My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: tx
My mother and I moved into these apartments about 8 months ago.
The male neighbor has been giving me hell since then but now becoming dangerous.
The 2nd day we moved in, he heard us coming in the house, then he told someone he didn't like my ass.
The 3rd day, we were coming in, he slammed his door, then loudly said, "Them ******* back, huh!" Whoever he was talking to didn't say anything, so he repeated himself.
Well, I work from home and don't go out much, so don't see him that often. However, when I would talk on the phone, I'd hear him opening my balcony gate, then I'd peek out the window to see him standing there listening to me as I talked on the phone.
Other than that, when my mother was at work, I'd just smell something funny smelling every now and then and become really sick. I'll get to this in a minute.
By this time, I wanted to report him, but my mother didn't want me to. She just said ignore him to keep it as peaceful as possible. My mother is the friendly Christian, turn the other cheek type of person, so even though he acted this way, she continued speaking to him. I would just try to avoid eye contact.
Other than that, there was no drama for months--just him listening to me inside the house on the phone, for whatever reason.
Now, yesterday, I woke up to him talking loudly to some female outside my bedroom window.
He was telling her some lies about my mother and I--saying we were talking about her and others. Later, I heard her and some other ladies talking loud about how they will whoop a$$, etc. Referring to us.
We ignored it. Last night, I was online working (work at home) when I smelled something funny, became really sickly again. I went and woke my mother up, asked if she smelled anything, but she was extremely sleepy so said, "No." and went back to snoring.
Now, this morning, around 10 am, I woke up to him playing music loudly outside my bedroom window. I looked outside, he was on the balcony/patio in front of my window. It seemed like he was waiting for me to see him, because he was out there playing the music while facing my window. When he saw me looking, he went and picked up some black spray bottle, started spraying something all over my patio. A few minutes later, I began feeling sickly again.
So, I called my mother, told her enough was enough, I'm calling the cops. I only have a Google phone, so I had to call the non emergency number. It's been over a hour, I'm still waiting on them.
Mind you, we don't hang outside. We don't know any of these people. We've never done anything to them. I don't understand where all the hate and harassment is coming from. The only thing I can think is we don't fit in. They smoke, drink, party, etc. whereas we don't.
He's married with kids--about 5, 7 and 13. I don't know why they have issues with us--especially him. I've met up with him outside maybe 10 times since being here.
The ONLY time we go outside is to take out the trash, go shopping, go somewhere and my mother to work. We don't sit on the balcony, none of that. I keep to myself, don't even look at these people because they are very cliquish. They just stare when we walk by. My mother keeps to herself as well except she speaks even though the majority don't speak back.
Have you ever experienced this? Any clue why all the hatred for people they don't even know? Mainly this guy.
UPDATE with cops: A male and female officer finally arrived. I told them what was happening. The lady officer seemed more serious. The male officer was jokey. He said it sounds like he likes me. I explained the guy called me out of my name when he didn't even know me and that he is married, he laughed, "What that mean? Like that's stopping anything." The female officer said, "If a person is crazy, that could be there way of getting attention."
After hearing my side of things, the officers went next door to speak with him as I stood inside with my door cracked. He kept telling the officers to have me come outside, but they explained I didn't feel safe and there was no need for me to come outside. He then tried telling me if I ever have a problem with him, please write him a letter or talk to him. Again, the officers told him that wasn't necessary. The male officer laughed, "No brother, you won't be getting no letters, emails or none of that."
Anyhow, he seemed more together once they arrived. He was polite and appeared more stable. They told him to stay on his side, don't come on my patio, don't stand by my door listening to me on the phone, he doesn't have the right to come on our patio spraying as that is trespassing, etc.
UPDATE with apartment manager: About 40min's ago, my mother came home and said the apartment people wanted to talk to me.
The older lady who is over everything was basically on his side as she drilled me. She started telling us that he's been living here for a few yrs with no complaints. How he's a single dad raising 3 kids by himself. Every once in a while, he gets a girlfriend staying there with him, but usually it's just him and the kids. He takes great care of the kids and they are always clean, yada, yada.
How he told her he cleans up our patio. Mind you, again, we NEVER go outside unless we're going somewhere. Since we've been here, his kids have written on our door and they are always throwing trash on our patio, so when she said he cleans our patio, my mother and I said, "WHAT!" Totally confused. I then told her, maybe he's talking about when his kids throw trash and dirt on our patio. She just looked at me like whatever, then said, it's not his kids, it's the people upstairs. I then told her, "I have seen his kids doing this on a weekly basis." She didn't want to hear none of it.
She told us that he came there with a tragic story, that's heartbreaking, but she couldn't go into details with us about it. Then she went back to complimenting him on how he's just the nicest gentlemen who basically can do no wrong.
She voluntarily told me that he can spray wherever he wants to because he and the kids are allergic to certain things. I explained to her that whatever he sprays is messing with my health, how I get sick, then asked if she was saying he has permission to spray on my side. She said there are no laws preventing him from spraying and basically forget my health even though the cops said it's trespassing and not legal.
She drilled me on calling her before the cops. From the bias conversation, I'm happy I called the cops and filed a report because I can tell she thinks he can do no wrong and would have just sided with him as she did this time.
I need serious advice. Apartment manager says he can spray my patio even though the fumes are getting inside effecting my health, but the police said it's against the law. Of course, she also said if anything else happens to contact her first, but WHY when she is 100% on his side and could care less about him harassing me?
So confused and have not a clue.

