Some people just make me shake my head.

[Wolfman01]

This little escapade actually started over a month ago. One day, during a bout of nasty weather, a border collie shows up on my property. When I check him out, I find a tag with a phone number. I call the number and leave a message on their voicemail that I have their dog.

Later on, I've just left for work, and my phone rings. It's the dog's owner. I tell them that I have the dog tied up at my place, and that they will need to stop by and pick him up. The woman actually got disgusted with me, and told me that I needed to "shoo him home", and he would go home on his own. I then proceeded to tell here that I could not do this, as I had already left for work. She then gets nasty, stating that she wouldn't be able to stop by untill after 8pm when she got home from work. I tell her no problem as the dog is tied in a place where she can easily pick the dog up on her own. I then tell her where to go. Before we can hang up though, she still found the need to tell me how much of an inconvenience this was to her. I give her the dismissive "I'm sorry that this is a problem," and hang up.

Fast forward about two weeks. Again, their dog is back on my property. Again, I tie him up, and proceed to call them back. This time she answers, shouts "Hello! Hello! Hello! a few times, before hanging up. Thinking that the connection was bad, I called right back. This time, all I got was her voicemail. I again leave a message that I have their dog. This time, the message goes unanswered, and I end up holding on to the dog for two days. I then contact animal control, and have them retrieve the dog.

Fast forward another few weeks. Again, their dog is back on my property. Given my last two encounters with these people, I simply have animal control pick up the dog without attempting to contact the owners.

So far, the dog has not shown back up again - yet.

Thursday morning, I get the wild burr to walk the back acreage on my property, so that I can see how well the grass is starting to grow back, so that I can gauge when I might be able to allow another neighbour to bring their horses back up to graze. When I get to the back of my property, I find that there has been a large amount of clear cutting along the property line, including the cutting down of several large trees that were well inside my boundary, and that some of the north/south facing fenceline has also been removed. Now, as someone had snagged the east/west fenceline, tearing it down in the process, with a tractor a few years ago, I wasn't too terribly uptight over this. However, I did feel compelled to make contact with the property owner bordering my land, to let them know that they had inadvertently cut a few of my trees down, while working along the property line.

I head over to their house Friday morning, and get to meet the husband of this dynamic duo. It is also at this time, that I find out that THEY were the owners of the aforementioned dog. I get exactly one statement out regarding the tree cutting along the line, when this guy starts getting defensive about the property line. I then offer to point out where the trees were cut, and we both head out to the area where our places meet. It is now that he puts two and two together regarding the dog. By now, I'm sure some are getting the picture. He is now building up steam over the dog issue, and starts repeatedly calling me an azz hole for having his dog picked up. I then remind him that there are state laws regarding keeping one's animals contained. He clams up for about 10 seconds, before launching into a tirade about "damn city people" coming out and screwing everything up. Then he asks how ling I've lived there, which is about 7 years now. Oops, the foot goes right back into his mouth - they've lived there less than a year.

By now, we get to the property line, complete with another barrage of being called an azz hole, and how it must come naturally. Mind you, I've never changed the volume of my voice, and have yet to deviate from referring to the guy as "sir." I point out where the line is, and the trees that were cut down, all of which were still lying on the ground by where they were cut. Some of these trees had trunks in excess of 8 inches across. By rights, I am in a position to make life rather expensive for him to replace the cut trees, and yes, I'm STILL taking the high road, and am not resulting to a tirade of profanity, or name calling. By now, he's going off about how I'm getting all worked up over a "little bit of brush clearing."

By this time, I think my refusal to get mad is starting to really tweak him off. He then launches into another tirade on how HE'S going to put up a new fence, and that it will be HIS fence, and if I touch it, he's gonna sue. My answer to that little fit was a simple "OK." So, we are now walking back, with another tirade of azz hole lobbing from this guy (this must be his favorite term I guess), with him by now telling me to leave. I of course do after telling him to have a nice day.

People like this simply make me wonder. I guess in their world, everyone should put up with their animals getting into other peoples stuff, and making a mess, (their dog shredded some empty dog food bags set aside for recycling into trash bags), and allow them to clear cut whatever they see fit on another person's property. As I've said, I wasn't upset over the trees getting cut down. I DID however, feel that they needed to know that they had encroached on another person's property. I know that I for one, would be quite grateful to be notified in a civil manner if I had done something wrong. Oh, and I would have had the manners as well, to talk to a neighbouring property owner before cutting on a property line. IMO, it's about respecting others.

[Mr.Crowley]

wow,some people just live in there own world..If the dog comes back shoot it..

[joe0482]

its my turn to say it


burn there house down!!!!

[joe0482]

Really though i have to deal with people like that all the time at work and most of them are drunk. Just kill them with kindness it pisses them off even more. they want you to stoop to their level and its just not worth it. Just smile and be polite its funny watching the rage build up in there faces. I think you did a great job by not giving him what he wanted. Let the anger consume his life and go on with yours cause you know he was pissed about it for a while and it ruined his night.

[bigwrm]

Originally Posted by Scrambled1

wow,some people just live in there own world..If the dog comes back shoot it..

Why? What did the dog do other than be unfortune enough to have complete morons for owners.

Shoot the owner, sleep with his wife, then burn down his house and property.

[EagerJeeper]

You shouldn't of tied up his dog. Shoot it with a bb gun to run him off but don't call animal control.

The other guy shouldn't of cut your trees.

I'm shaking my head too.

[Mr.Crowley]

nothing,but it will piss them off and probably legal if it ''attacks'' him

[UPSucks]

I'd go after him for the trees. Only because he is a prick. If he was cool, and apologized then I wouldn't. Have to teach some people a lesson,,,,especially when they act like this.

[balloo93]

Get the property boundry schematics and have them available. Let him build his fence and then simply go knock it down. If he storms over, call the cops and have him arested for verbal assault or, if you are lucky he will pop off about hurting you or your property. Then file charges against him and get a restraining order for him.

Video it if possible to prove that he is doing the popping off and that you are not reponding to his threats or egging him on.

You are a better man than me. I'd have told him to watch his tongue around me, and would have gotten in his face about the trees and how you WILL press charges of property damage against them if the trees aren't replaced within the week.

Then, 20yrs later, I'd show up at his house and beat the living hell out of him.

[timatoe]

joe0482 and I probably have had many of the same experiences.

I think you did the right thing, and without knowing where the dog lived it's hard to send him home.

I actually had some people move in behind a family with lots of kids, they live out in the country and the new (from the Bay Area) family, were complaining that these people have too many kids and that their pigs and goats cause a "foul odor". Had to explain to the lady that the "farm animals" don't use the inside toilet.. Some people

[Prot]

File charges for verbal abuse? What kind of laws do you have where you live?

"I'm calling the cops because you called me a fat potato!" ppppfffffttttt

You did the right thing Wolfman. Your troubles might not be over yet though. I would get the property resurveyed because he's probably going to build the fence on your property.

Also, keep in mind that the police deal strictly in criminal law and not civil law.

[the_sandman_454]

Since the guy was clearly a jerk, you should file a police report about the damaged trees, and potentially sue the jerk for replacement cost of said trees. I'm sure that'll cost him a good bit. I have no sympathy at all for idiots of that nature who feel they can walk all over others for no good reason at all. Continue to call Animal Control on the dog if it wanders back over. Better still, play some dirty pool, make sure he builds the fence on your side of the property line and then notify him that it's now your fence.

See if you can visibly see any other ordinances or laws he may be violating, and turn all that in as well. Might as well go to war with the guy, he already dislikes you, might as well give him a good reason...

[ionakana]

yea, I would definitely make the jerk pay for the trees with the attitude he had. Like the sandman 454 said, I would let him build his fence but if he does build it on your property I would tell him to move it!

[timatoe]

Originally Posted by the_sandman_454

Since the guy was clearly a jerk, you should file a police report about the damaged trees, and potentially sue the jerk for replacement cost of said trees....

100% Guarantee the police will say "it's a civil issue". If they can go to jail it's a police issue, if you can sue them, it's a civil issue. If you feel you need to have it documented call and ask for a "log entry" give the dispatcher a brief summary and note the date and time you called so you can later request a copy of said entry if needed.

Don't pay for any surveying, wait till he starts building, if it's on your property get an injunction from the court and make him pay for the survey.

PS I'm fairly certain you're not going to find a "verbal assault" law anywhere.

[shunt]

He destroyed your property, make his dumb @@@ pay... Don't let it slide or who knows what's next.
Also, you've got some incredible self control..You should've kicked him in da nutz.....