Monday, October 18, 2010

Please pray for our safety

So we live in a small mobile home park. I have five neighbors, basically--on the right and left of me, the ones directly behind me, and then the ones next to the ones behind me. Fortunately my home faces out towards a wooded area and I have no neighbors on that side.

My neighbor on one side has had many problems with pretty much all of the people behind us. She never hesitates to call the cops for any kind of offense and actually had an injunction on someone living next to her at one time. Luckily the injunction was the boundary they needed and they became friends, but it shows you exactly how my neighbor is.

She's nice. She's a Christian woman (though I don't agree with all of her ideas) and she and her husband have been good neighbors and good towards us.

About six months ago these people moved in behind me. Then, shortly after, someone moved in next to them and around the corner from my neighbor. All of these people are part of one family, apparently. They used to live in this house up the street owned by NG's work friend, who told us they failed to pay rent, kept getting noise complaints, were hard to get rid of, and then tore the house up when they did leave. Since they've lived behind us they've gotten noise complaint after noise complaint from all over our little neighborhood. The problem is that my neighbor is the one complaining the loudest. And now, apparently, they think we're in on it, even though I've only complained independently one time and I only answered the landlord's questions honestly--I wasn't sure where the noise was coming from and I won't report it if I don't know who's behind it.

So yesterday we were about to leave home when my neighbor's husband caught us coming out of the driveway. He said there was something we needed to see, that there'd been a fire. I go running around the corner of my house with him and, at the back corner of my house, next to a little bush, was a pile of ashes where some paper had been burned. He had caught pictures of the fire, the kids, and the whole deal on his phone so it's not like we don't have proof. It was less than six feet, bush included, from my daughter's bed room!

At first we thought it was just kids playing but the more I think about it, the more I think their parents are putting them up to it. Or, perhaps, they're overhearing the adults talking and they think they're doing them favors. This morning there was another fire almost the exact same distance from the same corner of my neighbor's house, and the parents could see what the kids were doing from both places. They also left a sharp, broken-off antenna where my neighbor would walk to water her plants at night (she always waters at night) and they know she has a bad back.

(NOTE***I didn't get to finish this post earlier, so this part comes after talking to the manager)

I spoke with the manager and she's doing everything she can to solve this problem. The person my neighbor is targeting as the problem isn't the parent of the kids causing the trouble. They did this stuff on her watch and while visiting her children, yes... They are her nephews, true... But she's not their mom, and legally not the person who will be held accountable for the issue.

Mostly I'm scared because I'm being brought into something that had nothing to do with me in the first place. I'm annoyed with loud music, sure, but I haven't called the cops on them. I've left them alone. I think that they don't know who is doing all of it and they just assume we're in on it. My child is in potential danger because a neighbor just doesn't know when to leave well enough alone.

I told my husband last night that I'm at a point where I'd skip having another child if it meant we'd get out of this place faster. Something has to change. When kids are setting fires near your home, it's a sign that this is not the place to raise your daughter.

Pray for us that our home and our family will be safe, that my neighbor will learn when to pick a fight and when to back off, and that our other neighbors will keep a better eye on the kids.

2 comments:

Melinda said...

Oh, Victoria ... I am SO sorry. Your home is supposed to be the one place you feel safe! I will be praying for you and your family -- that you will be protected and that there will be a solution to this problem that will give you peace of mind. *Hugs*

Libbie said...

Oh no! That does sound lie a lot of trouble that would really stink to be involved in! I really wish you guys could feel safe & happy in your home! I will be praying for you guys & hopefully this icky stuff will get sorted out, and quickly. Keep me updated!