A potentially dangerous situation

[draggar]

Behind our community is a less than reputable community. They are always breaking our chain link fence to use as a shortcut or run away from the police.

Well, one area has caught our attention. We fix the fence, within 24 hours it is ripped apart again.

Members of the community have also noticed that all day and night cars will park in our parking lot, go though the hole and walk into the apartment that is there. 5 minutes later, they get out and back into their car and leave (or just walk in from the street).

A lot of people do this. I'm sure most people here have the same feeling of what is going on here. If not - I'll just say it - drug dealers.

The community is sick of this. People who do this throw their garbage wherever, hang out on our property, destroy our property, some have even used our property as a bathroom. When homeowners confront these people they're responded with threats of violence (except me but when I talk to these people I have one of the dogs with me).

The fence is getting fixed tonight and I pray the other board members talk to the local police - if they do not, then I will. my community doesn't need this shit in it and we don't want it. I've caught glimpses of inside the apartment and it is bare - I'm thinking it s either two apartments - one where the "customers" go in and the one next to it where the dealers are - and there are small holes in the wall.

[taxguykarl]

Draggar, my friend:
I too lived in a very marginal area (to put it diplomatically). More than once I woke up at 3AM to a shooting or loud drug dispute outside.

The best advice I can offer is:
START LOOKING FOR NEW DIGS AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

[BookstoreEscapee]

They have a Fraggle hole?

Sorry.

Maybe you should start letting the other residents borrow a dog when they need to speak to these people...

[draggar]

We'd love to move right now but in no way could afford anything within 50 miles of here (and I work 7 miles away from home - plus all ofmy wife's clients are in this area).

Plus, there is no way we'd get approved for a mortgage without a significant down payment.

[JLG]

If they are parking in your parking lot is there any way a sign can be put up saying something like "Parking for residents only"

[Evil Queen]

Ya know what? I had the same exact situation when I was living in Houston. Slight difference is we had a 12 foot wooden fence separating us from the unfavourables. Little kids and teenagers LOVED to tear the fence down.

WARNING: What we did is NOT advised.

One day DataJager and I got sick and tired of calling in to fix the fence and really sick and tired of just screaming at those punks that was tearing down the fence. It was immediately behind the townhouse we lived in and we basically snapped.

Out game the gun (a .22 long rifle) and the machete. Once we let it be known that we're packing heat, the mess and destruction of privet property stopped for a while. A short time later, little kids tried tearing down the fence. I went out and talked to them, told them that it's private property and that I knew were they lived. They would be getting a visit from the cops. They begged me not to call and disappeared.

The absolute last straw was these punks and Fat Albert. They were quick, it was shortly after my shift (I got home, saw them tearing down the fence and went upstairs to get my gun). The DataJager doesn't care for gun ownership and took the machete out.
3 of the 4 screamed and ran like scared bunnies. The last one, Fat Albert, was clearly too scared to run. He stood there begging me to not let my husband* chop him to bits. He was informed that if the fence isn't left alone, there was going to be problems and lots of cops would be involved.

Shortly after that we moved. We were always scared something bad was going to happen (these punks had to of known where the hell we lived) and we weren't the only one yelling at them either.

Okay. You can't move. Then get the police involved.

[draggar]

If they are parking in your parking lot is there any way a sign can be put up saying something like "Parking for residents only"

We already have those - even towing signs but they're here for 5 minutes and then they're gone - I doubt the tow truck driver will want to sit here waiting for them.

WARNING: What we did is NOT advised.

Look up Florida's "stand you ground" law.

[Lil Bunny]

Is it bad that I'm thinking a slight little set up to make it electric even for a short time wouldn't be such a bad idea?

This is what you get when you obsess about zombies and apocalyptic type scenarios too much. ;D

[Nurian]

Look up Florida's "stand you ground" law.

DONE!

So no one has called the cops? Or is it that they can't/won't do anything?

[draggar]

We're currently consulting with the Broward sheriff's office.

[Eric the Grey]

Not that I would suggest damaging someone else's private property, but a nail in just the wrong place when they backed out of the parking spot would keep them in place until the tow truck (and/or police) arrived...

Seriously though, I'd start talking to the local police department. Tell them what you suspect is going on, and see if you can get a patrol car (or even undercover) nearby on the nights it happens most. Once the individuals come back to their car, they get blocked in and ticketed for illegal parking and their car towed away, and if they do anything stupid like running, well then they can have a free ride and new handcuffs.

Once word gets around that the police has staked out the parking spot, it'll all move elsewhere.


Eric the Grey

[draggar]

Actually I had a better idea. An unmarked car sits in our parking lot.

Someone comes in and parks then goes though the fence - that's tresspassing on our property. When the come back out the police apprehend them for tresspassing and of course search them and I'm sure they'll find something.

[gremcint]

Just put up a highvoltage sign. don't actually electrify it, just put up the sign.

[draggar]

Sign won't work - these are most likely drug addicts.

We're stepping up "presense" in the area as well as getting the light in that area fixed.

I'm walking my dogs more often and so is the board's VP (even though his dog wouldn't know how to bite someone - it's still not work the risk to them, one was afraid of Maiya!).

[thegiraffe]

Look up Florida's "stand you ground" law.

True, Florida does have a "Castle Doctrine", but it's pretty picky about "dwelling, residence, or vehicle"...it doesn't specify property in the sense of land. The language is also written to protect those in "imminent or grave harm".

I'm not a lawyer, but I've had a good deal of training regarding the Castle Doctrine due to previous jobs, so just be careful that you don't inadvertently get yourself into a situation that winds up turning uglier than you planned.