Neighbor complained about shooting, threatened to call Sheriff, LAKE COUNTY question!

[mainjet]

Just an update, there is a new berm built at the base of the hillside, there are new target stands built, much nicer than the old single stand I had. There is a fresh case of Tannerite in my ammo cabinet. I'm planning to initiate the new range on Saturday morning . . . but I will be nice and wait until 10am.

It might be helpful if you show your neighbor your setup. Explain to him that it couldn't hit his house even if you fired over the berm. The trajectory just doesn't work that way.

Showing him that you have setup your range in the same way that the state sets up public ranges may help reassure him.

My neighbor kid will shoot his 22 rifle behind his house also. Sometimes he will climb out his bedroom window and shhot a few from the roof. Other times he walks down the street with a friend shooting squirrels from the road. All of this is illegal but for the most part I let it go. But when he was shooting from the street outside my house my wife called the police. When they came to his house they talked to him for a minute, looked at the pile of squirrels that he had (over the limit), and left.

My wife took a picture of him standing on the road outside our house shooting into the neighbors yard. Cops don't really do anything but burn some leaves in the fall and they will be at your house.

I feel your pain, I live in West Creek also. People shoot around here all the time. It is unnerving when you don't know where your neighbor is aiming. But if your neighbor knew where you were shooting and the precautions that you have taken it really may ease things a bit.

Good Luck.

 

[melensdad]

It might be helpful if you show your neighbor your setup. Explain to him that it couldn't hit his house even if you fired over the berm. The trajectory just doesn't work that way.

He came onto my property and inspected the range area without telling me. The day he called to complain he told my wife that my bullets were shooting across his land into his trees. (BTW, my wife is so angry she wants me to put up about 800' of privacy fence right down our property line . . . and since his driveway appears to CROSS MY PROPERTY LINE that would really cause him some issues as he tried to get into/out of his garage). This guy also wanted to build a swimming pool on my yard, using his calculations of the property line put him 200' off the actual property line and into my property!!!

But when he came (snuck) onto my land to look (spy) at my range area he did not venture into the woods/up the slope behind the target area because he could not, its totally overgrown with poison ivy, hawthorns, raspberry and multiflora rose. It took my tractor a good bit to clear part of the area so I could work on a berm and there is no way any sane person would/could have walked back there. But I picked that spot many years ago after inspecting the slopes of the land and the property lines in the winter when there were no leaves on the trees and actual slopes/elevations could be determined. ONE OF HIS MANY CLAIMS is that the slope is so mild and that the property line is so close to my range that my bullets are hitting his land.

Based on the slope of the property behind my targets I fully believe that I shoot into the slope of the hillside (my tractor's rear wheels lifted off the ground as I dumped dirt on the berm despite having a heavy box blade on the rear for counterweight to the FEL). If you stand where the tractor was positioned it is a couple feet over the top of the current/new berm!!! Plenty of slope and plenty far enough away from the property line to be on my property, not on his.

But I built a berm anyway, despite the fact that I know my bullets stay on my land and land in my hillside. This way I am DOUBLE SAFE, sort of like wearing a belt + suspenders.

My determination is that the guy was having a bad day. I shoot safely. I know so. I had another guy come out and look at the new berm and inspect the slope behind the berm. He said I shouldn't have built the berm because there was no need!

 

[mainjet]

Well your wife might be right - tall fences make good neighbors.

 

[WillBrayJr]

As long as you have legal proof, face the guy, grab your"stuff" and tell him to suck it

 

[Joe Williams]

He came onto my property and inspected the range area without telling me. The day he called to complain he told my wife that my bullets were shooting across his land into his trees. (BTW, my wife is so angry she wants me to put up about 800' of privacy fence right down our property line . . . and since his driveway appears to CROSS MY PROPERTY LINE that would really cause him some issues as he tried to get into/out of his garage). This guy also wanted to build a swimming pool on my yard, using his calculations of the property line put him 200' off the actual property line and into my property!!!
snip!

Your wife is right, IMHO. I also think you need to have your lawyer send him a cease and desist order instructing him to stay off your property. Skulking around other people's property crosses all kinds of boundaries, and trying to be a good neighbor with that kind of person will probably be futile.

 

[irishfan]

I will admit that I have not read the entire thread but I would recommend some No Trespassing signs to help protect yourself. Also, you can then turn the tables on him if you catch him on your property. Unfortunately, I live in town but I feel that anyone living in the country should put them up to help protect yourself from jerks and claims on your land.

 

[Roadie]

If you really think some of his driveway and building plans cross over onto your property, have a survey down and give him a copy of the results.

I see several options here.

Offer to rent the use of YOUR part of his driveway to him
Or, make a deal with him, back off on the complaints, or he can MOVE his driveway.

Either of these will get your point across.

 

[irishfan]

If you really think some of his driveway and building plans cross over onto your property, have a survey down and give him a copy of the results.

I see several options here.

Offer to rent the use of YOUR part of his driveway to him
Or, make a deal with him, back off on the complaints, or he can MOVE his driveway.

Either of these will get your point across.

NO!!!! Put up a toll booth with a giant arm to block the drive unless a toll is paid

 

[Roadie]

NO!!!! Put up a toll booth with a giant arm to block the drive unless a toll is paid

AND make him pay the toll in AMMO

 

[shooter]

Super job working with him!! My hats off to kind Sir! myself would have sent him packing!!

 

[rockhopper46038]

"This guy also wanted to build a swimming pool on my yard, using his calculations of the property line put him 200' off the actual property line and into my property!!!"

Coulda had yourself a nice, new swimming pool, courtesy of your neighbor...so long as it didn't interfere with your range!

 

[tyler34]

with the law and more importantly the HOA on your side I would tell that twatwaffle to shove it and call anyone he wants to it aint gonna help, but then again I'm a vindictive SOB.

 

[Expat]

That tannerite could make for an interesting wake up call at about 8 am...

 

[Whosyer]

I am not an lawyer. Build the fence. If his drive is on your property, he could try to file for an easement on the grounds of abandonment/non use. I think. Here's a link on easements. Indiana Laws on Easement: Property and Land Boundary Disputes

 

[tv1217]

twatwaffle

Vocabulary updated.

I offer "weapons grade retarded" as a trade

 

[Farmritch]

I remember a ordance in Indiana that the council can not pass a law that would Lower your property values.
My buddy had said that he bought his property in the county and shooting was a part of his life
He purchased the property with this in mind and if an ordance like this would come into effect then the value of his property would be less
Any one have any ideas on this subject?
It was not passed in our county so my buddy never had to play this card

 

[redsuperduty]

Sorry to hear all this come up, I too have more seniority than most of my neighbors around here and dread the day one gets upset about me shooting. I think you are being very gracious holding off till 10 am to shoot and reinforceing your berm, I would do the same. After 10 am I wouldn't worry about a thing, you have already sacrificed enough freedom at that point and proved that your making an effort to comfort your whiney neighbor.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[melensdad]

Well I went out Saturday to shoot. It was mid-90's and the humidity was hovering somewhere near 99.987%. Didn't even get through 2 boxes of ammo before I gave up! I never thought it would be too hot to shoot or too hot to blow up tannerite!

 

[dross]

I don't know about the law in IN, but here in Colorado, if you let him use part of your property over a period of time, you are defacto conceding that he has usage rights.

Also, this is a little late, but I've always thought 9AM was perfectly okay for loud noises on a Saturday, whereas I never do anything loud on Sundays until 11.

Obviously your neighbor thinks 9AM is early enough, because he mows.

 

[Expat]

I don't know about the law in IN, but here in Colorado, if you let him use part of your property over a period of time, you are defacto conceding that he has usage rights.

Yep, adverse possession IIRC.