Things You'll Need:
- Camera (preferable digital)
- If possible a pocket voice recorder.
- Patience and a smile.
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Step 1
Identify the neighbor. It helps to know who is exactly doing the harassing as to keep from alienating the other people around you. Keep your cool. Try to wear an MP3 player or other while walking or doing outdoor chores to keep your mind away from the people bothering you.
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Step 2
This is from experience: Keep a voice recorder with you when you find yourself either walking by or outside. If something is said to you by the person or persons it is best to get it on tape as it will be your word against theirs if authorities do have to be called. This helped me out when a neighbors small children were screaming obscenities to my children as they were playing outside. I used a digital camera set on movie mode. This helped when the parents denied that their children ever used filthy language. The cops saw and heard the video I played back for them, as did the parents. It was difficult to deny it after that.
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Step 3
Remember it wont last forever. Do NOT retaliate, it only makes things worse. Do NOT call the cops every time the neighbors do something like call you names or make faces. The police have a very important job to do and do not need petty childish calls. The best thing to do is smile! Wave and be friendly even if they flip you the bird. Ignore words. Be nice to those around you and any rumors told about you or your family will be seen as just that... rumors. No matter what the people say about you or your family, as long as you show you are not what they say your reputation should not suffer. Many people are smarter than given credit for and will learn to also ignore the people giving you problems or will see who is really causing the problems.
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Step 4
Do not let a neighbor bring you down. Write down what occurs in a diary, include date and time. Include pictures and or video. This will come in handy if the harassment comes to the point that you do have to take them to court. If you take the previous steps and not retaliate or do anything to the other people, it will be very hard for the harassing neighbor to make a case against you if they have nothing to show or prove you ever did anything. Keep records of any doctor visits due to stress of the neighbors harassment. In my case the military doctor kept records and offered to charge the person with Domestic Violence if I came back suffering from the same problems again. If you live in apartments first take the evidence to the manager. This may result in a warning to the offending neighbor and if they continue, again take the evidence to the manager and an eviction may be in order. If you live on a military base: take the evidence up your chain of command. The commander can then go through your local housing office and do a possible mediation. If the mediation does not work then again and eviction of the people responsible is possible. When it comes to home ownership and neighbors in an uncontrolled environment, keep the documentation and take it to the local court to get a restraining order.
Most of the time you can do a possible mediation and could even find out the neighbor is holding a grievance because of something they thought you said or did that was not true.
Comments
kiminvirginia said
on 10/30/2009 guess i have to make this shorter my situation is i have neighbors who have made my life a living hell!!from yelling things at me to threating me and my sons life stalking us staeling our mail keying our car.I finally got a restraining order went before a judge and got it permanet today the apieled it and i found out alot of people are comming to court 4 them so their own lives are not miserable.what should i do thats the very long story supershort i will tell all bits and peices of what they have done if anyone can help us.
kiminvirginia said
on 10/30/2009 i want to make sure this gets posted it kicks me back every time i hit post
worriedmominbc said
on 10/21/2009 we have a family of five including three daughters ages 6 and under. In our basement suite there is a man under the influence of prescription drugs who is abusing them. He has been there four years and is now harassing us and our children WHAT DO I DO????
Alethia said
on 8/28/2009 hi! Im also a Navy wife and live on base. You need to call housing and make a complaint there and let them know you tried to resolve it yourself. Youll have to go into housing and file a report against them. It goes into their file and after so many complaints they'll get kicked out.
chele007 said
on 8/27/2009 WOW! I thought my neighbor was bad. Very enlightening.