It’s been said that good fences make good neighbors. This is especially true when the neighbors are less than savory characters, and doubly so if they can’t keep control of their noisy dogs, or their tempers.
This was the situation facing one Redditor after she finally got over her fear of strange dogs and started using her yard more. Having had enough of her neighbors’ poorly behaved animals, she spent more time out there on purpose, but things got heated after the neighbors tried telling her what to do.
More info: Reddit
Woman was afraid of strange dogs after she was attacked by one
Image credits: Blue Bird / pexels (not the actual photo)
She’d always avoided using her yard because her neighbors’ dogs would charge the fence, but started using it more after she got past her fear
Image credits: katemangostar / freepik (not the actual photo)
She would let her dogs out in the yard when the neighbors had theirs inside, but would go inside if they let them out
Image credits: cjanes96 / imgur
When she refused to go inside one day, her neighbors cursed at her, but she told them their dogs were the problem and stood her ground
Image credits: u/cjanes96
She plans on installing a visual blockade so their dogs can’t see hers, but will let the rude neighbors stew for a while
OP begins her story by telling the community that, for the last three years, she and her husband have lived in a townhouse with their two 60 lb dogs. She goes on to say that she had been attacked by a dog just before her neighbors moved in two-and-a-half years ago, but had worked through her trauma with her therapist.
Her neighbors have four loud and reactive dogs that charge the fence whenever they see anyone on the other side, including her own two dogs. This had stopped her from using her yard for the past two summers. Now that she’s worked through her fears, she’s started to spend most of her weekends trying to enjoy the space, along with her dogs.
For a long time, OP says she’d take her dogs inside whenever her neighbors let theirs out. That was until one Sunday when the neighbors once again let their dogs out, which behaved badly as usual, forcing OP to take her dogs inside. This time the neighbor cursed at her about keeping her door shut.
OP decided in the future she’d stand her ground and keep her dogs out even when the neighbors do the same. So, the next time it happened, the neighbor’s dogs went berserk, forcing the neighbor to chase them around her own garden. OP says she plans to put up some kind of visual blockade but may put that off for a week or two, just to annoy the neighbor.
In an update to her original post, OP reveals that her neighbors decided to cuss her out and yelled at her to take her dogs inside. OP responded by telling them that their dogs were the issue and not her problem to deal with. She concluded her post by saying that she’s not proud of her behavior, but she wasn’t about to cave in to bullying, either.
Image credits: freepik / freepik (not the actual photo)
OP’s petty revenge seems low-key compared to her neighbors’ brutish behavior, but, if she wants to up her game, she could go the legal route.
Before she can get the law involved, however, she’ll need to reach out to the neighbors in writing, ideally with an email, so she has evidence. Perhaps she can convince them to have their dogs trained, but that seems unlikely, especially considering their past behavior.
If that doesn’t resolve anything, there are always noise ordinances to fall back on.
According to the Kinetics Noise Control website, noise ordinances are laws which limit the allowable noise level(s) at different times of day for different zoned areas (i.e. residential, commercial, industrial). The maximum allowable noise levels are usually higher during daytime hours and lower during the night.
OP could get a copy of her local noise ordinances with the relevant parts underlined or highlighted and give them to her neighbors, along with keeping a copy for herself; it’ll certainly help her case if she wants to escalate things.
If the problem persists, OP would be well within her legal rights to call the police to investigate the noise level. In the case of barking dogs, she’d also be free to get the local animal control agency involved.
Before OP decides to sue in small claims court, there’s one more option available to her: mediation. According to the Super Lawyers website, mediation is a process in which trained attorneys facilitate a compromise between parties. It’s one of the most effective conflict-resolution techniques, successful around 60% of the time with the participants generally satisfied with the process.
Bored Panda caught up with author/legal editor Ilona Bray of NOLO to ask her opinion on the hairy situation. When we asked her what she thought of the neighbors' behavior she said neighbor disputes can escalate fast. The usual advice lawyers would give in such situations (“Have a friendly conversation! Assume the neighbors don’t know how you’re affected by the dogs and write a letter advising them!”) sounds lame when faced with people who act like what’s described here.
Bray added that this is a matter where some legal concepts might be worth considering. If someone ends up calling the cops, or suing (perhaps in small claims court), every action by both neighbors will be put under a microscope.
Bray went on to say, "The more the long-suffering neighbor can prove she’s been reasonable and document what has happened (such as with photos, copies of messages sent, and so on), the better the odds of coming out ahead. Before that happens, it’s of course worth considering mediation. Having a neutral third-party in the room can do wonders for calming everyone down and reaching an acceptable compromise."
What would you do if you found yourself in OP’s shoes? Do you think she should try to negotiate with the neighbors, or just call the cops already? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
Redditors in the comments section threw their weight behind the woman, swiftly agreeing that the neighbor’s dogs were the problem and needed proper training
