[Happybutabitscared]

I hope this is the right area...

My husband and I built our home about 4 years ago in a growing area of Florida. Empty lots surrounded when we moved in our home. About six months ago the last empty lot was improved a family moved in. problems started immediately. The neighbors began leaning their trash against our six thousand dollar privacy fence and throwing beer bottles in our backyard. We threw the items back on their property. Then a couple of weeks later they started leaning plywood against our tress…so I threw it away. Then our delivered packages starting disappearing off our front porch! The final straw was when my husband caught the neighbors grown son doing drugs behind our fence. We installed a home security system; however the neighbors still throw trash in our backyard all of the time. We debated on selling our home and moving but the home prices have sky rocketed and we could even end up with a smaller home then what we own now. We love our home but we are so fed up that we do not know what to do! I am afraid to call the police because I think it will only instigate and fuel their horrible son’s behavior….

I just do not know what to do!

[valinors_sorrow]

My sympathies to you. Photograph, video tape and document everything. I know-- what a pain in the neck but it will make a huge difference when you talk to either a law enforcement officer or an attorney -- whichever works out best. We have bad neighbors too and almost hired a private dectective to gather information to use in a similar fashion but it seems he's acquired problems and may not be staying much longer. By the way, we live in Florida too.

[andrewcocke]

I would start by confronting someone who is responsible for the household. (not the drug user). See what they say, explain your concerns. You never know, they might be reasonable.

If they are not, then you can conclude that they could really care less about you and you have really only two options, you can sell out and move, or stand up for yourself.
Where I live, littering, even on private property is illigal, so is drinking in sight of anyone in public. This means you can't sit on your porch and have a beer if its visible from the street. Now that's a local ordinance and may not apply to where you live, but it wouldn't hurt to ask questions.

I do know that if the boy is using illegal drugs, that against the law in all 50 states, hence the term, "illegal drugs". If the neighbors refuse to be reasonable with you, you have no other alternative than to get the authorities involved. I would be wary of throwing the trash back onto their yard, they could possibly get YOU for littering then.

Let the trash sit there, take pictures and log everything down. I know there is a lot of home owners associations in Florida, maybe you can complain to one of them.
The fact is, you Don't have to put up with this. And you SHOULD NOT have to leave your home just because neighbors can not respect your property.

[Happybutabitscared]

Thank you very much... I will use these suggestions!