How to deal with neighbor who believes trees are adequate backstop

[mom45]

Our county calls it budget cuts. I actually know where the other deputy was because I stopped and told him on my way home what was going on when I saw him. He was on a call nearby and was just getting back in his car. He informed me there was someone responding and then the neighbor that had been hiding by the tree contacted me and said the DNR was on their way.

My dad and I used to shoot at JP a lot when I was growing up. He is almost 80 now and has a lot of issues with dizziness so doesn't get out there much anymore. We have our range at home so we shoot here or at our friends' houses that also have ranges.

 

[USMC-Johnson]

Hey there mom45...some advice when you lawyer up (which you really should do). Go to every lawyer in the area that is willing to give you a free consult. My understanding is (at least this was true for my crap with my kid) that after you have consulted with a lawyer they legally arent aloud to represent the other party. If i'm wrong on this please someone correct me.

And as far as Mom45 building a back stop on her property it shouldnt be her responsibility to make what someone else is doing safe. With that said if the lawyer cant do anything i might see about either building a back stop or hanging alot of thick sheet steel so his rounds ricochet straight back to the douche bag.

 

[Indydrew]

My helpful instructions:
1) Duck head
2) Document all that you can
2) Call Lawyer
3) Hope for the best

Rinse, repeat as many times as necessary...to get resolution.

Best of luck.

-Drew

 

[mom45]

You are correct about the lawyer. I need to stop at the courthouse first to see what lawyer's he's already used in town. I did a doxpop search and see that he and his wife both have some type of legal filings where they were defendants in two separate civil cases in 2008. There's a good chance they already have a local lawyer. Their son has also had legal issues I believe. Once I have that info, I will make a few calls to some of the others. When I worked at the law firm in LaPorte County, we would not take a client if we had ever represented or had a consult with the opposing party...even if it was an unrelated case. In Knox, anything could happen. I went to court once for a child support issue with my ex only to have him walk in with an associate from the firm that handled my visitation case against him. Long ago since he's been dead for a few years now and my kids are grown, but he and I were clients of the same firm for matters related to the same divorce. The associate didn't work there long after they got my visit after court!

 

[mom45]

My helpful instructions:
1) Duck head
2) Document all that you can
2) Call Lawyer
3) Hope for the best

Rinse, repeat as many times as necessary...to get resolution.

Best of luck.

-Drew

Getting my documentation in order and then calling the lawyer. That's the plan.

 

[.356luger]

You probably won't find a more anti ordinance/code enforcement person here than me. How would a backstop requirement be enforced? When hunting, do we all wait until the animal presents itself in front of a berm?

I surely do not but then I know my property and what is beyond my target. The volume of fire from my hunting rifle is almost always 1 well aimed shot. The volume of fire from one target session is generally 300> Not always well aimed and always into a sound back stop.

Then again I'm a considerate person who would rather give gun owners a good name as opposed to fighting with my neighbors over my lack of safety.

 

[Tinner666]

They were shooting when the DNR was there yesterday and the neighbor west of them called them this time because the bullets were whizzing past his head and had him trapped behind a tree. The shooting was nonstop and he was afraid to even make a run for the house because so many were flying past him. He was in a panic when he called me asking what to do. I gave him the sheriff's number and told him to call...figured more than one person doing the call would help our cause so it wasn't just one person whining...looking at it from their perspective. I don't feel I was whining and the deputy agreed that it looked quite unsafe. The sheriff knows us personally so I doubt that he would think we were making this up in any way, and I do plan to chat with him when I see him about the way this is being handled. I have a meeting in town tomorrow and have a call in to get the copies of their reports so I'm hoping he will be in his office when I stop in to follow up on that call. When the neighbor called in, the dispatcher asked him what all the noise was because she was having trouble hearing him. He told her it was them shooting and to please send someone. The ONE deputy on duty was on another call so she sent the DNR.

Maybe since the sheriff knows you, you could invite him for a luncheon and take him for a walk around the property at about the time the neighbor opens up for his session. If a few bullets fly past his head, maybe there will be some headway on the issue. Who knows, he might even go full JBT and shoot back in self defense.

 

[hornadylnl]

I surely do not but then I know my property and what is beyond my target. The volume of fire from my hunting rifle is almost always 1 well aimed shot. The volume of fire from one target session is generally 300> Not always well aimed and always into a sound back stop.

Then again I'm a considerate person who would rather give gun owners a good name as opposed to fighting with my neighbors over my lack of safety.

Merely giving a glimpse as to what's inside Pandora's box. Let us not fashion the weapons that will be used against us.

 

[Jeremy1066]

I like the idea of a barrier that would send the rounds right back in the direction in which they were fired from. It wouldn't take very many to prove your point. Nearly impossible to accomplish? Yes. Fun to think about? Yes.

 

[printcraft]

IBTHB

 

[lonehoosier]

This is what we have in Lake County. You may have one in your county.

LAKE COUNTY has a shooting ordinance. NOT every county has one. YOU must check with your county to see if there are any rules. However, in LAKE COUNTY the actual ordinance that PASSED is1314B, it was PASSED on August 11th, 2009.


The passed and signed ordinance actually reads:
"That the Lake County Council now prohibits the discharge of a firearm for the sole purpose of target shooting or practice shooting within 200 feet of the property lines of a platted, approved and developed multi-lot subdivision of one acre lots or less, as defined in the Lake County Code."
ALSO, be aware of NOISE ordinances that will affect the shooting TIMES that are legal (these same times apply to all loud noises like lawn mowing, fireworks, etc.

 

[nebulous]

I know it might be unsightly, but you could build your own temporary plywood backstop on your own property. Not to stop the bullets, but to prove the bullets from that house are hitting your board and coming on your property. That could be powerful evidence if this issue ever is heard by a judge.

 

[mom45]

We have no shooting OR noise ordinances. I've checked on both.

 

[.356luger]

Merely giving a glimpse as to what's inside Pandora's box. Let us not fashion the weapons that will be used against us.

I was merely giving a glimpse of what a reasonable reaction would be in this situation. Not to mention a backstop is the a great way to "farm" lead clean melt shoot again. Play it again bullet.

 

[mom45]

I know it might be unsightly, but you could build your own temporary plywood backstop on your own property. Not to stop the bullets, but to prove the bullets from that house are hitting your board and coming on your property. That could be powerful evidence if this issue ever is heard by a judge.

My husband thought of this today while sitting in a tree watching to see if there are any deer left in the neighborhood after all of yesterday's activity. He is trying to think of the cheapest thing we could use to block off their property because we know it is going to get destroyed. He used all our metal siding to cover the firewood pile and plywood is pretty expensive. I have another screen open to Craigslist looking for stuff that could be used. I was thinking about cheap(er) tarps that could be ziptied to the top and bottom of the fence behind their targets if we can't find anything better. The fence is 600 feet long so it would cost too much to do all of it, but the area where the targets are set up could be doable I think. I don't care if it is unsightly since he is the only one who will have to look at it. The woods are between us.

 

[lonehoosier]

I know it might be unsightly, but you could build your own temporary plywood backstop on your own property. Not to stop the bullets, but to prove the bullets from that house are hitting your board and coming on your property. That could be powerful evidence if this issue ever is heard by a judge.

She already has prof of that. Her trees are filled with bullet holes.

 

[Tinner666]

I like the idea of a barrier that would send the rounds right back in the direction in which they were fired from. It wouldn't take very many to prove your point. Nearly impossible to accomplish? Yes. Fun to think about? Yes.

A steel skate boarder's half pipe/half tube turned on it's side would do the trick.

 

[mom45]

I think the husband was thinking how fun it would be to build a privacy fence so they have all the privacy they want to hunt the deer on their own property for a change and any holes in the newly erected "fence" would be additional proof that it is still an ongoing issue.

 

[Bunnykid68]

 

[churchmouse]

22 pages....really.