this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2024
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So our neighbors have been a growing problem for a few months now. They seem to be a flop house for six or seven people, most of them look high all day. They go out and Rev a Harley at 3am, they burn plastic been our houses in a fire pit, they have a new dog every two weeks because they keep getting out and getting hit by traffic in the busy street we live on, the current two have bit people. I'm not one to care how someone lives, but these folks make the rest of our slum neighborhood look downright utopian.

I've tried taking to them, they're stupidly hostile. I've put in complaints with the city, noise complaints with the police, they don't do anything about it. Does anyone have advice on dealing with this? I'm tired, at my wits end, and my small town tactics aren't as easy to pull off in a proper city.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

Depending on where you live, you have a few possibilities. First, I'm assuming that you do not have an HOA. The premise of an HOA is that they can enforce certain restrictions, even if the law cannot/will not. I'm also writing this with the assumption that you are in the US.

If they are breaking the law, you may need to find ways to encourage the local authorities to take action. Generally, this involves doing the cops' jobs for them. The company CompuTrace, makers of LoJack for laptops, has been criticized for selling (at a high price) software that does very basic tasks that anyone can do to collect evidence on the thieves. But what they really sell is that they can use that evidence to spur the police into action, since it's an easy win. You'll probably need to talk to an attorney, or at least the prosecutor's office (not the police) to find out what they need.

Also, be sure that you have contacted all of the relevant agencies. The burn pit may need to be addressed by the fire department (especially in times of wildfire risk), or an environmental agency. They sound like irresponsible pet owners, which might be of interest to the humane society or animal control.

If they haven't broken any laws that you know of, you still might be able to sue them. You have no say in how they choose to live their lives, but you can get an injunction on how it impacts you and your property. The dog bites, specifically, are likely actionable. Loud noises probably are not.

In any event, talk to an attorney. I'm not even sure what type you would need, but the bar association can probably help.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago

Do you know if they own the house? Find out.

They could be renting the place or - as was the situation in my neighborhood - one of your bikers could have "borrowed" the house from a family member. In our neighborhood, the house previously belonged to a distant relative who passed away. The majority of the family lives over a thousand miles away, so they told their wastrel daughter that she could use the house while she was getting clean.

Needless to say, the "getting clean" process never happened. She invited a host of random people to hang out at her place and they trashed it over the course of almost a year. Eventually, the family found out about the situation when one of the neighbors thought to look into ownership. They kicked the daughter out of the house and have been gutting it for the last two months, trying to clear out all of the damage done by the daughter and her friends.

Long story short, find out who actually owns the house. That may give you some options...

[–] [email protected] 50 points 4 months ago

What you may not have tried yet: If the yard is bad enough, call code enforcement, not police, they will send notices to the landlord not the residents, then the landlord will come yell at the residents. Burning trash may also be a code enforcement thing, not police. Those code people don't mess around, once they send a notice you have to respond/address it.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Aside from the Harley thing being a nuisance, I’m absolutely thankful we live in a society where there is nothing you can “do about” the neighbors you don’t like.

You have the option to move, I suppose.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

Yeah getting dogs run over every 2 weeks, letting dogs bite people, burning plastic, running illegal drug dens.... These are definitely the kinds of freedoms we need to protect! The only problem is running motorcycles at night, that's where you draw the line apparently....

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Where do you live? Need a place with a friendly neighborhood to cook my moonshine and get drunk all day with my cousin wife. She’s a huge fan of Barbra Streisand and a bit deaf so I hope you won’t mind. Most of our dogs are friendly with the kids unless they don’t ride a bike.

I need to warn you though, sometimes my wife and get arguments about politics, especially when we start drinking in the morning, but it only happens once or twice in a week. No biggie.

Did I say she’s a bit deaf?

Anyway. See you soon neighbor!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Catnip.

Buy a bunch of catnip (it's not expensive on eBay) and sprinkle that shit all over their yard. Get it in the flower beds, get it in the ditches, get it everywhere. It's a mint and it grows like a weed. Next thing you know the neighbors front lawn will be littered in cats and there will be no way to get rid of them.

Added bonus is you'll have cats you can pet, and very little pests in your neighborhood.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Considering who the neighbors are, the cats could be in danger.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Gonna level with you... If they're roaming outdoor cats, they're already in danger. If you really feel motivated to help them this would also bring them to an easier for SPCA to pick up. They're also a threat to local wildlife.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Used to be - by the numbers - a cat that goes outside At All would live half as long as one that never-not-once went outside.

Now it's 1/4. Source: SPCA contact.

And sure they'll kill pests, but a housecat is an absolute killing machine for songbirds. You want less mosquitoes, you need to see far fewer cats.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I think we've done well enough with the insect extinction

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I have 3 "strays" currently that are all 15+ years old, born outside and the only time they've seen a vet was when they were fixed.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

good on your for animal negligence I guess.

strange flex.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I mean they've never need to go and got their shots when they were fixed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

....look, good on you for taking care of 3 strays, but honestly: pets require yearly vaccinations - you really aren't doing them any favors if they haven't been to the vet since they were spayed/neutered. Please, take care of your animals.

https://www.lowcostpetvaccinations.net/cat-vaccinations-cat-need/

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Actually, catnip was on my garden list already! I was planning on getting fast and loose with the seeds so this won't take much extra.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

If you want to get really nefarious and don't mind getting a little legally sketchy, bug spray normally kills grass in the areas that it's sprayed in. If you happen to draw rude things in someone's front lawn there's no way to stop it from showing aside from spraying more, or just waiting for it to grow out

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago (2 children)

It sounds like you're dealing with a biker gang. If that's the case then you're not going to be able to reason with them. They're further entrenched in their lifestyle than in regular society. I hate to suggest narcing, but next time you call the cops, let them know that they're running gang activities out of the house. Cops care more about gangs than they do noise complaints. If you're in a really bad neighborhood then they still might not do anything about it, but they're more likely to mobilize if they think that there's the possibility of a big bust. Be careful though, if the gang suspects you ratted on them, it can be a hard time for you.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Also when the cops find out you lied about gang activity, to manipulate them into moving against non gang members, you’re fucked.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Seems like a bit of a leap. They're probably just regular ol' white trash.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Doesn't seem like a leap at all to me. What they described is a gang flop house, not some po-dunk family. It should be fairly easy to tell the difference though. Biker gangs typically wear patches on their jackets indicating their membership.

OP never said that they're white, and there are many different ethnicities that ride Harleys.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

there are many different ethnicities [who] ride Harleys

Huh. Here I thought it was trashy old white guys and their fans.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The Mongols are a huge gang and they're predominantly Hispanic. There are plenty of African American motorcycle clubs that ride Harleys on the West Coast.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Rev a Harley at 3am, they burn plastic been our houses

Finally people with some culture!

Imagine them using cheap chinese motorbikes instead ....

/s

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

You wanna know the difference between a Harley and a lawn mower?

The lawn mower has a reason for being that loud.

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