Neighbor keeps pulling out our fence post

I had to get on from my county attorney for a neighbor, but darn it he uses a po box and so far I haven't found out his box number. But he hasn't

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Don't know if anyone replied to you on this or not but you don't need his number...just put his name and po box and leave off the number and add the city and state..it will get to the right box since they have to sort it at the post office anyway. At least that's how it is here at my small post office.

LMAO.... good one. (unless the old chap has a heart attack and you wind up sued)

Kaza

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"83, and a miseralbe old man"

This one statement alone is probadly the clue to your entire "problem". At 83 this man grew up in a different era. Neighbors had to help each other out just to survive, not nit-pick over small issues. At 83 you can be well assure this fellow will not have too many more days left to be miserable.

I am somewhat disappointed with many of the replys given here to this problem. Is the generation(s) mentality represented here the reflection of the over-all selfish vindicitive mean spirited people that we the "adults" of this Country appear to portray??

Did you as the "good neighbor" you claimed to have once wished to be, when you first obtained this property, calmly go over and inform this 83 year old miserable man just what your intentions were to be for the few feet of ground that probadly for years he was used to parking his vehicle or what-ever on? Or did you just do what you wished as the property legally belongs to you anyway; with a nah-nah-nah attitude? What the heck, it's Your piece of ground anyway, correct? Who gives a flip what a miserable old man thinks or feels, correct?

I just don't know...now that this issue has escalated to this degree it sounds like the Hatfield and McCoy syndrone all over a couple of feet of ground. We are all treated as we treat others. The ball generally can be in our court at anytime time in the game.

lordy this takes the cake...and most of the replies here do also. If lucky every single one of us here will one day be 83 and then the up and coming whipper snappers will hold no respect for us either!

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"Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf"
bi~yawah~mawna

Well, yeah, some of the replies ARE over the top, but perhaps useful! No harm in THINKING about them anyway.

Why has the old guy parked there for so long? Is it a matter of no room on his property or what? Could you tell us, and maybe we can find a win-win situation for you.

Seems to me that perhaps other townspeople (cops for one) know the fellow well/are sympathetic so *maybe* it would make YOU a well-loved townsperson if you found a "good" solution....better than being that "nasty furriner".

Mon

I have to agree that replacing his carport on his land is a good idea.
My Mother is 80 and lives with us, and she can be unreasonable at times.

Thanks Kppop I'll do that if he bothers us anymore. So far he hasn't.

"We are all treated as we treat others. "

Gosh, I wish that was really true in real life. And in this case, the old man had been allowed to park there for 5 years past the time the agreement was cancelled in writing. That definitely showed that the old man was being treated nice.

Well, I was trying to keep my original post as short as possible, but to all my critics - we have over and over again politely tried to resolve the matter. We tried to make a compromise, but he is so mean he would litterally scream at us. We went from talking nicely, to talking firmly, to sending certified letters to him, all to no avail. Our community is very small, and we have a very good relationship with all our neighbors (including the ones on the other side of our property, as we are on a corner lot). He and his wife are just mean people. Not one person on the block associates with them, because they just like to gossip about everyone and complain about what everyone is doing. I have learned that the nicer you are, the more he walks all over you. He is in very good health (you wouldn't believe he was 83), so I am not picking on a frail old man. They complained when we bought the property (it was empty for 3 years before we moved in), they complained when we adopted 2 children, they complained when we put up a pool(which is not even near his house), they complained when we got the permit for the deck, they complained when our friends parked in front of their house (on the street) during a visit, comlain, complain complain...Believe me, I don't have a mean or impolite bone in my body - but enough is enough. We want to enjoy our property, its not that big to begin with - and don't want any future problems for our children.

I don't mean to really be vindictive - but I do have to have a good laugh at this point!!

Did you bother to read the original post? Getoverit has gone above and beyond the rules of common decency to appease this guy.
As for solutions; since the cops have decided trespassing is a civil matter rather than a criminal one the simplest is to have the car towed away as an abandoned vehicle. This will be done at the owner's expense. I would also see about why the police aren't doing their job.

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If angels existed, they'd probably be considered big game. (Don Swain)

Home schooling.........not just for scary religious people anymore. Buffy

Isn't vandalism and destruction of personal property against the law? I'd be really interested in finding out why the local police won't follow through. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and see how fast the police act then... I bet they will decide to respond if they are in the hot seat.

If your serious about the idea of removing your carport and putting it up over at the guys house I would make one more attempt at being a good neighbor and send him a reg. letter offering it to him. Of course you want to keep a copy of the letter for yourself. He either will accept the offer or trash it... either way, when and if you go to court or ever get a charge filed against him you have proof that you have made an honest attempt to work this out in a friendly manner. If he accepts that's fine, if not just take it down and do whatever you want with it. Heck with him!

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My faith keeps me here until my purpose is fulfilled. Good choices & bad I learn from everything! I am still beautiful and messy and a work in progress!

When you have your "tak9ng down the carport party", could you ALSO have a "putting UP the carport party" onto his land, if he agrees to allow it?

Then, even if he refuses, find some way to let the neighbors know that you offered not only the carport, but the labor to put it up at his place. *HE* might not like it, and prefer to complain, but his neighbors (and yours) would respect the gesture. It shows generosity of spirit.

Small town cops can be real Sh*theads. Often they know everybody have favorites. It seems like they know the 83 year old man. So contact the state police give facts not opinions. BUT BEWARE that the locale cops WILL NOT forget you, they will find a way to harass you. Been there done that and have two t-shirts to prove it.

Kenneth in NC

If you ever have to go to court, even small claims court it will do you a disservice if it even appears that you were vindictive or treated the man cruely. Do what is necessary, including posting and having car towed but don't do anything that is or looks mean, like putting objects in the ground to puncuture his tires.

It won't matter what an insufferable grouch and lousy neighbor this man was if you loose your high ground and a judge decides he does'nt like you. Always show and be able to evidence your attempts to be be reasonable towards him.

We had a neighbor like that when we lived in Seattle. He complained loud and long aboout the fence we replaced (the previous one had been lattice so they could look into our yard). He wouldn't allow the utility workers to come into his back yard to fix our telephone cable (the lines crossed his yard) - we had to go to court and force an easement. He kept track of everyone parking on the street in our block, and called in a complaint the minute they were over the 12 hour parking limit. Called in a complaint when we replaced the lawn in our front yard with perennial flower beds and paths.

We weren't the only people he caused problems with. It was everyone within sight of his house. He had retired with absolutely no hobbies, so he read his paper and called in complaints about all the neighbors. Finally, you tune the guy out and just do whatever you want to. There is no pleasing people like that, and advanced age does not give someone the right to dictate what you do on your own property.

I would do exactly what you're planning to. Once you have the survey in hand, have a simultaneous car-port removal and fence building party. Or.... Make your neighbor buy that couple feet of land from you. If he wants to continue using it, he can pay for it. It sounds like he's not willing to do that if he's screaming about squatter's rights.

I would not offer to put a carport up on his land, simply because if he's somehow injured by the carport -- i.e. stubs his toe on a post or steps on a nail that was dropped -- or it somehow causes damage to his house (big wind picks it up and flings it into his house) he could sue you. He sounds mean enough to do this.

I'd simply take it down & advise him he had "X" amount of time to pick up the lumber if the lumber is his. Check on laws on abandoned property and follow them to the letter. Otherwise, he could conceivably try to hold you responsible for the cost of the lumber ...

Leva

One other thing to consider is that if this man is as mean and vile as he sounds, this could be an early sign of alzheimers. While not a happy thing to happen to him, you need to be careful -- people with early-stage alzheimers (or other forms of dementia) are not rational and if he has access to a weapon and is physically fit, he could be downright dangerous. I seem to remember a case here not too long ago of an elderly lady in a trailer park who shot her neighbors over a boundary dispute, their tree was infringing on her yard. It turned out later that she had "senile dementia" and was found not competant to stand trial.

Leva

Hello,

My neighbor did to me what yours is doing and worse. My neighbor is a generation younger than me. Could I suggest leaving age out of it?

For me, it' s several years after the beginning "events." The hardness is awful to live with, and I had some "hard edges" too when I was encouraged by other neighbors that this was my property being "stolen." The anger in my own heart is now what I have to live with and work on getting rid of. That's why I suggested mediation. Or maybe some of the neighbors would help you move his carport to his land and make a neighborhood potluck out of it? Maybe you'll learn so much from such an experience that you could then help others to live in community with their neighbors. Blessings and courage to you and your famiy in whatever you decide.

T

Just go out and take the car port down and set it in his yard put the posts back up on your land. And post your property. that should end it all right there if he has parking out front then tell him to use it. Sorry I get right to the point who cares if he's 83 or 103 whats your is your and sometimes you have to do what you have to do. IMHO Later Matt call me mean or a SOB but this is my 2 cents on this and just what I'd do if it were my land.

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Spelling and Gramer subject to screw ups I'm not perfect. Later MAtt

I'm just trying to figure out how close together these houses are for a carport of his to be on your property and connected to your place.

Good luck with whatever happens -
Angie

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"Live your life, and forget your age." Norman Vincent Peale

I think the carport is hers, on her property. The previous owner of her place allowed him to park there and they allowed it also until recently. Now they want to utilize that piece of property and he's causing them grief over it.

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My faith keeps me here until my purpose is fulfilled. Good choices & bad I learn from everything! I am still beautiful and messy and a work in progress!

Hmmmmm
sounds like she's been so nice they want to continue to take advantage.

I'd say do what you want with your property, and don't leave a place for him to park.

If he has a place of his own let that be used.

Is there a neighbor that could park their car/truck on his property for awhile?
Since his vehicle is not there, there must be room.

Angie

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"Live your life, and forget your age." Norman Vincent Peale