EEEK, a mouse!!

[Paladin]

I was notified by my next door neighbor that her other neighbor on the other side sighted a mouse in his driveway a while back. I didn't say anything about it to her at the time because I didn't think it applied to me but then she asked me how long I was going to have my bus here at the house. I pretty much blew her off and didn't give a direct reply but the next day I went to see her and asked her more about it all.
She then told me that she had seen a mouse under the fence between our lots and that my bus was the cause of it and also the mouse that was allegedly seen in the other neighbors driveway. I asked her if she thought that maybe the old magazines and other papers the other neighbors stores in large piles in his garage might have anything to do with a field mouse or maybe the fact that we live in the mountains could have something to do with it. I also mentioned the wildlife such as deer, skunk, raccoons etc and an occasional cougar and even an elk or two that stray down here but she told me that no, she was pretty sure that my "diesel bus" was attracting mice.  The sad thing is that this woman is an educator and she is so ignorant!

So here I sit now awaiting the city to visit me with a complaint about my bus. I told her that since she is worried of property values I'd paint the face of my house nearest to her pink with lavender stripes and also my fence if I got any complaints and I'd also stop mowing my lawn, let it go to dirt and act like the redneck she believes me to be.

We don't even live in an HOA! I sure wish I could afford to move out away from the city!!

[MacGyver]

"No Trespassing" signs often work wonders, even with the "authorities"...

As does putting up a "Beware of Dog" sign, and "Trespassers may be shot" sign.

With those three signs up...  We never got another visit from the local code enforcement agency...  Of course, I also sent them a rather direct letter stating that any attempt to remove my property with or without court order would be met with force...

This, after a neighbor complained and I received those oh-so-lovely stickers plastered all over my bus demanding it be removed within 14 days or it would be towed at my expense...  After I put the signs up and replied to the letter, they didn't so much as set foot on the land again...  And we do have an HOA, and we are within city limits (but only just barely, like 500 ft).

There's another thread over on skoolie.net (no, that's not an advertisement, just another place I post!) where I went into the specific details, just look through my post history and you'll find it, but that's the gist of what I did...

The local authorities prefer to avoid confrontations rather than provoke them.  Their efforts are better spent chasing down the drug dealers and miscreants than spinning their wheels and getting shot at over a bus that's (lawfully) parked on someone's property.

-Mac

[HighTechRedneck]

I guess she would really freak out around mine. I currently have a possum living under mine.

Treating her with all the seriousness she is due - I guess mice that are attracted to a diet of steel and diesel fuel would be pretty frightful creatures.

Oh yes, and don't forget to buy some plastic pink flamingos and lawn gnomes for your front yard.

[MacGyver]

A possum??  When did you pick that little guy up?  I don't remember you mentioning him when I was there on my way through!  ^.^

-Mac

[HighTechRedneck]

She showed up here with 3 babies about a month ago.  The babies seem to have moved on, but she apparently decided to join Jack & Paula's 3 outdoor cats as a resident here.

[jackhartjr]

My nephew said a coon crawled out of the back window, (Yeah like we have one of the UNOBTAINIUM things) of ours one morning.  After that when Dianne gets mad at me she says..."I'll send you out to the bus to sleep with 'The furry critters'!"
Jack

[Utahclaimjumper]

What this woman needs to understand is that the average yard is criss-crossed nightly by mice and other "critters".
What makes them locate in your yard or the next is a food source, your local heath dept. will vouch for that. Clear your area of all food
sources (dog food,cat food, garbage, ect.) and the problem will move to the next food source.>>>Dan

[junkman42]

Paladin, I live on 70 acres in the middle of no where!  A deputy sheriff came on My property and wanted to know why I have so much junk.  Read tractors and hay bailing equipment.  He never noticed the posted sign and as I have found out does not have to obey them!  My collection of antique green tractors apparently bothers the deputy I can assure anyone that my place is a show place compared to the local red necks.  There is the problem, simple jealousy.  The point is that you can not escape the self appointed pompus uniform wearing Nazi's no matter where You go!  I was asked if My bus was yard art and I had to point to the tag, apparently the sheriff doesn't teach deputy's how to read.  Funny enough the sheriff is in jail along with a number of His department for all kinds of stealing.  He was the head sheriff in Florida until a few months ago when the feds arrested Him in Vegas.  We need to start over.  My take Regards john

[John316]

Paladin,

I think you need to warn that poor lady!!! Tell her to watch out for the mouse's teeth!!! A mouse that chews through steel will have powerful teeth that can take of a ARM or LEG instantly . Please tell her to watch out for the real mice that you will let out if she keeps complaining

Thanks for the great story. I am still laughing. The sad part is that it is a real problem that you are dealing with. And that is rough. I hope that you get things figured out.

God bless,

John

[Nusa]

Beware of the Stainless Steel Rat!

[Busted Knuckle]

Paladin,
Sorry to hear of your situation! It is so sad when "normal people" don't understand our buses or why we love them!
Now to remedy the problem at hand in a humorous way. I'd take and get a 5 pound bag of sugar and a 5 pound bag of cat food, grind up the cat food and mix the 2 together. Then take a garden fertilizer spreader (one of the small hand held/crank ones, the ones you push are too noisy), and about 2-3 AM in the morning spread it all over her and the other complaining neighbor's yards. After that is done they will have ants, mice, and every other rodent within a square mile camping out on their lawns. Not to mention all the neighbor hood cats coming both for the cat food as well as the "live food"!
Then politely point5 out to her that they seem to have an abundance of pest problems of their own to worry about rather than your cute little diesel mice!

Now just remember I am an equal opportunity advocate not an instigator!    BK 

[HighTechRedneck]

The sad thing is that this woman is an educator and she is so ignorant!

That is sad.  And if she is like most modern teachers, she probably prides herself on teaching "tolerance" of other lifestyles and viewponits.  Just not in her back yard.

[Len Silva]

I wish I could remember the details of this story but here is the gist of it.

In a rural area of North Florida, a farmer was in trouble with some neighbors because of a collection of trucks and tractors, and he was technically in violation of some county ordinance.  He was being harassed by the local powers until he installed a large sign proclaiming the coming of a new 10,000 head automated pig farm (which would have been legal).

The complaints stopped soon after.

[cody]

Instead of the 'no trespassing' sign would it be more fun to put a sign that warns people not to feed the snakes?

[MacGyver]

Cody...  Though that might be more funny, it's not legally effective.

If you've posted "No Trespassing" on your property (plainly visible), then not even law enforcement has a leg to stand on if they have no valid reason to be there.  They're "Put On Notice" that you do not wish to be bothered unless it's of dire importance...

Writing a ticket isn't considered "Dire", and removing property (towing your bus, for instance) without consent then becomes "Grand Theft", even to law enforcement...  They won't attempt it unless they are either REALLY dumb (which is most often the case), or think they have an "air-tight" case.

Unfortunately for the authorities, "air tight" happens about as often as a leak-proof air system on the bus they're towing.

You just have to research your local laws a little to formulate an appropriate response to the threats they present you with.  I took about 3 days of researching Louisiana State Law (including the LA Constitution) as well as local law and ordinances before sending my response letter to them...

After that, they didn't bother to contact me again or threaten to STEAL my property...  Cite the proper laws, and they haven't got much to assault you with afterwords...  And the simple fact that YOU cited the laws to THEM puts them on notice that YOU can do your homework, and understand the laws as they're written...  I've found that they're much less likely to pursue their threats if you do this, in addition to throwing out the Constitutional (US and state) rights regarding property ownership and the rights to defend that property.  If you make it clear you'll protect your property, whether it be through legal means (the court system), or through the means protected under Constitutional Law...  They'll usually back down from their position.

At least, that's been my own experience with these assholes...  But you _MUST_ put up the right signage to be able to legally enforce your position! 

Even if you don't have a dog, put up the "Beware of Dog" sign anyway...  There's no law that says you can't, and most people just don't want to be on your property if you've got up the "No Trespassing" and the dog signs at the same time...  Most people equate it to "If I'm on his property, and he lets his dog out...  I'm trespassing and would just be lucky to escape with my life."   

Just my 2c on the subject....

-Mac