Five Reasons Your Neighbor Could Sue You

The act of dealing with people can be one of the hardest things of your day, especially if you are surrounded by difficult people. While we all know the golden rule, “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you,” however it can sometimes be easier said than done. This can be taken up a notch if you don’t get along with your neighbors. Back in the good ol’ days, “June Cleavers” were everywhere, delivering fresh baked goodies and keeping good neighborly relations set straight along the block. Fast forward to today, people are working longer hours, barely getting by and definitely not focused on building relationships within their neighborhood. That being said, you may have someone you don’t see eye to eye with, but it’s best to proceed with caution and keep to yourself when at all possible, especially if you aren’t sure how vindictive this neighbor can really be… while it’s not common, there are instances where your neighbor can sue you (usually in small claims court). This is a headache you want to stay away from, so if you have a neighbor from hell, or maybe you are the neighbor from hell, stay on top of some of the typical reasons a neighbor might sue you over.

1. Noise - You could be a lover of hard rock, jamming out on your drum set in the garage and driving your neighbor insane, one beat at a time. Noise is probably the number one complaint between neighbors, especially those living in apartment complexes. However, rock n’ roll isn’t the only cause that could send someone complaining. Listening to music and movies too loud or even having a dog that barks a little more than usual can all be a nuisance to your neighbors. So take it down a notch. If it’s your dog you’re trying to keep quiet, you might try a bark collar.
2. Dog Bites - If you have a pet that happens to bite a neighbor, they could have the right to sue you for medical bills and possibly pain and suffering. The best course of action is to, one, train your dog only to act when physically threatened and, second, to keep your dog on a leash or maintained properly in your yard to keep this unfortunate act from happening. If this does happen to you, you might want to profusely apologize for the incident and offer to pay before the headache of a lawsuit were to happen. The same can be said for other animals, but these situations are most commonly known to involve dogs.
3. Property Lines - Some people are very touchy when it comes to their property, especially if you have a tree that is causing a negative effect with their property. For example, you have a big oak tree boarding your property line. If your tree becomes diseased with a large branch breaking off onto their property this could damage a fence, a roof, a car… As the owner, you’re responsible for keeping up with your landscape so it’s not interfering or ruining your neighbor’s property. Word to the wise, maintain your landscape!
4. Water Damage - Say you have planned the vacation of a lifetime – skiing the slopes in Vail. While you’ve been enjoying your time with family, there was a sudden cold snap and you forgot to winterize your sprinkler system. Not only have your pipes burst, water is now flooding yours and your neighbor’s property. This can and has happened, as well as even leaving sprinklers on too long or altering your landscape in a way that causes the water drainage to runoff into your neighbor’s yard. All scenarios that could cause damage and a reason for your neighbor to take you to court. Take precaution with your property and how it could affect your neighbor.
5. Harassment - You are frustrated beyond means with your neighbor’s unruly child, dog or maybe it is even your neighbor himself. Keep your snide digs to yourself. If you threaten, harass, or say anything that could cause them grief or mental anguish you could find yourself in a neighborly dispute that could arise to a lawsuit. Best course of action is to try and work out the underlying issues, and/or just respect each other’s privacy and keep to yourselves.

Susan Wright DVM works for DogFenceDiy. If your dog is a escape artist and is causing trouble in the neigborhood we can help you understand your options when it comes to installing an invisible fence alternative from wireless units to wired technology.

Chris Erskine Goes From LA to Indy and Back

I just saw a link shared by Indianapolis Bloggers on Twitter about an article in the Los Angeles Times from Chris Erskine and his visit to Indianapolis.

Chris seems to have experienced a little for himself that things that make our city Positively Indy! You can read his full story here: Indianapolis’ big Midwestern howdy.

His article leads me to believe he did get a good cross-section of all the things to do around Indy from sports, to culture, to eating and of course racing. His only bad experience was trying to get directions from some of us on where to go and how to get there. Do you know where you’d send people if someone just walked up to you on the street?

You do?

Where?

Let us know in the comments and let’s see all the places that we can think of that visitors to Indianapolis should experience for themselves that Chris may have missed out on himself during his visit. If you’re on Twitter, Chris is on there too at @erskinetimes.

The Town of Speedway Indiana

It’s May and when people in the Indianapolis area, and beyond, think of the month of May many of us think of the largest spectacle in racing, The Indianapolis 500

There’s more to May than just the 500 and there’s more to Speedway, Indiana than just a race every may.

What many people may not realize outside of the city is that there’s more to Speedway than just a racetrack. Of course the town is tied to the race, but it’s a great little city inside The Circle City for the other 11 months of the year as well.

Here’s a very nicely done video about the city of Speedway, Indiana and the history behind it and it’s neighbors.

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