Harrassed by neighbours

Crea

Folks,

I need some serious advice here.
Last year some trouble kicked off with our neighbours because their dogs were coming into our garden killing our hens. We told them we'd report to the dog warden and they became verbally abusive and threatening so we contacted the gardai who had a word to say leave us alone.
A month later our oil tank was damaged.
Recently one of their dogs was injured and my kids put a bandage on it. Following day the car windscreen was smashed, a pile of nails was scattered on the driveway and the bandage was left in the middle of the nails. Called the gardai - no proof it was them.
Today got some heating oil. Notice a smell of oil in the garden. A hole had been drilled in the bottom of the tank. No idea when it was done. No proof it was them.

We have had to put security cameras up on the house. What can I do? I seriously feel completely impotent!!

OldMrBrennan83

Make the cameras hidden and catch them in the act so you can hopefully destroy them.

Dtp1979

If the EPA get word that you’ve had a kerosene leak like that, you’ll have a lot more to worry about than neighbours.
Yes hide cameras the best option

SCOOP 64

Make notes time dates if every incident plus install cameras.

McMurphy

Tough predicament to be in OP and I wouldn't fancy trading places with you, but you could go around and round for posts on end discussng what you should or should not do, but at the end of the day, without evidence these neighbours will keep giving you the runaround.

You need to install hidden cameras to catch them, and decoy cameras that you can also point hidden cameras at to maybe catch them interfering with them too.

Good luck, sounds like a right nightmare.

Fr_Dougal

Get more cameras, something like an Arlo that sends you an alert along with a recording when it’s triggered. I wouldn’t bother with decoys.

The cameras will keep them quiet.

Mrs OBumble

PM sent.

TomEire

Catch them with hidden cctv is the only way you will get the better of them

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

rtron wrote: »

Kill the dog maybe?

Oh that should certainly defuse the situation.

OP, hound the Gardai until they do something about it. I would be very careful with your neighbors OP, sound like they are a bit touched in the head.

fonecrusher1

They sound like absolute inbred scum. Scum breed scum.

The problem is even hidden cameras probably wont make any difference. They probably have their young scumlings wearing hoodies when they're up to their shenanigans damaging your property. Cant ID someone if they're wearing a hoodie.

well spoken man

Someone unknown to either party can always be a great help....I find...just ask...

mynamejeff

is it a semi d ?

fire cures all ills

:-)

Reputable Rog

Dtp1979 wrote: »

If the EPA get word that you’ve had a kerosene leak like that, you’ll have a lot more to worry about than neighbours.
Yes hide cameras the best option

Don't talk nonsense. They're hardly going to send Segal around.

ganmo

Nash Large Boot wrote: »

Oh that should certainly defuse the situation.

OP, hound the Gardai until they do something about it. I would be very careful with your neighbors OP, sound like they are a bit touched in the head.

it might as long as the shooting of the dog is reported to the guards the neighbour has no legal comeback

wexie

ganmo wrote: »

it might as long as the shooting of the dog is reported to the guards the neighbour has no legal comeback

Mmmmmaybe.......that might be the case if they did it while the dog was in the act of savaging the hens...

Doing it several days/weeks/months later as retaliation isn't going to look very good.

riffmongous

ganmo wrote: »

it might as long as the shooting of the dog is reported to the guards the neighbour has no legal comeback

I doubt the neighbour will go the legal route for the comeback..

ganmo

wexie wrote: »

Mmmmmaybe.......that might be the case if they did it while the dog was in the act of savaging the hens...

Doing it several days/weeks/months later as retaliation isn't going to look very good.

"About to" is included in the law

endacl

ganmo wrote: »

"About to" is included in the law

Use of a firearm in a residential area is included in a very specific law....

Crea

We live in the country in a detached house. Their land is right next to us so they can literally stand in their own field and damage our oil tank. They live a few doors down.
I imagine if we hurt their dog they'd kill ours along with our cat and all our hens.
They are complete nutjobs and scumbags. They nearly drove me off the road a few times and i'd my kids in the car.
The damage has cost us over €1000 at this stage. Now we've to spend money making our home like Fort Knox. I don't know whether i'm furious or upset.

fonecrusher1

You're not going to beat these filth with cctv or any form of retaliation. The latter will just make things worse.

Do other neighbors have any issues with them? If so maybe get a few of them to contact guards as well. They can't ignore multiple complaints.

demanufactured

Sounds like our pikey friends.
Get cameras.
Get a bug fooking weapon.

Cameras and annoy the Gardai until they take it seriously. Get a dash cam for the car too. Build up the wall between your property and theirs.

Also, secure your property so their dog can't get in and your kids aren't playing with it/putting plasters on it.

No good at all will come from going down to their level.

Malayalam

Crea wrote: »

We live in the country in a detached house. Their land is right next to us so they can literally stand in their own field and damage our oil tank. They live a few doors down.
I imagine if we hurt their dog they'd kill ours along with our cat and all our hens.
They are complete nutjobs and scumbags. They nearly drove me off the road a few times and i'd my kids in the car.
The damage has cost us over €1000 at this stage. Now we've to spend money making our home like Fort Knox. I don't know whether i'm furious or upset.

You won't like this maybe but would you consider selling up? Life is short and to lose your peace and well being to horrible people is not worth it. The things they have already done are atrocious - maybe a new start somewhere lovely with nice neighbours? I know people might think that is defeatist but not every war can be won. I wish you good luck.

SCOOP 64

How long have you live there, did this start from day one?

RiderOnTheStorm

Terrible position to be in, OP. Must be soul destroying.

There are things you can do. You shouldn't have to do them in a fair world. But this isn't fair. So....my thoughts....
Sensor lights
A tall brick wall
Your own dogs
Electric gates
The more activity you have around the house, the more often, the better. Think BBQ, party, landscape contractors etc. Have people come & go often.

Hang in there. They will move on, eventually.

Crea

They moved in around 3 years ago. The trouble only started last year because we threatened to and actually reported them to the Gardai. No one else is prepared to go up against them because they are afraid of them so they haven't had the same level of trouble. They do have problems with their animals going on their land but put up with.
We are kind of stuck where we are because we wouldn't get much money for our house.

Graces7

Crea wrote: »

They moved in around 3 years ago. The trouble only started last year because we threatened to and actually reported them to the Gardai. No one else is prepared to go up against them because they are afraid of them so they haven't had the same level of trouble. They do have problems with their animals going on their land but put up with.
We are kind of stuck where we are because we wouldn't get much money for our house.

(((HUGS))) and prayers.

Have you called the dog warden? I know; you want to avoid more conftrontation.

Go higher up the chain of command in the Gardai though. To the Commisisioners office if need be and also the Ombudsman can clear a way . All by email....

And yes been almost where you are and involving higher Gardia ranks worked amazingly. Last 3 months in one rental I had a pair of Gardai assigned to me as we had gone higher up. One bit of trouble and they were there in minutes. The aggro stopped once the perps realised

Please, go higher with the Gardai

BBFAN

A very large and loud dog could solve a lot of your problems.

Samuel T. Cogley

If a dog was in my place killing my pets, hens or otherwise they wouldn't have a dog for very long.

Graces7

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

If a dog was in my place killing my pets, hens or otherwise they wouldn't have a dog for very long.

with you; but war solves nothing. lateral thinking?

Hector Bellend

Have a gang bang.

Crea

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

If a dog was in my place killing my pets, hens or otherwise they wouldn't have a dog for very long.

The killer is u don't blame the dogs. He's horrible to them, he doesn't feed them properly. Strong suspicion he takes them out at night coursing.

Crea

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Have a gang bang.

Shudder! He's mank but she's a complete skanger altogether!

randombar

If you're looking for discreet cameras I'd go with these if the wifi reaches: https://blinkforhome.co.uk/

Sorry to hear about your problems.

beauf

I think you'd have to build up a body of evidence and avoid doing any retaliation while doing that.

shamrock55

Sit down and watch lake view terrace, you might get a few ideas

The Pheasant2

Catch them in the act with hidden cameras to provide evidence against them when you go down the legal route.

I'd also recommend getting some extra judicial justice of your own - break into their house and take a shíte in their water tank or buy ten thousand dandelion seeds off the internet and scatter them all over their land or something.

Gravelly

Crea wrote: »

They moved in around 3 years ago. The trouble only started last year because we threatened to and actually reported them to the Gardai. No one else is prepared to go up against them because they are afraid of them so they haven't had the same level of trouble. They do have problems with their animals going on their land but put up with.
We are kind of stuck where we are because we wouldn't get much money for our house.

Very sorry for your troubles, sounds like a nightmare. I know of a very similar case not far from me.

Are these neighbours members of a certain minority ethnicity, or just common-or-garden scumbags? Do you know if they have lots of convictions or are just troublemakers? (These questions have relevance on how to proceed).

AllForIt

I'd put an electric fence around the tank, you know like the one's farmers use to keep cattle from breaking out. Turn it on in the evenings and set to kill.

valoren

Get a restraining order after you catch him in the act.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/court-grants-order-restraining-neighbour-from-harassment-1.2281103

argolis

If you're putting up cameras, make sure you're not on shaky legal ground if it comes to it - you cannot be filming public places. So while you're fine to film around your own property, if any of it shows their land, it might be inadmissable. That also applies to your driveway, make sure it's angled not to record the public road and only records on your own land.
I think you might even legally have to have a warning that there's CCTV on the property, maybe someone else can say for sure. It may not come to that, in that if they or the Guards are shown the footage, that might be the end of it but cover yourself as much as possible.

seagull

Any idea whether they're renting or own the property?

Crea

They own the house unfortunately.
We have checked with the Gardai about cctv and it's Ok.
We don't have alot of money so having to spend it on security because our neighbours are degenerates is sickening.
They are not a part of a minority community. No convictions although he may be involved in low key illegal stuff. He has a job. I think they are just bullies who aee used to people backing down when they roar and curse at them. The fact thatt we called the Gardai on them last year means we are on their **** list.

Gravelly

Crea wrote: »

They own the house unfortunately.
We have checked with the Gardai about cctv and it's Ok.
We don't have alot of money so having to spend it on security because our neighbours are degenerates is sickening.
They are not a part of a minority community. No convictions although he may be involved in low key illegal stuff. He has a job. I think they are just bullies who aee used to people backing down when they roar and curse at them. The fact thatt we called the Gardai on them last year means we are on their **** list.

That's all good stuff. In the case I mentioned, the family spoke to someone, who knew someone who knew a guy that was a member of a formerly active organisation that no longer exists (if you get my drift) and a quiet visit was made to the house. Never an issue since.
The family in question are quiet sorts, and had exhausted the legal/Gardaí/CCTV route to no avail.

That approach only works if they aren't;
A) Raving psychos with 156 convictions who have no sense of self-preservation
or
Travellers, who will happily cut off their nose to spite their face, and love a good feud

Crea

I must see if I know people who know people!

Gravelly

Crea wrote: »

I must see if I know people who know people!

Jaysus I'm a prod and even I know people that know people.

Uinseann_16

Crea wrote: »

The killer is u don't blame the dogs. He's horrible to them, he doesn't feed them properly. Strong suspicion he takes them out at night coursing.

If they have Hounds for coursing running about the countryside its a matter of time until they are shot, do you have any farmers nearby? if so have a chat and tell them about the hounds killing your chickens especially if their sheep farmers chances are if they've killed your hens they already have or will kill lambs.
Its just the right thing to warn neighbors about these dogs.

moonage

Doctors room ghost

sorry for your troubles op.an unpleasant situation.best to ignore them like they don’t even exist.that type of scum thrive on reactions and by not reacting you will starve them of the attention they need.
By all means put up cameras and if anything happens you will get it as evidence but ignore them and get on with your life and let them see that they aren’t bothering you.

victor8600

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Catch them in the act with hidden cameras to provide evidence against them when you go down the legal route.

This may not work as intended if the neighbour accuses the OP of illegal snooping. See the recent article in independent.ie: 'Neighbour from hell' with 16 CCTV cameras spared jail after being found guilty of harassment

The man's guilt seems to be installing CCTV cameras to help with misbehaving neighbours. Now he is painted as some kind of peeping Tom. They have even brought up the "think of the children" argument.

Kelly ... claimed that the 16 cameras were primarily used for security and to monitor the boundaries of his land – the subject of an ongoing civil dispute. In their evidence, the victims said they had been “stalked”. Mr Mooney said: “I have a teenage daughter and a son with a camera pointed at their bedrooms. It terrifies me to think that’s going on.”

I recommend going the official route, pester Gardai to follow up and document everything.

Sycamore Tree

Tricky one OP. Nasty business.

The cops can do fcek all really even if they were bothered. Even if they convicted them of something, it will just escalate at your expense. You need to really scare them off i.e. get rid of them completely.

All this camera and fence advice is bollix imho. Thats defensive action which will never end, you now need to go offensive. They have already crossed the line in several ways (car damage, driving at you, oil tank, nails). It wont just stop.

My advice.
1. Find out who these folks are. Complete background check - maybe a senior Garda can help here. Find out who they know, relations, previous run ins with law or other good folks, financial affairs etc. Know your enemy inside out. Ireland is a small place. Track their movements, where they shop/drink etc.
2. Talk to the locals. You need people to back you up. There must be some folks with backbone in your community. Good people like to help others. There are ways and means to intimidate these folks. These neighbours need to feel isolated and under siege from the whole community. Hit them where it hurts e.g. a spontaneous tax audit, land registry question, water usage query. Have you talked to your TD or councilors?
3. You may need to get medieval here. Rule nothing out. Show them you mean business. Join a local hunting club, get a shotgun and start hunting pheasant or vermin....