How do you handle this neighbor?
 

I live in an airpark community. (Like a golf community, but with pilots instead of golfers.)

One guy in the neighborhood, we will call him Bob, displays erratic behaviour, seems to have anger management issues, etc. There is one other neighbor (Jay) that he seems to have a particular hatred of, but almost everyone here is on his "list". I have lived here for two years. Bob has always had a reputation as a hot-head, but he seems to be getting worse over the last year.

Bob works for a major airline as a first officer. He was let go from a different major, and went to work for this one. As of last summer, he was put on "standby relief" status and has had a lot of free time.

Here are some stories:

Bob has a few firearms. He shoots a lot on his property, but since we are out of the city limits he is not breaking any laws. He also buys a lot of tannerite to make extra noise. Last summer, they guy was out on the community property walking around with a rifle. This is property that adjoins Jay's, and Jay was outside on his lawn. After a few verbal barbs were exchanged, Jay says, "well I got one too... want me to go get it?" Bob then goes home and calls the cops to report that Jay threatened him.

Our runway is grass, and the neighbors mow it voluntarily. Last summer during one of the mowing sessions, Bob comes in low and fast with his RV7 and got damned close to a guy on a tractor. The tractor guy subsequently filed a complaint with the FAA. The FAA came out and spoke to him in a stern voice, but no action was taken. Then Bob issues a threat that he will "get back at us all".

When Bob participates in a mowing session, he mows with the deck as low as it will go, and mows in no particular direction. So we get scalped, brown grass in crazy streaks all over the place.

He made a home-made VASI unit and installed it at the edge of the runway, telling the community that he was donating it to improve landing safety at night. Since it was a home-made contraption, we had to issue a NOTAM warning people to not use it. Now he has removed it and said he will send us a bill. (what for?)

This past week, he installed a 20 foot flag pole on his property. On top of it he mounted a video camera pointing at Jay's house.

His hangar is on the opposite side of the runway from his house. He drives his car, his truck, his bobcat, and his bucket lift back and forth across the runway rather than around the road. Over the winter, he used the bobcat to drag logs from one property to the other so he could cut them up for firewood.


Man, I could go on and on, but I hope you get the idea.


We have loosely written C&Rs that are virtually unenforceable. And I don't know if he is breaking any laws. He's just being an ass, but he is acting so irrationally that some of the neighbors are getting worried about his actions.

We are having a representative from the Sheriff's department come out tomorrow to speak with the airpark association officers. The FAA seems unable or unwilling to take any action.

Suggestions welcome.

I would say take a Shyte on his driveway.... You guys ought to get some cattle out there on the runway, to mow of course, when you don't plan on descending, and he does.

Is there a type of HOA in an airpark? This is the only instance where I think one might be helpful.

Holy crap, a homemade VASI? I'm really surprised the FAA didn't do something other than have you issue a NOTAM. You could kill somebody if that VASI isn't aligned properly. Hopefully, he was somewhat competent with it's installation. Is there a neutral neighbor that could take the lead and have a civil discussion with the guy to give him a way to air his grievances, or at least confirm he's nuts?

Blanket party.

Well you can't kill him now that you've posted this so i'll have to think of a good plan B. I really wish you would have PMd me first :)

Cash, it sounds like this dude is possibly one of those "types" who just pokes and pokes until he gets somebody ticked enough to engage him in a fistfight.

Or he could be someone who needs to be on some kind of psych med... or was, and just stopped taking it because he didn't like the side effects.

Either way, if it seems like he's getting "worse," just be on guard, because one day he could go off his nut and strike out and hurt somebody or go postal in some way.

Do you know if he indulges in adult beverages from time to time? That's always good for releasing demons in guys like him.

Just for a little comic relief...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1365664876.jpg

Curb Stomp

Pimp slap

Maybe an anonymous letter to the local ATF office complaining that he has some highly illegal firepower would have them coming down hard on him. Give him a good look see.

Or you can just wait til he goes postal on you.

Talking to him isn't going to do anything good.

If you talk to him, make it once and try to find out what it is exactly that is frustrating him so much. I suspect he's lived there for a long time, had things change a lot in that time and believes that his efforts and insight are not appreciated.

I live in an airpark as well. We have that one "guy" also. I think it is a requirement to live in an airpark that at least one nut job be on the premises. Our nut is also a legacy carrier captain which is not comforting.

He's just being misunderstood and is crying out for compassion, love and support. A group hug should set things right.

Ofbk

N! ?

kick him in the nuts.

There is a loosely written set of Covenants and Restrictions, but they are not really enforceable due to them being improperly recorded back in the 80s. There is no HOA like most people know, only an Airpark Association whose only capacity is to maintain the runway.
The VASI was a single lens (three color) type, however the lens colors were not in accordance with the AIM.
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publi...m/F0201006.gif

The FAA said they could do nothing because this is a private airport.
I was the neighborhoods neutral neighbor when I moved here. Everyone else was already soured on this guy, and they hoped I could bring him back into the fold. They made me the Chairman of the association, and made him the vice-chairman in an effort to give him input and make him feel loved. He showed up at one meeting, demanding that the neighborhood install high intensity strobes on the runway, install taxiway lighting, and several other measures. When his proposals were voted down he got mad, left, and has not been back to any meetings. I was still neutral on my feelings toward him until about 6 weeks ago. He sent me a rambling email with various threats, and I just don't cotton to that. This was one of my considerations... that he is just an ******* looking to provoke people. Although we could just ignore him and hope he will stop, he has already poisoned the neighborhood. His personal vendetta against Jay is already 'over the top' and has other neighbors worried that this will end up in bloodshed.

Crazy Bob does not drink, afaik, but Jay does. As a further example of Bob's provocations: Jay is from this area, but had been living in KY with his wife. His wife was killed in an unfortunate boating accident, and Jay was at the wheel at the time. As you may expect, Jay slips in and out of depression and alcoholism on a regular basis. He moved back to his home area a few years ago in an attempt to flee the area of his painful memories. Somehow, Bob found out about this. And now Bob routinely uses this as ammunition against Jay; calling him a wife killer, murderer, alky, etc.

Is it a stretch to think that one day Jay will snap and either shoot Bob, or will be shot by Bob when he tries to choke the crazy out of him?

Sure sounds like a recipe for trouble if you can't figure out a way to reason with the guy and rein him in. Good luck.

Is Bob smart enough to know what a burning cross on his front lawn means?

I'm thinking a good, hired whoopin' could help. Not a killin...just a bad whoopin with a warning.

We're in the South, so burning crosses have a certain historic significance. I think burning a cross in Bob's yard would just confuse everyone.

Honestly, I don't want me or any of the other neighbors to climb aboard the crazy train, or to go to jail, or to die. I don't want to fight at his level. I want to figure out how to use 'the system' to our advantage.

Any chance of someone being able to drain their septic tank into this A-Holes basement? Sounds like a true piece of shyte! Sorry to hear about your predicament.

That is a level of malevolence that goes beyond ol' Bob being a dick.

I can't think of a path forward that doesn't include others getting involved, be it some form of restraining order, finding out why Bob got bounced from the airline jobs, documenting his behavior, finding out what meds he is on, talking to the local mental health folks, the police, etc.

I also can't think of a scenario that has this soap opera ending well. There isn't going to be a way out of this without some furniture getting wrecked.

Holy crap, if "Bob" (not me) said that to me about my wife considering what happened, he would not live past the driveway.

Time to move

Bingo!

This would be the first step for me.

Contact local social services and LE for counsel.

Doesn't require any contact with Bob - just a fact gathering exercise.

Then get back to the brain trust and we'll tell you the next step to take.

:)

How bout a private meeting with you, bob, and a tazer?

Document everything before you seek professional advice - including his verbal attacks and other neighbours comments.

That will give a base for discussions to start.

In the UK we have legal orders preventing nutters from getting onto properties they threaten etc. Might be worth exploring.

Get the local Police on your side and fully aware of the potential for trouble.

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Explore this too

Psychological harassment
This is humiliating, intimidating or abusive behaviour which is often difficult to detect leaving no evidence other than victim reports or complaints. This characteristically lowers a person’s self-esteem or causes them torment. This can take the form of verbal comments, engineered episodes of intimidation, aggressive actions or repeated gestures.

You need to form a unified front and go to the local constabulary. Document his craziness, make certain the gendarmes realize he has firearms and is acting in a threatening, erratic fashion. Tell them that you are concerned he is going to go postal, eventually he will.

I have spoken to an FAA rep about Bob, and the rep told me that there is little they can do. He said that if we (the community) start writing letters of concern to them, detailing his emotional issues, his anger management issues, and his erratic behaviour, then the aeromedical office will consider the possibility of suspending his pilot license until he undergo a psyche eval.

The local deputies have been out a few times in the past about Bob, and I was just informed a minute ago that the Sheriff's department is planning to send a "community representative" out to speak with the Association officers next week about Bob. We have been told already that most of what we are experiencing is a civil matter, not a criminal matter, and that we should consult with an attorney. However I think it is important that the PD have a heads-up about the issues here.

Funny. Are you're advocating for escalation?

In my experience, escalation with unstable folks is always productive. I can't remember the last time pushing it with an educated, armed, angry and unstable dude ended poorly for someone. Can you?

there is a reason why he left the other airline..
you guys are connected..
find out...


Rika

Good point - also Google his name and check out air forums and facebook.
Google his aircraft registration sign.

Welcome to the wonderful fraternity of having a scumbag neighbor...

It's the same thing as trying to get a STOP sign put up in front of a park. Nothing can be done until a little kid gets run-over by a car. Only then can the STOP sign be installed.

Your A-hole neighbor knows he has all of you trapped and he'll inflict his pile of resentments and anger on you as long as he wants. There is no law that states Thou Shall Not Be An A-hole and he knows it. Your suffering is his pleasure. (Psychopath.)

There has to be another grass strip you can live on. Either that or prepare for the inevitable snap-event where he goes off and starts shooting. Sounds like it's coming. Stay ultra-vigilant and keep your head down.

Three words: Document, document, document.

Everyone who has had an encounter with Bob needs to sit down and document their experiences. That means recording, in an objective manner, each incident that shows his erratic and potentially dangerous behavior from their personal experience, not hearsay. They need to cite dates and times as close to the actual ones as possible--terms like, "On or about June 25th..." will work if they cannot recollect the exact time or date. They need to avoid slangy words like "crazy", "nuts," "postal," and the like and instead use terms that reflect their true concerns, such as "erratic," "threatening," "dangerous," or "unstable."

What you are trying to do is develop a history of behavior, witnessed by several people, that has progressively gotten more dangerous to the community. Writing these out will clarify the memories and help to see a clear trend in downward spiraling behavior. Further, when meeting with authorities, it will provide a concise, chronological review of the behavior that paints a distinct picture to an outsider.

This is the information that needs to be used when contacting authorities as you will need to contact several different agencies to effect any change or intervention and a solid written record of behaviors is your best evidence. You are dealing with bureaucracies and written documentation is something they have a hard time trying to deny. The response from the FAA reflects this. Same with the police. Though they say his behavior is not criminal, and to date it apparently is not, written anecdotal evidence puts them on notice that a potential crime is feared in your community. They cannot legally act but they may be more tuned into to calls to the department regarding actions by Bob.

Bottom line, you're going to want to avoid individuals retaliating against his actions and, instead, act as a community unified against behaviors that are increasingly hostile, erratic, and dangerous.

Just my $.02

No kidding, that is beyond the pale.

Time for Bob to take a dirt nap.

What would I do about this guy? Nothing until he tried to do something that affected me. Then I would respond in kind.

He sounds like a nut job ready to go off. You know he is armed and from your post he seems dangerous. I would just document all his tantrums and notify the proper authorities when they are egregious enough to warrant it. Stepping in to it now could just set him off.

As to the C&R first talk to an attorney who does planned communities and HOA's to see if there is a way to amend or set up an agreement. Even if the original Covenants and Restrictions were improperly recorded in the 80's there has got to be a way to fix it now. Never hurts to talk to an attorney to get his view on the matter first. Then have a community meeting to discuss setting up new standards. Only then can you see about getting the community back to normal and this problem settled.

If you were in New York you could just tell the BATF that he is mentally unstable and they would pay him a visit.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/smi10.gif

Wouldn't a restraining order require surrender of his firearms? I guess this depends on the state, but if enough people pitch in, saying they are threatened by Bob with individual orders, this may be a way to take some of the edge off.

I also would seriously consider moving. Life is too short to deal with this kind of crap.

G