I am also in Michigan and long story short I live on a private driveway that is a half mile long and our mailboxes are at the end of our driveway. My granddaughter lives with me and now has my vehicle which the neighbor across the street thinks is mine. When she stops on the private driveway to get the mail and sits in the vehicle to sort the mail ( she is facing the neighbors house}he will yell at her and flip her off. This has happened twice in the last week. We are on our private property and have nothing to do with him or his wife as they have a business and their was a small claims lawsuit I had to file against them and won due to services they performed that resulted in an injury and vet costs they had to pay. So I and my family that live down the driveway avoid him accept, when we stop to get the mail or are walking up the drive to get the mail or take the dog for a walk. How can we get it through to him we could care less of what he is doing that we just want him to leave us alone. Obviously ignoring him is not working and my granddaughter is worried that he may hurt me some day because he is so aggressive and verbally abusive when we are not even on or near his property?

You have an Attorney write him a letter IF he is harassing you. You cannot "order" him to leave you alone. In fact, if his purpose is to annoy or upset you he will probably escalate his behavior once he knows it upsets you.

Is it harassing behavior? If it is, brace yourself for the battle and contact an Attorney.

Your granddaughter could solve her part of the problem by getting in and out of the driveway as quickly as possible, even if it involves sorting the mail some other place.

Yes, while it is her right to be there, why not pick the mail up and look at it down the lane.

But what else besides yelling at her at the mail box.
Obviously they did not like being sued and intend to let you know.

A police report has been filed. I have every right just like everyone in this country to pick up my mail without being bombarded with foul language and jesters. I nor my family are not down there more then 3 to 5 minutes at a time. The man is just a bully in adult pants and has a child's mind. To me this was over with a year ago and why he chooses now to harass us now when we have done nothing or had any contact with him I do not know. As I told the officer I just want to be left alone. Done Is Done!! Time for him to grow up.

Yes you have the right to pick up your mail. But if you don't want to be harassed, then you will do things to avoid confrontation.

... I have every right just like everyone in this country to pick up my mail without being bombarded with foul language and jesters. ...

Oh. I think you mean "gestures".

But actually, no.

As unpleasant as it is, within limits your neighbor also has the right to be "verbally offensive" to whomever he wants and "flip off" you or your granddaughter. If you have solid evidence that he may get physical, then of course you and your family should consider getting a restraining order against him.

Nothing legal to add here but I thought I would say this. I have dealt with people like this before. I wave and smile while being cursed out. Once they know it upsets you, they are winning and try to get more out of you.

Nothing legal to add here but I thought I would say this. I have dealt with people like this before. I wave and smile while being cursed out. Once they know it upsets you, they are winning and try to get more out of you.


This is someone's grandmother. Her granddaughter is worried about her safety when these people are around.

I think the exact WRONG thing to do is wave and smile while being cursed out.

I think the adult, responsible thing to do is avoid confrontation - as Scott as said.
If OP doesn't want confrontations she will do whatever it takes to NOT upset her neighbors. If that means move the car and sort the mail somewhere else, do it.

Or else put up with the harassment.