Neighbor is making me crazy

I HAVE BEEN LIVING NEXT TO THE SAME NEIGHBORS FOR 4 YEARS. THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT I AM BIPOLAR. IT'S NOT ANY OF THEIR BUSINESS. THEY TAKE EVERY OPPURTUNITY TO IRRITATE ME. AT FIRST IT WAS JUST THEIR WINDCHIMES THAT ARE BY MY BEDROOM WINDOW. THE WINDS WERE WHIPPING AROUND AND I HAD THE FLU SO WE ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD TAKE THEM DOWN FOR THE NIGHT TO WHICH THEY REPLIED THAT THEY DIDN'T HEAR THEM (THE WINDCHIMES ARE 5 FEET LONG). NEXT IT WAS THROWING FOOD IN MY BACK YARD. THE MALE EVEN ADMITTED IT BY SAYING THAT HE WROTE ON THE POTATO HE THREW IN MY YARD, AND WHEN I THREW IT BACK HE ACCUSED ME OF THE FOOD THROWING. USING THE LEAF BLOWER TO BLOW THEIR LEAVES IN MY YARD AFTER WE CLEANED OUR YARD. WE EVEN HAD THE POLICE HERE AND THEY AGREED TO STAY AWAY FROM US. I EVEN HAVE A BIG SIGN ON MY DOOR THAT SAYS "IF YOU WEREN'T INVITED GO AWAY" AND HE IGNORES IT AND THEY PERSIST. NOW, FOR OVER A WEEK THEY'VE BEEN DRYING THEIR CAR MATS ON THE FENCE, BUT THE MATS ARE HANGING OVER ONTO MY PROPERTY, SO I PUSHED THE MATS OVER ONTO THEIR PROPERTY, AND THIS MORNING THERE ARE EVEN MORE FLOOR MATS. I DON'T WANT TO CALL THE POLICE AND GET THEM INVOLVED AGAIN, BUT I AM TIRED OF BEING HASSELLED. ANY ADVICE?

For your sanity and safety, if you're unable to get along with these people by reasoning out why their behavior is or is not unacceptable, you have to get the police involved. The last thing you need is to try to bring something up and then they get angry and you get angry and you all start fighting and the police get involved that way. You don't want to get in trouble and you don't want to get them in trouble it sounds like but you do want your property and your space respected and that's not happening it doesn't sound like. If they continue just call the police and tell them you want something official and in writing that these people need to stay off of your property. It's annoying that it has to be done but it ensures that you're not going to get in trouble for retaliating against your neighbors or anything. Good luck with this situation!

I agree there are just some situations where you have got to the police involved. Plus thats sort of there job, job security for them. I can understand annoying neighbors. I live in an apartment complex and its basically the same thing. Its tough, very tough.

Some people are hard to reason with and just dont care.

I wish you the best luck.

thank you for your advice. Where i live, my kitchen door faces their front door. So i put up a sign that said "warning...notice...the person living here is bipolar any attempts to irritate her will be seen as signs of aggression and she will act out accordingly". I left to do some shopping (which is a big deal because i rarely leave the house). When i came home the police were talking to them, and then came over to talk to me and i explained everything that has been going on, including other police reports i've filed. Well the police went over and they made them take the mats down. Thank you for your advice. The police were the way to go.

paulswife have you ever thought about moving? I know that sounds drastic, but I couldn't imagine having to call the police to deal with issues with a neighbor. It just concerns me that your neighbors are taking joy in getting you pissed off and hopefully it stops after the police visit, but if it doesn't it may be something to consider?

If they are renters you may want to get into contact with the landlord.

I agree with the others. These sentences confuse me though. You see why, yes? But more than that...just wondering out loud here...They sound like they'd be a handful for anyone to deal with, but maybe they get an extra kick in taunting you. Like...maybe they see the signs as some kind of challenge. A perverse challenge to be sure, but maybe some kind of extra charge in the kind of jollies they seem to derive from their behavior in general. Does this make any sense? Maybe "sense" isn't quite the word. Is it a possibility?

THANKS ALL. MOVING IS NOT AN OPTION FOR ME. WE HAVE LIVED HERE 7 YEARS AND JUST REFINACED OUR MORTGAGE LAST SATURDAY. WE LIVE IN THE SUBURBS OF PITTSBURGH AND OUR MORTGAE IS NOW ONLY$448 A MONTH. WE CAN'T LIVE ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT AMOUNT. THEY MOVED HERE 4 YEARS AGO, AND ALSO OWN THEIR HOME, AND YES I DO BELIEVE THAT DERIVE PLEASURE FROM THEIR ACTIONS. IT IS HARD NOT TO RETALIATE, LUCKILY MY HUSBAND IS VERY GOOD AT CENTERING ME. AS IT TURNS OUT THE SIGN I PUT UP TODAY SCARED THEM. HOPEFULLY ENOUGH TO LEAVE ME ALONE FOR AWHILE. THAt'S ALL I WANT, FORTUNATELY, THE LOCAL POLICE ORDERED THEM TO LEAVE ME ALONE AND FROM NOW ON THEY WANT ME TO CALL AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE. I AM ALSO LUKY THAT THERE IS A MOBILE CRISI UNIT OUT OF WESTERN PSYCH. THEY LAST TIME I NEEDED THEM THEY WERE HERE IS 15 MINUTES. AND THEY STAY AS LONG AS YOU NEED THEM. THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE COME ACROSS THIS SITE.

I don't blame you $448.00 I could only DREAM! I hope it does stop and resist the urge to react to their childish acts because that's what they want. I'm glad you found this site too!

WOW! That *is* a great rate!

Yeah, I couldn't help but think they must get something from it. It's like what children do so often, picking simply for the reaction. I'll confess I used to as a kid with my sister. Naughty, I know, but we've outgrown it(!) But it also reminded me of a couple I used to know. Don't think they would have known what to do with themselves if they weren't "at war" with someone(s)! Well educated and everything. It was bizarre to observe, and a delicate diplomatic dance to avoid getting sucked into.

The mobile psych thing is a great idea. I read where they have such a thing through one of the providers in this area. I'm glad you've had such a positive experience with that.

I hate wind chimes as well. Mediation is always preferable before involving the police. I know it's difficult to have neighbors who are unlike you. We have messy, annoying neighbors who slam doors and refuse to clean up their stuff. I wish we had 20 acres of our own.