[Elfsea] need to hire housecleaning help

Jane Sitton jane.sitton at radioshack.com
Mon Aug 6 08:41:37 PDT 2001


The Evil Neighbor (TM) is the sort of person who would never have pets, as
they are too messy.  I'm actually surprised she has (grown) children of her
own.  She is the sort of person who calls in reports to Code Enforcement
when any neighbor's yard gets over 1/2".  Her yard looks like a golf course.
She would never do anything to violate any city code of any sort... but she
has committed perjury on several occasions.  She has a sort of Munchausen
syndrome, whereby she feels powerful when she can get the local authorities
to run around like chickens with their heads cut off.

I have endured three CPS visits in the past nine years.  I suspect she
reports anonymously, thereby avoiding getting her name on the CPS workers'
"Neighbor With A Grudge" List.

Many of you probably don't know the history of all this, but it goes back to
Logan's refusal to bear false witness against the Evil Neighbor's
ex-son-in-law.  She was attempting to have him picked up for allegedly
stalking her daughter.  She asked for Logan's help by trying to get him to
say he had seen the poor man in question lurking about our neighborhood.
Logan, knowing she had already run two families out of the neighborhood,
could easily have avoided her ire by giving some non-committal answer to put
her off.  It may be foolish that he didn't in retrospect; however, he had
enough of a sense of honor and compassion for the ex-son-in-law that he
refused to falsely incriminate an innocent person.  For this, the Evil
Neighbor turned right around and informed the police that Logan had
threatened her life.

Logan was eventually charged with felony retaliation.  After being confined
in jail, he was convicted of a lesser crime, a class B misdemeanor, called
"terroristic threat" (which actually sounds worse to me).  The judge
sentenced Logan to two years exile -- Logan was told he could no longer live
in his own home, and could not enter the neighborhood.  We moved 100 miles
away to live near relatives.  It was miserable.  And it was all because
someone lied, while Logan refused to do so.

The Evil Neighbor is active in local politics.  She is on the crime watch
board, code blue, etc.  So she knows people.

I understand the need for CPS.  I understand the need for anonymity in some
cases.  But I also believe our Constitution gives us the right to face our
accusers.  I think it would be better if a person reporting alleged abuse or
neglect were required to do so in person or by filling out some sort of
paperwork.  It is too easy to pick up the phone and cause harassment when
one is not held responsible for making the report.

Whatever happened to confronting a person, face-to-face.  If you don't like
having the Clampitts live near you, offer to help them with their yardwork.
If you think their house doesn't meet your standards of cleanliness, offer
to help out.  But to attempt to run someone off by scare tactics is cowardly
and dishonorable.

But enough of my soapbox.  I never intended to start a debate on the merits
of CPS.  Please let this part of the topic die.

Amicalement,
Madelina

-----Original Message-----
From: AerynGeil at aol.com [mailto:AerynGeil at aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2001 8:34 AM
To: elfsea at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Elfsea] need to hire housecleaning help


Remember the "boy who cried wolf"

eventually the CPS will figure out that you have a neighbor with a grudge.

If all else fails maybe you could apply to Judge Judy and let her intimidate
him for his rudeness.

I know it seems bad when you are in the throes of it but I would rather a
few good parents get a checkup than any child be forced to live/starve in a
closet.

Or there is turn about

Does the obnoxious neighbor have pets? Does the obnoxious neighbor keep his
trees near power poles trimmed, How is the obnoxious neighbor at following
city ordinances for the upkeep of his property? Does the obnoxious neighbor
look like the person featured on the most recent episode of America's most
wanted?



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