Anyone have experience with trespassing neighbors?

[CamoDeafie]

Neighbor is trespassing. Coming through a fence

Indeed. One of the previous posts indicated that there's a history of the same behavior from previous owners recollection...

 

[PepperoniPizza]

Seems like the consensus is to talk to the neighbor. Best to hold off on the booby traps, and summary executions.

 

[ajgunner]

Heck if any of my neighbors wants to come over and do some hedge trimming or tree pruning, all I ask it to let me know the schedule. I would be glad to haul the trimmings to my burn pile. Heck you never know---maybe I can even talk them into scooping the dog piles while he is over.

Just caught these 4 legged trespassing neighbors taking a short break from pruning my bushes. They usually do a pretty good job, but they do tend to get a bit carried away with the roses sometimes. This time of year they also do a great job on picking up all the apples that hit the ground.

 

[jvbutter]

Not a problem at our house... we have a 120lb Rotty that is spoiled and lives in the house most times. When anyone comes to the front door ( sometimes me included) he goes ballistic and pounds the front window. In fact he popped out the screen on one day and Amazon delivery driver called me to ask about my delivery, wanted to know if he was going to come through the window. I said... he might. I ran home quickly

 

[PepperoniPizza]

Not a problem at our house... we have a 120lb Rotty that is spoiled and lives in the house most times. When anyone comes to the front door ( sometimes me included) he goes ballistic and pounds the front window. In fact he popped out the screen on one day and Amazon delivery driver called me to ask about my delivery, wanted to know if he was going to come through the window. I said... he might. I ran home quickly

Looks like you're picking up deliveries from now on, lol.

 

[Lazyfaire]

He's done it twice now, the second one on camera. I say you call the sheriff and show the video to him and just ask him to explain the trespass laws, not to ticket him. BUT, definitely ask the deputy to write up a report and to file it so that there is an official record. The guy has been informed, it has been officially noted and you have put up NT signs on the fence. I definitely think you have to screw shut the panel(s) he comes through.

 

[2A2Dend]

The ole guy may mean well, if he gets injured on your property, then what?
Who "can be" potentially liable?

 

[JedB]

It's a panel that he pulls off and puts back on, it doesn't always stay open. I have never actually seen it open, before I caught it on video, I didn't even know the panel existed.

I would go ahead and put up a bunch of cedar fencing on your side of the 2x4 cross beams.
Then he could take off his, and not be able to get through because of yours.

 

[American123]

Update: went to talk to the neighbor, range the doorbell three times, he never answered.

Came back into the house, an hour later my wife saw him in his window looking at our house, I went back over, rang the doorbell, three times, he never came to the door.

 

[Oohrah]

Slightly off topic, when I bought property and built a house the seller who sub-divided had his waterline running on my property. Short story, I notified him that I would offer him a license to keep it there while he owned the property and it had to be moved if the property was sold. Also he couldn't dig it up for repairs destroying my tree roots. He and his wife were lawyers and I won. 2 years later when they divorced and sold, it was moved.
I recommend if you have evidence the fence is on your property put it in writing to put him on notice and preserve your rights. As for the illegal trimming, press charges.

If any water lines or power lines run through your property that belong to others, you can dictate where they can travel for repare if needed, but must give access. It's called utility right of way. It should be recorded if it was legally done, or even grandfathered into the deed and is recorded. If there is no legal proof, I don't think you have to give him a thing! Water rights in this state is kind of screwed up and ambiguous and I think the state pulls the strings as well as land uses!

 

[Phantom Man]

Update: went to talk to the neighbor, range the doorbell three times, he never answered.

Came back into the house, an hour later my wife saw him in his window looking at our house, I went back over, rang the doorbell, three times, he never came to the door.

He is going to dash out of his back door and trim your hedges if you spend too much time at his door...

 

[Lazyfaire]

The ole guy may mean well, if he gets injured on your property, then what?
Who "can be" potentially liable?

Starts with The landowner

 

[DunRanull]

(teehee) Reminds of a fateful encounter a couple years back. A POS meth idiot liked riding his dirt bike on, and tearing up, our property and I'm pretty sure was responsible for ripping off small, and smallish, objects on our property. I gave chase on foot and on mule a few times, but never caught the SOB in the act. One day I came home early from work and decided to mend the fence up top. I hike up the hill, in one hand a mallet, the other a stake, and on my hip a holstered 6" .357 Magnum revolver. I get up top and said POS, who is a pasty, short, sickly, junky, maggot comes down the hill on his scooter to encounter a 5'11", ex-boxer, guy who is very much not amused at his presence on his land. A look of pure horror crosses the goober's face. A snarl crosses my normally, smiling, joyful face and I say "This is private property. Get off it and don't come back. Understand?" He coughs out a "Ok ... ok, I'm going." Punk.

Nothing like a good *Get off my lawn* moment to cause punks to think again...

 

[CRBMoA]

If any water lines or power lines run through your property that belong to others, you can dictate where they can travel for repare if needed, but must give access. It's called utility right of way. It should be recorded if it was legally done, or even grandfathered into the deed and is recorded. If there is no legal proof, I don't think you have to give him a thing! Water rights in this state is kind of screwed up and ambiguous and I think the state pulls the strings as well as land uses!

I can show you a case in Wasco County where the land owner COULD NOT dictate the approach used by the utility to access a pole that they were replacing.

What was going to become a multi unit Assisted Living facility is still a dirt farm.

 

[cowboygraphics]

1. You tried contact to discuss - as suggested here. He chose to not answer the door.
2. Remove access: Screw / lock the access panel closed - it is your side of the fence & an access panel negates the reduce access purpose of a fence.
3. Optionally post a No Trespassing sign facing his direction (no need for you to have to look at it - deserving of him to have to) - video of installation & photos of placement.
4. Get on Record: Contact LEOs to file a report of trespassing (video) your actions AND your REASONABLE steps. Ask if they will have a courtesy visit & explanation of trespassing with the neighbor.
5. He escalated it by not answering his door to discuss it like a neighbor - his choice = your next step.
6. LEOs may then come share next step suggestions (we have the report, talked to him, call us if issues), or even what his viewpoint is (perhaps your trees are blocking his view, or ...)

 

[JedB]

Update: went to talk to the neighbor, range the doorbell three times, he never answered.

Came back into the house, an hour later my wife saw him in his window looking at our house, I went back over, rang the doorbell, three times, he never came to the door.

Maybe you should go through the back of the fence opening.
Turnabout is fair play and all...

 

[jvbutter]

Looks like you're picking up deliveries from now on, lol.

nahhhh , the regular Fedex / UPS drivers are no immune, or atleast watch for the raging dog.. .

 

[DB is Here]

Update: went to talk to the neighbor, range the doorbell three times, he never answered.

Came back into the house, an hour later my wife saw him in his window looking at our house, I went back over, rang the doorbell, three times, he never came to the door.

I suspect with his behavior of avoiding you, he knows he's been caught and just maybe that'll be the end of it. Pretty cowardly of him not to answer the door IMO.

 

[PBinWA]

As long as the fence is on your property line then block off that access panel. Maybe some high voltage electric fencing to keep the "pests" out would help too.

All my fences are at least 2 feet inside my property line. I had a neighbor try to use my fence to fence off their property and I told them they had to run their own fence on the actual property line. They were confused - but I wasn't. I want my fence to be all mine - if I catch you touching my fence - you are already trespassing.

 

[CoastRange57]

Did you video yourself trying to contact him ? It is important to have a date time indication on that to document your good faith effort to contact him.