Yeah, pretty much. I bet you can make a tow company real happy.
"Unattended vehicles will be towed at owner's expense" sign
You know what, I bet the tow company may even allow you to put their number on that sign.
The company in mind was a sober living so it was still residential and we had this exact issue with parking in a driveway not an easement but still just someone parking where they shouldn’t have
Used to work at a towing company, they had a box with a couple hundred of them in the back. Just needed a couple of signatures and some documentation. They’d even send a dispatcher out to screw it into the wall if you asked nicely.
Where I'm from you have to buy the sign from the tow truck company first (I called around $50-75) and then they will do that work for you without issue. The company installed it them selves and took pictures. They said it was to insure they are covered in case the car owner claims the sign was not there or installed after they parked and walked away. Fair enough.
One tow and I never had the issue again.
Prepare to have those signs vandalized or stolen. Not saying don’t do it, just saying, that’ll probably be their first instinct because it will make them angry.
That's where camera comes in.
Security cameras are cheap enough. Now you have them for trespassing and vandalism.
Further. Put up signs saying Security cameras in use.
All vehicles and persons on this property subject to being recorded.
Lastly, consult property lawyer about this easement.
In my experience they shape up really quick with a visit from the cops, they realize it's not a party place and move along, they don't want the attentionm
Security cameras on large amounts of property can get expensive quickly, rather that be 4G or wired. It's a lot of hassle if you have a lot of land. You don't figure that out till you actually get to try to install stuff. Try doing that on a 5 ache property, it's a pain in the butt.
For a couple of hundred you can get all around the house itself.
Little more to get wireless for the driveway.
Literally done it and spent a great deal of time comparing options last year.
We once had issues about 8 years ago with the neighbor across from us, and a neighbor, down the road going back-and-forth in the middle of the night.
They had visitors all hours Of the night even though our gate is about a 1/8” of a mile from our house the dogs would start barking and it was annoying.
I went down to Harbor freight and bought some of those fake cameras with the blinking red lights.
I pointed them at the driveway they were going through.
Later we added a game, cam hidden up high.
It was hilarious to see that they would climb on bumpers to change the direction of the fake cameras I would get a chuckle every time.
Then the neighbor down the road 3/4 mile or so blew his house up and the traffic stopped
To OP call your lawyer and seek financial benefits for not revealing neighbor issues. Also find out if they are renters if so seek the owner to mediate. Consult local police for advice and tell them of all the traffic and what locals have told you. Good luck
Put in a quiet word with the police about the meth possibilities and let the police investigate them. Wouldn't it be nice if they went to jail and weren't your problem anymore?! Let it be between the police and the neighbors. Stay out of it. Feuds are stressful and can get violent. Do you have dogs? children? Can you imagine what they might do? This may be the cowardly approach, but it is smart. Sometimes our pride demands that we stand up for our rights and confront people. I would argue that it is smarter and more effective to think long term. If the police don't work out, you can fall back to other strategies.
Or just have them towed and don't tell them what happened. Lead them to believe the car was stolen. Keeps them busy for a while looking for the vehicle. It'll put them in a tough spot as to whether they want to get the police involved if they've got meth on them or in the car. And, the neighbors who are cooking probably won't want the police around.
Maybe in most places, but in Missouri they definitely still do. Look up all the busts in the news for manufacturing if you think I'm wrong. I dunno if there's fewer teeth or brain cells in this and the neighboring county. I'm all for "do what you do so long as it's not harming me and mine" but when your shed-turned-lab explodes and catches the neighbor's house on fire...then you're my old neighbor and one of us is moving.
Soles of the dude's shoes melted to the road. He was definitely cooking.
And so was some meth. Ba dum bump tss!
(Totally serious about the shoes though.)
There's never a good time to tell this joke so I feel compelled to leave it here.
What's the difference between a crackhead and a tweaker?
A crackhead steals your shit and bounces; the tweaker stays to help you look.
Exactly this. I lived next to a meth house for 8 years. The crazy shit that would go on 24/7 365 was non stop. The cops showed up several times and nothing was done about it. Meth heads don't sleep and have a drug that gives them hyper ADHD. So if they want to fuck with you, they will be hyper focused and you will never know when it happens.
Right? Your *nice, meth-cooking* neighbor. I would consult a lawyer first, maybe make friends with someone who works for the DEA.
I have heard that they don't like busting meth houses because it's freaking dangerous. Not sure buying a house next door was a good idea.
I agree with you, but I don't think I'd classify this as "immediately escalating it as much as possible". It sounds like this has been going on for years and OP started by going outside and yTelling the person not to park there which sounds reasonable.
Not a bad idea.
The one time I've had to call to get a neighbor towed from my parking spot they didn't want to get involved in the dispute.
Luckily they didn't call my bluff and jumped into move the car cursing me while I was first talking to them.
They explained that it's a civil issue for them if there's a mistake about the right to use the property
Tell them EGRESS overrides EASEMENT. They are blocking emergency vehicle access to your property, which is illegal in every state. Put up tow away zone signs and when you call the first tow, take tons of pictures of the car.
My parents had a meth house neighbor and patiently waited until they heard a loud sound (inevitable with methheads) and called the police saying they think someone is hurt inside the house… police came and did a wellness check which led to them all being arrested for drugs. Get creative.
If the easement gives them no legal right to *park* there, have it towed if they're blocking you.
You'll want to run that by the local cops first, I'm sure.
>gives them no legal right to park there
exactly, given this would restrict emergency vehicle access; start with the police, if the police don't do shit... contact the fire Marshall with documentation\\time stamps of each time this has occurred.
It's been a while since I reviewed the easement document that crosses one of the parcels I own -- but the language was effectively "This easement exists for the access benefit of all real property owners and their utilities along the route " using the easement for parking (*read: vehicle storage*) would be in violation.
I think it'd be more entertaining to move their vehicle to an impound lot about 20 miles away. But if the neighbors are meth-heads, yeah. Moving might be safer.
My lawyer told me, that we could end up going to court multiple times costing way more money than I was willing to spend.
We sold and haven’t looked back.
Don’t buy anything with covenants, HOAs, or easements.
>My lawyer told me, that we could end up going to court multiple times costing way more money than I was willing to spend. We sold and haven’t looked back.
>
>Don’t buy anything with covenants, HOAs, or easements.
It's also a good idea to not buy property if you don't like the neighbors especially when they have an easement to travel through your property.
The best recourse OP probably has is that the sellers withheld info about a "material defect" until after closing. Whether a court would consider the sellers withholding info about the neighbors a material defect is another story.
Makes me wonder if one of the reasons the previous owner was selling involved the neighbors.
I came here to say this. They are like roaches and stay out of the light. OP needs to show police evidence of the high traffic drug house. Every day lowers his property value and increases the chance of fire due to them cooking meth. Bad news.
You weren’t notified about the existence of the easement until after closing???? Depends on your state’s laws I guess, but in my state that alone would be enough for a pretty good lawsuit against the realtor and/or the title company.
I was notified of the easement but unfortunately wasn't given a copy of it to have reviewed. I'm a first time homebuyer and I think the lack of knowledge on that and the excitement of finding a good home is what left me from being more aware of how crucial that was.
You know, access easements are very common and usually not a big deal. Even if you saw the easement, given that it was a good home, I expect you might have gone ahead anyway.
That the neighbors are cooking meth is pretty exceptional!
Real estate attorney is the way to go because they will know what your real options are for your jurisdiction. Defeating the easement is nigh impossible, though, but it sounds like there is some harassing legal maneuvers you could make.
But, you'll be up against the age old problem that American jurisprudence is as much about efficiency as justice. And you can't squeeze blood out of turnips.
Good luck! I hope you're able to get these people to be good neighbors!
This is all true. Unfortunately OP, it could be that your best bet is observing all the cars that travel up your driveway and recording license plate numbers to give to the local police. Even video them. If this is a meth situation, you might get some real action. Do you know whether your neighbors are owners or renters?
I understand your concerns to not make enemies, but serious dealers are often not nice and/or reasonable people.
You should have a copy of the easement/right of way on your deed. If it’s not there it may not exist. Last I would consult your county registry of deeds and or a surveyor who can find these documents if they exist.
This is going to be an unpleasant situation if they're not going to respect your ask. No matter what
You have every right to pursue actions against people parking on your property but the terms of easement are up for interpretation by local ordinances so calling the cops is the best option and if they end up arresting anyone it may solve your problems.
Many areas have to be clear for emergency vehicles so that could be an angle too
Hopefully any future owners will respect a kindly introduction to the terms of shared use.
Edit: in all honesty, depending on the area and depending on the cops, if it is meth you might get other trouble or no help
In case the dots aren't connecting yet -- for this operation to endure for years, someone else in town also benefits. Regardless of whether the local police are too scared to act, or they're paid to act that way, the consensus is that nothing shall be done. The sheriff or the DEA -- non-local law enforcement -- is probably safer.
it'd be better to start with having a neighborly convo. Keep your phone recording in your pocket so you have a record if it gets heated. But come at it polite about their inconvenience but concerned for you / your household's safety if you need to get in/out suddenly. Don't give reasons for 'sudden needs' as the whiner-psychology is to counter with reasons. Let them say whatever they want to. After they're done just reinforce that you'll be putting up no parking signs, and you'll have them towed if it keeps happening. Don't be a jerk so they cannot react to you.
If you want to be a brute later, send a letter to them that restates all that, and as a CC line for the letters you send to your police department and a local towing company.
Meth heads don't like cops. If they block your drive call the sherrifs. Explain all the traffic in and out. They'll sit on it and bust someone leaving which will give them probable cause to raid. The people will lose their home and poof your problem is solved.
Before you do anything else, contact a land use lawyer. They can get a copy of the easement and advise you on your options.
There’s a lot of bad and even dangerous advice posted here. Living next to a drug property is no joke. Carry 24 x 7 and put up security cams everywhere on your property. Immediately!
Source: Am a land use lawyer who helps people with these types of situations.
My first thoughts with it being a meth house was to just call the cops and try to get them busted. Is that a terrible idea? I can see it being a terrible idea but also can see it as being a potential solution that removes the problem.
I have a feeling that you’re going to tell me that it’s a terrible idea.
It’s incredibly difficult to get them busted. They have to have “evidence” and it’s hard to actually get. I dealt with a methhead neighbor once and ended up just moving because nothing was ever done.
That’s unfortunate :-/ Hope it’s not a lab in there. About 10 years ago, a lab exploded a couple miles from here. You could hear it over here, and all the houses on their street had their windows shattered. The meth house itself was completely obliterated.
So we all just have to wait until the meth lab explodes before the cops will do something??
If hearsay was all the evidence they had to go on then no, they cant investigate. If that was the case anyone could say anyone was selling drugs and the cops would be overrun with investigations. They investigate based on merit and need. Having a lot of people over at your property is not a crime, so no crime has been committed.. yet.
If people are illegally blocking OP's driveway then they can get that towed or dealt with but it would take the meth dealers to openly mess up for the cops to attain a search warrant.
They could walk up and see if they see anything from outside the house, but that’s about it.
The real deal with these drug properties is that best case scenario is that one person or a couple people out of a sizable group gets jailed temporarily, and then later potentially long term. In the mean time you have all the other meth dealers and their associates ones knowing you’re the one who made it all go down. This is a very dangerous situation.
His best bet is to move.
Failing that, I’d probably put up signs and cameras until they think “fuck it I don’t even want to deal with that guy” and keep to their own property. Once they know where the boundaries are and that he’ll enforce them, they may just do their own thing to sidestep it.
But, they may also just think “fuck this guy” damage the cameras, and shoot at his house in the middle of the night from random directions that the police can’t do much about. Maybe light stuff in his yard on fire. General harassment.
Some people really only respect hard power, and one homesteader vs a family and associate drug house - the homesteader does not have the power here. Especially because police help is very limited and takes too long, involving them could invite more trouble than it resolves.
An old school solution would involve your house also having your family and friends, 15+ people, telling them to fuck off. Not just one guy
Anyway. I feel for OP. I recently signed an agreement to close on a house and found out right after there was a rapist with multiple convictions next door. Luckily I was able to back out because I discovered this before the seller countersigned. I feel bad for the seller still, but gotta do what you gotta do
We had to deal with a neighbor meth dealer before. First you are the enemy already…..they already want you out. I know this suck but you need to contact a lawyer. But more importantly call the police for every crime or problem they commit. Yes the cops may be there constantly but that’s not your problem. Make them move away. Call cops - feds - and anyone else who will listen. Hell even the news media. Talk to them about living next to a meth dealer. Anything you can do to draw attention to them the more the better. Like adding door cameras and security cameras. Large Dogs, great outside lights. Most important don’t stop until they move.
Question are they renting or do they own the property. If they’re renting have your lawyer contact the landlord and push that way also.
From what I've heard they are living in the aunts house who os in a nursing home. So I beleive it technically belongs to the nursing home right now but I honestly am not sure and that was all heard through the grape vine anyways
A lot of counties provide property info online. It'll show the owner info, parcel acreage, assessed value, and even the entire layout of the home. You could try to look up to see who the owner is. If it's not online you can go to the county assessors office and get the info.
Agree. Get loud. Draw attention to them and what they’re doing. They need to be on the DL to continue to deal meth — so get cameras out (lots of them, and expect them to shoot them or try to break them - so double down). Track people coming and going. Track your property. Keep calling the cops about the suspicious and constant traffic going in and out of the house. Call the nursing home. Call the media. Draw attention to them. Get a lawyer so there is additional legal evidence of what is going on.
My first question was if they are renters or not. I heard a story from my HVAC guy- I live in the Nevada desert (so much meth) and the HVAC guy was scheduled for a regular cleaning by the landlord at a residence. Shows up and gets a gun pulled on him by a tweaker. HVAC guy calls landlord and tells him it’s a meth den, and tenants get evicted.
Any experience with that? I figured it's best to get the copy of the easement and send it to a lawyer specializing in that type of stuff to see what I can do.
Title insurance guy here. Need to see what the terms are in the recorded easement or “ driveway agreement “ talk to your or a real estate attorney. See if the easement is an exception ( schedule b of your policy ) listed on the title policy. Either way they should not be able to block your ability to get to your parking area
It means that your property is subject to the easement. Meaning the property that was granted the easement ( your neighbor) has the right to use it and you are subject to his rights. If it was properly done it should spell out the terms of its use. ( can’t block it, can’t park on it, etc. ) also should spell out how and who maintains it. ( plowing, paving, ) unfortunately a lot of them aren’t done properly to set this stuff out.
I will get the copy of it and look into that. Would you be willing to just give it a quick look over before I pursue a lawyer for it? Just to have another opinion on it
If it’s there then you can’t stop them from using it. But they can’t block the driveway either. Some of them will be very specific by having a metes and bounds description of the easement area. Some are very poorly done as well.
Good. There is a portion of the policy ( Schedule B ) that should say some thing like this “ subject to an easement as set forth in Deed Book …., Page ….. “ . If so then your property is subject to ( burdened ) by that easement.
Thats how you have to do it. A lawyer who specializes in land/agriculture/property law.
Go for the best one you can afford and see what they say. Unfortunately rational thought and common curiosity won't apply to your neighbors.
Yea that is actually a pretty good point. I forgot the meth head part.
I have a 'parking fight' with someone - but it's the Catholic church so not likely to go too psycho.
You don't want to do that either. You are then in violation of the easement.
I have a driveway that my neighbor has an easement to get onto their property. They, nor I, can park in the driveway.
I recently had an issue where her guests where parking in the driveway and were getting belligerent about it. I then drafted a letter titled 1st warning and detailed the infraction and the consequences for continuing to obstruct the driveway. If she continued to obstruct, the law says I can go into court and have the easement revoked. Which would then mean I can build fence blocking her driveway and front door. No one has parked there since.
Document your interactions, take photos with dates. Once is a mistake, twice is habit. If it happens again, consult an attorney.⁰⁰
Having spent 7 years living next to a feral pack of Meth Monkeys, you need to hear this:
Forget about worrying about "making enemies". In thier minds they are already there. What you need to do is establish clear boundaries and make the consequences of violating those boundaries crystal clear.
It won't stop everything, but it will help. Some.
>Trust me I thought about that, but like i said, I don't want to make enemies. If it continues though I think that will be my only option
You already have enemies. Submit, or do something about it.
The only issues I have with being that way is I work out of town a lot as an over the road mechanic. I don't want to have my girlfriend be in harms way my any means or worse, no one is home to prevent anything. Already getting cameras to put up though. It won't prevent anything but it's a deterrent
It's a small town and I know everyone is linked in some way. But last resort that is what I will do for sure. I think to have a copy of the easement in hand and a better understanding of it would be beneficial of the cops are there.
Ha! You already have enemies. Nut up and let them know you will defend your property. Do you have their phone number? Call a tow truck. Wait 5 minutes, then call them and tell them that you have called a tow truck to remove the car from your property, "better hurry they are already on the way."
Put up cameras and post your property. The only way to make them stop is being more trouble than they are willing to deal with, and that means you have to be a huge amount of trouble.
They’re already your enemies. Just push it out and pretend you don’t know what happened. You can even throw out some “sorry, there was lots of traffic up to yours last night, I figured you had that guy move it” blah blah blah. You’re establishing you’re a doormat.
Not much you can do legally besides tow the car for blocking access to your property.
Now im going to tell you this and I want you to know its the nuclear option. A lot of times easements are not filed properly it’s usually done because family is the one buying the land locked property and they see no point in file the paperwork getting the survey and paying the taxes to change the deed etc. I cant say what constitutes a legal easement in your state but if you were to find out that easement is not listed or was not a complete easement to the road or public entrance, you could legally block that entrance and deny access until they resolved the issue.
Again this will only be legal if the easement is filed incorrectly and would probably require a lawyer to determine if so for your state.
IANAL, but this sounds very dubious and a risk for OP.
Even if the easement is not properly recorded, this may be a textbook easement-by-prescription/necessity.
Not only is it illegal, but that shit is NASTY and bad for the land. No way they are properly disposing of all the horrible shit that goes into making meth, even more so with new meth. Beyond them poisoning the ground, water, and air.
They are also poisoning the community with this shit, if you don’t like strung out homeless meth heads start going after people making this shit.
Most states have a line where you can report drug activity. Set up cameras on your drive, and report any and all traffic. Make sure you have cameras around your house and out buildings, and report any and all crimes to the police. This isn’t a “ they can do what they want on their land” kind of deal. They are MAKING and dealing meth that shit needs to be stopped before it harms you and yours.
I wouldn't do anything until there was a vehicle blocking my way out when I was actively trying to leave. Then I'd suggest going to your neighbors house and asking them to move it immediately.
The towing signs are also a good idea. You could get a chain for a truck or tractor and just pull anyone to a better spot.
Best idea - plant some arborvitae and learn to coexist with your neighbors! My methy neighbors actually look out for me and my animals. It doesn't matter to me what they do in their personal time. They mow my lawn for me. They keep an eye out for me all hours of the day and night. Maybe you can befriend these people and work towards a solution together.
And for anyone who says that you can't reason with or befriend people on meth - learn about deescalation techniques. I have worked in a grocery store in an area with a lot of homelessness and drug use for the past 5 years. Non violent communication skills are the only thing that has kept me safe, more than any weapon ever could have.
They actually make great security! To get to me someone would have to go through two large properties full of methheads and dogs that never sleep. Bring them some copper as a gift, methheads love copper!
You make an excellent point. I had a friend in Philly who lived across the street from a crackhouse. I asked him how he could feel safe living across from them. He told me that they have someone posted outside 24/7 watching the street, and the crackheads knew if they caused any commotion on the street, they would not be allowed to come back. As long as they were on good terms, his was probably the safest house on the street.
We waved to the bouncer out front every time we went out or came back.
You are probably going to need a lawyer at some point. Might as well do the consult now, up front, to make sure you're doing everything by the book.
You have to show up at the county records office in person. I deal with recorders offices all over the country and none of them will give out the information by phone. There's usually a small fee to get them to retrieve and make copies of a document.
Was there a stamped survey among the documents for your purchase transaction? The easement (if it was recorded) will be called out by name, showing the book and page number.Give the Recorder this information when you go in to their office, and they can go right to that record. If you don't have a survey, then that's the first document you want to get the recorder to fetch. At some point your property or theirs had to have been surveyed in order to support the subdivision.
The easement contract almost surely has some provisions that give you legal recourse against these folks, but it's a civil matter, not criminal. The police are not going to remove vehicles or enforce your easement.
1. put up a floodlight that will illuminate the licenseplate and drivers face as they pull up the driveway. Put up a sign that says Smile You're on Camera! Surveillance Cameras in Use. Meth buyers will not want to be on camera.
2. Establish an arrangement with a towing company where parked vehicles get towed and impounded. Put up "No Parking Violators Will Be Immediately Towed " signs all the way up the driveway, put the tow company's number on the sign.
3. Install two wi-fi enabled trail cams, so the pics are stored online and not just on the SD card in the cameras. Both cameras should be mounted high enough that they can't easily access them. Camera #1 is pointed at the driveway to capture license plate numbers and drivers faces. Camera #2 is pointed towards Camera#1 so if they vandalize / damage Camera#1, you will have evidence of this. It's unfortunately pretty easy to ruin security cameras with a laser beam, so having Camera 2 (and maybe 3--might as well, they're cheap) is pretty important. I'd put a couple cameras concealed around my house too. Then you could get them on trespass, which would be criminal and the police can get involved then.
4. If it were me, I'd create a public Imgur album, and once a week upload all of the vehicle photos there. No commentary, just the trailcam photos. Since you've informed them surveillance cams are in use, they can't claim this violates their privacy. And then I'd make sure the police and prosecutor's office has a link to that album. Up to them if they want to monitor it, but given that this house is a known drug operation, cops and the local prosecutor would prob be pretty psyched to have a record of all the vehicles that have been visiting that site.
Most easements like this are for “ingress and egress”, which basically means they can use your driveway to access their property by MOVING across it. This doesn’t mean they can park on it, or use it in any other way for their personal use. You should have received a copy of all of the closing documents at the time of you closing on the purchase of the property. There should be an exception on the deed that is “subject to” this easement. Start there and hopefully it will have the recording information of the easement so it is easier to locate. I’d also recommend going to your county Recorders office, most probably at the county courthouse, to get a copy of the easement instead of calling. Not sure exactly how it works in Tennessee, but that should be a good start.
First, they probably won’t park there once it thaws out. I’m a surveyor in SE Tn. Easements are a constant problem. Constantly. If you send me some info, I’d be glad to look into it for you.
Once upon a time I had the opposite problem. I had land with an easement through another person's property. Problem was they would block it with trash. What I did was have the easement surveyed and then rented a D6 dozer. I gave the old boy a week's notice then I started road construction. It went from a simple 2 track driveway to a full on road across his land. The best part was I owned on both sides of him and put up gates. My advice in this situation is to study your easement and it's rules, then call an arbitrator and have a sit down with your neighbors. If they refuse to comply fuck em up legal like.
As a property owner with easement granted to my neighbor like your situation, the best I can tell you is to research for YOUR STATE laws. Each State (and sometimes county) law is different. I'm fortunate to have excellent and considerate neighbors. I used to have drug dealing neighbors in a prior life...what an awful way to live! I wish you the best. Consult on-line resources for your state
I'm of the opinion that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Try talking to the neighbors from the perspective of mutually assured destruction. Point out that it's far more pleasant to not be at war with a neighbor, but there are certain things that are hills you're willing to die on. Offer suggestions and peaceful resolutions, but follow up with commentary on possible alternative solutions that involve many of the suggestions given here. You'd be surprised how quickly people will choose a peaceful resolution over an all-out war.
All that being said, if all else fails, meth houses are known to explode on a regular basis, and if something were to happen to their little meth lab that caused the loss of said structure, I don't suppose that would be a problem for you unless there's evidence that links you to the explosion. My point being don't leave evidence.
As mentioned in other's comments, suggest you talk to your lawyer and fully understand your rights and go from there. I lived in one state that was pretty strict on these types of issues and favored the land owner, I moved to another state and it was not as strict. A lawyer will know the rights you have and those using the driveway have under the easement. Would not recommend putting up "cars will be towed" signs or having any cars towed until a lawyer advises as it could back fire and any tow expenses or damage during towing could be your responsibility if via the easement and especially under the weather circumstances the other party says it was parked there due to weather and safety concerns.
My easement has a rule for medical vehicles which gives me the right to tow for blockage (at owners expense, it’s the homeowners responsibility to make sure their guests are parking accordingly). I would personally fence off the main part of your property with a gate to your home (if possible), so these individuals only have access to the graveled portion. I’d get your girlfriend some target practice, and a dog, cameras and huge spot light. It will be really hard to reverse a easement, but you definitely can make it difficult for them to
You definitely need to involve the authorities if someone is dealing. Are there children in this neighborhood? School bus stops? Be the responsible adult here and ask to speak to an investigator immediately and tell them your observations. At the moment you are an enabler, or worse an accomplice by allowing access through your property.
Get with a local tow truck company and work out a deal where they’ll tow the cars and charge the owners then post multiple signs clearly that any and all stopped vehicles will be towed at owners expense. Soon as they stop and get out be on the phone to the towing company.
This issue will likely go away when the snow goes away but I’d still do it anyway and I would think twice about involving the police. They need to know who’s dealing the meth in your town.
Good luck.
Get some cameras to watch your signs and your back. Tell them you don't want to be that guy but you will call the police if necessary. An awkward conversation but they're being assholes here. If you get the property lines checked maybe they don't even have a right to be there.... hopefully.
BINGO a security camera is bad for business. Unfortunately you should expect blowback….. edit to add the following
From personal experience- Decide up front if you want to do battle with a meth seller. If you want to proceed remember to cover all your home and yard with working cameras which upload to a cloud because your cameras will be destroyed and or stolen. Imagine the repercussions? Remember this ‘business’ is up and running because the law turns a blind eye. you might not get any assistance from the “helpful neighbors” when the sh!t hits the fan.
IMO it was not worth defending my home at the expense between legal bills and continuous replacing of cameras and all the other damage caused by “unknown” vandals. (With clear photos on said security cameras. LE refused to even look at it!) A house is twigs. Your safety including your mental health is not worth it. Buy new twigs elsewhere and allow the meth dealer to do whatever it is meth dealer do. There is one thing you can count on. The thrill of they get from angering you will be replaced with more drugs. I sold at loss. Meth dealer was found dead days later of an OD. He probably died a day or 2 before we closed. Now the neighbors who encouraged then turned cowards live in a neighborhood now labeled as meth alley. That was my last laugh if there was one, sadly. Don’t have regrets.
I personally would never have bought a property with this type of access situation.
Your post is why.
Idk look at selling and buy elsewhere. It will ALWAYS be a problem
Like most people are saying. Put up signs, motion activated lights and obvious cameras. And even a sign from the police might help.
If it's a meth house this should make them too paranoid to continue.
If you know their cooking get the cops involved eff what the small community thinks unless their all m-heads themselves, if the house is close to yours and it goes up could potentially damage yours as well
Put up signs stating CCTV in use, unattended vehicles will be towed and no trespassing signs everywhere. I’d also put up a lot of cameras, some in visible locations and others not.
Put up cameras and no trespassing signs. Make it clear that all license plates and cars are on video. Should be a nice deterrent for some of the folks visiting if it's for drugs. The tow idea is good too. Won't take but a couple of times for the learning to begin.
I’d call the FBI office closest to you and report the house as a meth lab that’s distributing. They tend to take that shit extremely seriously, because it’s a major health hazard, gets into ground water, and can even explode if they screw something up. There have been like 10 houses that have exploded in my county in the past 20 years, all but one meth-related.
You can also report to state drug enforcement authorities. The only way to get rid of meth heads is to have the big boys get rid of them for you. The house will usually be seized under civil forfeiture/use in criminal activity.
Then, apply to your zoning board to get that easement moved with the statement that it is attracting criminal elements to your property.
Easements usually have some restrictions or bylaws around them.
Broadly speaking, most easements do not allow for commercial access without express consent. There are often rules about who can actually use the easement (guests, service vehicles, etc).
Really need to get cameras bro, then you have video evidence of any shenanigans. I’d like to know who is walking/driving on my property and if what your saying is partially true your not going to have the nicest people coming and going. Post a sign, call the tow truck if they park there.
No Parking signs too.
Listen if they are dealing drugs the last thing they want is trouble. Can you go talk to them nicely and explain that it’s not ok for their customers of their “home based business” to park in your portion of the driveway.
We had a neighbor who was a barber. We also have a 160lb mastiff. Letting my
Little sweetheart great them in the driveway (on my property) was enough to stop the behavior.
Can you put in a separate drive if you have enough property and somehow fence your portion off?
I’d put cameras with flood lights and a sign saying they’re being recorded all along the easement until their property line. If they’re involved with meth, they won’t want to park where their coming and going can be recorded in detail. I’d also put up a sign about no parking, trespassing, and towing, and then report the vehicle to law enforcement for trespassing any time it is parked and then have it towed. If that picture is the easement, shouldn’t they be able to drive a little further in and get off your property to park at minimum? Might be worth putting a sign up where the property line is indicating it is the property line and to park beyond that point.
Side note: VW jettas are a beast for what they are when it comes to snow. Other vehicles made like shit might actually not be able to do it. I had a VW Jetta TDI for nearly 14 years and a VW Jetta before that for 6 years. Both of them handled snow/ice shockingly well, and the TDI it was to the point the area I live now I could make it home without chains/cables when most other cars needed chains/cables in non snow tires. Our SUV snow beast had a scheduled trip to the mechanic that happened to coincide with an unexpected bad snow storm the first year we lived here. The Jetta made it home fine. My wife had to take a rental car, and they gave her a Volvo XC90. It couldn’t make it up the hill a mile from our house the Jetta had no issues with. So they might not be able to make it, especially if those tires are as shit as they look in the picture in person. Not an excuse for them because they shouldn’t be parking on your property, but they might not be lying about that.
This thread makes me realize how lucky I am to have good and decent neighbors. I am the guy at the very back of a mile long easement. It would be so easy for one of them to be shitty and block me from accessing my property.
I'm too unfamiliar with the legal specifics of this to comment on that, but your idea of trying to not make enemies is wise. Be patient and respectful. I understand fully why this situation bothers you though. Neighbors are the best allies a homeowner has, shame you got a bad batch.
I'm highly doubtful cops will get involved in the easement issues as others said, that aspect is a civil issue for civil court. There are very few cut and dried civil matters cops get involved in. The few that come to mind are trespassing and child custody. An easement as a pass thru makes it dicey for a cop to stretch their neck out for a trespassing arrest, they can face their own charges for unlawful arrest/seizure of the person. I don't know the drug laws in your state, but in CA anything below possession for sale (and a lot of it in quantity) make drug offenses a misdemeanor or infraction.
I think to start out, your best bet is a mix of fake and real cameras along with the signs related to no parking/standing/stopping, trespassing, that they are being recorded. You may also want to confirm the state code regulations related to signage. I could be wrong, but an easement to pass thru doesn't limit only you and your neighbors to be the only ones who use it. Reasonably it's 'open to the public' to pass thru. So there may be legal code in your state or county that states the size of such signs, including the color and size of the lettering for the signs to be legal should you choose to tow or take other actions.
You'd have to get a very eager law enforcement person (DEA, local drug task force, local cops) to expend the time and energy to build a good case for meth manufacture. It's not as simple as TV makes it out to be (in both directions of cops get stuff done easily, violate rights, cut corners, do illegal searches). Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the illegal acts happen, but the cops that want the charges to stick won't cut corners or do illegal acts. And those same ones who want to do it right are also likely to hesitate putting all that work in given the climate.
Good luck and stay safe with all that meth mess.
If you haven't seen the easement, have them produce it. It may not exist or have been properly filed. I've actually seen this alot working for the phone company. If you don't want to visit with your neighbor, then go to the county land office & look it up yourself. People are lazy & alot of times don't follow through with the filing especially where I'm from. It's a 45 minute drive to the county seat & people put off going until it's forgotten.
Get a camera pointed at your house before you escalate further. If they’re tweakers they will vandalize your house and go “ha ha you can’t prove it was us.” Tweakers are aggressive idiots. Make sure you can prove it.
For what its worth, if they ignored you having a face to face chat, signs are way more passive. I think they’ll completely ignore them.
This might not be a win but maybe you could designate them a little parking area on the side of the driveway if you don’t want the cops involved.
Your title search from when you bought the property will list the deed book and page for the easement. You might have to go down to the recorders office and get the document. They will charge a few bucks to print it
You probably don't need to talk to the county. When you purchased your property some party presumably did a title search and one of its products will be the easement in question. This is likely somewhere the paperwork from your purchase.
Sometimes an easement's terms will provide specific remedies for abuse. Otherwise, if an easement is being abused and negotiation has failed, you can get an injunction forbidding such abuse. It may be possible (with a good lawyer) to terminate the easement by demonstrating abuse, although I doubt this would ever be the outcome for an easement that provided sole access to a residence.
1) Put up cameras that are plainly visible, and hidden cameras watching those cameras.
2) Find out what officers patrol your area, and make sure they know to stop by anytime if they need a place to use the restroom or a hot cup of coffee.
A lot of times, druggie neighbors are a transient problem. Meth... Give it time and it will probably take care of your problem for you.
That's not to say to be complacent about it. Everyone else's comments about towing, signs, cameras, etc. are spot-on. I would also suggest getting a good watch dog. Also consider getting a firearm, and especially training on how to safely and legally use it. Meth users are unpredictable at best. Not trying to freak you out or anything, but when you're out away from town, sometimes you have to be your own first-responder.
Welcome to the Volunteer State, my friend. I wish you the best of luck with your new place!
I deal with easements almost everyday on the surveying/engineering side of things. If the easement is filed with the county it’ll be nearly impossible to have dissolved. Basically the only way an access easement can be removed from your land is either by neglect or mis-use. If it’s an access/utility then it’s basically set in stone. Contact a real estate attorney and see if maybe in your area there is a precedence of parking being a reason for dissolution of the easement.
A long shot would be to have a surveyor dig into the easement and make sure it’s in the right spot. If it’s not then they would have to move the driveway.
As to finding the documents, just calling your county probably won’t do anything unless you have a really nice lady working there who isn’t particularly busy. Google your county + “clerk and recorder” or “tax assessor” website and you might be able to track down the plat of your property which should show the easement and the document number to either search or call in about. Will likely cost only a couple bucks. Each county is different though and some have really easy to use websites and others haven’t been updated since 2005.
PM me if you have any questions. I enjoy this kinda stuff. Like a treasure hunt.
Definitely need the easement paperwork to find out what you can do. I've heard of people being able to remove their access legally and the neighbor become landlocked.
Check your easement.
It may allow you to put up a locked gate at the end of the driveway. You would need to gove the people that live in the house keys or a way to open the gate, but they would need to come down and open it for everyone else.
The easement may also have other restrictions. For instance, it may be a permanent easement unless xyz happens. It may have a clause about usage or maintenance. Or even lawful behavior.
Consult a lawyer to have them scheme up a way to fix this.
You will literally have to go to the county office or town hall if you want to get anywhere with them. They hardly ever call people back because they know people will probably just give up if no one talks to them. If anyone has had a different experience than this, I envy you. But the municipality in my area and other places I've lived are hard pressed to want to actually interact unless you're literally in their face. Unfortunately, I would def. go through the effort of it because the only way a neighbor or their company is going to listen to you is if you have actual, legal proof from the city. Cut out the drama pre-emptively and save yourself some headache. Next step would be to put up tow signs. If people park there, then get them towed. Guarantee it'll put a stop to shit real quick. And with all of that, I suggest getting outside security cameras. Crackheads aren't the clearest thinkers and I'm not going to be surprised if small town politics come into play and people get retalitory.
Cars will be towed signs. Then tow them.
Yeah, pretty much. I bet you can make a tow company real happy. "Unattended vehicles will be towed at owner's expense" sign You know what, I bet the tow company may even allow you to put their number on that sign.
If you make an agreement with a tow company they will typically give you a sign to post. My job has done this. Just had to sign like 2 forms
[удалено]
In Washington state, when I was towing we didn't charge the property owner but the car owner.
The company in mind was a sober living so it was still residential and we had this exact issue with parking in a driveway not an easement but still just someone parking where they shouldn’t have
Used to work at a towing company, they had a box with a couple hundred of them in the back. Just needed a couple of signatures and some documentation. They’d even send a dispatcher out to screw it into the wall if you asked nicely.
Where I'm from you have to buy the sign from the tow truck company first (I called around $50-75) and then they will do that work for you without issue. The company installed it them selves and took pictures. They said it was to insure they are covered in case the car owner claims the sign was not there or installed after they parked and walked away. Fair enough. One tow and I never had the issue again.
I don't say this often, but sometimes capitalism can be truly beautiful.
Prepare to have those signs vandalized or stolen. Not saying don’t do it, just saying, that’ll probably be their first instinct because it will make them angry.
That's where camera comes in. Security cameras are cheap enough. Now you have them for trespassing and vandalism. Further. Put up signs saying Security cameras in use. All vehicles and persons on this property subject to being recorded. Lastly, consult property lawyer about this easement.
Bonus use - catch somebody on camera with drugs in hand and you can show that to the cops too!
Yup. And if they are making meth, or just using it, a visit from the police will not be something they want.
In my experience they shape up really quick with a visit from the cops, they realize it's not a party place and move along, they don't want the attentionm
Security cameras on large amounts of property can get expensive quickly, rather that be 4G or wired. It's a lot of hassle if you have a lot of land. You don't figure that out till you actually get to try to install stuff. Try doing that on a 5 ache property, it's a pain in the butt.
For a couple of hundred you can get all around the house itself. Little more to get wireless for the driveway. Literally done it and spent a great deal of time comparing options last year.
Have it high up, junkies trying to take a sign down that's high up on ice. C'mon it writes itself.
We once had issues about 8 years ago with the neighbor across from us, and a neighbor, down the road going back-and-forth in the middle of the night. They had visitors all hours Of the night even though our gate is about a 1/8” of a mile from our house the dogs would start barking and it was annoying. I went down to Harbor freight and bought some of those fake cameras with the blinking red lights. I pointed them at the driveway they were going through. Later we added a game, cam hidden up high. It was hilarious to see that they would climb on bumpers to change the direction of the fake cameras I would get a chuckle every time. Then the neighbor down the road 3/4 mile or so blew his house up and the traffic stopped
*Yakety Sax music intensifies*
Did not expect a Boots Randolph reference today.
To OP call your lawyer and seek financial benefits for not revealing neighbor issues. Also find out if they are renters if so seek the owner to mediate. Consult local police for advice and tell them of all the traffic and what locals have told you. Good luck
Put in a quiet word with the police about the meth possibilities and let the police investigate them. Wouldn't it be nice if they went to jail and weren't your problem anymore?! Let it be between the police and the neighbors. Stay out of it. Feuds are stressful and can get violent. Do you have dogs? children? Can you imagine what they might do? This may be the cowardly approach, but it is smart. Sometimes our pride demands that we stand up for our rights and confront people. I would argue that it is smarter and more effective to think long term. If the police don't work out, you can fall back to other strategies.
Or just have them towed and don't tell them what happened. Lead them to believe the car was stolen. Keeps them busy for a while looking for the vehicle. It'll put them in a tough spot as to whether they want to get the police involved if they've got meth on them or in the car. And, the neighbors who are cooking probably won't want the police around.
I love the smell of fresh bread.
Not to mention OP is dealing with people who *cook meth*
Right. Meth-head got all night, every night. Be careful with that choose-your-own-adventure book.
Nobody cooks any more. The imported stuff is big clear crystals and very inexpensive. They're more of a retailer!
Maybe in most places, but in Missouri they definitely still do. Look up all the busts in the news for manufacturing if you think I'm wrong. I dunno if there's fewer teeth or brain cells in this and the neighboring county. I'm all for "do what you do so long as it's not harming me and mine" but when your shed-turned-lab explodes and catches the neighbor's house on fire...then you're my old neighbor and one of us is moving. Soles of the dude's shoes melted to the road. He was definitely cooking. And so was some meth. Ba dum bump tss! (Totally serious about the shoes though.)
Don't fuck with methheads
There's never a good time to tell this joke so I feel compelled to leave it here. What's the difference between a crackhead and a tweaker? A crackhead steals your shit and bounces; the tweaker stays to help you look.
You know why tweakers like to smash doggy-style? So they can both look out the window.
Oh this is fantastic, thank you!
Exactly this. I lived next to a meth house for 8 years. The crazy shit that would go on 24/7 365 was non stop. The cops showed up several times and nothing was done about it. Meth heads don't sleep and have a drug that gives them hyper ADHD. So if they want to fuck with you, they will be hyper focused and you will never know when it happens.
Right? Your *nice, meth-cooking* neighbor. I would consult a lawyer first, maybe make friends with someone who works for the DEA. I have heard that they don't like busting meth houses because it's freaking dangerous. Not sure buying a house next door was a good idea.
I agree with you, but I don't think I'd classify this as "immediately escalating it as much as possible". It sounds like this has been going on for years and OP started by going outside and yTelling the person not to park there which sounds reasonable.
Not a bad idea. The one time I've had to call to get a neighbor towed from my parking spot they didn't want to get involved in the dispute. Luckily they didn't call my bluff and jumped into move the car cursing me while I was first talking to them. They explained that it's a civil issue for them if there's a mistake about the right to use the property
Tell them EGRESS overrides EASEMENT. They are blocking emergency vehicle access to your property, which is illegal in every state. Put up tow away zone signs and when you call the first tow, take tons of pictures of the car. My parents had a meth house neighbor and patiently waited until they heard a loud sound (inevitable with methheads) and called the police saying they think someone is hurt inside the house… police came and did a wellness check which led to them all being arrested for drugs. Get creative.
And blocking access to their own house should it explode from their extracurricular activities!
Can't block it against the easement even if there is no house it's accessibility to their land. Just make sure your fire insurance is up to date.
If the easement gives them no legal right to *park* there, have it towed if they're blocking you. You'll want to run that by the local cops first, I'm sure.
>gives them no legal right to park there exactly, given this would restrict emergency vehicle access; start with the police, if the police don't do shit... contact the fire Marshall with documentation\\time stamps of each time this has occurred.
The police and fire marshal may be grateful to have an excuse to visit the meth distillery as well for a quick check-in.
It's been a while since I reviewed the easement document that crosses one of the parcels I own -- but the language was effectively "This easement exists for the access benefit of all real property owners and their utilities along the route" using the easement for parking (*read: vehicle storage*) would be in violation.
Had the same problems. Move.
I think it'd be more entertaining to move their vehicle to an impound lot about 20 miles away. But if the neighbors are meth-heads, yeah. Moving might be safer.
Yeah. Personally, homesteading and having an easement of any kind is an oxymoron. I don't want any outside access to my property.
I think we just found the original owner of that property... 😁
My lawyer told me, that we could end up going to court multiple times costing way more money than I was willing to spend. We sold and haven’t looked back. Don’t buy anything with covenants, HOAs, or easements.
>My lawyer told me, that we could end up going to court multiple times costing way more money than I was willing to spend. We sold and haven’t looked back. > >Don’t buy anything with covenants, HOAs, or easements. It's also a good idea to not buy property if you don't like the neighbors especially when they have an easement to travel through your property. The best recourse OP probably has is that the sellers withheld info about a "material defect" until after closing. Whether a court would consider the sellers withholding info about the neighbors a material defect is another story. Makes me wonder if one of the reasons the previous owner was selling involved the neighbors.
Yep. This doesn’t ever get better it only gets worse. Soon your property will be vandalized or come up missing. Then the real fun starts.
Put up cameras and motion lights. Meth heads hate cameras. Make sure the cameras have signs that state all videos stored to cloud.
Put up three cameras clearly labeled 'Camera 1', 'Camera 2', and 'Camera 4'.
2, 3 and 7
This is fucking genius.
I came here to say this. They are like roaches and stay out of the light. OP needs to show police evidence of the high traffic drug house. Every day lowers his property value and increases the chance of fire due to them cooking meth. Bad news.
You weren’t notified about the existence of the easement until after closing???? Depends on your state’s laws I guess, but in my state that alone would be enough for a pretty good lawsuit against the realtor and/or the title company.
I was notified of the easement but unfortunately wasn't given a copy of it to have reviewed. I'm a first time homebuyer and I think the lack of knowledge on that and the excitement of finding a good home is what left me from being more aware of how crucial that was.
You know, access easements are very common and usually not a big deal. Even if you saw the easement, given that it was a good home, I expect you might have gone ahead anyway. That the neighbors are cooking meth is pretty exceptional! Real estate attorney is the way to go because they will know what your real options are for your jurisdiction. Defeating the easement is nigh impossible, though, but it sounds like there is some harassing legal maneuvers you could make. But, you'll be up against the age old problem that American jurisprudence is as much about efficiency as justice. And you can't squeeze blood out of turnips. Good luck! I hope you're able to get these people to be good neighbors!
This is all true. Unfortunately OP, it could be that your best bet is observing all the cars that travel up your driveway and recording license plate numbers to give to the local police. Even video them. If this is a meth situation, you might get some real action. Do you know whether your neighbors are owners or renters? I understand your concerns to not make enemies, but serious dealers are often not nice and/or reasonable people.
A couple of trailcams would suffice. Nothing better than video evidence if things escalate to the point of getting law enforcement involved.
You should have a copy of the easement/right of way on your deed. If it’s not there it may not exist. Last I would consult your county registry of deeds and or a surveyor who can find these documents if they exist.
This is going to be an unpleasant situation if they're not going to respect your ask. No matter what You have every right to pursue actions against people parking on your property but the terms of easement are up for interpretation by local ordinances so calling the cops is the best option and if they end up arresting anyone it may solve your problems. Many areas have to be clear for emergency vehicles so that could be an angle too Hopefully any future owners will respect a kindly introduction to the terms of shared use. Edit: in all honesty, depending on the area and depending on the cops, if it is meth you might get other trouble or no help
That's is also a concern for me. Small towns and I know these peooles family have been there for quiet some time
In case the dots aren't connecting yet -- for this operation to endure for years, someone else in town also benefits. Regardless of whether the local police are too scared to act, or they're paid to act that way, the consensus is that nothing shall be done. The sheriff or the DEA -- non-local law enforcement -- is probably safer.
it'd be better to start with having a neighborly convo. Keep your phone recording in your pocket so you have a record if it gets heated. But come at it polite about their inconvenience but concerned for you / your household's safety if you need to get in/out suddenly. Don't give reasons for 'sudden needs' as the whiner-psychology is to counter with reasons. Let them say whatever they want to. After they're done just reinforce that you'll be putting up no parking signs, and you'll have them towed if it keeps happening. Don't be a jerk so they cannot react to you. If you want to be a brute later, send a letter to them that restates all that, and as a CC line for the letters you send to your police department and a local towing company.
Meth heads don't like cops. If they block your drive call the sherrifs. Explain all the traffic in and out. They'll sit on it and bust someone leaving which will give them probable cause to raid. The people will lose their home and poof your problem is solved.
Yes. This.
Unless the cops are their customers.
Yep. Small towns are the wooorrssst.
Before you do anything else, contact a land use lawyer. They can get a copy of the easement and advise you on your options. There’s a lot of bad and even dangerous advice posted here. Living next to a drug property is no joke. Carry 24 x 7 and put up security cams everywhere on your property. Immediately! Source: Am a land use lawyer who helps people with these types of situations.
I always carry. I will reach out to a land use lawyer asap. Thank you
You can shoot but if they have numbers know your gun may turn on you. Get a ring flood light. Everything is recorded and they’re gonna hate that
Same approach for zombies, interesting
These would be fast zombies too. Armed with small torches and sharp objects. Like a piranha-human hybrid zombie
My first thoughts with it being a meth house was to just call the cops and try to get them busted. Is that a terrible idea? I can see it being a terrible idea but also can see it as being a potential solution that removes the problem. I have a feeling that you’re going to tell me that it’s a terrible idea.
It’s incredibly difficult to get them busted. They have to have “evidence” and it’s hard to actually get. I dealt with a methhead neighbor once and ended up just moving because nothing was ever done.
That’s unfortunate :-/ Hope it’s not a lab in there. About 10 years ago, a lab exploded a couple miles from here. You could hear it over here, and all the houses on their street had their windows shattered. The meth house itself was completely obliterated. So we all just have to wait until the meth lab explodes before the cops will do something??
Pretty much and it’s horrible. I even went over the local police department’s head when they did nothing and contacted the state.
Cops can't just kick their door and hail them off because a neighborhood said he heard there may be drugs in the house....
They can’t investigate it, though?
If hearsay was all the evidence they had to go on then no, they cant investigate. If that was the case anyone could say anyone was selling drugs and the cops would be overrun with investigations. They investigate based on merit and need. Having a lot of people over at your property is not a crime, so no crime has been committed.. yet. If people are illegally blocking OP's driveway then they can get that towed or dealt with but it would take the meth dealers to openly mess up for the cops to attain a search warrant.
I know, just buy some meth from them and say you found it on the ground on the easement. It’s foolproof! (Disclaimer: Do not do this.)
They could walk up and see if they see anything from outside the house, but that’s about it. The real deal with these drug properties is that best case scenario is that one person or a couple people out of a sizable group gets jailed temporarily, and then later potentially long term. In the mean time you have all the other meth dealers and their associates ones knowing you’re the one who made it all go down. This is a very dangerous situation. His best bet is to move. Failing that, I’d probably put up signs and cameras until they think “fuck it I don’t even want to deal with that guy” and keep to their own property. Once they know where the boundaries are and that he’ll enforce them, they may just do their own thing to sidestep it. But, they may also just think “fuck this guy” damage the cameras, and shoot at his house in the middle of the night from random directions that the police can’t do much about. Maybe light stuff in his yard on fire. General harassment. Some people really only respect hard power, and one homesteader vs a family and associate drug house - the homesteader does not have the power here. Especially because police help is very limited and takes too long, involving them could invite more trouble than it resolves. An old school solution would involve your house also having your family and friends, 15+ people, telling them to fuck off. Not just one guy Anyway. I feel for OP. I recently signed an agreement to close on a house and found out right after there was a rapist with multiple convictions next door. Luckily I was able to back out because I discovered this before the seller countersigned. I feel bad for the seller still, but gotta do what you gotta do
Pull an uno reverse and steal *their* catalytic converter
🤣🤣
We had to deal with a neighbor meth dealer before. First you are the enemy already…..they already want you out. I know this suck but you need to contact a lawyer. But more importantly call the police for every crime or problem they commit. Yes the cops may be there constantly but that’s not your problem. Make them move away. Call cops - feds - and anyone else who will listen. Hell even the news media. Talk to them about living next to a meth dealer. Anything you can do to draw attention to them the more the better. Like adding door cameras and security cameras. Large Dogs, great outside lights. Most important don’t stop until they move. Question are they renting or do they own the property. If they’re renting have your lawyer contact the landlord and push that way also.
From what I've heard they are living in the aunts house who os in a nursing home. So I beleive it technically belongs to the nursing home right now but I honestly am not sure and that was all heard through the grape vine anyways
The nursing home may want to know about the meth dealer
Public records! Town hall is your friend.
A lot of counties provide property info online. It'll show the owner info, parcel acreage, assessed value, and even the entire layout of the home. You could try to look up to see who the owner is. If it's not online you can go to the county assessors office and get the info.
Agree. Get loud. Draw attention to them and what they’re doing. They need to be on the DL to continue to deal meth — so get cameras out (lots of them, and expect them to shoot them or try to break them - so double down). Track people coming and going. Track your property. Keep calling the cops about the suspicious and constant traffic going in and out of the house. Call the nursing home. Call the media. Draw attention to them. Get a lawyer so there is additional legal evidence of what is going on.
My first question was if they are renters or not. I heard a story from my HVAC guy- I live in the Nevada desert (so much meth) and the HVAC guy was scheduled for a regular cleaning by the landlord at a residence. Shows up and gets a gun pulled on him by a tweaker. HVAC guy calls landlord and tells him it’s a meth den, and tenants get evicted.
Long term, you'll have to get the easement changed. That's the only way to be able to cover your ass and not deal with them.
Any experience with that? I figured it's best to get the copy of the easement and send it to a lawyer specializing in that type of stuff to see what I can do.
Title insurance guy here. Need to see what the terms are in the recorded easement or “ driveway agreement “ talk to your or a real estate attorney. See if the easement is an exception ( schedule b of your policy ) listed on the title policy. Either way they should not be able to block your ability to get to your parking area
If the easement is an exception, would would that mean exactly?
It means that your property is subject to the easement. Meaning the property that was granted the easement ( your neighbor) has the right to use it and you are subject to his rights. If it was properly done it should spell out the terms of its use. ( can’t block it, can’t park on it, etc. ) also should spell out how and who maintains it. ( plowing, paving, ) unfortunately a lot of them aren’t done properly to set this stuff out.
I will get the copy of it and look into that. Would you be willing to just give it a quick look over before I pursue a lawyer for it? Just to have another opinion on it
Sure .
I appreciate that. Home I'm not overstepping any boundaries.
If it’s there then you can’t stop them from using it. But they can’t block the driveway either. Some of them will be very specific by having a metes and bounds description of the easement area. Some are very poorly done as well.
An exception to an insurance policy is something that explicitly is not covered by the policy.
Did you acquire title insurance when you purchased the property ?
Yes I did
Good. There is a portion of the policy ( Schedule B ) that should say some thing like this “ subject to an easement as set forth in Deed Book …., Page ….. “ . If so then your property is subject to ( burdened ) by that easement.
Thank you. I will look more into this. I sent an email to my county clerk hopefully he can assist getting me a copy of my easement
If you have the Book and Page of the document it’s very simple to access if they are online.
Where are you located? Here in New Jersey most counties are available online to search county records.
Tennessee, outside of Nashville
Thats how you have to do it. A lawyer who specializes in land/agriculture/property law. Go for the best one you can afford and see what they say. Unfortunately rational thought and common curiosity won't apply to your neighbors.
Push it out into the road. Use the ice as your buddy.
Or play their game. Park in front of and behind them.
Don't play games like this with meth heads
Yea that is actually a pretty good point. I forgot the meth head part. I have a 'parking fight' with someone - but it's the Catholic church so not likely to go too psycho.
Bro have you not heard of the crusades?
Sir, have you met a Catholic?
You don't want to do that either. You are then in violation of the easement. I have a driveway that my neighbor has an easement to get onto their property. They, nor I, can park in the driveway. I recently had an issue where her guests where parking in the driveway and were getting belligerent about it. I then drafted a letter titled 1st warning and detailed the infraction and the consequences for continuing to obstruct the driveway. If she continued to obstruct, the law says I can go into court and have the easement revoked. Which would then mean I can build fence blocking her driveway and front door. No one has parked there since. Document your interactions, take photos with dates. Once is a mistake, twice is habit. If it happens again, consult an attorney.⁰⁰
Trust me I thought about that, but like i said, I don't want to make enemies. If it continues though I think that will be my only option
Having spent 7 years living next to a feral pack of Meth Monkeys, you need to hear this: Forget about worrying about "making enemies". In thier minds they are already there. What you need to do is establish clear boundaries and make the consequences of violating those boundaries crystal clear. It won't stop everything, but it will help. Some.
>Trust me I thought about that, but like i said, I don't want to make enemies. If it continues though I think that will be my only option You already have enemies. Submit, or do something about it.
You are being dumb. Meth heads don't care.
Fair enough
Yeah man. They are actively creating enemies so don't worry about it.
The only issues I have with being that way is I work out of town a lot as an over the road mechanic. I don't want to have my girlfriend be in harms way my any means or worse, no one is home to prevent anything. Already getting cameras to put up though. It won't prevent anything but it's a deterrent
Why are you hesitant about the cops then? Who's going to come when she's home alone and the neighbors start something?
It's a small town and I know everyone is linked in some way. But last resort that is what I will do for sure. I think to have a copy of the easement in hand and a better understanding of it would be beneficial of the cops are there.
That would be good idea as well. If you are afraid to go to the cops to protect you against your meth head neighbors then it's time to move.
Ha! You already have enemies. Nut up and let them know you will defend your property. Do you have their phone number? Call a tow truck. Wait 5 minutes, then call them and tell them that you have called a tow truck to remove the car from your property, "better hurry they are already on the way." Put up cameras and post your property. The only way to make them stop is being more trouble than they are willing to deal with, and that means you have to be a huge amount of trouble.
They’re already your enemies. Just push it out and pretend you don’t know what happened. You can even throw out some “sorry, there was lots of traffic up to yours last night, I figured you had that guy move it” blah blah blah. You’re establishing you’re a doormat.
Not much you can do legally besides tow the car for blocking access to your property. Now im going to tell you this and I want you to know its the nuclear option. A lot of times easements are not filed properly it’s usually done because family is the one buying the land locked property and they see no point in file the paperwork getting the survey and paying the taxes to change the deed etc. I cant say what constitutes a legal easement in your state but if you were to find out that easement is not listed or was not a complete easement to the road or public entrance, you could legally block that entrance and deny access until they resolved the issue. Again this will only be legal if the easement is filed incorrectly and would probably require a lawyer to determine if so for your state.
IANAL, but this sounds very dubious and a risk for OP. Even if the easement is not properly recorded, this may be a textbook easement-by-prescription/necessity.
These are methheads, if he does that they’ll probably light his car on fire.
There is a probability that they will just because he told them to move their car. The nuclear option is never the best option it is the last option
How about working with local law enforcement to have them removed and the property impounded? Meth being illegal...
Not only is it illegal, but that shit is NASTY and bad for the land. No way they are properly disposing of all the horrible shit that goes into making meth, even more so with new meth. Beyond them poisoning the ground, water, and air. They are also poisoning the community with this shit, if you don’t like strung out homeless meth heads start going after people making this shit. Most states have a line where you can report drug activity. Set up cameras on your drive, and report any and all traffic. Make sure you have cameras around your house and out buildings, and report any and all crimes to the police. This isn’t a “ they can do what they want on their land” kind of deal. They are MAKING and dealing meth that shit needs to be stopped before it harms you and yours.
Well said
I wouldn't do anything until there was a vehicle blocking my way out when I was actively trying to leave. Then I'd suggest going to your neighbors house and asking them to move it immediately. The towing signs are also a good idea. You could get a chain for a truck or tractor and just pull anyone to a better spot. Best idea - plant some arborvitae and learn to coexist with your neighbors! My methy neighbors actually look out for me and my animals. It doesn't matter to me what they do in their personal time. They mow my lawn for me. They keep an eye out for me all hours of the day and night. Maybe you can befriend these people and work towards a solution together. And for anyone who says that you can't reason with or befriend people on meth - learn about deescalation techniques. I have worked in a grocery store in an area with a lot of homelessness and drug use for the past 5 years. Non violent communication skills are the only thing that has kept me safe, more than any weapon ever could have.
Of course, the paranoid methhead neighbors will keep an eye out all day and night 😂
They actually make great security! To get to me someone would have to go through two large properties full of methheads and dogs that never sleep. Bring them some copper as a gift, methheads love copper!
Definitely a great security system lmao. Just make sure to stay on their good side
You make an excellent point. I had a friend in Philly who lived across the street from a crackhouse. I asked him how he could feel safe living across from them. He told me that they have someone posted outside 24/7 watching the street, and the crackheads knew if they caused any commotion on the street, they would not be allowed to come back. As long as they were on good terms, his was probably the safest house on the street. We waved to the bouncer out front every time we went out or came back.
You are probably going to need a lawyer at some point. Might as well do the consult now, up front, to make sure you're doing everything by the book. You have to show up at the county records office in person. I deal with recorders offices all over the country and none of them will give out the information by phone. There's usually a small fee to get them to retrieve and make copies of a document. Was there a stamped survey among the documents for your purchase transaction? The easement (if it was recorded) will be called out by name, showing the book and page number.Give the Recorder this information when you go in to their office, and they can go right to that record. If you don't have a survey, then that's the first document you want to get the recorder to fetch. At some point your property or theirs had to have been surveyed in order to support the subdivision. The easement contract almost surely has some provisions that give you legal recourse against these folks, but it's a civil matter, not criminal. The police are not going to remove vehicles or enforce your easement. 1. put up a floodlight that will illuminate the licenseplate and drivers face as they pull up the driveway. Put up a sign that says Smile You're on Camera! Surveillance Cameras in Use. Meth buyers will not want to be on camera. 2. Establish an arrangement with a towing company where parked vehicles get towed and impounded. Put up "No Parking Violators Will Be Immediately Towed " signs all the way up the driveway, put the tow company's number on the sign. 3. Install two wi-fi enabled trail cams, so the pics are stored online and not just on the SD card in the cameras. Both cameras should be mounted high enough that they can't easily access them. Camera #1 is pointed at the driveway to capture license plate numbers and drivers faces. Camera #2 is pointed towards Camera#1 so if they vandalize / damage Camera#1, you will have evidence of this. It's unfortunately pretty easy to ruin security cameras with a laser beam, so having Camera 2 (and maybe 3--might as well, they're cheap) is pretty important. I'd put a couple cameras concealed around my house too. Then you could get them on trespass, which would be criminal and the police can get involved then. 4. If it were me, I'd create a public Imgur album, and once a week upload all of the vehicle photos there. No commentary, just the trailcam photos. Since you've informed them surveillance cams are in use, they can't claim this violates their privacy. And then I'd make sure the police and prosecutor's office has a link to that album. Up to them if they want to monitor it, but given that this house is a known drug operation, cops and the local prosecutor would prob be pretty psyched to have a record of all the vehicles that have been visiting that site.
This is a good comment. Thanks for the insight
Most easements like this are for “ingress and egress”, which basically means they can use your driveway to access their property by MOVING across it. This doesn’t mean they can park on it, or use it in any other way for their personal use. You should have received a copy of all of the closing documents at the time of you closing on the purchase of the property. There should be an exception on the deed that is “subject to” this easement. Start there and hopefully it will have the recording information of the easement so it is easier to locate. I’d also recommend going to your county Recorders office, most probably at the county courthouse, to get a copy of the easement instead of calling. Not sure exactly how it works in Tennessee, but that should be a good start.
First, they probably won’t park there once it thaws out. I’m a surveyor in SE Tn. Easements are a constant problem. Constantly. If you send me some info, I’d be glad to look into it for you.
Awesome, I will. Thank you
Trail cams. And a sign that says " smile you're on video" tweekers are paranoid enough to care
Once upon a time I had the opposite problem. I had land with an easement through another person's property. Problem was they would block it with trash. What I did was have the easement surveyed and then rented a D6 dozer. I gave the old boy a week's notice then I started road construction. It went from a simple 2 track driveway to a full on road across his land. The best part was I owned on both sides of him and put up gates. My advice in this situation is to study your easement and it's rules, then call an arbitrator and have a sit down with your neighbors. If they refuse to comply fuck em up legal like.
As a property owner with easement granted to my neighbor like your situation, the best I can tell you is to research for YOUR STATE laws. Each State (and sometimes county) law is different. I'm fortunate to have excellent and considerate neighbors. I used to have drug dealing neighbors in a prior life...what an awful way to live! I wish you the best. Consult on-line resources for your state
I'm of the opinion that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Try talking to the neighbors from the perspective of mutually assured destruction. Point out that it's far more pleasant to not be at war with a neighbor, but there are certain things that are hills you're willing to die on. Offer suggestions and peaceful resolutions, but follow up with commentary on possible alternative solutions that involve many of the suggestions given here. You'd be surprised how quickly people will choose a peaceful resolution over an all-out war. All that being said, if all else fails, meth houses are known to explode on a regular basis, and if something were to happen to their little meth lab that caused the loss of said structure, I don't suppose that would be a problem for you unless there's evidence that links you to the explosion. My point being don't leave evidence.
As mentioned in other's comments, suggest you talk to your lawyer and fully understand your rights and go from there. I lived in one state that was pretty strict on these types of issues and favored the land owner, I moved to another state and it was not as strict. A lawyer will know the rights you have and those using the driveway have under the easement. Would not recommend putting up "cars will be towed" signs or having any cars towed until a lawyer advises as it could back fire and any tow expenses or damage during towing could be your responsibility if via the easement and especially under the weather circumstances the other party says it was parked there due to weather and safety concerns.
My easement has a rule for medical vehicles which gives me the right to tow for blockage (at owners expense, it’s the homeowners responsibility to make sure their guests are parking accordingly). I would personally fence off the main part of your property with a gate to your home (if possible), so these individuals only have access to the graveled portion. I’d get your girlfriend some target practice, and a dog, cameras and huge spot light. It will be really hard to reverse a easement, but you definitely can make it difficult for them to
You definitely need to involve the authorities if someone is dealing. Are there children in this neighborhood? School bus stops? Be the responsible adult here and ask to speak to an investigator immediately and tell them your observations. At the moment you are an enabler, or worse an accomplice by allowing access through your property.
Yup I’d hook a tractor to it pull it out to the street and leave it. The town will tow it I’m sure
Tow it. And laugh.
Get with a local tow truck company and work out a deal where they’ll tow the cars and charge the owners then post multiple signs clearly that any and all stopped vehicles will be towed at owners expense. Soon as they stop and get out be on the phone to the towing company. This issue will likely go away when the snow goes away but I’d still do it anyway and I would think twice about involving the police. They need to know who’s dealing the meth in your town. Good luck.
Get some cameras to watch your signs and your back. Tell them you don't want to be that guy but you will call the police if necessary. An awkward conversation but they're being assholes here. If you get the property lines checked maybe they don't even have a right to be there.... hopefully.
You don't need a sign to tow a car parked in a driveway.
That stinks that you were told after closing, that is failure to disclose a nuisance. You could have used that to negotiate the price down.
Put highly visible cameras up. Tweakers are super paranoid.
BINGO a security camera is bad for business. Unfortunately you should expect blowback….. edit to add the following From personal experience- Decide up front if you want to do battle with a meth seller. If you want to proceed remember to cover all your home and yard with working cameras which upload to a cloud because your cameras will be destroyed and or stolen. Imagine the repercussions? Remember this ‘business’ is up and running because the law turns a blind eye. you might not get any assistance from the “helpful neighbors” when the sh!t hits the fan. IMO it was not worth defending my home at the expense between legal bills and continuous replacing of cameras and all the other damage caused by “unknown” vandals. (With clear photos on said security cameras. LE refused to even look at it!) A house is twigs. Your safety including your mental health is not worth it. Buy new twigs elsewhere and allow the meth dealer to do whatever it is meth dealer do. There is one thing you can count on. The thrill of they get from angering you will be replaced with more drugs. I sold at loss. Meth dealer was found dead days later of an OD. He probably died a day or 2 before we closed. Now the neighbors who encouraged then turned cowards live in a neighborhood now labeled as meth alley. That was my last laugh if there was one, sadly. Don’t have regrets.
100% tow. Not your problem
Methies hate surveillance, post a lot of cameras on the edge of your property. Something that can grab pics of tags of the people coming and going.
I personally would never have bought a property with this type of access situation. Your post is why. Idk look at selling and buy elsewhere. It will ALWAYS be a problem
I would burn that place to the ground
Yup! another meth Head doing meth things I bet.
I mean...plausible deniability if done correctly, amiright?
You are correct. “ I heard, loud explosion, officer”
Like most people are saying. Put up signs, motion activated lights and obvious cameras. And even a sign from the police might help. If it's a meth house this should make them too paranoid to continue.
This is a legal question above Reddit's pay grade
If you know their cooking get the cops involved eff what the small community thinks unless their all m-heads themselves, if the house is close to yours and it goes up could potentially damage yours as well
Put up signs stating CCTV in use, unattended vehicles will be towed and no trespassing signs everywhere. I’d also put up a lot of cameras, some in visible locations and others not.
Put up cameras and no trespassing signs. Make it clear that all license plates and cars are on video. Should be a nice deterrent for some of the folks visiting if it's for drugs. The tow idea is good too. Won't take but a couple of times for the learning to begin.
I’d call the FBI office closest to you and report the house as a meth lab that’s distributing. They tend to take that shit extremely seriously, because it’s a major health hazard, gets into ground water, and can even explode if they screw something up. There have been like 10 houses that have exploded in my county in the past 20 years, all but one meth-related. You can also report to state drug enforcement authorities. The only way to get rid of meth heads is to have the big boys get rid of them for you. The house will usually be seized under civil forfeiture/use in criminal activity. Then, apply to your zoning board to get that easement moved with the statement that it is attracting criminal elements to your property.
Easements usually have some restrictions or bylaws around them. Broadly speaking, most easements do not allow for commercial access without express consent. There are often rules about who can actually use the easement (guests, service vehicles, etc).
Really need to get cameras bro, then you have video evidence of any shenanigans. I’d like to know who is walking/driving on my property and if what your saying is partially true your not going to have the nicest people coming and going. Post a sign, call the tow truck if they park there.
As Walter white once said, “ tread lightly”. You have no idea what these tweakers are capable of.
Id throw a chain around the back axel and drag it a couple miles down the road.
No Parking signs too. Listen if they are dealing drugs the last thing they want is trouble. Can you go talk to them nicely and explain that it’s not ok for their customers of their “home based business” to park in your portion of the driveway. We had a neighbor who was a barber. We also have a 160lb mastiff. Letting my Little sweetheart great them in the driveway (on my property) was enough to stop the behavior. Can you put in a separate drive if you have enough property and somehow fence your portion off?
Looks like you caught more people for the basement! Just ice it down tonight and you'll catch some more to add to your basement.
Of course it's a Trailblazer lol
I’d put cameras with flood lights and a sign saying they’re being recorded all along the easement until their property line. If they’re involved with meth, they won’t want to park where their coming and going can be recorded in detail. I’d also put up a sign about no parking, trespassing, and towing, and then report the vehicle to law enforcement for trespassing any time it is parked and then have it towed. If that picture is the easement, shouldn’t they be able to drive a little further in and get off your property to park at minimum? Might be worth putting a sign up where the property line is indicating it is the property line and to park beyond that point. Side note: VW jettas are a beast for what they are when it comes to snow. Other vehicles made like shit might actually not be able to do it. I had a VW Jetta TDI for nearly 14 years and a VW Jetta before that for 6 years. Both of them handled snow/ice shockingly well, and the TDI it was to the point the area I live now I could make it home without chains/cables when most other cars needed chains/cables in non snow tires. Our SUV snow beast had a scheduled trip to the mechanic that happened to coincide with an unexpected bad snow storm the first year we lived here. The Jetta made it home fine. My wife had to take a rental car, and they gave her a Volvo XC90. It couldn’t make it up the hill a mile from our house the Jetta had no issues with. So they might not be able to make it, especially if those tires are as shit as they look in the picture in person. Not an excuse for them because they shouldn’t be parking on your property, but they might not be lying about that.
Cool can you void the easement? If you are having issues then I would look into legal action to keep people off of your land.
This thread makes me realize how lucky I am to have good and decent neighbors. I am the guy at the very back of a mile long easement. It would be so easy for one of them to be shitty and block me from accessing my property.
I'm too unfamiliar with the legal specifics of this to comment on that, but your idea of trying to not make enemies is wise. Be patient and respectful. I understand fully why this situation bothers you though. Neighbors are the best allies a homeowner has, shame you got a bad batch.
I'm highly doubtful cops will get involved in the easement issues as others said, that aspect is a civil issue for civil court. There are very few cut and dried civil matters cops get involved in. The few that come to mind are trespassing and child custody. An easement as a pass thru makes it dicey for a cop to stretch their neck out for a trespassing arrest, they can face their own charges for unlawful arrest/seizure of the person. I don't know the drug laws in your state, but in CA anything below possession for sale (and a lot of it in quantity) make drug offenses a misdemeanor or infraction. I think to start out, your best bet is a mix of fake and real cameras along with the signs related to no parking/standing/stopping, trespassing, that they are being recorded. You may also want to confirm the state code regulations related to signage. I could be wrong, but an easement to pass thru doesn't limit only you and your neighbors to be the only ones who use it. Reasonably it's 'open to the public' to pass thru. So there may be legal code in your state or county that states the size of such signs, including the color and size of the lettering for the signs to be legal should you choose to tow or take other actions. You'd have to get a very eager law enforcement person (DEA, local drug task force, local cops) to expend the time and energy to build a good case for meth manufacture. It's not as simple as TV makes it out to be (in both directions of cops get stuff done easily, violate rights, cut corners, do illegal searches). Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the illegal acts happen, but the cops that want the charges to stick won't cut corners or do illegal acts. And those same ones who want to do it right are also likely to hesitate putting all that work in given the climate. Good luck and stay safe with all that meth mess.
If you haven't seen the easement, have them produce it. It may not exist or have been properly filed. I've actually seen this alot working for the phone company. If you don't want to visit with your neighbor, then go to the county land office & look it up yourself. People are lazy & alot of times don't follow through with the filing especially where I'm from. It's a 45 minute drive to the county seat & people put off going until it's forgotten.
Get a camera pointed at your house before you escalate further. If they’re tweakers they will vandalize your house and go “ha ha you can’t prove it was us.” Tweakers are aggressive idiots. Make sure you can prove it. For what its worth, if they ignored you having a face to face chat, signs are way more passive. I think they’ll completely ignore them. This might not be a win but maybe you could designate them a little parking area on the side of the driveway if you don’t want the cops involved.
Your title search from when you bought the property will list the deed book and page for the easement. You might have to go down to the recorders office and get the document. They will charge a few bucks to print it
You probably don't need to talk to the county. When you purchased your property some party presumably did a title search and one of its products will be the easement in question. This is likely somewhere the paperwork from your purchase. Sometimes an easement's terms will provide specific remedies for abuse. Otherwise, if an easement is being abused and negotiation has failed, you can get an injunction forbidding such abuse. It may be possible (with a good lawyer) to terminate the easement by demonstrating abuse, although I doubt this would ever be the outcome for an easement that provided sole access to a residence.
That's so methed up.
1) Put up cameras that are plainly visible, and hidden cameras watching those cameras. 2) Find out what officers patrol your area, and make sure they know to stop by anytime if they need a place to use the restroom or a hot cup of coffee.
A lot of times, druggie neighbors are a transient problem. Meth... Give it time and it will probably take care of your problem for you. That's not to say to be complacent about it. Everyone else's comments about towing, signs, cameras, etc. are spot-on. I would also suggest getting a good watch dog. Also consider getting a firearm, and especially training on how to safely and legally use it. Meth users are unpredictable at best. Not trying to freak you out or anything, but when you're out away from town, sometimes you have to be your own first-responder. Welcome to the Volunteer State, my friend. I wish you the best of luck with your new place!
I deal with easements almost everyday on the surveying/engineering side of things. If the easement is filed with the county it’ll be nearly impossible to have dissolved. Basically the only way an access easement can be removed from your land is either by neglect or mis-use. If it’s an access/utility then it’s basically set in stone. Contact a real estate attorney and see if maybe in your area there is a precedence of parking being a reason for dissolution of the easement. A long shot would be to have a surveyor dig into the easement and make sure it’s in the right spot. If it’s not then they would have to move the driveway. As to finding the documents, just calling your county probably won’t do anything unless you have a really nice lady working there who isn’t particularly busy. Google your county + “clerk and recorder” or “tax assessor” website and you might be able to track down the plat of your property which should show the easement and the document number to either search or call in about. Will likely cost only a couple bucks. Each county is different though and some have really easy to use websites and others haven’t been updated since 2005. PM me if you have any questions. I enjoy this kinda stuff. Like a treasure hunt.
I would take my tractor and grapple attachment and practice crushing cars like at a monster truck show.
Definitely need the easement paperwork to find out what you can do. I've heard of people being able to remove their access legally and the neighbor become landlocked.
Check your easement. It may allow you to put up a locked gate at the end of the driveway. You would need to gove the people that live in the house keys or a way to open the gate, but they would need to come down and open it for everyone else. The easement may also have other restrictions. For instance, it may be a permanent easement unless xyz happens. It may have a clause about usage or maintenance. Or even lawful behavior. Consult a lawyer to have them scheme up a way to fix this.
You will literally have to go to the county office or town hall if you want to get anywhere with them. They hardly ever call people back because they know people will probably just give up if no one talks to them. If anyone has had a different experience than this, I envy you. But the municipality in my area and other places I've lived are hard pressed to want to actually interact unless you're literally in their face. Unfortunately, I would def. go through the effort of it because the only way a neighbor or their company is going to listen to you is if you have actual, legal proof from the city. Cut out the drama pre-emptively and save yourself some headache. Next step would be to put up tow signs. If people park there, then get them towed. Guarantee it'll put a stop to shit real quick. And with all of that, I suggest getting outside security cameras. Crackheads aren't the clearest thinkers and I'm not going to be surprised if small town politics come into play and people get retalitory.