Really Really bad neighbor problem help please!!

[ninny]

Here's the deal. We rent and the agreement the landlord has with the neighbor is causing huge problems for me. The agreement is that the neighbors dogs can be on our property at any time. So everyday these dogs are in my yard. Now this has work for years because the LL's dog played with them. Everybody was happy. Now these dogs have all passed on and N has new dogs. These dogs have bad aggression problems. I have four dogs. Everyday N's dogs are in my yard going after my dogs. My male lab hates these dogs. He was a therapy dog but do to the fear aggression issues he developed because of this he has been retired. I can't let my dogs play in my yard off leash in case these dogs show up. They have gone after him when I was walking with my baby in the stroller. Flipped my poor kid on to the ground the whole nine yards. Thankfully no one got hurt. Then they got into it and my Kiowa ran him off and down the road. They have attacked my new dog. I can't put my dogs in their run until I've seen them go home because they go at each other threw the fence. N's big dog slams himself into my front door every morning trying to get in my house after Kiowa. Then this morning he tried to go threw my window. Thank God it was shut. He ripped the screen off trying to get in. What pisses me off so bad is they are in my yard because N is walking them down the road off leash. She just lets them do whatever. All she has to do is put a flipping leash on them. I am so wishing them would just trot down here on their own so I could shoot them. What the would I have done if he had gotten in? Or if Kiowa had gotten out? We talked to LL before but they just said the dogs will get over it. Now I have proof (window screen) that my kid is in danger because of this stupid dog. He gets in my house and I will shoot him if Kiowa doesn't kill him first. My DH is going to talk to LL again and show them screen tonight. Then we like this neighbor expect for this. My kids and dogs should be safe in their own yard!!! Anyhow that's my rant. If you have any tips on how to handle this let me know.

 

[hqueen13]

I would call your local police precinct and talk to them. Just because the LL says its ok doesn't mean its actually ok with the LAW. You have a right to have your property be protected, renting or not, and that should be respected.

Best of luck, I hope that you're able to get a resolution soon!!

 

[BirdBrain]

Also call animal control if you have such in your area. Then, don't be satisfied with one call. Call every time something happens and document it.

If your yard is unfenced it makes it really difficult for you to prove that your dogs stay in your yard or that hers don't stay in her yard.

 

[moolie]

For me, the first time (when your baby in the stroller was knocked down) I would have called animal control and/or the police. So sorry you are dealing with this, definitely document each and every time something happens, and call the appropriate authorities. If they give you the run-around, keep calling--the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and your family has the right to safety at home.

 

[pinkfox]

the dogs are a danger to you and your child, time to call animal control or the local sherif...plain and simple...
i love dogs but nothing anoys me more than irrisponsible owners and these dogs have an isrrisponsible owner...not only are they a serious physical danger to your animals (dogs dont just "get over it") but they are a physical danger to you...eash laws exost for a reason.
id also be having serious words with the landlord about this agreement he has wiht the neighbor...the dogs it was origonally designed for are gone and now the neighbors are just taking advantage.

id tell your landlord he NEEDS to do soemthing about this...
id contact the local law since there was an incident involving your child being knocked over and the dogs are offleash not undr control and agressive (because you know full well if one of YOUR dogs injures on of thieres there not gong to admit its their own fault for letting their dogs wander

dont let this go on...

 

[Beekissed]

Review your rental laws in your state. If nothing stated about how the yard is used while renting the space, I'd look at your lease. Does it state in writing that the neighbor's dogs have free access to your yard? If not, it is time for some clever fencing solutions....like a electric netting fenceline between your yard and theirs. Easy to install, not permanent, very effective, not harmful.

Personally, I'd never have entered into a lease that lets the space I rent to be used communally. It is just rife with problems. If you can get your lease changed to reflect that the money you pay each month includes the house and the yard on which it sits, specifically, then you have many options.

If the landlord will not rewrite the lease, you have very little recourse but the electric fencing, as I assume the LL won't let you place a more permanent fencing solution.

Me? I'd move in a heartbeat.... or silently and mysteriously kill every dog they acquire. Seriously. Anyone with a neighbor who thinks it's okay to let their dogs terrorize the neighbors is in a terrible situation. Sometimes it calls for drastic measures.

I had this issue with my last rental house where the LL told people they could come on the property willy-nilly to collect apples from my orchard. That ended real fast and in a hurry...my lease didn't state that, nor would I have signed it if it did. Unless these neighbors of yours are paying part of the rent on your house, their dogs have no business on the premises.

 

[2dream]

What is the leash law in your area? That overrides any agreement with a landlord. I agree with everyone else. Call the sheriffs dept, animal control and your councilperson or supervisor. Document, Document, Document. No documentation equals No incident. What type of dogs does you neighbor have? Does your area have an aggressive dog law or a breed specific law?
I know how you feel. Some people just should not have animals.

 

[Denim Deb]

Give you landlord a copy of this article and tell him he needs to do something.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/15/10416201-man-killed-in-dog-poop-dispute-cops

 

[dragonlaurel]

The landlord needs to realize the situation is much different now. The landlord made that agreement when the neighbor had different dogs and they were nicer dogs. Now that the neighbor has aggressive dogs, the old agreement needs cancelled. I hope the window screen is enough to make them realize.
- If not, you might need to ask the landlord to come over (think of any excuse) when the dogs are usually walked. This would be a good time to make an exception and let your dogs be in the yard. Make sure your kid(s) inside! Make sure to let the landlord see your dogs being happy and well behaved before the other dogs arrive, so they will know where the problem is coming from.

A water hose helps break up a fight if it happens. Pepper spray works, but dogs usually fight face to face, so it would be hard to only get their dogs.

Make a police report about it. Your child is not safe until these dogs are restrained- or gone.
Your window screen is proof that dog is destructive to other peoples property and is very aggressive. Get pictures of it before the landlord replaces it.

Therapy dogs are extremely valuable and losing the use of one is something you could easily sue over. The trainer would be able to back you up about the dog's previous personality. They may have tips on how to help the dog get over this too, which would be a blessing.

Make it clear in the report that the neighbor has a pattern of walking them off leash. Most areas have leash laws. This neighbor is letting them in your yard, letting them be aggressive towards your animals, and allowing them to be destructive to your property. The cops should tell them to restrain the dogs.

It you can put up a security camera that shows the window the dog was trying to get in- Do it. It will prove what was happening if that dog ever tries to go through again. That dog needs restrained, retrained, or killed, because it is dangerous the way it is. A security camera that shows where the dogs usually come into the yard would be helpful too, since it would show that they are not being restrained, and are aggressive.

You might want to use a lawyer to send the bad neighbor a registered letter telling them to keep the animals off your property and restrained, since they are much more aggressive than the previous dogs. The previous agreement was about different dogs that had much better social skills.

It wasn't clear if all the neighbors dogs are looking to fight, or not. Sometimes if the most aggressive dog is gone, the pack will settle down, since it may be leading the packs into bad behavior.

 

[FarmerChick]

if you can't move or don't want to at this point.....DO NOT let this continue. Finish this one way or the other NOW

I would be in landlords face very second, know your leash laws etc. and tell the landlord you are going to involve police and animal control.

No way would I put up with that ever again. It would stop. GO FOR IT and jump down everyone's throats. YOU don't have to live with that crappola at all.


hope it all works out for you!