some people just plain don't give a crap about anyone but themselves.

I call the police EVERY TIME the music gets too loud. Now the police are getting annoyed and are promising to press charges re disturbing the peace. Think that is under control now. There are local noise bylaws but there are so many hoops to jump thru its not worth the effort.

As for the dogs, I like the shock and awe approach. Get one (or more) of the canned air horns, you know the kind used at sporting evens and for emergencies, and a 10,000,000 candle power spotlight. Stand as close as you can to the dog/fence and wait . As soon as the dog barks, let him have it. Do this over and over again until the dog associates the noise/light with the barking. I have "cured" one of the barking dogs AND annoyed the neighbor at the same time . Now onto the other dog.

Have also considered the ultrasound devices. They are triggered by a sequence of barks and emit a high frequency tone that only dogs can hear. Can be had for about $45.

As for the light, its time to install some of your own - aimed right at the neighbors property, right where they don't want it. Even put a post in if you have to to get the lights up high enough.

If your neighbors can't use common sense and be considerate of others, then screw them. Unfortunately this seems to be what it has come to.

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

it is very difficult to sustain a barking dog complaint, defense is often dog barks upon strangers approaching property,cops, animal control extra, , time limit is normally 30 mins of continuous barking, dogs go hoarse after that. rest and start up again, but its not continuous. the fines are miniscule.
If the dog is outside and barking continuously it may be lacking proper shelter, cool water, vet care. it could be a animal neglect case, a tie out , with out shelter is not acceptable. on a hot day fresh water in the shade must be provided, if it rains is the dog able to gain shelter. call the SPCA, not animal control, only the SPCA has cruelty authority.

aco/spca retired

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

I would have a very bright light aimed directly at the neighbors house. If he is blinded by the light when he goes outside or looks out the window at night he will get a taste of what hes doing to you...Just say."turn yours down and I will too" You could record the dog and then play it back over and over again at about 200 decibels aimed at his window when hes asleep and you can say "stop your dog noise and I will stop mine"...Problem is he may become so mad (most that dish it out CANT take it) that you might end up having to shoot him.

 

[JB]

Re: Jerk neighbors - what to do?

Unless you are prepared to move immediately after the escalation of hostilities forget all these childish punishments to inflict on your neighbors. They will, I guarantee, make things a lot worse.