Neighborly Drama over the weekend and some legal advice...

I say start posting ads on craigslist.com advertising gay for pay....lol.  Then have some local friends show up to his house, take pictures, and call the police that this guy and his wife are running a bordello out of their home.  Get the papers involved, so that everyone in the area would know...and perhaps the embarrassment alone would force him to put up his house for sale. On the other hand.....you could just take the high road...but God ..what fun is  there in that???? Scott

Well I fired off the following email to the sheriff public information officer, the city attorney and my councilman.   I actually spoke to the sheriff PIO, who was the former Director of Public Works for Baton Rouge and he told me that he was VERY familiar with my street and the troubles that I'm having.   He said he actually had the signs taken down but the ass clowns (male and female, 1 each) both complained to people he didn't know about and they were put back up.   The issue that he had with the entire situation was that you couldn't really have the signs on BOTH sides of the street.   On one side, maybe but not both.   There was no reason whatsoever to limit the parking spaces on both sides of the street.   He gave me some suggestions which I am following.   I also got a response back from the city attorney who is also looking into the situation.  

 

Here's the email I sent them:

"Good afternoon.   My name is Chad Soileau and I live on Toulon Drive in Baton Rouge.  “No Parking” signs were recently erected in front of my house and extend approximately 200 feet to either side of my property.   This “No Parking” area is the only area on the street that is restricted.   My house and the majority of my neighbor’s houses in this area have very limited parking space.  Our houses are small 1200 square foot  garden homes with driveway parking space for a couple of vehicles.    I am a LSU / Saints football fan and occasionally I will have a few friends over to watch the games.   I can park 2 vehicles in my driveway without the rear tires blocking the sidewalk.  The third vehicle that attends my gathering will be parked in my driveway but will potentially be blocking the sidewalk.   I want to follow the city ordinances and since the “No Parking” signs were erected there is nowhere for my guests to park now.   They can’t park in my yard, block the sidewalk, park parallel to the sidewalk (in my driveway between the street and sidewalk) or park in the street.   I have a bit of a conundrum.   I live on a very quiet street and we, nor my neighbors have wild parties with people running rampant in the streets.   The “No Parking” signs directly conflict with the city ordinance further restricting my right to have visitors at my house.  I’m sure that the ordinance’s directives were unintended in this situation and I doubt that the city of Baton Rouge or East Baton Rouge Parish intentionally wishes to restrict visitors to my house.   I propose that the “No Parking” signs either be removed or Toulon Drive be exempted from the ordinance.    I’m trying to follow the correct channels to do this.  If I am contacting the wrong individuals please let me know.

 

I thank you for your time and wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Chad Soileau "

If those signs come down you KNOW you gotta park in front of the A-holes house every night

O.K. Kyp  .. I have more time to answer your post now that it's the holiday (and I'm alone again, naturally ..  ::eyeroll::)   but putting on my lawyer suit this time:    Be very careful what you say to the neighbors (esp. if they have witnesses or are tape recording it!) ..  "disorderly conduct" = any conduct (including verbal) which would reasonably cite another to fight ..   so theoretically you could be charged with that crime if you flip him off or call him names ..  Also, in regard to fights, you can't claim "self defense" if you were the original "instigator"   (this is all under Texas law though, w. that caveat in mind)       As to the cops, you might want to talk to a police official and see that they are informed as to what is going on ..   I mean, technically your neighbor may have a right to insist that no one park on his property, but all these calls are needlessly using up police resources ..   after all, he can get in and out of his driveway w/o problems, right?   so it's not like anyone is blocking that access ..  nor is there anything in a fire lane  or in front of a hydrant ..   So the cops may start refusing to go out there for his "cry wolf" calls if they are told what is really going on here ..    I'd also get copies of his 911 calls (they're a matter of public record) and see what it is he's telling the cops to get them out there .. maybe he is lying about the urgency of the situation, and the cops can threaten him with charges for filing a false report or 911 calls, if so ..   You can also use the recordings to threaten him with a civil suit for harrassment and an injunction .. (if you have the money to sue over it)  ..       btw, do the property owners there belong to a homeowner's or neighborhood ass'n?  Maybe you could bring the issue up with them (e.g. the board) and they could rebuke the neighbors somehow ..   esp. if enough other neighbors are pizzed off at this couple ..      keep us apprised of how it goes, man .. 

This is exactly why I sold my house in the city and moved to the country.  I have a 515 foot driveway on 3 wooded acres.  Absolutely no neighbors to deal with.

At my old place, i had a neighbor like yours.  I was under alot of stress, and the best thing I ever did was move.

I am not saying this option is for you.  It was a very good one for me though.  And by the way, I didn't move because of her, but because of the city tax rate and my job situation, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

The Kevinator

I'll "ditto" what Kevin said - to a degree.  I had a similar situation w/ a neighbor who was a bonafide crack dealer.  The cops didn't want to do anything for fear of causing a "racial incident" and most of the neighbors were completely oblivious.  We moved and it was the best thing we ever did.  On an up-note, just before we moved the chief troublemaker got himself "whacked" by a rival :)).

However, what you have going for YOU in your situation, is your entire neighborhood is fed-up with these ass clowns.  I like the idea of a letter, but get your neighbors to sign-on.  A neighborhood petition sent by snail mail (registered) would probably be a more effective solution than calling him an asshole - not that I blame you mind you, sounds like it's well deserved.

Well I've been going the 'legal' route and have had success so far.   The signs are coming down on at least one if not both sides of the street and my councilman ALREADY has a amendment to the ordinance that will go before the city council next week regarding parking crossing the sidewalk in your own driveway.  The amendment will allow cross sidewalk parking for individuals with short driveways like me. 

So the ass clown is gonna lose on both accounts.  Had he kept his idiotic mouth shut and minded his own business none of this woulda happened.  Hell I kinda like the idea of nobody parking in front of my house to be honest.  It's now all about me being the spitefull ass that I am.  Heh heh.  :)

I would make sure you keep quiet about the pending city council meeting.  You don't want him to show up at it to argue.  This way maybe it can just slip through.

Good work so far.  Get a petition going signed by all your neighbors regarding the signs and take that with you to the councel meeting. I would bet your neighbor will be there in opposition, you need to "counter strike" his comments with the backing of the neighbors.