Neighbors that are criminally trespassing

[hi-impact]

A few months ago a bunch of bad guys moved into a house next to me and my neighbor. These bad guys were trespassing on my and my neighbor's property. I did everything that was necessary, appropriate and legal to stop the trespassing on my property. I put a stop to it real fast. Unfortunately, the criminal trespassing has not stopped on my neighbor's property. It's getting worse in that before there were 1-2 bad guys trespassing, now there's a gang of 3 bad guys trespassing at the same time. He understands that it's illegal to trespass and doesn't like it, but he does nothing to stop it. I've told him a thousand times, he needs protection and he needs to get law enforcement involved. His attitude is like, God will protect me. He doesn't understand the seriousness of his situation.

Bad guys that criminal trespass already have a criminal mindset. Who knows what else they will do or what they are capable of doing. I'm scared for my neighbor. He's a good guy, but he's also elderly and meek.

Bottom line, everyone needs to be proactive and do everything they can to protect themselves, their family and the innocent. Don't be an easy target and become a victim of crime. Doing nothing is the worse thing you can do. Don't enable the criminals. Don't wait until after the fact a crime has been committed to do something because then it's too little, too late.

Communicating the seriousness of my neighbor's criminal trespass problem to him has been an exercise of frustration and futility.

There's nothing else I can do for my neighbor, except pray that God protects him.

 

[badkarmamib]

I hear that argument a lot from anti-gunners. Reminds me of an old joke:

A storm was coming, the town was evacuated in front of the flooding. One homeowner stayed, insisted God would save him.
A truck rolled up, occupants said "come on", homeowner refused, said "God will save me". Waters rose.
A boat floated up, occupants said "come on", homeowner refused, said "God will save me". Waters rose.
A helicopter flew up, occupants said "come on", homeowner refused, said "God will save me". Waters overtook the house.
At the Pearly Gates, the man complained, "Why didn't you save me?" God replied, "I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter. What more did you want?"

Faith is admirable, but, sometimes we are given the tools to fend for ourselves. This is how I respond to people who give me the same argument. Sometimes it dawns on them, sometimes not.

 

[Axis II]

so we should start shooting trespassers?

 

[1KPerDay]

What exactly are we talking about here? Kids walking across a corner of a pasture? Meth heads cooking in an outbuilding?

 

[Alte Schule]

Not trying to make light of your situation but what kind of trespassing are you referring to? The cutting across your yard to go to the corner store nuisance type or something more serious.as in personal property being damaged as the result of coming on your property without you permission? Is personal property missing or have you or family been threatened in some way? Please clarify

 

[hi-impact]

so we should start shooting trespassers?

Who said anything about shooting trespassers? I said be prepared so nothing else worse bad happens.

What exactly are we talking about here? Kids walking across a corner of a pasture? Meth heads cooking in an outbuilding?

Grown men jumping my neighbor's fence and cutting through his property as a shortcut to get where they are going.

 

[hi-impact]

My neighbor said he's had property vandalized and stolen before.

 

[entropy]

Who said anything about shooting trespassers? I said be prepared so nothing else worse bad happens.


Grown men jumping my neighbor's fence and cutting through his property as a shortcut to get where they are going.

A new fence, of the kind one doesn't just jump over, sounds like the solution. If you're really that worried about him, pay for it to be put in.

Robert Frost said, "Good fences make good neighbors."

 

[hi-impact]

Why would I pay for a fence for him? He can afford a fence if he wants to protect himself.

 

[entropy]

Why would I pay for a fence for him? He can afford a fence if he wants to protect himself.

Exactly my point. You've done all you can for him. Keep praying for him is all you can do. Some people only learn the hard way, I hope he doesn't.

 

[hi-impact]

Exactly my point. You've done all you can for him. Keep praying for him is all you can do. Some people only learn the hard way, I hope he doesn't.

Amen

 

[red rick]

My 81 year old uncle was complaining about the same thing Sunday when I saw him , teenagers walking across his 90 year old neighbors and his property . He said he has called the police and his neighbor asked about shooting his gun . The police told him if he shoots his gun that he will be the one going to jail . They said they would handle it if they see them trespassing .I told him it was time for him to get a pitbull . He said the police told him if his dogs bites one of them that he will be liable . He has about a 4 acre yard , so a fence is probably out of the question .

 

[Kookla]

Have you or your neighbor tried talking to them? Sometimes just saying "hey, I know you guys like getting your workout hopping my fence, but I think you'd get better cardio going the long way around"

 

[Hanzo581]

So you mentioned about fifty times they are "bad guys". Outside of trespassing, what makes you think that will lead to your neighbors life being in danger?

 

[hi-impact]

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just talk nicely to criminals and say please stop committing crimes and then they would just stop. Now back to reality.

 

[Jack B.]

I used to have a neighbor who would steal stuff from my property till I caught him and got the police involved. Evidently the police were familiar with him and I got my stuff back and he's in jail.

 

[hi-impact]

So you mentioned about fifty times they are "bad guys".

Bad guys and grown men that trespass are synonymous. Do you agree?

Outside of trespassing, what makes you think that will lead to your neighbors life being in danger?

What makes you think my neighbor's life wouldn't be in danger? There's always the potential and it's about being prepared.

 

[Hanzo581]

Bad guys and grown men that trespass are synonymous. Do you agree?


What makes you think my neighbor's life wouldn't be in danger? There's always the potential and it's about being prepared.

You already said they stopped trespassing on your land (so they complied with a reasonable lawful request), and that your neighbor hasn't told them to stop. So instead of that neighbor asking them to stop or contacting the authorities you fear that cutting through his land will lead to his demise? Just seems like a hell of a leap. And never said he shouldn't be prepared, just not sure you can correlate cutting though someone land that hasn't asked you to stop, with them potentially being violent criminals.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Cutting across someones yard may be disrespectful, lazy and a form of trespassing, but it isn't an indication of someone being a dangerous criminal of even a "bad guy". They apparently stayed of your property when asked. Nothing wrong with being cautious and prepared unless it starts to become a paranoia.

 

[hdwhit]

hi-impact wrote:
I did everything that was necessary, appropriate and legal to stop the trespassing on my property. I put a stop to it real fast. Unfortunately, the criminal trespassing has not stopped on my neighbor's property. ... I've told him a thousand times, he needs protection and he needs to get law enforcement involved.

As you said, you took the appropriate steps to put a stop to it on your property.

And you have alerted your neighbor to the problem and what appropriate steps you believe he needs to take.

At this point you have done pretty much all that you can do. Your neighbor's property is not yours. You can alert your neighbor to a problem and advise him on how to fix it, but you cannot make him take those steps nor can you take them for him. It may be painful to watch, but from what you have said that's about all you can do at this point.

If you have deep pockets and nothing better to do with your time, you could engage an attorney with an eye towards filing some sort of civil action alleging that their actions are adversely impacting the neighborhood as a whole and thus impacting you by diminishing the value of your property, but if you care about your bank account balance and have a life, you'll pretty much just have to content yourself with being a witness to what unfolds.

 

[hi-impact]

You already said they stopped trespassing on your land (so they complied with a reasonable lawful request), and that your neighbor hasn't told them to stop. So instead of that neighbor asking them to stop or contacting the authorities you fear that cutting through his land will lead to his demise? Just seems like a hell of a leap. And never said he shouldn't be prepared, just not sure you can correlate cutting though someone land that hasn't asked you to stop, with them potentially being violent criminals.

He's told them to their face at least 1 time to stop trespassing on his property. He's done nothing else to try to stop them. So, they continue to trespass.

Nothing wrong with being cautious and prepared unless it starts to become a paranoia.

So, where does being prepared stop and paranoia begin? If I'm paranoid, then so be it.

 

[Kleanbore]

Bad guys that criminal trespass already have a criminal mindset.

What is it that these alleged "bad guys" have been doing that you would characterize as "criminal trespass"?

Do their actions fall under the definition of criminal trespass in your jurisdiction?

 

[Bad Ninja]

LE will need evidence to get involved.
An inexpensive trail cam would go a long way.
Document the tresspassing, contact LE and show them.
They will most likely address the situation.
I've found that a LEO asking tends to encourage compliance in most folks.

 

[hi-impact]

What is it that these alleged "bad guys" have been doing that you would characterize as "criminal trespass"?

Do their actions fall under the definition of criminal trespass in your jurisdiction

In my opinion, what they are doing is wrong regardless of the definition of criminal trespass in my jurisdiction.

Some posters seem to be kind of lenient on trespassing. So, we have a different opinion on that.

The situation is what it is.

Therefore, there's nothing else more I can say and am going to stop replying to this thread.

 

[Bad Ninja]

In my opinion, what they are doing is wrong regardless of the definition of criminal trespass in my jurisdiction.

Some posters seem to be kind of lenient on trespassing. So, we have a different opinion on that.

The situation is what it is.

Therefore, there's nothing else more I can say and am going to stop replying to this thread.

Im not lenient, Im realistic.
Im not a LEO.
Im not trained to be one.
They are not tresspassing inside my home.
Im not gonna get shot over a situation that could be easily handled with some camera footage and phone call.

Get some clear footage on film and you will make LEOs job easy.

Now if they tresspassed inside my home while I'm there, that's a different story.