what to do about idiots next door?

[Chicken Lil]

Hopefully the sheriff can give you some other ideas on how to keep these critters off of your property.

Like others suggested take pictures of them as evidence. Perhaps if you also draft a letter, and send it signed receipt, telling them of your intent to press charges if they continue to tresspass might help. At least it will evidence that they were warned, should you go to court.

Lastly, do they have any children, and are they also sneaking onto your property? If so I would file a complaint with DCFS for neglect. Better that any children be removed from the premises than be allowed to wander into an unsafe situation, and possibly drown.

Good luck!

 

[Wifezilla]

Video camera systems are cheap now days. Restraining order sounds good too.

 

[lisahaschickens]

I totally 100% agree with all suggestions. Definitely take pictures too and post signs. If there is a record that you have told them to stay away, you posted signs to warn them, and you files a police report, I don't believe you can be held liable if something happens. But make sure to do all of that. My parents had a pool guy come once on an unscheduled day when they were not home. He wasn't supposed to be there and let himself in through a side gate. Then he claimed that their dog bit (my sweet baby doll who never hurt anyone, of course, but no one was there to witness one way or another) him when he got in the backyard. The police said it was my parents' fault and they were liable because they "didn't lock the gate on their property and didn't have a beware of dog sign." This guy was tresspassing but it was my parents' fault. What a load of cr*p.

So, again - make sure you have lots of evidence that you have been doing your best to keep them out so that no one can possibly blame you even though it's their own dang fault if something happens. Laws can get misused.

Also - if they are on any kind of drugs and they have children, I wouldn't hesitate to report that to the police. That is no way for children to grow up. It's all so terrible that is it your own relatives, but you can't allow them to negatively affect or even ruin your life, right? Good luck to you.

 

[breconbcs]

Video cameras are a wonderful thing. We had to do that two years ago with our neighbours. They would stand at the property line and stare (harass) the dogs in their run till they barked and then call in a noise complaint. After the 5 time, I decided to video tape it from my bedroom window and caught them doing it. When by-law showed up I showed him the video while they watched from their deck. He went next door to have a nice chat to them and we overheard him tell them that we had every right to call the police and charge them with harassment if we wanted. For the dogs peace of mind, cause they started to bark anytime they saw them close to the line, we put a 10' fence up. It was by-laws last visit out where they got told we were well within our rights to have it.

 

[hennypenny9]

Quote:

 

[enola]

They are trespassing whether you have up signs or not. I wouldnpt waste my time or breath with them any more. Simply call the sheriff and have him come out and remove them. A pond is considered an attractive nusciance (we need spell check here

)
and trespassers should never be allowed near one !

Being family does not give them any more rights on your property than an absolute stranger.

 

[rooster0209]

I agree. Don't bother with a warning, you have already told them they are not welcome on your property. Call law enforcement and report tresspassing. Get a video camera for surveilance. This will help protect what is yours and document your claims.

Once meth heads get in a neighborhood they attract all sorts of people you DO NOT want in your area.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Who cares if they are related or not! Clearly they have no respect for you, so don't hold back. Especially if meth may be involved! I would call the cops on them! I agree with the pictures and trespass signs as well. You may need a sign on both yours and your neighbors side of the pond too.

 

[breconbcs]

You have to be careful with those beware of dog signs. If you want to use one get it in writing from someone what it is for. I had one up on our fence when we had a corner lot. I did alot of work with rescues so never sure of the temperment/stability of the dogs I had in for the first bit. People, mainly a two women and their "lovely" children, thought they could come up onto the property (15' from property line!) and see/touch the dogs. They ignored the beware of dog signs we posted and me telling them repeatedly to leave the dogs alone, and there were occassions I did have dogs with issues out, thankfully my own dog barked when people were within 2' of the fence so I could go out and bring the dogs in. I had a cop stop by to see one of the dogs I had in and he warned me - posting the beware of dog sign can be construde as you know you have an aggressive/viscious/biter and you can still be held liable - being that I didn't know they were 100% safe, they were with me for evaluation fresh from "lock up" (pounds) and the idea that someone could sue me for their stupidity floored me. The cop told me to take it down and put up no tresspassing signs instead and to call him when I had problems with people. A few call outs to him and the main tresspassers stopped. If I'd been thinking back then, I would have set a video camera up and just taped these yahoos to protect myself cause it was very visable they were tresspassing to get to the dogs.

We've always locked the gate - not to protect Joe Public but to protect my dogs.

 

[speckledhen]

I make no difference in family or strangers. Glad you called the sheriff.