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I'm with the camera crowd. It's perfectly legal to have a security camera aimed at your property. Second, discuss it with the HOA again and tell them throwing rocks at an elderly woman is not childish hijinks, or an argument between neighbors, it's assault and if it happens again, the police will be called. Call them. As many times as you have to.
Your mom is protected by the civil law as well as the criminal law. Do you think a jury would take your mom's side? If so, she can consider a civil lawsuit. It costs money, but it sounds liek she's in a scary situation, so it might be worth it.
I don't know the law in her state, but "nuisance", "trespass"", and "assault" are potential causes of action, and your mom might also have the option of applying for a restraining order.
Rent a nice unfurnished place for mom, take her stuff there, and fund a drag dealer/mobster/sex offender/actor to play them all at once tenant for her house. Four kids will be locked up permanently. Our nasty neighbors with bunch of kids just disappeared the day when sex offender moved in across the street.
Well, yes, security camera is needed.
What about other neighbors? Will they back up your mom's story?
I think you need evidence, video evidence... and then police reports.
The HOA is not the local Squabble Resolution Board.They only have the authority to enforce their bylaws, and I doubt there's a bylaw that prohibits children from being obnoxious little brats and their parents from being mean, inconsiderate a-holes.
Document the petty offenses, then show your evidence to the neighbors with the caution that, unless the behavior stops, you are going to report them to the police. This is a bluff, of course, because police don't care about children throwing junk over a fence.
Your mom has a fire pit. Consider the pine cones and paper free kindling? Use the rocks to embellish your mom's landscaping? Throw the food on the compost pile?
Unless you want to build a 10-ft. high solid privacy fence, I would suggest ignoring these neighbors. If the children can't get a rise out of your mom, they will eventually get bored and go torment someone else.
We once had a similar situation with really obnoxious neighbors and their kids (not quite as aggressive as this example). We were going to get them on camera, so the the parents called the police on us!
You see, parents are in a general state of paranoia about 'sex offenders' and apparently disruptions in your neighborhood involving kids are not allowed to be documented with cameras. They think everyone is after something evil with their little darlings, and not concerned about the fact that the kids are rude brats--like anyone even wants pictures of their moronic children.
The police told us we should move and noted that you cannot film underage kids 'these days.' In the end, we moved--didn't like the suburban area much anyhow. Beware--bratty kids can get away with almost anything 'these days.'
Thanks for the info, and I think that is TERRIBLE -- and, especially, if the OP's mom is over 60 or so and alone!
But I am just wondering, in that case, about maybe using a cellphone for a evidence. It seems that so many people are photographing people these days without getting any kind of permission, and they seldom face any consequences for doing so.
I wouldn't waste time with the HOA. If someone of any age was throwing rocks at my mother (or at anyone else, for that matter), I would call the police.
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agreed!
