Dial Dalfred: What can you do about nuisance neighbors?
ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY)- A St. Landry Parish woman says she’s all out of options after allegedly being harassed by a neighbor for nearly six years.
“Every time I come outside I can’t even do nothing. He’s harassing me,” resident Janice Barnes said.
Barnes claims things have been stolen out of her yard, her plants destroyed, and loud music has kept her awake too many nights to count.
“It’s not fair. I should not have to lose my rest at night. I can’t go to sleep because he wants to do what he wants to do,” Barnes said.
Barnes says her neighbor, who authorities confirmed is a convicted felon, often shoots a gun in the backyard.
“I’ve called the police. The police don’t want to do anything,” she said.
According to these reports, Ms. Barnes called the sheriff’s office 29 times in the past two years to complain about her neighbors on issues ranging from loud noise, animals in her yard, harassment and trespassing.
In the detail, deputies reported walking around the property and not hearing and music, and no signs of a dog or antagonizing neighbors in her yard.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said there needs to be proof to discern what charges, if any, can be filed.
“If you want to make a case about loud music against your neighbors then you need to record the noise and give it to the deputy when he gets there, he’ll determine whether or not charges can be filed,” Guidroz said.
Sheriff Guidroz has assigned additional patrols as both neighbors have filed complaints. The sheriff says they respond to every call but all the complaints have been unfounded due to a lack of proof.
“A word is not good enough for testimony in court. We have to have a witness or law-enforcement witnessing the entire or part of the incident with documentation from a cell phone, that’s great evidence,” Guidroz said.
If there’s an ongoing issue in your neighborhood or community or there’s a story you’d like me to investigate, send me an email at DialDalfred@klfy.com.