Double Secret Probation

All the one's that keep us entertained, get run off.

BLKT2 should be back, but nothing from him.

Just don't say the name three times.

He's too busy playing ninja out in the Orient or mercenary out in Africa....

I have a bad neighbor. I had camera footage of somebody pulling up in a old silverish-greyish pontiac and rummaging around in my Amazon drop box. I could not 100% identify them because it was at 2 AM and the headlights were aimed right at the camera (Ring doorbell). Welp I only knew of one person that drives a car like that.

One day they left it parked on the hillside right where you could look into my window perfectly from the road. It’s a gravel road and a steep hill, nobody has got no business parking here and driveways/entrances are typically 1/4 mile apart minimum. Normally further. But theirs is about a quarter mile away.

Welp I drove out there and pulled up nose to nose to that car and studied the front end real good, watched those videos. And once I had my mine made up I didn’t call the police. They are no use here, they warned is about this weirdo and pretend like they can’t catch up to him. So I went to his home and confronted him there.

I did not threaten the man, I just told him he’s not welcome on my place or my neighbors, he’s got no business whatsoever and if I catch him or anybody associated with him around here for any reason I would hold him personally accountable. I also let him know I have camera footage of his activities at 2 am on August 18th 👌 I was so mad i could feel the flush in my face, I wanted to kick his a-word so bad but i restrained myself from doing or saying anything real stupid. Not a single curse word, either. The age of the smart phone a sly trickster can mess your life up real quick.

I also let him know in no certain terms that I don’t call the law, and have no faith in them to help me. And by now he surely knows I am a gun guy because I shoot out here all the time, and i love to play with some good old fasioned HME.

I haven’t had any more problems. He used to snoop around my neighbors place. He stopped. My neighbor credits me for that because you have to cross my place to get there. All I did was talk to him 🤷

But your situation is different. Your neighbor seems like he is probably not a criminal, probably abides by the law, I bet you can work it out.

Nice!

Well, I only have one dog, stays in my house, if he barks, he gets put in his inside dog room...most nights he sleeps at the foot of my bed. I have found that most dogs who act out have owners who act out or simply don't take care of their animals. The dog next door who bites at the fence and barks at everything, has an owner who plays loud outside music and his truck is also super loud, he is loud too, I just choose to ignore and get along. There are situations like my relative I described whose neighbor never made it past high school mentality and calls the police every time he hears a noise. When I go to my farm there is peace and quiet except when the coyotes are yelping, hogs are grunting, birds are signing, or frogs are croaking on the tank...sometimes the wind is irritating and the rain pizzes me off too, but somehow, I overcome, and life goes on...people.

I keep my dog inside too. And he gets in the trash when we take a family outing, and tears stuff up when we leave him by himself. He takes revenge for being left alone. he’s a rescue. I don’t care. If he runs off somewhere out here a farmer will kill him if he molest the cattle or a bigger, badder predator might get him. I have some neighbors that let their dogs run free, well they probably won’t last long around here.

They can be outside all day and not make a sound unless someone comes up the driveway or is moving around beyond our north fence line. They don't bark unless there is something there.

Would this include your complaining neighbor while they are on their own property?

I have really enjoyed this thread. It is very similar to what has happened and what is continuing to happen with my parents on the property around their 25 acres.

My parents built on a portion my great great grandfather’s original homestead in the edge of the family pecan orchard. There were only 4 houses on the mile long parish (county) road for almost 100 years. Their house (and my great grandparents house) were the last houses going south so no houses for at least 3/4 mile. They never thought anyone would ever want to build on the wooded property next to them. I grew up being able to walk out the back door and hunt squirrels, rabbits, and deer. We shot crows out of our pecan orchard and shot skeet and doves in our pastures. It was a dream for a country kid.

Now, the land has been cleared around our family homestead on 2.5 sides and houses and neighbors are everywhere. The neighboring property is now incorporated into the city. Its hard for a man to take a leak on our property without somebody looking to see what you are doing. It is a major and drastic change that my parents (same age as OP) don’t like. My Momma actually has contemplated moving because she has “neighbors so close”.

How does this relate? The bottom line is the OP is 70+ years old and never thought the property north of his fence line would sell or at least never thought anyone would live there. Now he has a neighbor and just that fact alone irritates the piss out of him. What probably adds to his irritation is that the OP probably could have bought the property in the past for a reasonable price but didn’t. My parents could have bought the neighboring too but thought it was overpriced. (Maybe not but that is often the case with lots of landowners I deal with on my job.).

The dogs barking are annoying. Most people won’t tolerate that for long. Whether he admits it or not the OP is legally or morally responsible for the situation. He admits he trained/encouraged his dark to bark at anything around his north property line. I get it. Protect the property from all enemies foreign and domestic. But now the property dynamic has changed and the OP refuses to change.

I will not bash the OP for not liking his neighbor or the situation or even reacting out of character. Most people are emotionally attached to what they have worked, sweated, and bled to own and maintain. No Christian always acts or reacts like Jesus would. We should but we don’t. We are just fallen people that have been forgiven by a perfect Savior.

Jesus said to love our neighbor. Thankfully He never said I had to like them ... LOL!! I have a difficult neighbor that drives me nuts with some of the crap she pulls. But at the end of the day I have to be the better person and make the effort to show her love, grace, and mercy as much as I want to strangle her sometimes … The struggle is real!

This will not end well for the OP and his dog especially if, like he states, his dog eventually climbs the fence and gets aggressive with the neighbor. Idk about Texas but Louisiana law allows you to put down any dog that acts aggressive toward you on your own property. You can also sue the dog’s owner for real or “emotional” damage. The liability coverage that is part of homeowner’s insurance may not cover you if you have an aggressive, large, or dangerous dog breed and didn’t disclose it especially if your dog climbs the fence and attacks an innocent person on their property.

Instead of blaming the neighbor it is time for the OP to take reasonable action to rectify the situation. It is not the dog’s fault. From the narrative given it is not the neighbor’s fault either. The OP has to adapt. Adapting is tough.

Just my 2 cents.
Big Hutch

I didn't understand that the new neighbor was a vegan. Well, that there's the defining fact on who is to blame. Clarity at last.

Most thoughtful post on this yet; captured many of my thoughts but in a real life, understanding way. Great Job!!

The vegan comment was tongue in cheek, in reference to the type of individual that buys property amongst 3 landowners with animals, then bitches about their animals. Folks moving to the country to get out of the city complaining the country is not like it was in the city…

Spot on. “Don’t California my Texas”

It's not just in the country. Beethoven Hall in the King William District of San Antonio has been around for a very long time, outdoor beer garden, German music, etc. Some people buy a historic home down there and start complaining about the noise, petition the city, yada, yada, yada.

You can't ever get away from certain people that are going to always bitch that everyone should do everything exactly the way they do it and say. In other words, there will always be miserable people.

Simplest solution is for neighbor to get treats for the dogs, show them they are not a threat. When they bark, feed them and make friends.

I certainly understand. We moved here (middle of nowhere) after 35 years in Houston, so I was the city boy new to the country. After some time here, I met an old timer former cowboy. We hit it off and he taught me a bunch. It was a synergistic relationship. I finally had to make one significant change, which was to fill the workshop fridge with only Budweiser, to keep Pete happy. He hated Miller beer.

I’m mostly country now. Was just in Waco, and the noise and traffic were awful. Totally quiet here. And no Vegans here. And I finally have good neighbors. The problems with neighbors are gone for now. Stress free heaven…

Thank you for the kind words. I don’t know if they are deserved but they are greatly appreciated.

Big Hutch

I just feel like you should learn something about your neighbors before you buy a home. If you move in next to a meth lab, that’s your fault. The police are not gonna help you, they play cat and mouse with criminals and extort normal citizens. They sure will tax the heck out of you one way or the other.

How big is the place? Cyclone fence?

Have some signs made up that advertise your place as the future home of Porky's Pig Farm, coming soon. Put one on all sides of your property and a couple that face the Houstonite. Might go as far as buying a pig or two and having one of your other neighbors pull up with a trailer and load it up as if the pig was being purchased. Things may look bad to your neighbor, but remind him that things could always get a lot worse.

^^When we sold my mom's house in Castle Hills and after the wonderful City of Castle Hills refused to even consider changing the zoning, I was sorely tempted to put up a sign that said "Exotic Dancers Coming Soon!"

Well said.

Thank you.