Worlds worst neighbor? part vent, part wwyd

[Hillbeans]

My first question is whether a dirt bike track is actually allowed in your neighborhood. You should check to see if he's legal on that.

I'd also start looking for another place to live. You have put up with a lot.

I feel sorry for your brother when it comes time to sell his half of the house. He's going to have a hard time finding a buyer.

Agreed, this guy sounds like the neighborhood bully and I don't know of any townhome association here in NJ that would allow someone to be running and riding dirt bikes all over the yard. Is there a HOA you can call?

Seriously, I know you're trying to save $ and everything but really, life is too short to deal with this.

 

[RadioFanatic]

Is there an association? When we lived in a TH, there was one and they regulated everything, including christmas decorations.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

If you cannot move then you have to decide whether you want to fight back or just keep taking it. Me - I'd probably move. Then again, I would have moved a long time ago.

As a PP said, life is too short...

 

[ChillyWilleys]

I don't give a flying you know what what Tim thinks. As could be evidenced by when I told him straight to his face after incident with DD that he was a "poopy" excuse for a human being. Many neighbors have called the police and they never want to do anything. We have started to make a fuss with the police with the exact expectation that they will do something most likely to shut us up, since they don't seem to care for anyother reason. According to the police and board of health who we have also inquired to, there is nothing we can do about this dirt track. Again I think its just that they are to lazy to do anything about it. Other neighbors have the attitude of might as well try and get along since we have to be neighbors. This was the attitude I tried to have until just the past couple months when I feel he's more than just a PIA. These townhouses are individually owned but yards are shared. So there is no higher power other than the city itself which doesn't seem to care.
As far as neighbors getting together, what do you suggest we do? really is there anything that can be done? He can't be evicted from a house he owns. Police don't care when we call. and although horribly obnoxious and crazy what he does usually borders on the side of legal or your word against mine. I'm not asking that sarcastically if you have any ideas I'd really like to know.

 

[daisyduck123]

I would've moved after that first year, sorry, but that's the truth.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

...As far as neighbors getting together, what do you suggest we do? really is there anything that can be done?...

Yes, but it requires that you think like him. Not sure if you are willing to go down that road, but he isn't the only one who can ruin lives. You just have to be smart about the way you do it...

 

[diznygirl]

If you really wanted to deal with the problem...

When he throws a beer bottle, you immediately call the police.
If he sprays snow on you, immediately call the police.
For ANYTHING he does, immediately call the police. Tell the police he is harrassing you and threatening and ask if you can file charges for assault.

Call your homeowner's insurance and find out about the dirt bike track.

All interested neighbors can meet with someone down at the police station, or take to the city/town/county officials.


Or, as everyone has suggested - you just move. That would the quickest way out.

I'd move in a heartbeat. The safety of my family is more important to me than making excuses for my neighbor.

 

[ChillyWilleys]

Last year I absolutely would have been all for it. I would love to be the pain to him that he has been to us. Now I just want to keep to myself and get out. As it is 4 of these units (all directly around him) are now inhabited by renters. I wish you could just vote to kick someone out of a neighborhood if you had reason like this. ughh. I've had people I've never met walk by my house and tell me "I have no idea how you live there". I just say "me either".

 

[phorsenuf]

So Chilly, I never saw an answer but does this dirt track extend onto your share of the back yard?

 

[monkeybug]

Yes, but it requires that you think like him. Not sure if you are willing to go down that road, but he isn't the only one who can ruin lives. You just have to be smart about the way you do it...

I don't recommend taking this road...but that's just me. I think there are things you can do with out having to stoop to your neighbors level.
You and your neighbors could contact the city zoning board and see what you can do about the dirt track. It's not safe to have dirt bikes zooming around when children are playing nearby. You could speak to the City council and see if you could get something changed so that he could no longer legally have a dirt track in his backyard. It makes no sense to allow something like that in a residential area. They don't allow shooting ranges, archery practice and a number of other things because of safety concerns, it seems to me that this would fall in a similar category.
I grew up in a somewhat rural area, but lived in a pretty normal neighborhood. One of our neighbors decided to keep horses. It never bothered my family, but I guess the neighbors who bordered the family with the horses had issues with the smell and that the run off from the family cleaning the horse stalls would run into their yards near where their Children played. One of the families went to the city zoning board, and to a few town council meetings and they were successful in getting the neighborhood re-zoned so that barnyard animals could not be kept. I am sure there are zoning laws in place that don't allow things like dirt bike tracks in certain areas, it may not be as difficult as you think to get your area re-zoned. Sometimes neighborhoods are built up and just overlooked until someone brings it to the proper authority attention. It might be worth a shot.

 

[Goldenbear6]

Just move.

 

[bettymae1121]

I don't recommend taking this road...but that's just me. I think there are things you can do with out having to stoop to your neighbors level.
You and your neighbors could contact the city zoning board and see what you can do about the dirt track. It's not safe to have dirt bikes zooming around when children are playing nearby. You could speak to the City council and see if you could get something changed so that he could no longer legally have a dirt track in his backyard. It makes no sense to allow something like that in a residential area. They don't allow shooting ranges, archery practice and a number of other things because of safety concerns, it seems to me that this would fall in a similar category.
I grew up in a somewhat rural area, but lived in a pretty normal neighborhood. One of our neighbors decided to keep horses. It never bothered my family, but I guess the neighbors who bordered the family with the horses had issues with the smell and that the run off from the family cleaning the horse stalls would run into their yards near where their Children played. One of the families went to the city zoning board, and to a few town council meetings and they were successful in getting the neighborhood re-zoned so that barnyard animals could not be kept. I am sure there are zoning laws in place that don't allow things like dirt bike tracks in certain areas, it may not be as difficult as you think to get your area re-zoned. Sometimes neighborhoods are built up and just overlooked until someone brings it to the proper authority attention. It might be worth a shot.

I agree. If all of the neighbors get together and go to the city, you may be able to either get it re-zoned, or enforce the zoneing laws already on the books. My parents went to a few city meetings when I was growing up over several issues and were successful in blocking a few really bad ideas...including a proposed sports bar in a shoping center adjacent to our sub-division (everyone was worried about drunk drivers in our neighborhood).

If that fails, I would imagine if a fence requires both homeowners to agree...then so does a dirt track. I bet your brother has the legal right to remove it from his side of the yard if nothing else. Of course it's a fight your brother has to be willing to take on, but it's one option worth looking into at least. You could make a deal with the neighbor that he either stops acting like a grade A jerk or you revoke your permision to have the track in your yard. Although at this point I just bulldoze the whole dang thing and put in sod, myself, without giving him a choice.

 

[ryanshana]

These townhouses are individually owned but yards are shared. So there is no higher power other than the city itself which doesn't seem to care.

Sorry confused again....so then who enforces "both neighbors have to agree" on the fence thing (don't remember exactly how you put it)

 

[wvjules]

So you come here, post this big long doozy of a neighbor story, but you shoot down EVERY suggestion as to how to deal with it? What is it that you want to hear?

 

[Handbag Lady]

Can you not get him on a sound ordinance of some sort?

If he is kicking up dust and it is clearly on your screens, can you not go after him for health reasons? Certainly someone in the neighborhood must have asthma.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

As a PP said, If both homeowners need to agree to a fence, then there needs to be some sort of HOA that created that rule, which you could go to about the dirt bike track. There is no way that is within HOA regs. if a fence needs to be approved. Of course, if Tim is head of the HOA you are out of luck. I just can't imagine that there isn't even some type of city/town ordinance that would make the dirt bike track illegal anyway. That just isn't safe in a development with kids running around everywhere.

 

[surfergirl602]

wow. I would just be calling the police at every incident. Sooner or later, the police are going to have had enough, and are going to deal with this man. I would also document everything that happens. Is there a noise ordinance in your town? I would find out about that. Are there special permits for the dirtbikes? Can they only be ridden in certain areas? I know that in my town, they aren't allowed to be driven on main roads or in residential neighborhoods. Get the land surveyed and put up a fence. Make sure you do it within the legal limits, so that it is documented with whatever certain feet have to be on the outside of the fence.

I'm sorry you have to deal with this lunatic. People like him are the reason we no longer live in military housing but live off post, because all the housing is duplexes etc. and we don't like neighbors!

 

[surfergirl602]

I would've moved after that first year, sorry, but that's the truth.

I also would have moved as soon as it started and not put up with it. Yes, it was convenient for your family and your brother and not being tied down by a lease, but my family means more to me than signing a lease. Peace and quiet.

 

[surfergirl602]

I agree. If all of the neighbors get together and go to the city, you may be able to either get it re-zoned, or enforce the zoneing laws already on the books. My parents went to a few city meetings when I was growing up over several issues and were successful in blocking a few really bad ideas...including a proposed sports bar in a shoping center adjacent to our sub-division (everyone was worried about drunk drivers in our neighborhood).

If that fails, I would imagine if a fence requires both homeowners to agree...then so does a dirt track. I bet your brother has the legal right to remove it from his side of the yard if nothing else. Of course it's a fight your brother has to be willing to take on, but it's one option worth looking into at least. You could make a deal with the neighbor that he either stops acting like a grade A jerk or you revoke your permision to have the track in your yard. Although at this point I just bulldoze the whole dang thing and put in sod, myself, without giving him a choice.

Once you move out, your brother is going to have one heck of a time trying to sell that house. No one in their right mind with a family would buy that house. He's going to lose so much money on it if he doesn't do anything about it. Have you even expressed all of your concerns to your brother?

 

[Carnie]

Would you rather share walls with him or someone with some semblance of normalcy for the next few months?

I wouldn't risk my kids' safety. If he's that unstable, who knows what he could do to them to get back at you if you somehow "offend him".

Lots of apartments have move in specials and short term leases.

Kids adapt to moves. Kids remember scary things a lot longer.