I need to get this off my chest as it were, and can't say it in 'real life' so I am venting here :-)

Dear neighbour number 1. I am sick of your farm workers treating our quiet rural road like it is their own private playground. I hate watching said idiots doing 360's on their (your) ATVs and ripping up the gravel. I hate hearing the thump thump thump of car stereos every time they leave or enter your property. I am scared that one of these ignorant, arrogant 'grown-up wannabes' will run down my children when they are waiting at the bus stop for the school bus as it seems said wannabes cannot drive in a straight line in their noisy 'souped up' cars. I am too scared to let you know all of the above as I am afraid of the repercussions from the culprits themselves.

Dear neighbour number 2. How many times will I have to phone you asking you to get your animals off the road before someone is seriously hurt? I am really and truely over chasing your bulls off my farm several times a week. They are aggressive and very large and scary and I am scared for my own well-being. I am sick of being woken late at night by well meaning passers-by who call in to let me know 'my' animals are on the road. Even the school bus driver and the mailman think they belong to me. Do you think it's funny when 14 large bulls deficate down my driveway? My children are too scared to ride their bikes to the bus stop as they have to get through your animals. I am aware that the police have been called in the past but obviously this has had no effect on your attitude at all. I will not be calling the police myself as again I am afraid of the repercussions.

Thank you for listening. I feel better now I have written it down! Please excuse spelling and grammer, they go out the window during a really good vent!

Rachel,

Don't call yourself "crazy". It's a prime example of people not giving a damn about other people and it's all too prevalent these days.
Like one of my neighbours, it took us 2 years to get their yap, yap all day long dog removed. They told the Animal Control Officer that they would put it down themselves. Three weeks later, I heard the all too familiar sound again, back from the dead !!! Well, it's gone now and I had no problems with the dog, it's the owners who needed to realise that they are not the only ones living in the neighbourhood.
These same people have a teenager who bangs on a full set of drums as soon as he gets home in the afternoon. After calling Noise Control many, many imes and being told that it was well above the acceptable limit, the drums are still there and we had to compromise and agree that it would be okay for him to play the drums between 4.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m.
I f the other neighbours had complained also, the result would have been better, but, like you, they are scared of the repercussions.

Be assured, Rachel, you haven't got this problem on your own !!!

Cheers
Beverley

Thanks Beverley. I feel like I'm whining about nothing but it affects us every day. Just needed to tell someone! I have just been down to get the mail and our mailbox and attached post are lying on the ground with hoof marks all around. DH is trying to contact neighbour number 2. Will let you know outcome.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2008 11:39PM by Rachel - Ashburton.

You poor thing Rachel. I just had an idea re the bulls coming up your driveway - but I know what bulls are like for jumping etc so it may not work. Is it possible to put a small electric unit fence across the drive - ie if people are entering it can be hooked/unhooked. Or even look at a gate. Without knowing the driveway its hard to know if this would work. We used to have a cow that would somehow get over the cattlestop in the driveway, and in the end when the cows grazed the driveway we used this across the cattlestop.
I don't know if a wee bit of humour will help you, as I can totally understand where you are coming from,but you must have had enough of the bull sh*t - literally!!

with regards the hoons, we used to have that on a country gravel road - its scarey, but I don't think you can do much about it, We had one end up in a ditch from taking the corner to fast, but nothing can stop them, which is a terrible situation to be in.

I can empathise with you - hope the vent makes you feel better

regards, Irene

Rachel, just had another thought... can't you have the animals impounded by the local council if they are roaming. Similar to what happens to dogs? I am sure the council we were in up here used to impound them (but 14 bulls is a lot to impound).

Is it worth contacting them?

The council know all about the situation, however they seem reluctant for whatever reason to do anything about it. I often feel like calling the SPCA as the animals on his farm are all emaciated (sorry, don't know if that is the word, cannot think straight right now) and I just want to look after them. Apparently it is our legal right to secure any wandering animals onto our property and then charge the owner grazing costs, but we don't want to upset the neighbour, who knows what would happen?

That's the point I was trying to make, Rachel.
The Councils have By-Laws in place but are too pc to enforce them, hence the length of time it took for them to act on the yapping dog problem we had.
The only way we got action in the end was because we went to the top, it helped that we knew the Mayor personally so he knew we were not just complaining for the sake of complaining. At the end of the day, we turned it around and proved that his staff were incompetent in not applying the laws.
Find out what your By-Laws are in your area and work along those lines and head straight to the top. Do your homework first.
Don't let it affect your health, because it's very easy to let it get you down.

Cheers,

Beverley

Rachel, I'm sorry but the reason your neighbors are rolling all over you is because you're venting in the wrong place. Forget about repercussions, tough up a little and stand up for your own rights. Get a little ass-kicky and go tell your neighbors that you live there too and you have your rights to a peaceful existence.

I don't know if you have a husband or maybe a strong brother, someone who can knock the unfeeling neighbors on their backsides. It's the only way I know. Crying in here will not solve the problem. You HAVE to be aggressive, it's the only language these people understand and believe me, they'll shape up pretty darn fast.

- Tony.

Hi Rachel, I have to agree with Tony. We had big problems in our little neighbourhood with 1 family, most of the neighbours were to scared to do anything about them, he is an ex gang member, 2 of us decided we weren't prepared to put up with it and did stand up for our rights. They did make threats, plenty of them, but none were ever carried out, they are just bullies really. It took a while but all is peaceful again and they are now quite good neighbours, at least they show a lot more consideration for the rest of us. It is scary standing up for yourself, but sometimes you just have to do it.
Good luck

I have tried the aggresive angle in the past, (with the bulls' owner) to no avail. He didn't return DH's (Tony - that's Dear Husband :-) phone calls yesterday, however he did get the bulls off the road. There were 3 out this morning which had gone by the time I finished feeding out. I truely think he is a few sandwiches short of a picnic!

Rachel, those people are no different than the bullies we had in school as little kids. Ever since I can remember I have had an anger for the bullies and I would not allow them to hurt the smaller children. I had to whack a good number of them to teach them a lesson.

A bully is a coward. It's just that simple and if you go head on with a coward he is going to back down real fast. Now I am not suggesting you hit anyone, that would be a bad move as an adult. But I am suggesting you could get mad at them and do some considerabe yelling and a fluffing up of your feathers. They're going to back off and they will want to clean up their act. Show them your anger.

You have rights, Rachel. You have a right to a peaceful life in your own home and I feel bad that those bums are denying you that. You have to kick butt. Good luck to you, kiddo.

- Tony

As half of a farming couple I feel very sorry for you and am ashamed that there are still a few farmers out there like the ones you have described, that do nothing for the image of farmers in general.

I think you should tell the farm owner about his employee's actions - he should be concerned and prepared to speak to them about it - ask him if he wants an accident on his conscience and how he would feel if he had children waiting on the roadside etc. Try to be calm but state your case plainly and appeal to his conscience.

Keep on at the local authorities, police etc and also speak to your other neighbours and find out if they feel like you do - get together and lobby the farm employer, the council, the police, - whoever you think might/should be helping you. Be pleasant and polite, but stand your ground - you are quite entitled to complain and should do so.

Good luck.

Hi Rachel,
Noisy farmhands can be dealt with, if they live on the property go over and threaten them, very nicely of course, with legal action eg traffic police. or you could sneak over and let the air out of two of their tyres then they will have to walk. Unfortunately there is not much you can do illegally which dosen't come back on you. Perhaps call a neighbourhood meeting with all concerned and talk to these people about the situation.

As for the other neighbours do you know someone with a stock truck that can be parked on your property? then go over and tell these neighbours that you will be rounding up the roaming bulls and shipping them of to the freezing works at their expense.
Seriously forget the repercussions report them to the S.P.C.A . The S.P.C.A can't reveal who complained under the privacy act
Several years ago someone complained about the yapping dogs (chiuauas) next door to me but neighbour was never told who complained, it wasn't me unfortunately
Kay D

P.S Son just suggest you put a board with nails behind their back wheels