Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania

Abuse by neighbor

For the past 5 years my family has been subjected to a steady pattern of intimidating and harassing behavior by our neighbor. He has a fixation with parking spaces, leaves, snow and anything else he decides is territorial. He attempted to physically assault my spouse once and was fined for that by the local court. He has had reports filed for verbal abuse which were sent to mitigation by the local court. He stalks from one end of his house to the other anytime anyone is outside and stares from the various windows. He stands in his yard and stares at everyone anytime we come and go from the house. He constantly is attempting to provoke a confrontation. We live in a mobile home park and the landlord has had problems with him for years also. The landlord has informed us that if we take any legal action against our neighbor that he would ''back us up in court''. We cannot utilize our yard, our grandchildren cannot play outside, our daily lives are a continual pattern of harassment whenever we are home. We are under mental stress. My question is simply is there anything we can legally do to stop this behavior? Is there any legal ground to request that he be evicted from the park? What can we do to have a normal life at home?


Asked on 10/01/04, 8:50 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Mark Johns Mark Johns, Esquire

Re: Abuse by neighbor

18 Pa.C.S. Sec. 5504 (a.1) Stalking may apply. It states:

A person commits the crime of stalking by communication or address when the person engatges in a course of conduct or repeatedly communicates to another under circumstances which demonstrate or communicate either of the following:

1. An intent to place such other person in reasonable fear of bodily injury.

2. An intent to cause substantial emotional distress to such other person

If the fine he received was for simple assualt the offense would be graded as a 3rd degree felony.

Private criminal complaint procedured vary by county. An attroney can help guide you through the process. I offer free consultations. My contact information is in my profile.

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Answered on 10/02/04, 2:24 pm


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