Need advise: Neighbor's erratic behavior, she removed lights hanging on my property

[JBean]

I'M SO SORRY, THIS POST ENDED ON THE LOCAL DISCUSSION GROUP FOR ILLINIOS!

I have a 55 yr old divorced recovering alcoholic, on anti-depressant meds neighbor, whom I distanced myself a year ago after erratic behavior did somethng strange tonight. I hadn't spoken to her, had minded my business since Jan 2010.

I have lights hanging around my garage door which face the street. I live at a housing complex. They are unlighted. There id nothing in the association rules to indicate I"m against any guidelines.

She rings my doorbell at 8:30 PM tonight, and in her hand were my lights. She handed them to me. She said, "here are your lights" then when I took them, she immediately turned around and walked back. I got angry. I shouted, "why did you take them down?" and she says, "because they were a nuisance" and keeps walking. I shouted at her "You are crazy!" then slammed my door.

Five minutes later, my phone rings and it is her. She says, "I took them down because there ugly, and I was going to give you until Easter but couldn't stand it anymore. And as for you calling me crazy, we'll you're the weird duck." I didn't answer the call, didn't make any response after that.

I hadn't had any contact with this woman for over a year and all of a sudden, she removes my property without my knowledge or consent. I can only imagine she used a ladder to remove my lights. She's not a housing association officer.

I plan to email the housing association with the facts, that at 8:30 PM, this woman knocked on my door and handed me my lights. Also at 8:45, she left a voicemail, which I've recorded. As there are several houses with lights and other decor, and mention that I find it unusual behavior that she would remove items on my property without consent, and at night, while there are other houses also with various decor.

Seeing as she has had a record of erratic behavior, I don't know how to deal with this. Any advise?

It's kinda scary. She's erratic and unpredictable, and the housing association officers know her well for this. Now I think she's zeroing on me.

[Monty Ealerman]

Hi JBean,

I'm curious as to why this is in the IL forum when you're in CA. Presumably there were attachment devices that may have been damaged when she performed the deinstall. If so you can photograph the damage as evidence supporting your complaint of criminal damage to property. The removal itself is a trespass even if she didn't damage anything. The destruction of labor is a tort.

Regards,

Monty

[Roctav82]

put the same lights up on her place (when she is not around of course), and then knock on her door and demand that she take them down.

[topflight]

If you don’t want to deal with her, which you shouldn’t anyway…just call the Police, they will enjoy this call..Lol….I guarantee they won’t arrest her, but advise her to keep her *** of your property…just in nicer words. If she does not want to act accordingly, then she can take the trip to the station for acting like a child. Assuming it really is on your property….I wish I was able to create an Ordinance for this. It would read:

(a) person commits childish acts over the age of 21, if he/she intentionally or knowingly, without legal justification by any means: acts in any capacity as a juvenile(3) of Section ***Z-11 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 2011

LOL-- Really childish-- 55 yr.old and divorced hmmm I think she wants something from you Mr.bean
Just an absurd way of getting your attention.

[JG0304]

Put them back up, watch out for her and when she comes back up to take them down kick the ladder from out under her. If she calls the cops tell them she was tresspassing on your property and was attempting to steal your lights. Im pretty sure after her broken arm she won't be messing with you or your property again.

[JBean]

Hi Monty,

For some odd reason, after the new website UI was put up, everytime I log in, it brings me to a completely different forum outside of the Off-Duty. Just now I ended up on the Corrections forum. My apologies to hitting the Submit button too quickly on this one.

---
I reposted this at the Off Duty forum.

I brought a recording of the voice message she left on my phone, and two officers at the PD listened to it. They said she sounded intoxicated. They couldn't do anything because no crime was committed. The housing association president personally contacted me. Apparently this woman has attended several common meetings, and just picked fights with everyone, screaming. He advised me to call police if she contacts me again.

I put the damn lights back up. Jesus rises on Easter, so the lights shall remain there until Sunday.

I am a female, and so as this strange woman.

[Monty Ealerman]

Hi JBean,

No apology necessary. I'm sure everyone here is happy to have a CA visitor as gracious as you are. I think perhaps the Police to whom you presented the recording were trying to convey the understanding that your neighbor's ranting did not in itself constitute a criminal offense.

What you described was clearly a trespassing offense, but the Police may not find it appropriate to counsel you as to what further evidence you should present regarding that, because it's not the role of the Police to tell a person what evidence must be presented to make a case. That could be seen seen as coaching someone to fabricate something. Your account of the person's trespassing conduct should suffice to establish a prima facie case of trespass, and any recordings of the rantings should help to corroborate your statement.

Because you mentioned Our Lord's resurrection, I want to mention that I think it might be nice of you to remember Jesus' dictum that we should ask Our Father in Heaven to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and maybe you might even drop a pleasant Easter card at your former friend's place if you can see your way to doing something that conciliatory. Clearly the person needs help. Sometimes that may require a firm hand, and sometimes a kind gesture, and I believe you are fully capable of either or both.

Regards,

Monty

[jeffIL]

Were the lights in a common area?

[Monty Ealerman]

Were the lights in a common area?

They were hers and were attached by her agency to her garage. They are thus appurtenances to an individually held part of the premises, and as such are not within the common area, wherefore another person deliberately detaching them without permission from her thereby commits a trespass. I think the fact that the person brought the lights to her and told her what she'd done is better than if she'd instead just thrown them away and skulked off.

[topflight]

...............

[Monty Ealerman]

Well its come to the point where I need to ask for advice from law enforcement officers on this forum as well. I have a problem where juveniles keep causing damage to my vehicle and when I say something to them they tell me to suck their d**** and other disrespectful things. I can't even come out the house without them taunting me. The funny thing is they think I'm the police as they've seen me with my weapon and in uniform.(I work armed security) Now I called the police today as I visually saw them do it today but over the months my car has miraculously been dented all over and slight cracks on the windshield. Now the police didn't do anything but go over and talk to them and they even disrespected the police! So what's my next move?! I am not going to let juveniles force me to move!

Were the R/Os CPD or CCSPD? If this is accurate I can ask a CPD Det. Sgt. or a CCSD Investigator to handle it for you depending on whether you're in the city or in an unincorporated area. If it's a suburb I know people in Evanston but not in most of the other 'burbs.

[JG0304]

Those are some pu$$y ***** cops for letting some punks punk them out. I would thrown them all in the squad, had you sign a complaint and they would have been locked up. Too many soft cops out here now who are afraid to put their hands on some punks.

[topflight]

............

[topflight]

Those are some pu$$y ***** cops for letting some punks punk them out. I would thrown them all in the squad, had you sign a complaint and they would have been locked up. Too many soft cops out here now who are afraid to put their hands on some punks.

Yeah I know I stressed the damage to my property but they took on more of a community policing role with the kids. Which I believe is the WRONG approach with THESE kids. Little badass kids.

[jeffIL]

They were hers and were attached by her agency to her garage. They are thus appurtenances to an individually held part of the premises, and as such are not within the common area, wherefore another person deliberately detaching them without permission from her thereby commits a trespass. I think the fact that the person brought the lights to her and told her what she'd done is better than if she'd instead just thrown them away and skulked off.

Stop your silliness. It isn't trespassing.