This exchange between neighbors is ridiculous and could have easily been resolved with a simple conversation. A little communication and respect for others property goes a long way. Im betting that Justin would have been amicable if David had not violated his personal space. While David has a right to be annoyed with Justins light he does not have a right to trespass. Furthermore Davids email barbs utilize denigration of people with Down Syndrome, which is a testament to his personality. One can conclude he is self-entitled and others should know what he wants without civil communication, or he will take action. I think that while some might find Davids email commentary humorous his actions are that of a self absorbed child. Extreme actions can have extreme results: That said if certain people were to catch you trespassing on their property they might decide to shoot you. Also if this were my neighbor and I were Justin, I would have filed the email chain with the police to have a trespass notice in place. I would also set up a hidden camera to video when David decides he has a right to remove my light again. I would press charges. I would change the angle of the light and document the angle change as that would be seen by a court as reasonable mitigation. I would not change the wattage; David lost that reasonable opportunity when he trespassed. I see this interaction as a great example of unnecessary escalation of an issue that could have been easily and simply resolved. Justin demonstrates significant restraint by not immediately pressing trespass charges. He further offers an implied olive branch with the comparison of the past neighbor. Overall I find that David is the asshole and Justin is simply responding to the invasive, rude, and unneighborly actions. Also the email exchange mentioned this was a gated neighborhood, which likely means theres an HOA. David could have brought up the light to the HOA as a complaint. Thats called exhausting all administrative remedies. Seriously there were and are better ways to have resolved this issue.
Posted on: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:25:06 +0000