Can I File a Civil Harassment Suit Against a Neighbor

**andreafleck2003** · 08-11-2010, 03:03 PM

My question involves restraining orders in the State of: MA

My next door neighbor neighbors have been relentlessly harassing me and my daughter's father. She owns a house next to my apartment complex.

Ever since we were told to move our vehicle parking spots over for a demolition dumpster to be placed in our spots, it has been happening. She rudely asked us "When we were going to move our cars since it was inconvenient for her to back up now" although she has absolutely no say in where we park since it is on complex property.

This situation escalated into her telling neighbors that I was saying things about them that I was not. Not to mention she had told other people outside the neighbor untrue things about me as well.

She was on my Facebook as a friend and was writing things about me without using my name and when I commented on the post she would get belligerent and I would ended the conversation. Eventually I deleted her.

She called my disable son's bus company and told them that the bus needed to stop honking the horn when they picked up and dropped off my son because her husband was trying to sleep, when in fact that was untrue.

One night during the week day after 10 pm her husband got intoxicated and was chasing and playing with his dog outside my children's bedrooms, then they both proceeded to start yelling down the street to see who could yell louder, and the final straw was him pulling out his weed whacker at 11:20 pm and using it on the side of his house. This woke my 18 month daughter up and I called the police on him. The police came and told him to shut it down and left.

Then 2 days ago while walking my dog, he tenant whom she sublets too asked to pet my dog. Since I have no problem with him I acquiesce. Went over to the property and she open the door and told me to get off her property or she was calling the cops. I told her that her tenant invited me over to pat my dog. She said she didn't care she would call the cops. I told her the number to the police station. And it went all down hill from there. She proceeded to call me a sl#t and a wh#ore. When I refused to be baited by her insults and continued to walk away she called my autistic son a retard. That was the final straw for me. She is obviously not going to quit and things are going to continue to escalate.

Can I file a Civil Harassment Suit against her and her husband to get them to stop?

**Mr. Knowitall** · 08-13-2010, 06:48 AM

You don't get along with your neighbor? It happens. You're free to ask your complex if they can move you to a different unit farther away from this person, or to move at the end of your lease.

**andreafleck2003** · 08-13-2010, 07:38 AM

Quoting Mr. Knowitall

You don't get along with your neighbor? It happens. You're free to ask your complex if they can move you to a different unit farther away from this person, or to move at the end of your lease.

They do not have any open apartments and I can't afford to the move nor should I.

My question was could I bring a Civil Harassment Suit Against My Neighbor?

**Mr. Knowitall** · 08-13-2010, 07:43 AM

Sure. Expect the lawyer to charge about $5,000 to get started.

I make no promise that you'll win.

**andreafleck2003** · 08-13-2010, 08:02 AM

Quoting Mr. Knowitall

Sure. Expect the lawyer to charge about $5,000 to get started.

I make no promise that you'll win.

My professor is a lawyer and told me if I ever needed help he would donate his time to his favorite student.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 08-13-2010, 08:14 AM

You have a free lawyer willing to advise and represent you? Then what are you doing here?

**andreafleck2003** · 08-13-2010, 08:24 AM

Quoting Mr. Knowitall

You have a free lawyer willing to advise and represent you? Then what are you doing here?

I wanted to walk in to his office know what I could do to minimize the amount of time he had to spend on this. It is always better to know what you are talking about before opening your mouth, at least that is what my mother used to advise me.

So I was trying to see if this were possible before meeting him and wasting any of his precious time.

**eerelations** · 08-16-2010, 08:56 AM

Quoting andreafleck2003

I wanted to walk in to his office know what I could do to minimize the amount of time he had to spend on this. It is always better to know what you are talking about before opening your mouth, at least that is what my mother used to advise me.

So I was trying to see if this were possible before meeting him and wasting any of his precious time.

Oh sure.

You just wanted to badmouth your neighbour on a public forum where she and people who know her could see it.

Quoting andreafleck2003

My professor is a lawyer and told me if I ever needed help he would donate his time to his favorite student.

Your professor told you that you're his favourite student? And he says he's a lawyer? If he really is a lawyer he must be nuts - he must know that he could lose his job for being so unethical and unprofessional... even if he's lying and really isn't a lawyer he could still lose his job for saying this to a student. Are you sure you want to entrust your reputation and the next five years of your life to someone like this?