My neighbor called the police on me

[palerider1]

i live in the country and i have a neighbor who lives next door to me. there is a half acre lot in between our two houses. i have lived next to him for 11 years and i have always tried to be a good neighbor. when we had my sons 16th b-day party i hired a rock band , but only after talking to this neighbor to see if it was ok to have the band until 9pm. i have had other parties and have always talked with him beforehand to see if it will bother him or not and he has always said go ahead and have fun its no problem. i have always kept things very quiet after the time i said we would be done. i even stop mowing my lawn if i notice him and his wife setting up for lunch on the back deck. i have always tried make sure that what i do does not negativly effect their privacy or peace and quiet. the other day i went out in my back yard(which is about 350-400 feet from the neighbors house. i thought that he was not home because i didnt see any cars in the driveway. i spent 2 hours shooting my 22 at targets with a backstop facing away from his house and towards the woods in the opposite direction. i finished shooting and went into the house. 15 minutes later my friend from the police dept shows up(im in the fire dept and i know them all) and asks if i have been shooting. i said yes and he informed me that i needed to be 500 feet from the neighbors house. i agreed i would follow the rule. the thing that gets me is that i have always told my neighbor if you have a problem with anything i do please come and tell me and i'll take care of it. he has always been laid back saying awe dont worry about it just have fun. if he came and said your shooting is bothering me i would have apologized and stopped, but instead he calls the cops. my immediate reaction was to measure 500 feet off his house and shoot some big guns, early in the morning and when he gets home from work, just to piss him off and show him i have rights. what would you folks do?

 

[cslinger]

Don't make things worse by escalating it. Maybe the guy is just uncomfortable around firearms and was scared to approach you while you were shooting. Even if he suddenly decided to be an ***** its not worth escalating because the minute you do something remotely wrong he will likely be there.

Just let it slide this time.

Chris

 

[Mot45acp]

my immediant reaction was to measure 500 fet off his house and shoot some big guns, early in the morning and when he gets home from work, just to piss him off and show him i have rights. what would you folks do?

I have been in a similar situation. I have also figured out that a laser rangefinder comes in handy for this application

 

[GunnySkox]

It isn't worth ruining what's so far been a good relationship with your neighbord just to "piss him off" and to make you feel better for a few minutes trouble with the fuzz.

Go, be civil, and talk to your neighbor. Tell him what happened, APOLOGIZE FOR DISTURBING HIM, and, if you like, invite him to shoot. While y'all are smoothing ruffled feathers, you can work out an agreement on when/where you shoot, you can explain what you're doing to make sure nothing unfortunate happens to anything on his property, and all that jazz.

But don't be a dick just to be a dick, that reflects poorly on your character, and on gun people in general. This is an opportunity to improve relations with your neighbor, and maybe even have a new shooting buddy.

~GnSx

 

[Tokugawa]

I would be gentle, apologize for disturbing them and try to smooth over. It really sucks to have a bad nieghbor, so antagonizing them is your worst option. Find out if it was the noise or the "guns are dangerous theme", maybe you could even take them shooting sometime.

 

[Tall Man]

Cslinger gives good advice, palerider 1. Chalk it up and let it go.

You didn't mention whether, during the past 11 years, you've ever shot your guns in such a manner that could conceivablyupset your neighbor. If you haven't, well, this fellow's behavior might be excused. If you have, I'm curious to know - as perhaps you may be - why your neighbor called the police this time. Maybe he got spoiled by your excellent manners (seriously) in the past, and got cranky when you didn't announce your ballistic intentions.

And don't take an absence of cars in the driveway as a sign that someone is not home (unless, of course, there's no garage available.) Knock or call if you want to be reasonably sure.

TM

 

[M2 Carbine]

Is the 500 feet some state law?

If we were on talking terms, as you appeared to be, and he called the law on me without being man enough to talk to me first, he wouldn't like having me as a neighbor after that.

But you do what you think is best.

 

[palerider1]

you folks just re-enforced what i know is the right thing to do...i just had to get it off my chest because it bothered me alot for the past few weeks. i have never been a trouble maker, but mayby you can understand my initial thoughts(though clint eastwood like) i'm a lover not a fighter and i like to get along with everyone i can. thanks for the good advise. all other comments are welcome too.

 

[palerider1]

Is the 500 feet some state law?

If we were on talking terms, as you appeared to be, and he called the law on me without being man enough to talk to me first, he wouldn't like having me as a neighbor after that.

But you do what you think is best.

yes

 

[GunnySkox]

i just had to get it off my chest because it bothered me alot for the past few weeks.

I know how it is, and I know how you feel. You've just gotta get all that meanness worked out of your mind, first, 'fore you can settle down and do the right thing.

Hope things go well, if/when you get to resmoothing things with your neighbor.

~GnSx

 

[CB900F]

Palerider;

"my immediate reaction was to measure 500 feet off his house and shoot some big guns, early in the morning and when he gets home from work, just to piss him off and show him i have rights." This sorta sounds like you've already done the big gun shooting. I hope that didn't happen, that it was just a sorta knee-jerk first thought coming from having a mad on.

I'd certainly go over & in a nice & polite way try to find out why he called the cops insteads of coming over & talking about it with you first.

900F

 

[Taurus 66]

Go, be civil, and talk to your neighbor. Tell him what happened, APOLOGIZE FOR DISTURBING HIM, and, if you like, invite him to shoot.

This is a good idea. Invite him over and ask if he would be interested in the shooting sport. Establishing a rapport with firearms is the key, that is provided he goes along with the program. You will never know until you give it a shot. <- hey, a pun

 

[BFWE]

Agree with M2 Carbine

I agree with M2 Carbine. This person is being passive-agressive through use of legal technicalities and a third party.

I live in the Dallas, Texas area and we have a LOT of people like this guy. Once they think they can antagonize you without remifications they will only get worse.

It's like staring down another dog. The guy is behaving in the pattern of an animal (even in unconciously) trying to expand his territory... by metaphorically "pissing" on your area of operations.

I'd stay within the law... but I wouldn't worry about his comfort until he appologies for his bad behaviour, and by thus doing, recognizes your territory. Respect between you will be restored. Then you can return to being a considerate neighbor towards him.

 

[M2 Carbine]

yes

I figured it was a local thing.

I've got a back yard pistol range and a 100 yard range, with neighbor's houses about 150-200 feet away. Been shooting here since 1967, long before there were neighbors.
No problems, the neighbors are cool.

 

[Lupinus]

take up shooting cannons...at dawn.

 

[SomeKid]

If you never had problems with the neighbor before, is it possible it was ANOTHER neighbor?

If it is for sure this guy, a little diplomacy works. However, I would not apologize for anything. Simply ask him bluntly if it bothered him. He says yes, ask him to come over next time you are shooting. If he expects you to stop, and is one of those blissninny antis, there is no reason for you to wear velvet gloves. Pull out the .50BMG rifle, and at 501ft from his home, let 'er rip.

 

[garrett1955]

take up shooting cannons...at dawn.

LOL and making toilet cleaner bombs and loud fireworks!

that will teach em.... lol

 

[f4t9r]

i THANK i WOULD TRY TO PICK A GOOD TIME TO ASK HIM ABOUT IT.
TRY TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD, IF THAT DOES NOT WORK MEASURE OFF AND GET SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE THE HOUSE RATTLE. (PROB SHOULD NOT DO THAT???)

 

[TexasRifleman]

Tannerite?


No, probably best to be nice and move on.....

 

[gunsmith]

Dont shoot in the morning

other neighbors might not like it.

my friend lives in a rural valley in northern NV and all the neighbors are gun nuts, the mutual agreement is no shooting b4 10 am unless it's an emergency...

The guy sounds passive aggressive to me, if indeed it was him.
I would go ahead and mark off 500ft and shoot at any reasonable time you please. It's your house and you probably had to work to own it, it's your right to enjoy it.

 

[RocketMan]

Maybe he was upset you didn't invite him along to go shooting?

 

[sumpnz]

If you never had problems with the neighbor before, is it possible it was ANOTHER neighbor?

That was my first thought. Make sure it was him and not some other neighbor. Even if you think the other homes are too far away to notice, they might well be close enough after all.

If it was him, well, you were technically in the wrong since you were less than 500' from his house. And no matter how well you think you know him, he may have been scared to approach you while you were shooting. He likely got fed up with the noise and called the po-po perhaps as much as a hour before you quit.

Bottom line is, if you go to him, hat in hand, and try to make it right (i.e. set up at least 501' away, and only shoot rimfires between 10AM and 4PM if he's home, and only centerfire rifles after confirming an empty house) he'll probably forgive/forget it.

 

[cslinger]

take up shooting cannons...at dawn.

Oh my lord that cracked me up. I just get this picture of you walking out dressed in some old British Military garb of some kind, loading up a cannon with a powder charge and yelling something like "For the Crown!" and setting the little beast off.

 

[GREYGHOSTt]

Measure your 500 feet break out the magnums shoot till the cops show up!!

Let them tell whom ever it was that they are sol!! This is the country life they
came to enjoy and get use to it.. Worked for me I also found out the county I live in has no such thing as disturbing the peace clock .. The deputy told me I could shoot all night if I wanted to!!

 

[hso]

what would you folks do?

I think you already know. Go talk to him. "We've always been good neighbors, but you called the police instead of talking to me about my shooting in the back yard. What happened to change things?"

Now for a couple of questions.

Does he ever consult you about things he's going to do?

How long have each of you lived there?

Do you help each other out with with projects at each other's place or pitch in if there's a tree across the road?