Dog Community

neighbor called police bc i have dogs and he has a 3 yr old daughter-

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:37:26 PM

I have just moved to a new neighborhood and my neighbor is my nightmare. I have 3 dogs- 1german shepherd, 2 mutts. Anyway, my neighbor complains that the fence is not sturdy and I either need keep my dogs away from the fence (we share a fence) next to his house or double layer the fence because he has a 3 yr old daughter and doesn't want to risk my dogs knocking down the fence and attacking her. In a way i understand his worry, but I think it's silly. The dogs are confined in my back yard, they don't try to go over his property. They only bark when there are people walking by.. which is normal for dogs. But after 2 complaints and I didn't do what he requests, he threaten to call the cops on me. Well, i didn't know if he did or did not since I ignored him. He wants me to fix all the cracks in the fence because he claims my dogs did it-which is totally bs bc the cracks are obviously due to the fence being old. Anyway, because I have dogs so I went ahead fixed any fences that are broken..that were not made by dogs.. Fences break because they are old but to my neighbor I need to fix it b/c I have dogs.
I'm in need of legal advices on this situation. Please help.

meilani

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:41:20 PM

That sucks. If I were you I'd put another fence on your property just so the crazy bastage doesn't keep complaining and trying to come after you whenever the fence needs repair. It sounds like this guy is a troublemaker and likes to complain for the sake of complaining. Good luck.

mickeyboo

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:44:14 PM

yeah, he complains to anyone he sees that walk out of my front door-my friends..bf..father..anyone. he keeps bringing his daughter up as if my dogs are killer dogs. Yes, they bark bc they are guarding their property..but he's making a big deal and thinks that my dogs would do anything to attack his daughter. It sucks to live next to someone like this.

leslie__chessies

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:44:49 PM

Can't give you legal advise...
but I had a similar situation. As it is said, "Good fences make good neighbors", so I would see if you and said neighbor could come to an agreement to share costs in replacing the fence. Some neighbors are capable of making life hell, and if all it would take is to replace the fence, by all means I would (and have!) do it!!

Mic

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:47:58 PM

Who owns the fence? What is his complaint exactly? That your dogs bark? That they could potentially knock over the fence?

If the dogs haven't actually done anything, then there isn't really anything you need to do. Let him call the police...who cares. just because he's making a complaint doesn't mean you have done anything wrong. Who did he make the previous two complaints to?

Tell him if he so worried, build his own fence. Or maybe he should keep an eye on his 3 yr old when she's outside.

All you have to do is contain your dogs. As long as that is being done successfully...i'd tell your neighbor to shov......

Mic

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:49:38 PM

I would file a harrasment complaint if he bothered anyone that came to my house. It is because of people like him that I have guard dogs!

Amelia

Posted : 3/13/2006 12:53:22 PM

Your subject line says he called the police...did he? Did they contact you? For legal advice you should contact a professional. If your dogs DO happen to get through the fence into his yard there will really be a problem, so isn't it in your own best interest to make sure that doesn't happen? I guess you have, if you've fixed the fence, but if it's old, I'd personally make sure it's totally secure.

I'm a dog lover and I understand that dogs bark. But I'm also a parent, and I have to admit that it would make me uncomfortable if 3 big dogs were barking at my toddler through a less-than-secure fence every time we went into our own backyard. His discomfort is not your responsibility, but your dogs are, and it sounds like the fence is too. So just make sure you have both secure and under control and that's all you should have to worry about.

dogluvr

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:01:56 PM

Question who owns the fence? If the smooth side of the fence is facing you then he owns it. If the smooth side faces him then you own it. When you install a stockade fence the home owner putting it up needs to install the smooth side out.
Just wondering if it is his and he is so concerned he should replace it.

mickeyboo

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:03:13 PM

when I left on Saturday to go run errands, he threaten to call the police. I ignored him and just left. Not sure if he called or not, but no one contact me yet. His complaint is that the fence is not sturdy and my dogs have potential to go over the fence. My dogs have not done any of this. They bark but they have not try to jump the fence or anythign like that. I have been fixing here and there on any cracks of the fence, but not the whole fence. Like I said, I understand his worries, but in a mean time, he's very pushy and wants me to either put my dogs somewhere away from the fence or build another layer of the fence immediately. Now, the house is only 3 yr old, and the fence is old, but not like something that could be falling down anytime.
I'm planning to but another layer on the fence for the sake of my peace. But I'm pretty upset because the way he harrasses me.

Mic

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:05:34 PM

Like I said above. I would file a harassment complaint immediately.

Amelia

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:07:35 PM

If the smooth side of the fence is facing you then he owns it. If the smooth side faces him then you own it. When you install a stockade fence the home owner putting it up needs to install the smooth side out.

Hmm. Never heard that one before. In my area, whoever put the fence up owns it. I'm assuming the previous owner of the OPs house put the fence up and that's why the neighbor says it's the OPs job to fix it (b/c he now owns it). If the neighbor and the previous owner put it up together, it would be both their responsibilities to keep it maintained.

glenmar

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:10:22 PM

I think I'd throw up a wire fence about 2 feet back from the old wooden one and be done with it. They can bark to their hearts content (unless they are violating noise ordinances) but as long as they can't GET to the old fence, the child is safe from them and he has no valid complaints.

I will say, that when I lived in town I had some horrid neighbors that did everything they could to get us OUT of the neighborhood. AC was a frequent visitor to my home and ONE bark was enough for these folks to call the police and fuss. I reached the point where we went OUT in the fenced yard WITH the dogs and did NOT allow barking. Ours were soooo bad that we literally couldn't let our dogs go out to play and be dogs. I'd do my best to control the situation so that it doesn't come to that in your case.

Amelia

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:16:41 PM

Like I said, I understand his worries, but in a mean time, he's very pushy and wants me to either put my dogs somewhere away from the fence or build another layer of the fence immediately

Did he come and talk to you when you first moved in to find out about your dogs? Have your dogs ever "met" his child? Are they kid-friendly? Or did he just start complaining and making demands right from the start? If so, he definitely hasn't approached this in a constructive way. I know how awful it is to live next to neighbors you don't get along with, so I sympathize with you. I think the police would've contacted you had there been any legitimacy to his complaint (if he did call them at all). I think if your fence is secure and your dogs can't jump over it, you're covered.

It's all well and good (for you or anyone here) to call him a pain in the a$$ and moan about how he's making your life hell (even if both are true statements), but the bottom line is that if your dog(s) ever does jump or breach the fence into his yard, you'll be in deep doo-doo. So just make sure that can't happen.

Sorry your new home isn't turning into a happy experience.
[sm=peace.gif]

leslie__chessies

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:19:34 PM

ORIGINAL: mini_mom

If the smooth side of the fence is facing you then he owns it. If the smooth side faces him then you own it. When you install a stockade fence the home owner putting it up needs to install the smooth side out.

Hmm. Never heard that one before. In my area, whoever put the fence up owns it. I'm assuming the previous owner of the OPs house put the fence up and that's why the neighbor says it's the OPs job to fix it (b/c he now owns it). If the neighbor and the previous owner put it up together, it would be both their responsibilities to keep it maintained.

In my area, a fence which divides two properties is a shared fence, and both neighbors are equally responsible for repair/replacement. I ended up replacing our 30 year old fence myself because my neighbor was too cheap to pitch in. I had lived here 6 months and he 30 years. It was worth it though...no more grief from a**hole and I got to choose the nice side of the fence.

Amelia

Posted : 3/13/2006 1:24:06 PM

In my area, a fence which divides two properties is a shared fence, and both neighbors are equally responsible for repair/replacement.

So you're saying that if I lived in your area, and my neighbor decided he wanted a fence, and put one up, I'd be responsible to share in it's upkeep, like it or not? That seems very strange and unfair IMO.