Neighbor

[Sheenar]

So, there is a situation brewing with our next-door neighbor in the apartment complex --"Rip Van Winkle" is what my roommates call him b/c of his long, white beard.

Neighbor scared the poo out of me Sunday morning by yelling across to me telling me not to take my dog to the bathroom on my own side of the lawn. Had a massive panic attack--hyperventilation and all --it really sucked. Really. Did not expect to be triggered like that at all.
Apparently, he had talked to my roommates as well. Roomies talked to the apt. manager who told them that we didn't have to listen to this guy since we were being responsible and picking up after the dogs.

His issue was that the dog pee was killing the grass. He had planted a lot of grass (didn't have to --could have just planted his side of the lawn and not ours) and went on and on about wanting a pretty place to live. I do ALWAYS pick up poop. For a while, I'd even take a glass of water outside to pour on top of the pee --but he still has been giving my roommates and I grief.
I tried to explain about my disability and that I needed a close place to potty my dog --how I cannot always walk far (good days vs. bad days.) It was no use. He still wanted me to walk all the way to the main entrance right next to the major highway to toilet my dog--stating that he'd seen me walk to the store. Again, didn't listen to my good days vs. bad days explanation. Plus, people in the community toilet their dogs there and don't clean it up --I don't want Leon to get sick.

Today, he yelled at my roommate again for taking her dog to potty on OUR side of the lawn (which is what the apt. manager told us to continue doing.) When I took Leon out earlier, I had to walk a good ways to the next patch of grass b/c this man was outside and I'm still shaken up from Sunday.

He asked my roommate if she was bent on continuing to potty Stormy on our lawn --and then said, "Well, we'll see about that."

I'm afraid. This man scares me --especially after he yelled at me on Sunday. I'm starting to become hyper-vigilant whenever I go outside. This man glares at me when I walk to my car with Leon.

My roommate thinks he has put something on the lawn --she came back inside with her feet covered in ant bites. I don't know why this man would put fire ants in the grass, so I'm not sure if he had anything to do with it or not. I do know there was nothing there a few days ago.

I'm really distressed about this. I just want to live in peace and go about my own business. Why can't this man just leave us the heck alone? I don't like being harassed.

Please pray for this situation. I don't feel safe/comfortable. I am going to talk to management about this.

[Darth_Kirby]

will pray. But as much of a scary character this man might be. Pray to God for protection and then don't worry about it. As it says in Philipians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

[Atria35]

Praying- and what Kirby said. Ignore him. He's being a mean sourpuss. If your apartment manager said it was okay, and you're picking up after the dog, then it's his issue, not yours. However, if he's put something on the lawn, then you need to talk to the apt. manager ASAP.

[Sheenar]

I talked to the apt. manager this afternoon. She told me not to worry about our neighbor --she said that he isn't going to do anything and is just an old man who is stuck in his ways. She said that if he has a problem, he can come talk to her --she is, after all, the manager of the property. She told me that I can continue to take Leon out back along the fence (my bedroom has the backdoor to the little patio/lawn behind the building.) She also told me not to let him intimidate me.

So hopefully no more problems?

[Atria35]

My fingers are crossed! He's probably still be a sourpuss- "Hey you kids get offa my lawn!" - but eh. He's not the owner.

[Hiryu]

So he's telling you not to take your dog to use the bathroom on your own side of the lawn? Okay, go take your dog over to his front porch. Problem? LOL, U MAD?

[Sheenar]

Neighbor harassed my roommate again this evening. She's written a second letter to management about this situation. We are both getting VERY tired of this --we just want to enjoy our home.

[Sheenar]

Roomie and I spent 6 hours last night switching bedrooms so she could have the one with the back door.

All because our neighbor got management to backtrack on allowing us to use our side of the lawn. Now we have to take our dogs out back along the fenceline. No lighting in the back. No accessible path to the dumpster. Loads of trip hazards (tree roots, one fence plank lying across the yard.) My night vision is terrible even with a flashlight.

Management sent out a notice to all the dog owners in our building with this new fenceline rule. And said the rule is subject to change at any time.

Jo and I are hopeful that another 2-bedroom will open up soon so that we can move away from this man. And we are upset that management sided with him instead of taking his harassing behavior seriously and standing up for their residents (not just us, but this man has bullied others.)

And to top it all off, management thinks I am okay with him offering to walk me to potty my dog. Why the heck would I want to walk with a man who scared me so badly and triggered me like this?!? What part of "I am scared and don't feel safe --that man scares me" did they not understand?

If I fall and get hurt taking my dog out back instead of in the front where there is a paved path and ramp (and okay lighting), I am going to be so ****.

[Okami]

That's not cool...
Praying the situation gets resolved beyond this, Sheena.

[TheMewster]

Prayed for you... wow. And don't take Hiryu's advice---Vengeance is the Lord's!!!

[Kaligraphic]

You could suggest to the manager that requiring people to use an unlit and hazardous passage is an invitation to a lawsuit.

[Xeno]

You could suggest to the manager that requiring people to use an unlit and hazardous passage is an invitation to a lawsuit.

This. Also I'd recommend contacting your local sheriff's department and making a report about the harassment from your neighbor that resulted in all this. That way if anything happens, you've got documentation backing you up showing that you made a report about what what was going on.

[Sheenar]

I'm afraid to make a police report or really to raise a fuss at all about the unlit/unsafe potty area or the ramp at the laundry room or the harassing neighbor (who, thankfully, hasn't said anything to us since the new rules went into effect --I guess because he "won.")

We can't afford the possibility of being evicted. We have to stay here in this complex until our lease is up in February. The management doesn't take us seriously and treats us like we are a bother/thorn in their side. I mean, it took a lady from corporate coming down to talk to them to get them to even put a ramp in at my doorway so I could get my scooter in and out of the apartment.

I found a spot that is technically "by the fence line", but where I can stay on the sidewalk to take my dog to the restroom. I'm not going to put my safety at risk to comply with some rule that the neighbor man bullied his way into having enacted. If the neighbor has an issue with it, well, I'd give him a piece of my mind and tell him the hardship he is causing everyone. If he wants things his way, then he should be the one to encourage management to make the back path to the fence accessible/remove trip hazards since he is the only resident they seem to care about catering to, apparently.

[Kaligraphic]

If there's a corporate office that you can appeal to, it couldn't hurt to contact them about the issue. They're not going to kick you out for talking to them.

[aliveinHim]

Yikes. Our neighbor's dog potty'ed on our yard and I sat in it accidentally >.<. It will be alright after talking to the management.

[TheMewster]

I thought we weren't supposed to have lawsuits. Search 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. I really want justice in this world but sadly we must wait for the Great Judgement...

[Xeno]

I thought we weren't supposed to have lawsuits. Search 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. I really want justice in this world but sadly we must wait for the Great Judgement...

Mewster, that passage of scripture is talking about lawsuits between people in the church. Here is that passage in the NIV:

Lawsuits Among Believers

1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
*7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I fail to see how this is relevant to Sheena's situation in any way unless they happen to go to church together. And even as such, if a social injustice is being done, a la someone with a disability being forced to do something above and beyond that which should have to be done for the convenience of someone without a disability, then absolutely a lawsuit is justifiable. And it's kind of messed up to have an opinion of "Well, I really want for justice to be served, but oh well, thems the breaks! =/"
Situations need to be looked in to, yes the Bible is a roadmap to our lives, but each personal situation needs to be examined and see how the lessons of the Bible needs to apply to that situation.

Anyway, Sheena, keep us posted.

[Sheenar]

I'd have to go to the main office and ask for the corporate contact info. And that would just be plain awkward since my beef is with how the manager handled this situation.

I'm about to just say "forget it" and take my dog to potty where I was taking him before the new rule --I always clean up after him. If management takes an issue with it, well they should make the area they want me to take him to more accessible and put lights in so I can see and not risk falling and getting hurt.