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The Good Book offers many guidelines for holy living that are pretty easy to say but often difficult to do. Perhaps the single greatest commandment in this biblical category is when we are told to “love your neighbor.”
That’s a fairly easy command to follow if you live in a place like Cherokee County filled with kind people and when your actual next-door neighbors are like mine, good folks who make up a nice neighborhood to live in. However, it’s a lot more challenging if your neighbor is a mean-spirited person doing everything in their power to make your life miserable.
I’ve spoke with several local residents who have unfortunately had a neighborly experience on the negative side. What all of them have in common is they contacted the proper authorities in an attempt to resolve their ongoing problems, yet nothing was done to the perpetrators.
What kind of problems? Shooting firearms randomly into the air, as if the bullets would magically stop in the sky and not fall back down to Earth. Burning trash that includes toxic chemicals. Rocks being thrown at their house and vehicles. Stealing and vandalism. Yelling obscenities and threats, day and night.
Most people would confront their neighbor in an attempt to stop the nonsense before it escalates any further. But what if that person was known for having a hot temper and stash of weapons? What if they had already been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon? What if they have low friends in high places that keep them from being held accountable? And what if they, heaven forbid, work with a law enforcement agency?
I have even spoken with two people who shared that actual fist fights almost broke out during church services over perceived sins as small as sitting in someone else’s usual place in the pew. That’s unfortunately not a surprise, since I’ve seen multiple “Let’s go Brandon” (a phrase that stands for a profane term against President Joe Biden) stickers on vehicles in church parking lots; I wonder how those drivers would feel if other vehicles had an “(Expletive) (the president-elect)” sticker on the bumper?
So, clearly, some neighbors need help from the people in charge before a war of words turns into a violent act.
According to nolo.com, before calling law enforcement you should try to resolve the issue directly. Talk with your neighbor calmly and try to find a mutually agreeable solution. Unfortunately, despite good-faith attempts to resolve the situation, that doesn’t always work.
You should call law enforcement in a neighborly dispute if you feel physically unsafe or your neighbor is actively breaking the law, such as by causing significant property damage, repeatedly trespassing, making threats of violence or creating excessive noise that disrupts your life. When a dispute escalates beyond reasonable attempts at communication and becomes a potential threat to your well-being, it’s time to call the cops.
Other times, the best option is to file a lawsuit. If your neighbor is interfering with the use and enjoyment of your land, you may be able to bring a nuisance claim against them. While everyone involved – parties and lawyers alike – would like to reach an amicable middle ground without going to court, sometimes going before a judge to decide is the only option, according to kinglawoffices.com.
Two things you can do to help:
u Familiarize yourself with local laws, like noise ordinances and property boundary regulations, if available.
u Keep a record of dates, times and details of your neighbor’s disruptive behavior. Actual facts matter in disputes.
While Cherokee County is not perfect, it’s a far cry from Las Vegas and Houston, the two most sinful cities in the country, according to WalletHub. The data used ranges from violent crimes to the number of adult entertainment establishments per capita to explore what “sinfulness” means in modern America.
The sins determining the ranking include anger and hatred, jealousy, greed, lust, vanity, excesses and vices, and laziness – just a few of the things your bad neighbor likely also possesses.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 828-837-5122 or email dbrown@cherokeescout.com.