Private property shooting with difficult neighbors

[CessnaDriver]

How often do you shoot? Is it sort of a regular day and time?
Sometimes when people know ahead of time it mitigates things.
Like when someone lets the neighbors about a party.

[jeremiah12]

When I moved in to my house, the next door neighbor complained because I was making noise in the middle of the day moving into the house. He worked nights and slept during the day. I said I would take a break and return at 3 when he said he would be awake.

A few weeks later, I was working outside, and he complained that I was making noise at 4 in the afternoon. I was working outside after work. I mentioned that at our last discussion he stated he slept in the morning and was awake after 3. He said that sometimes he cannot sleep in the morning and so then sleeps in the afternoon. He gets up at 8 pm to get ready for work though so I could make noise then. I informed him that since I am getting ready for bed by then as I get up for work at 4, that will not work. So either he will hire someone to do my yard work an other things that have to be done at his convince, or he will just deal with it.

The war was on. When the neighbor on the other side was doing major construction work on his house, that lasted for over a month, I asked that neighbor how he handled our complaining neighbor. He said that on the first encounter he told him to go F*** himself. That was the last he heard from him.

The complainer though kept calling the police on me. The police would talk to me about how I should be neighborly and find a way to accommodate the neighbor who works nights. I said there is no legal way I can. I leave for work at 5 am. I get home at 3 pm. The house we bought was a fixer upper. So I work a couple of hours on it. I stop working on it by 7. So, he can sleep all day until 3. I cannot work late at night because the other neighbors will be upset about the noise and the city ordinance says I cannot make noise after 9.

After a year the police told him they would no longer respond to his calls. So he just sat in his house and yelled profanities as loud as he could. He never complained about anyone else. Just me. Once, the people behind him were doing construction and he thought it was me and started yelling at me. I told him to shut the F*** up, it was not me, it was his neighbors behind him. If he ever complained again, I would beat the s*** out of him so he had something to complain about.

He has not said a word since then. He only complained to me because I tried to accommodate him from the start. Had I done like the other neighbors and told him to pound sand, I am doing nothing illegal and he is the one with the problem, I would have lived peacefully for 15 years.

So, ask the other neighbors how they handle this one neighbor. You have done what you can. Document what you have done and your conversations with him. The next time, ask him how he deals with his dogs barking at the other neighbors shooting. Obviously it is legal to shoot on private property so he cannot stop that. So he has to figure a way to live with it.

You could ask him to come and shoot with you. If that does not work, get all the neighbors together and plan a day when you all start shooting at the same time and shoot the loudest firearms you have. Keep it up for at least an hour. The let him know that this will continue to happen until he stops complaining.

[BrokerB]

I have a problem with a neighbor . He is a vietnam vet and came down through an unlocked gate one day. We had shot over 1,000 rounds in about 3 hours. We had 5 dozen 30 rounders for ar/ak/Fals.. We were also shooting steel.

He was going full ptsd ..saying we do not want to **** with him..he was in Vietnam..ect ect.

This is on my families 120 acres. The next morning he was up before sunrise and shooting at steel..not more then a dozen rounds.

I have since moved my range to a canyon on the other side as my best spot did funnel the sound towards his place. Sucks as I still have not got a good spot for my 3-500 yd range. We have pretty decent hills with lots of trees. We still are not finished with him, but has pretty much subsided. I have not had a big shoot on weekends since then. I do get some weekday shooting and do weekend, but just have not had a half dozen others shooting at same time

My best advice is to be OVERLY safe... High berms and a "no blue sky" bench area. Google it... you can build a very simple wood beam.

My reason for this is to ELIMINATE any Bull**** your neighbor may try. If they are complaining about little tiny .22.... Get ready for some real BS

I would also heed the advice of document all communications and what you have done to mitigate issues

[Eagle Eyes]

You did what you could and tried to be a good neighbor

BUT

A few things you should check on so you have no worries about his complaints:

(1) Almost every county has a map showing areas where shooting is not restricted and areas where shooting is restricted and what types of restrictions (everything from no shooting, to air rifles only etc.). Check the map to make sure you are in a unrestricted area and make sure you go to County rezoning meetings if they are in your area to make sure they don't change anything.

(2) check what type of disturbing the peace and noise ordinances there are in your area. They might restrict loud noises at certain times and also may require all noises be below a certain decibel level at your property line. If you end up being to loud then you may be required to get a noise permit or stop altogether.

(3) Check to see what type of "nuisance" ordinances there are in your area as well. If your neighbor complains enough times and starts recording you they could file a nuisance suit against you. In some cases people have actually been forced to sell their house and move if they are enough of a nuisance to the neighborhood (not saying this is the case for you but they could sue you to stop shooting).

(4) Check to see if your county requires you to obtain building permits to build a firing range on your property. They also could require you to submit a environmental impact report if there is any chance that water run off would contact the areas where your spent bullets are. While you could be legal for everything else some counties require building permits for EVERYTHING (even Out Houses if you believe that).


IF you are legal for all that then you can tell your neighbor you are doing everything legal and to leave you alone before you file a lawsuit, but if anything is not legal get those legal because in some cases the fines could be thousands of dollars or more (especially if you are fined for violating EPA or Cal EPA regulations) and he could have a case to sue you..


Also remember good fences, locked gates and "No Trespassing" signs make good neighbors so you don't get someone like the poster above .... good thing he did not come over locked and loaded and go postal on him.

[9mmrevolver]

I'd piss in his cherrioes a bit. Have every cal gunner come in a 50 mile radius to have a "fun shoot". Tell them to bring the most obnoxious loud firearm they have( that's legal of course). I don't know what a bigger F U would be but if u can think of it, do it

[cruising7388]

Recently I bought a small ranch (22 acres) in a very rural area where most other residents shoot daily; except one who happens to be my neighbor. Shortly after buying the property I talked with the neighbors and let them know that I too would be shooting on my property but I would respect their property and obviously do it in a safe manner. A few months after later one neighbor started to comment on the noise and asked if I could shoot farther back on the property. I politely obliged his request even though I was outside of the 150 yard rule. A few weeks later my wife and I were shooting .22's in a dry pond basin and the neighbor came over claiming that bullets were flying over his head. I pointed out that we were shooting into a bank that was 20 feet tall 90 degrees from his property so it was very unlikely bullets were flying over his head. He asked that I shoot farther back on the property again and set up some type of bullet stop. I said sure and rented a tractor to make dirt piles back on the property where he seemed to be okay with me shooting. After testing out a new rifle on the dirt piles I ran into the neighbor the next day. Once again he started complaining.

He said his dogs were scared and my shooting was causing them to bark. I asked if anyone elses shooting bothered his dogs and he said that it did. At that point I ended the conversation by saying that I did everything he asked even though I didn't have to. He said ya but it is still irritating. Conveniently he had to leave so we couldn't finish the discussion. I want to get some of your opinions about the situation and see if there is anything else you think a reasonable neighbor would do before I tell him to deal with it.

You've gone way beyond the extra mile. Ignore any future complaints.

[badseed]

Ask him if we can move his dogs further away from your property when you shoot since their barking is bothering you while you aim.

Great idea!

[CJJohn]

So when are we going to have a BBQ at your place to make lots of noise?

Beat me to it! Sounds like it's time for a CALGUNS meet and greet with shooting, camping, and some late night bonfire fun.

Invite the neighbor of course......

[Manolito]

I call my neighbor and let him know if I have company and we are going to shoot. otherwise I shoot when he is at work. Now I have a tractor and he doesn't so I hit his driveway when it snows. lessens the problems. Good Luck how long has he lived in the area? Also mention your property is for sale if he wants to buy it and insure no one shoots there anymore and come uyp with a price that will make you whole and able to replace the property. Chances are he didn't have the money when your place was for sale.

[Rider1k]

Sounds like he is trespassing. There is a nice sign I've seen. "Trespassers will be shot! Survivor's will be shot again!" Sounds like ya need to post some up.

[gotshotgun?]

Wait for the 2AM no knock...

J/K

Hopefully...

[e-clip]

Double check your county administration and check for shooting restrictions on your parcel. Be specific, address your parcel number.

Also check with county sheriff and show your concern, but let him know all the precautions you have in place, backstop etc. Most likely your good to go.

Your not obligated to keep his dog quiet.....he is.

In my county we can shoot and kill dogs that harass our livestock. Some dogs bark all the time when we shoot, it's no big deal.

[BretByron]

I think we should out his stance on the 2A to the county community. If it is the guy I think it is, we need to keep him from getting elected to any bench.

[Gem1950]

Pay a visit to your sheriff and make sure you are in the right according to all known information etc. and take notes. Follow up with a confirmation letter to the Sheriff to memorialize/document what you were told at the sheriff's office. CC your neighbor.

[GillaFunk]

Print out all the rules & laws regarding shooting and identify to him that you are within your rights to shoot as often as you like. Then offer a handshake agreement that you will give him a few days during week where you wont shoot, as an act of being neighborly.

If he cant accept that.....tell him to immediately get off your property and to leave you alone.