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How would you go about this?

8K views 111 replies 46 participants last post by  SuicideHz 
#1 ·
ok this is a real situation that i need some advice on how to go about this legally please

the kids that live next door to me(ages: 19,17,17) have been giving me trouble for about 2 months now it started with just them talking crap that lives here(me, my brother, his girl friend and my girlfriend). everytime i walk out the door them and at least 4 of thier friends run thier mouths and at odd times they run up and kick my door or walk up and try to open my door when we arent home(i have security cameras that catch them). I have called the cops 5 times already and they came out 4 times and told me they couldnt do anything and the 5th time they told me if i called again everyone would be going to jail(myself included). two of them have told me they were going to shoot me but have done nothing. now today they have seem to have gotten braver and 2 of them ran up to my car door while i was pulling out to leave and tried to open both the driver and passenger side doors. i hit the gas and left quickly so thats all that happened. i know for a fact that one of the 17 year olds that threatened to shoot me carries and firearm sometimes.

what can i do to stop this? none of us have firearms yet(we are all in the process of getting some now though) but we all carry pepper spray. im not sure i want to rely on pepper spray if one pulls a gun though.

thanks for any advice you can give me
 
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#38 ·
derek, from your comments, it sounds like they are giving you the run around. Almost as if you have a few complaints filed against you by the same group, where it would be hard for a LEO to figure out who was at fault. If you know the 17 year old has a gun, call Child Protective Services...they can do a lot a LEO can't do...or make a LEO do things he doesn't want to do. If you know for a fact that they are using illegal drugs next door and you can smell it out the window, call it in immediately. These are things that can be easily checked up on. If you actually have video/audio of them threatening to shoot you, take it to the DA, and the Police Chief, if they give you the runaround, tell them your next stop is Fox News...I would typically not go as far as I am recommending, but I don't believe I would ever let it get as far as you have let it. It sounds to me like this has gone way past a few bullies picking on an easy target. It sounds like this is going to continue to progress to me.

Stay aware, stay safe, document, purchase a weapon, and save up for a down payment to a new place...it sounds like you're not in the best of neighborhoods
 
#39 ·
I may have missed it, but you DO have a no trespassing sign out, right? If so, when they trespass, call the cops and they will not do anything but file a contact report, unless the jerks are stupid enough to be there. The next time, video evidence or reliable eyewitnesses can confirm the trespass, and they should be cited.

The next time a cop shows up, show him or her your video setup, stay calm, and try to be really reasonable. You are doing some of their job for them and believe it or not they appreciate that, unless they find you to be as big a pita as the jerks. It is a tough situation, and I am rooting for you.
 
#43 ·
derek, you're past that...you've put yourself in a potentially very bad situation. you've already complained, next time, insist on filing charges, if they threaten to take you to jail also, put your hands behind your head and if you're not leaving any details out, you won't have to worry about a lawyer anymore. Attorneys like taking 30 percent of civil suits. I'm sure you read the post on this site about when the police told the daughter to stop calling the police on her ex and then the ex ended up killing her. Take that article(not the thread, the article) with you to the police station when you swear out the arrest warrant for attempted robbery, assault, drug possesion, and minor with a handgun.
 
#44 ·
It seems to me that the major issue is that it is his word against the neighbor's word. You can't take that to court. No prosecutor is going to do anything with that. This is why the PD won't act or arrest on it.

Keep everything documented, though. If it keeps up eventually it may be handy, especially if you ever have to defend yourself.
 
#45 ·
At least tell me you have all the letters written and are mailing them today?
at walmart a 20 ga. for 165.00 , 00 buckshot 5.00, saving your life priceless?
These things should have been done yesterday!!!
 
#48 ·
I've come back to this post to make sure you are alright. I'm glad to see that people keep giving you Great advice. You might want to print out all these responses as this would show genuine concern for your saftey throught a vast community. Stay alert and when you all recieve your CWP, arm yourselves. I've heard of countless cases like this gone very wrong.
Be Safe

WO, WO, WO. You live in Florida. What that Officer told you was straight out garbage. If you feel your life is threatened you can defend yourself. The perp does not need to have any weapon on them. You do NOT NEED TO FLEE. Fleeing and getting shot in the back was one of the reasons Florida changed their laws. A large beastly person is a concern in itself. Cops always give poor advice when it comes to arming yourself. Remember, they are mostly behind gun regulations. Anyway, 4 weeks or one week of video. It is enough to show concern after the fact of you defending yourself.

What I mean is that if you ever have to use your gun to defend your life or your friends and families life, you have documentation that proves you where scared for your life.
 
#49 ·
I've come back to this post to make sure you are alright.
wow i really appriciate that! :smile:

i live about 40-60 miles north of you. i figured what they said was BS because his grandpa works for them(i hate to think that but it really seems like it) im going to make copies of everything i have and send out certified packages


thanks everyone for all the advice(more is definately welcome) i cant explain how much i appriciate it
 
#51 ·
Dude, arm up with a side arm and a video camera. Everytime you walk out your house, turn the camera to record the insults and threats. Take that back to the police and if that is good enough for them, take all your other video and documentation (I hope you have documentation!) to Fox news as earlier suggested.
 
#54 · (Edited)
update: i just left to take my friend home and they were out front saying they are going to catch him and beat him up. they are getting sad he just had surgery on his back to remove a cancerous tumor

edit: they just through a big stick at my front door and i called the police and asked them if they could send a cop by real quick and they said "we will look into it" lol i guess i should apply for a palm beach county sherrif job cause it looks like easy work
 
#56 ·
great thanks!

i told my mom i was going to get a CCW and she says "carrying a gun is just asking to go to jail" lol she HATES guns(she doesnt care if other people want to have them she just doesnt like guns for some reason) i keep trying to convince her otherwise and its kinda working.

edit: i looked over that list and the one in my area is

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office 3228 Gun Club Rd. W Palm Beach, FL 33406 and thats the jail he works at but ive heard he might have gotten transfered to the jail in belle glade. he works during the night so if i go during the day he wont see me
 
#57 ·
Another thought - if you're looking for simple, affordable surveillance equipment, check out some of the simple home security camera packages on ebay. It wont be anything overly high quality, but they're usually cheap, effective, and not too hard to replace if your 'neighbors' decide they don't like being watched....

Like many have said - situational awareness is absolutely key in this situation. BE AWARE of what they are doing. You say they're always out on their porch talking smack. To me, i personally would be more worried if they were nowhere in sight. Then you've gotta wonder where they ARE.. If you know where they are, you know where they're NOT.

Keep ALL your doors and windows locked. Invest $30 in a set of heavy-duty deadbolts for the 2 or 3 outside-entry doors in the house. It wouldn't hurt to get in the habit of taking stock of your house when you get home at night, just to take a look around for obvious signs of trouble before you enter - broken window, busted latch on the back door, etc..

What are your roommates & significant other's reactions to this threat? Are they taking it as seriously as you are?
just a thought..
 
#58 · (Edited)
No Contact

I just read this thread. Hopefully I just missed it and someone has already suggested that you and each one of your housemates get a restraining / no contact order against every single one of those creeps. That is you critical number one step. Without it the police can not, will not do anything until someone gets hurt or property is damaged. Help the police help you get the No Contact Order. Do it now skip school work whatever make it your number one priority, It will take most of the morning or afternoon. Be sure every one especially the ladies gets one, Everyone should let the court know that they are in fear of being killed or injured, the ladies should let the court know they are also afraid of being raped. Once you have the order you and the police can do something. Without it you will have to wait until AFTER someone gets raped killed or injured. So your choice really. If you do not have the time to do that than you must not have anything real to worry about. Have the court specifically order that they can not come to your work, school home, church and a must stay a specific distance away from you. Ask that they be ordered to have no contact with any of you not in person, by mail, phone or third party.
Once you have the No Contact Restraining Order call the police every time they violate it. They WILL go to jail. When you get it please PM me for some ideas on how to stay safe.
 
#62 ·
I just read this thread. Hopefully I just missed it and someone has already suggested that you and each one of your housemates get a restraining / no contact order against every single one of those creeps. That is you critical number one step. Without it the police can not, will not do anything until someone gets hurt or property is damaged. Help the police help you get the No Contact Order. Do it now skip school work whatever make it your number one priority, It will take most of the morning or afternoon. Be sure every one especially the ladies gets one, Everyone should let the court know that they are in fear of being killed or injured, the ladies should let the court know they are also afraid of being raped. Once you have the order you and the police can do something. Without it you will have to wait until AFTER someone gets raped killed or injured. So your choice really. If you do not have the time to do that than you must not have anything real to worry about. Have the court specifically order that they can not come to your work, school home, church and a must stay a specific distance away from you. Ask that they be ordered to have no contact with any of you not in person, by mail, phone or third party.
Once you have the No Contact Restraining Order call the police every time they violate it. They WILL go to jail. When you get it please PM me for some ideas on how to stay safe.
i tried getting the restraining order and such but they said they need 4 weeks worth of video to be able to tell if its warranted or not...same with a tresspassing warning and ive got a big german shepard that is very protective and she usually lets me know when they get close to the house at night(also the video cameras i have set up)..the cops seem like they dont really care

Another thought - if you're looking for simple, affordable surveillance equipment, check out some of the simple home security camera packages on ebay. It wont be anything overly high quality, but they're usually cheap, effective, and not too hard to replace if your 'neighbors' decide they don't like being watched....

Like many have said - situational awareness is absolutely key in this situation. BE AWARE of what they are doing. You say they're always out on their porch talking smack. To me, i personally would be more worried if they were nowhere in sight. Then you've gotta wonder where they ARE.. If you know where they are, you know where they're NOT.

Keep ALL your doors and windows locked. Invest $30 in a set of heavy-duty deadbolts for the 2 or 3 outside-entry doors in the house. It wouldn't hurt to get in the habit of taking stock of your house when you get home at night, just to take a look around for obvious signs of trouble before you enter - broken window, busted latch on the back door, etc..

What are your roommates & significant other's reactions to this threat? Are they taking it as seriously as you are?
just a thought..
deadbolts are on every door and ive got 2 cameras set up now but im getting more..i pointed them so that each camera could see the other so if they do something to one the other will catch it

only problem with them breaking in is there is never anyone not here so if they break in they might hurt the person thats here
 
#61 ·
i didnt see it exactly when they broke the window or popped the tire but one of them came to my door and said they were going to do it so i went inside to call the cops and hear smash and look out to see him running away from the truck...on the tire it was at night and i walked out the door and heared the sound of air coming out of a tire and he popped up right behind my truck with an ice pick in his hand and acted like nothing happened and ran in to his house
 
#63 ·
derek, have you already sent out those letters? If so, call the DA and let him know the letters are on their way via certified mail, and ask if you can get an appointment with him. Bring your copies of letters and your video/audio. Bring any police reports that you have. If you have evidence that the police told you that you have to have 4 weeks worth of video/audio, bring that, too. If you have evidence that the police told you they would put you in jail if you complained again, bring that, also. I don't know how your audio/video is set up, but if they came up to your door and told you they were going to break your window, then your audio should have caught that. If they broke your window, your video should have caught that. If not, then what exactly is your audio/video equipment doing for you?
Anyway, take everything you have to your appointment with the DA. Ask the DA if a representative from the Police Department can attend, also. If not, schedule a seperate appointment with the Chief of Police. If all of the above is done and does not work, call your local newspaper/reporter, and get all of this out in the open. If the police really told you they would put you in jail for making a legitimate complaint, you can bet that they don't want to see that in print. Good luck, and as said above, repeatedly by different posters, get this done, like yesterday.
 
#65 ·
I have been paying attention to this thread for a couple of days now and everyones advice seems really good. One thing that I would add is to pay close attention to your dog when it is out side. God forbid they throw some sort or chemical soaked food or rat poison or somthign of the sort in the yard. I would not leave her alone out there at all. That has always been a fear of mine with my animals and difficult neighbors. I am moving to Tampa in May and I talked with a gun dealer my last visit. I was told that with a CCW permit, you can walk in and buy your gun and leave with it. If you do not have it, then you fill out a form and there is a short back round and waiting period and you can pick it up (this blows my mind since I am from NY). Anyways I would get that immediatly. Consider that and then shot gun like others have suggested. Make sure the girls are capable of handling each weapon. Good luck and I am glad you keep us posted.. I am sure I speak for all when I say it is frustrating sitting reading this and not being able to help.
 
#66 ·
oh yeah i dont let me dog out all by herself anymore i would probably kill them if they did anything to her. i go out with her for a while and sit outside while she plays around and does her business then she goes back in. i found out my friend has his CCW and he said its great because he can go to the gun shows and get the guns cheaper and take them home right there. the four of us are going to do a basic pistol class(it is also good for the proficiency requirement for ccw) on march 7th. it covers....

1) Ammunition: History, components,safety, and use.

2) Firearms: History, parts, functions, use and safety.

3) Laws: About concealed carry, situations (shoot or not shoot).

4) Live fire: Preparation for the range, and use of firearms at the range.

5) Range: Show proficiency with a semi-auto handgun and a revolver.

6) Conclusion: Clean the firearms, answer all questions, and talk about the application for the permit, final exam.

i try to update as often as possible so that hopefully i can get help with resolving it and if someone has the same problem they can look at it and will have all the great info they need or might need in the future :)
 
#67 ·
What's Up Dereck.
Make sure you dont spend all your money on pistol classes when all the information you need is on the internet and in Books. To be proficient with a gun is to go to the range 4 time a month. And have COMMON SENSE! You do not need to show any special documentation that you are proficient with a handgun. it is merely a question on the paperwork when taking the class. What's important is the fees for electronic fingerprinting, any nominal fee the station charges for prints (usually 8-12bucks), and the 100$ application/picture/course fee. I spent in total 206$
My friend got is CWP in Orlando and ended up paying 200$ more then me. All CWPs are the same. Shop around and get it quick and cheap.
Money should be spent on ammunition not training. :buttkick:
 
#68 ·
When you went for the restraining order, did you go to the sheriff's office or to the local court system? I am in NJ and work as a sheriff's officer. I have seen many domestic violence/restraining order proceedings and 4 weeks worth of video seems like they are playing with you.4 weeks worth of video is going well beyond reasonable doubt. Restraining orders are civil in nature, not criminal. They don't require the same level of proof. I don't know FL law but I dont think you would qualify for a restraining order here since you havent had a relationship besides neighbors. IIRC your posts, the grandpa works in the jail?As an officer? If you can get or do get a restraining order, grandpa might try to tighten the screws on the kids. His weapons would be seized also as they live in the same house. It might be worthwhile to have a talk with the grandpa.
 
#70 ·
derek, that sounds like a very comprehensive class and it's good to see somebody interested in concealed carry taking the responsible way out. Yes, there are probably shortcuts that you can take, but you can learn a lot in a course like that. Especially, since by your previous posts I take it that you do not own a firearm. Learning to be comfortable with what you carry is as important or more important as the fact that you can protect yourself. So, good luck with your permit. On the other hand, if money is as tight as you had mentioned earlier, and you are primarily having problems at home, I would recommend a Defensive Shotgun for your home protection rather than a concealed permit. I know that's blasphemy on this forum, but you have very specific problems that you need to deal with and it sounds like your problems are happening at your front door, and not at the local mall. Ideally, both would be preferable, but if you are going to have to neglect one for the other due to budget considerations, I would go with the shotgun.

If you have had a lot of experience with firearms and are a good shot, then I would recommend purchasing the weapon you will choose to carry before the shotgun or the class, as that will give you a measure of home defense, allow you to use it when you get your permit, and will not have the chance of being neglected in a few months once everything straightens out.

Good luck with everything, and keep us posted. I'm glad you got those letters out. Let us know how the meeting with the DA works out.
 
#71 ·
Sue the property owners.

Their has got to be something in the FL law that allows you to go after a property owner who allows a nuisance to exist on his land.

If you really want to be a mean person, see if you can have the court freeze the equity in the property in anticipation of your prevailing in the lawsuit which means they can't refinance or sell the house to take the equity out.

That will get someone's attention and make they realize you aren't a happy neighbor.

Its attention grabbing in the same way firing a few dozen 12ga slugs throught the house it at 4:00 AM can be, but without the police involvement.

People will be morons until it hits them in the wallet.
 
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