That's really awful...there is nothing worse than a bad neighbor - give me a herd of deer or even elk any day....earthquake, flood, anything but an obnoxious inconsiderate person.

No noise ordinance there? Have other neighbors been offended enough to meet and present a united front? I wish I had a suggestion for you but I'm sure you are doing all your research. Let us know, if we can't help we can listen.

Oh Harry, that sounds like a nightmare! I am so sorry you have to endure this! You have my sympathies.

Carla

Harry, it sounds like he bought the land for the purpose of riding his dirt bikes; otherwise, why would he have bulldozed everything? That's a lot of expense. Does he dirtbike professionally - for money and prizes? Is there any kind of ordinance against using your land for commercial purposes? Sounds like he's using your neighborhood for practice.

Since it's illegal to remove mature trees, in addition to the fines, isn't he required to replant them?

How about collaterial damage? Is the dust from the racing destroying your mature trees?

I hate it when laws are more concerned about protecting a tree but not the people around somebody like this.

Check with the Soil Conservation Service.
There may be some regulations about dust creation; check laws that limit quarries and rock crushers.
Noise ordinances...public health.

How are the RVs getting there? Driven on the public highways? Are they street legal?

Who holds the mortgage on the property? Are they aware of the decrease in property value? The mortgage holder requires insurance. Does the insurance cover loss of life by RV?

For starters.

Is he an animal abuser? Does he have 15 pit bulls inside his house? does he keep birds for cock fighting?

Are his car tags current? how many outstanding traffic tickets does he have?

no noise ordinance...
how about disturbing the peace?

any beer being consumed over there?
maybe people getting on their bikes & hitting the roads after having a few?

& the neighbors might get together & hire a lawyer & sue him for infringing on the right of a property owner to the peaceful enjoyment of their property.

(maybe he won't be able to pay the fine & the city can put a lien on the land & foreclose).

What a nightmare! What about organizing your neighbors to prevail upon your local government to enact an anti-noise or other appropriate ordinance? My neighbors were able to stop someone from landing a helicopter in his yard in this way.

We are attending a township meeting this week. They are going to discuss a proposed zoning ordinance. I have found it on the Township's web page and it actually contains noise language. A Township official told us they expect serious opposition to many components of the ordinance.

Thanks for all the suggestions above. You'll can get pretty nasty for a bunch of flower growers!

Harry,
I'll take that last as a compliment.
Someday I'll tell about the Doberman named EVIL who moved in back of my place in Houston. Homeowners Assoc was worthless to keep the dog quiet. Another neighbor was home, in hospice care, dieing of cancer. Dog would bark for up to two hours nonstop. Evil even ate her other dog and she was complaining to neighbor that she had to hire a professional rug cleaner to get the blood out. Evil's owner was girlfriend of Bank VP to which the house reverted ....Bank VP also had a wife. Guess what happened?
Ann, research is a good thing.

Video tape the problem and give it to the town officials before the meeting...it will give them some back up to fight for the noise ordinance.

Lisa

Harry----I am so sorry to hear this-----I know how much you enjoyed the beauty and peace of your rose garden

Our area has laws on the books about noises---disturbing the peace ---dogs barking etc---I would think dirt bikes without mufflers could be stopped
Hope you can get some results-----

Please keep us posted.

Florence

Get lots of video of the dust covering everything off his property. He might be mad but that does not give him cause to damage other peoples property. Maybe another lawsuit over his damaging others property will get him to cease and desist.

Lance

Around here all you would need to do is call the police. They would show up and politely ask the person to stop which they would do. You have gone beyond this which indicates that this situation for you doesn't have a simple solution. I'm guessing you live in a semi-rural area where it is more common for folks to roar around on snowmobiles and dirt bikes and otherwise disturb the peace. What to do. I can only tell you that I have a great lawyer who fixes problems like this. You need to threaten your neighbor in the strongest possible way and I would do it. Get the neighbors to help if you want to. Good luck.

I am so sorry for this happening to you. It sounds like a nightmare to me. I was feeling sorry for myself but yours is worse.
We live in suburbia on smallish lots. Our backyard neighbors cut every tree down in their backyard (which had nicely formed a barrier between the yards), put in a pool just feet from the fence, put up a corregated shade structure that when it rains, the noise is unbearable. The woman has the ugliest loud voice I ever heard--sounds like a machine gun. And--their bedroom light shines into ours every night, lighting up our bedroom.
When we want to have our windows open on hot summer nights, we hear their big screen tv, which quite often, stays on all night. They appear to fall asleep with the light and the tv on regularly. Plus, if I go into my garden early in the morning, I hear him honking his nose the entire time--hoping my roses are the cause of his allergies!
So, don't know what to say to you, only that I sincerely and truly empathize with you.
Kahy

I think this calls for a group of military snipers. :o)

Thanks everyone for those supporting words. I am happy to report that my new neighbor has raked out the yard and planted grass seed. Many of the neighbors had called the police, although I don't know if that led to this conclusion.

Wow Harry, I am so sorry to hear this, what rotten Ba****ds! Quite a depressing situation. Taking all the trees down was really bad enough and I am glad he is getting heavily fined, but his behaviour now is scary, I would not want to be in harryshoe-shoes! (just making light):)

........and as for this :You'll can get pretty nasty for a bunch of flower growers!

Don't forget we are not just "flower growers" We are ROSE growers and boy, we know how to defend - you have met your match, you say, I think you have a lot to defend here and what these rotters have done. Good luck, I wish your group all the very best in fighting and getting rid of these creeps! I bet he is also a gardener and grows things too, under lamps in his basement!!!! They will be brought to justice, hopefully sooner than later!
Pauline

Kathy, too, sorry to hear about your creepy neighbours also. Are you able to grow some good size screening so that you can almost forget they are there and play some music of your own outdoors to drown out some of their noise. I know it would not work at night though. Good luck, let's hope they move!
Pauline

I guess I will always wonder why someone prefers to have an open field of grass with nothing else growing on it. He doesn't even have a foundation planting in front. It looks so barren. Like a military pillbox.

I guess rose people get pretty gritty having endured all those thorn attacks. Prying thorn splinters out of places, which can't always be mentioned, just makes us mean.

So Kathy, are you sure the man next door isn't Clark Griswold? Remember his lights in Christmas Vacation. I have a good friend whose neighbor lights up his yard like a football stadium and the other neighbors bedrooms too. Your neighbors sound horrible, I'm sorry.
Harry, glad someone got a grip on that situation. Stay on top of it.

Carla

Hello everyone, check this blog out. It's long but so funny....and bizarre at the same time.
-terry

Here is a link that might be useful: Redneck Neighbor

Kathy, there's a remote that will let you turn off any tv. You could use that late at night if your neighbors seem to have fallen asleep. Otherwise, good curtains will at least block the light.

Here is a link that might be useful: TV B Gone

Gee-i was always told if you had noisy neighbors you should go join the party-instead of complaining
have you considered getting a bike and a six pack,Mr.Shoe?

terryjean what a blast from the past. I remember that website. A reminder of a simpler time when websites didn't have blinking ads and videos everywhere. Those were the days.

Hope things get better for you harryshoe, Your beautiful Tamora is probably lonely.

Harry I've been thinking about you and your problem---Your garden is so lovely and so peaceful---Your neighbors should live out in the middle of nowgere.
Kathy --I remember when your neighbors took down those trees----what a shame---
I like a nice thick hedge between houses--

Florence

Ah........I am so sad to hear this. Wishing people of similar interests could live near each other. Maybe you'll have to decide if you will go against him personally- but if you lose, he will surely make things worse. Hopefully something will happen and they will sell. Then I hope you get a person who loves gardening and has an empty fresh property to begin with. Wishing also that fate sends you the money to buy him out and expand your own garden or at least rent to quiet loving folks. Tell us how it goes. Kitty