Appropriate steps to detur firewood thieves

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update 6/30

Well mostly good news. Fence is done, firewood stacked along it. (pics coming tonight) Chain and private property sign blocking my alley access is down.:clap: I'm using the new light fixture on the back of the garage to power/photoswitch red/white and blue strings of LED lighting strung along the peak of the garage and all along the fence. (no complaints about that so far).

Video/dvr security system operational on all four cameras. (got really nice video of birds trying to fly into the bird houses I've hidden the cameras in)
The fourth is coming up and neighbors are just about out of wood again, maybe the cameras will catch something other than birds/bugs.

I did visit with an lawyer today about the right of way issue, basically the neighbors would have to prove that I have not used the alley for 15 years for them to even think about claiming it as their property. Really my only threat is if they petition the city to vacate the alley... in that case I'll have notification and my say in regards to the vacation. Of course the lawyer said that I still have some research to do to make sure the alley in question is still an city alley, just because I have a recent lot survey showing it as an alley, a letter from the city stating "we can't really find a record of vacation and we are done looking" doesn't mean it is still a city alley. (but all indications point in that direction) Doh.. trip to land records is in order I guess.


So how did I get the chain and sign down? I asked them to take it down stating they can't block a city alley & I have survey showing the alley, that even though they had given me "permission" to use the alley I still felt they might use the fact that it was up as evidence that I no longer used it.... So for now it's down but not removed, just unhooked from one side and laying on the ground on the other..
He even had the gall to say the reason they wanted it up was to keep other people from taking my firewood!!:monkey:


The chain and sign: <a href="http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/3fordasho/?action=view&current=DSC02978.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/3fordasho/DSC02978.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
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Very well done, you really nailed this situation down well. I am glad you kept at this and continue to protect your rights and property.

Ahh hell somebody please hit the man with some rep, it is telling me I have to spread it around before hitting him
 
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As promised, completed fence pic

<a href="http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/3fordasho/?action=view&current=DSC03009.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/3fordasho/DSC03009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


And now that the fence is up, the junk pile on the other side has grown a bit....:monkey:

<a href="http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/3fordasho/?action=view&current=DSC03010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/3fordasho/DSC03010.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
Not that I want your neigbors to pinch more of your wood...but it would be very cool to see you post a vid of them caught in the act from your hidden cameras!


Nice work on that fence by the way...good looking property you got there.
 
Very well done, you really nailed this situation down well. I am glad you kept at this and continue to protect your rights and property.

Ahh hell somebody please hit the man with some rep, it is telling me I have to spread it around before hitting him

Got him for you and I both. To the OP: I have not read through this thread in quite awhile. Sickening you have had to go through these lengths to keep those touchholes from taking firewood and abusing your property. I know a little something about neighbor problems due mostly to deer season. Sometimes you have to not be willing to put up with peoples BS. If more were willing to do what you have done, then maybe more people would stop being dirtbags out of fear of the law, or in my case, fear of dodging lead projectiles. I once told a neighbor who was trespassing during hunting season I like to shoot at the loudest noise I hear on the other side of the bushes, so it had damn well better be a deer.

PS: Don't worry I don't shoot at noises while I'm hunting, I shoot at movement:hmm3grin2orange:
 
Update

Well it's been almost two years since I've even had a word with my toxic neigbors, they act like we don't exist and we return that favor.
That changed Saturday afternoon. My wife and I were preparing to leave for an Aerosmith concert in Minneapolis when there was a knock at the front door. A city police officer wants to talk to me?? He proceeds to explain that the neighbors claim I sprayed / killed some of their plants in front of their garage in their backyard... what the he**! I said I have no idea what they're talking about and any issues we've had were over two years old and if I wanted revenge would I wait over two years? He laughs and agrees the claim is rediculous and goes on his way.

Sunday afternoon we return and the daughter and grandaughter are with us to celebrate fathers day. My wife/daughter/2yo grandaughter go for a walk around the block. Neighbor comes out on her front step and proceeds to rant/scream at them claiming she KNOWS that I did something.... my wife calmly explains that we have identical plant/lawn damage in our yard to and we just thought it was an act of nature which I truely believe it is. Neighbor rants "believe what you want-your husband did it!"
My wife ended the conversation by saying they need to move their patio table/chairs of our property (the shared pond area).

Also noticed that my alley access was blocked again by their chain and "no trespassing - private property" sign !!!!:angry:
As noted earlier in this thread I had already proved by getting a survey that the alley is city owned, not private property.

By Tuesday noon the table and chairs were still there so I called police and had a long conversation will an officer at my house, showing her all the issues, lawn/plant damage, etc. She was very sympathetic to my case and left the neighbors a note to contact her.

Tuesday I came home from work... the chain and sign were back down and the neighbor (him) was out front loading the patio table and chairs into someone elses pick up truck.:rock:
 
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They must have gotten bored. I would have thought they had been foreclosed on by now.


Believe me, that is our dream.


While I was explaining the whole sad saga to the officer, I mentioned that they don't like me cutting back the buckthorn in the alley (done in a minimal way to so I can get through it). Well I mentioned that they like the cover because that's their pot smoking den back there.... the officer got real interested in the drug aspect and asked me twice if I minded if I got a call from the drug task force...
 
Aint nothing worse than bad neighbors. Personally I would rather live down wind from a pig farm than to have a neighbor who's primary goal in life is to make you miserable. A mans home is a mans castle, and a guy should really be able to enjoy his yard without worrying about "stray bullets" coming over the fence.Guess thats why I live in a rural area.

But I guess there aint a whole lot a guy can do if a neighbor turns sour, even in our area we have one neighbor who aint never happy unless he is causing trouble, and even though I have made repeated attempts at making peace with the guy, it never ends.

One of these days I am going to pack up move to Alaska, I hear they got land up there where a guy can go walking for two months in any direction and never run across another human being.Now that would be living!
 
I feel for you! The house next door was sold earlier this year and I had white trash move in. First day I ended up showing them where the property line was 'cause they were riding their ATV's all over my place, including thru the deer food plots and down the rifle range. :angry:

They don't have trash pick-up and burn everything. I've picked up exploded aerosol cans floating in my pond, and in the grass (luckily before I ran it over with the mower).
 
Jeez, I sure hate it for you guys. That trash burning is some thing I struggle with two doors down from me. Smoldering plastic and what not has got to go! have talked to other neighbors and it's been decided we will "encourage" him to cease and desist. Haven't seen him in a while, as he is reclusive or nocturnal, but the neighbors know I'm gonna welcome him to put his trash out with mine for weekly p/u. If he will not accept my offer, and continue his burning, we will collectively call the law on him. He will be advised of this offer by myself and neighbors when next we see him.

(soon,,,very soon,,i might have to work up a bucket of month old fish guts to entertain this guy with,,)
 
well the worm has turned again. The B**ch complained to the city that my wood is in the alley. Funny thing is last time (2 years ago)she was trying to prove it was private property-- the city at that time basically said " we don't want to deal with it, it's up to you to figure out if its an alley or not- we don't maintain it". So I get a letter from the city yesterday, they finally admit that it is a alley (public property) and I need to move the wood by july 3, 8am. Today I talked to the city, they were reasonable and gave be till July 25th.

THIS IS GOOD NEWS - I want it to be an alley. Sure I need to move some (alot) of wood but I needed to rotate my stock anyway.

The city said I can use the alley anytime I want, day or night. Guess when I'll be using it? Right in the middle of the neighbors pot partys... I don't care if it's 3am. There deck is with-in 2 feet of the alley.

Next I'll ask for paving of the alley and the street that connects to it... their property would be hit twice on the assessment!!!
City probably won't do it but I'll suggest to them that it might :msp_thumbsup:
 
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Why don't you set up a small work bench to clean your guns at their line of sight?
When you have a bad neighbor, you need go out of your ways to let them know that you are crazier than them.
Once they realized that they can't F*)(* with you, they'll start giving you respect and elbow room.
Works for me everytime when I used to live in the city with a couple of rental houses on the block.
They would park on my drive way and lawn, liter and stomped on my flower beds.
But when they see and hear me cleaning my shot gun and hand guns in my garage with the doors wide open, all the crap stopped the next day. I never made a threat to them, I just mind my own business and cleaned my guns while haveing a full conversation with each guns throughout the cleaning process. I gave names to all my guns and had a full conversation with each one of them.
Make sure they witness your insanity. Trust me, all the crap will end.
 
Why don't you set up a small work bench to clean your guns at their line of sight?
When you have a bad neighbor, you need go out of your ways to let them know that you are crazier than them.
Once they realized that they can't F*)(* with you, they'll start giving you respect and elbow room.
Works for me everytime when I used to live in the city with a couple of rental houses on the block.
They would park on my drive way and lawn, liter and stomped on my flower beds.
But when they see and hear me cleaning my shot gun and hand guns in my garage with the doors wide open, all the crap stopped the next day. I never made a threat to them, I just mind my own business and cleaned my guns while haveing a full conversation with each guns throughout the cleaning process. I gave names to all my guns and had a full conversation with each one of them.
Make sure they witness your insanity. Trust me, all the crap will end.

Thats just great, :laugh:what did you call your guns, we need names please
 
Tonight I was loading some wood (imagine that) and took a short break. Got out the tape measure and started measuring out 15' from the rear property pins. 15ft is the alley width.. I've got to run a string along that 15' line but it's looking like some of the wood can stay right were it is for now... not in the alley. That would put it on quarry property, but they won't care as long as their chain link fence is intact - it is... I'm thinking the a**holes are really gong to be pissed if I can leave a bunch of it where it is.

I started trimming up the alley way behind their property... I was sick of the buckthorn scratching up the sides of my truck.
They were out there in a flash and giving me the evil eye and she was on the cell phone right away... I started loading wood and got the paper work to show the cops I was expecting to arrive... they never came.. The idiots went back in their house. Got two offers of the use of a skid loader and dump trailer if I need it.. I guess somebody does like me.
 

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