What would you do in this situation?

[the_randomizer]

Okay this is one of the few times I have made a serious thread, so bear with me; this too has caused me undo indescribable stress. So, I have a friend who owns a bunch of animals in a rural (as in, super rural) town in central Utah. She's one of the sweetest most wonderful people I ever got to know, and is just a lot of fun to be around. However, in this town lives these neighbors from hell. To start off, they have tried numerous times to release all the animals (deer, foxes, chickens) while they were gone for the day, they have tried killing her animals with guns, slashing their tires, cutting their phone line (pretty sure that's a federal crime right there), a myriad of bullshitting and hell for my friend and her small family.

Several attempts have been made to contacting the police, sheriff's office, county office, nothing. They won't do anything since the town she lives in is very small and they don't give a rat's ass about going all the way out there to deal with the neighbors, etc. etc. The judges won't allow the family to use video proof of the neighbor's activities since digital video can be easily edited to make people look bad, and so on. The people themselves have no job or education, are into heavy drug use and are hellbent on making their lives as miserable as possible.

Now, after looking up some laws, Utah has some very nice laws for castle doctrine, which to my understanding, allows justifiable lethal force if the victims in question know they are in danger of harm for themselves or anyone living on the property and must give verbal warning to the intruder, as cited here
http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE76/htm/76_02_040500.htm

They have cameras all throughout their property, so the good thing is the douchebag neighbors can't get away with doing it as much. However, they've been calling on them for so-called noise violations and the cops just idle in their driveway for a long time with their headlights on, keeping my friend wide awake, but the cops just don't do jack shit about the problems, the ones making the noise are these neighbor's numerous dogs, and nothing is being done. My question is, what can the victim do about this BS? Cops are our, using video proof at a courthouse is out, building a fence is out due to how zoning is, would standing her ground be justified?

I love her and her family, they invited me into their home, welcomed me and my mom and sister with open arms and even played with their animals (remember their super cute foxes), there's no reason they should have to put up with this.I just don't understand the injustices of some morons like them. It just breaks my heart and drives me to tears that wonderful people are treated like shit when these punks go unpunished. They would move if they could, but right now, that's financially unfeasible.

 

[Ryukouki]

Knowing people here, they'd tell you that you chose the wrong forum.

 

[the_randomizer]

Knowing people here, they'd tell you that you chose the wrong forum.

Shit. Then I should go ahead and have it closed. Don't know what the hell I was on or what I was thinking. I needed to vent, that's all.

 

[pyromaniac123]

Kill the neighbours, feed the bodies to the animals.

 

[the_randomizer]

Kill the neighbours, feed the bodies to the animals.

Oh how tempting that would be. The mental anguish they've been causing her and her family has been obscene, the fact the cops won't get off their lazy asses adds salt to the wound. Of course, when she mentions "twelve gauge shotgun", they get over there faster than Oprah on a baked ham. As far as doing something within legalities, like castle doctrine, I mean, I am interpreting the right I believe. Or suing them for mental anguish, she actually almost had a nervous breakdown from these losers.

I know serious discussions are hard to pull off on this site (no one's fault really), but I just like to hear opinions on the matter

 

[Chaosruler]

some very uncommon experience told me that the way to deal with useless people in the world is via violence and fear, they tend to take it worst than some random warning, but you obviously lack the balls to do it, even if law enforcement in that town seems to be on a break - there's so much pain you can cause without permanent damage, no one wants to deal with anyone who causes them pure pain

 

[Guild McCommunist]

File a lawsuit, get a restraining order, bring it to a higher court if local police won't do anything.

Police may not go out there for a small neighbor dispute but breaking a restraining order is different.

However I really don't know what kind of grudge they have against these animals. I mean I could see trying to release them as some stupid prank but slashing tires, cutting phone lines, shit like that seems like a real personal grudge. Is there a reason they'd go to this extent?

 

[the_randomizer]

some very uncommon experience told me that the way to deal with useless people in the world is via violence and fear, they tend to take it worst than some random warning, but you obviously lack the balls to do it, even if law enforcement in that town seems to be on a break - there's so much pain you can cause without permanent damage, no one wants to deal with anyone who causes them pure pain

She's not the violent type and has a small family that she's raising, even her kids have been put in danger, hell, the neighbors have stood in their driveway and have taken video of her kids, the judge only said, "it's a problem if the neighbors are being turned out, then it's an issue", meaning the judge is an uncaring dick. She doesn't want to end up in jail for the neighbors getting revenge or fighting back for something she does to them. She does want to buy those spring-loaded jaw traps and place them on her property, then if they trespass, gets them in trouble. Not sure on the legality of defending property with jaw traps or even using motion detector lights and/or an alarm system.

File a lawsuit, get a restraining order, bring it to a higher court if local police won't do anything.

Police may not go out there for a small neighbor dispute but breaking a restraining order is different.

However I really don't know what kind of grudge they have against these animals. I mean I could see trying to release them as some stupid prank but slashing tires, cutting phone lines, shit like that seems like a real personal grudge. Is there a reason they'd go to this extent?

The neighbors actually have done this to my friend's moving there, they've done it to neighbors before, not sure what their beef is, but I can definitely ask them if they've considered a lawsuit or a restraining order, that would probably be the best course of action since they live in a small farming town. I don't know what their motives are, I know that they have some psychological imbalances as well as being into hard drugs, having no job or education, they're true menaces to society and just hate-filled punks. But yeah, like I said I'll ask if she's considered that. It sickens me what people do to others just for the hell of it.
I don't think they have a grudge, but are just seriously sick dickheads to any neighbor who moves next to them. I did look up the castle doctrine/self-defense laws in Utah and she's legally justified to use lethal force if she believes her and any being living on her property is in imminent danger, whether it's done by stealth or in a tumultuous manner and verbal warning is given.

 

[Deleted User]

She's not the violent type and has a small family that she's raising, even her kids have been put in danger, hell, the neighbors have stood in their driveway and have taken video of her kids, the judge only said, "it's a problem if the neighbors are being turned out, then it's an issue", meaning the judge is an uncaring dick. She doesn't want to end up in jail for the neighbors getting revenge or fighting back for something she does to them. She does want to buy those spring-loaded jaw traps and place them on her property, then if they trespass, gets them in trouble. Not sure on the legality of defending property with jaw traps or even using motion detector lights and/or an alarm system.

I'm not one to intrude, but it's really hard to read on dark theme.

 

[the_randomizer]

I'm not one to intrude, but it's really hard to read on dark theme.

I don't use the dark theme....I use the normal one, er, the one that's not dark. I wouldn't even know how to change that setting lol. Try changing the theme on your end, I only use the default one on my end. Just saying, everyone else on this thread was able to see what I posted just fine. I don't even know how to change the theme since I never bothered to.

 

[Duo8]

Troll them back until they have to move out.

 

[Deleted User]

I don't use the dark theme....I use the normal one, er, the one that's not dark. I wouldn't even know how to change that setting lol. Try changing the theme on your end, I only use the default one on my end. Just saying, everyone else on this thread was able to see what I posted just fine.

You don't use dark theme? It's by far the superior theme, except certain times when bad text formatting doesn't transfer well.

 

[the_randomizer]

Troll them back until they have to move out.

Oh, but then they'd putting themselves down to their pathetic level, they're the scum of the earth. I hope they get arrested for illegal drug possession or at least somehow driven outta town, a restraint order would probably be the best bet, or a lawsuit for the mental anguish they've been put through. My friend was nearly hospitalized as she almost had a nervous breakdown from this, no one should have to put up with their bullshit.

king_leo Uh, I can see my text just fine on my end, change the theme and you can see it just fine. I'm too damn lazy to change the theme. I can read my text just fine on the dark theme too. I can't really control how my text shows up in the dark theme, I don't know nor should I expect to know how it'll shows up on other themes. Sorry.

 

[Deleted-236924]

I don't use the dark theme....I use the normal one, er, the one that's not dark. I wouldn't even know how to change that setting lol. Try changing the theme on your end, I only use the default one on my end. Just saying, everyone else on this thread was able to see what I posted just fine. I don't even know how to change the theme since I never bothered to.

It's a bug with Dark theme I think, for some reason entire paragraphs after certain quotes will just randomly become navy blue.

 

[the_randomizer]

It's a bug with Dark theme I think, for some reason entire paragraphs after certain quotes will just randomly become navy blue.

Weird. Oh well.

 

[chavosaur]

The way I see it, if casket doctrine is a thing, it's time to implement it. These people are using Sheer violence against your friends, she has a right to stand up for her family and her property. If they're GOIG to continue to strike fear at her, it's time she fights back with a little fear of her own.
Hell I know if stop if I was going to sneak in to release an animal and had a shotgun pointed at my face.

 

[the_randomizer]

The way I see it, if casket doctrine is a thing, it's time to implement it. These people are using Sheer violence against your friends, she has a right to stand up for her family and her property. If they're GOIG to continue to strike fear at her, it's time she fights back with a little fear of her own.
Hell I know if stop if I was going to sneak in to release an animal and had a shotgun pointed at my face.

Oh, they have firearms for self-defense (one of them being a twelve gauge), and according to Utah law, http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE76/htm/76_02_040500.htm she has every right to do so, those losers, oh yes, there will be hell to pay, I assure you. Lethal force is indeed justified, but even then, if the people who get shot survive, they might try to sue them (we all know how people do that, or the family tries to do). So, she needs to pick the lesser of two evils, either sue them with a restraining order, or, utilize the stand your ground law.

The thing that sickens me the most is that, she's one of the nicest people I ever met and is a very close friend to my family. Oh yes, but karma can be a real bitch Glorious will be the day when the neighbors are driven out of town. The only time she ever got a cop to go over there is when she told them she had a shotgun lock and loaded and ready to use against them, that got their attention. I think VX agent would probably be overstepping bounds huh? Jaw traps, motion detector lights, alarm systems however would be, uh more legal I would think. She can't even get the zoning permits to build a fence in between their yards.


Anyway, section two of that law I think would cover this: "(2) The person using force or deadly force in defense of habitation is presumed for the purpose of both civil and criminal cases to have acted reasonably and had a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or serious bodily injury if the entry or attempted entry is unlawful and is made or attempted by use of force, or in a violent and tumultuous manner, or surreptitiously or by stealth, or for the purpose of committing a felony."

 

[WiiCube_2013]

What would you do if they were your loved ones? This should wrap it up for you.

 

[the_randomizer]

What would you do if they were your loved ones? This should wrap it up for you.

Everything I could, within the legalities of the state and federal laws as I wouldn't want to risk going to prison or jail Contacting a district attorney or other people who can give options for civil lawsuits, restraining orders and find a way to drive them out of town. Either that, suggest getting more camera (she already has some, but the judge asserts that digital video can be altered and can't be used as evidence, which is horseshit). Thermal/night vision cameras, motion lights, anything to prevent surreptitious activity from going unnoticed.

They do often obtain illegal drugs as well, but so far they've been getting away with it. I do confess that after all the horror stories I've been told about what happened to them, I've cried about it, I've shed tears because of how much this family means to me, you know? And yet, justice is hard to get served. There's just gotta be a viable solution that won't end disastrously for this family (like the neighbors getting revenge, etc).

 

[osirisjem]

The videotape can be used in court. Whoever said it can't is totally lying. Cops don't want to get involved in neighbour disputes. For good reason.

You can also sue them in Small Claims court, especially with the proof.
Of course suing crazy people can get you killed.

I'd keep with the videotaping.
But staying away from the crazy neighbours is the best idea.

Don't fight with idiots, that bring you down to their level, and they beat you with experience.

If it doesnt get better, MOVE.