The Police

I called my house from work today to let Lynnette know to go ahead and turn on the AC. Today's high - 90 degrees. She starts telling about how the cops were at my house today. It's been quite a while since any of that has happened, I haven't missed it, either. "Why were they there?".

The next door neighbor - the illegal aliens basically - called the police because on of my tenant's cars' was parked about 7 inches beyond my property line. The car was not blocking the neighbor's driveway, a fire hydrant or otherwise obstructing anything. The police came pounding on my gate and the newest tenant was the "offender". He went out there - the cops allegedly got an attitude with him (in these parts, that would not be surprising), he just got in and moved it.

I decided to put an end to this. I have never heard that parking on a street is in any way, shape or from illegal unless the car is parked illegally: ie: on the sidewalk; too far from the curb; too close to a fire hydrant; blocking a public right of way; blocking a thoroughfare or blocking a driveway. I called the police. They always have an officer available to answer these types of questions.

The officer was incredulous at first and then start laughing. No, there is no law that says you can't park in front of someone else's house, unless of course you are illegally blocking something. He went on for several minutes - and then couldn't believe that officers had told the tenant to move the car. I don't know, but I got the same story from that tenant when I got home. He just moved it, he said and already stated, because he didn't want to get into it with them.

But, you see, when I got home from work, got out of my car and headed for my gate to go into my house to inquire about this, a totally different scenario unfolded. The guy 2 houses down that told Mark, the trailer tenant, to move out and tell the rest of the tenants to move out because he is going to have me taken care of came barreling over to the fence - crossing the property with the house that burned down and is already been removed. I took one look at the look on his face and I informed him before he said anything that I did not want to talk to him and that was that. He started to say something about cats, I interrupted him: "I hear you have been threatening me about this cat situation". Bluntly, matter-of-factly stated.

"You going to threaten me now?". Back and for a few more times and he finally stated: "If anything happens to the cats, something's going to happen to you". I informed him that I would be calling the police immediately. He said they wouldn't do anything. I know, I thought but didn't say, but he's and ex-con, spent 9 years in prison for drug dealing, he is going to freak out if the police come to his door and starts giving him a hard time about threatening neighbors.

Oh, yes, I did call the police and yes, they came out. I described the whole scenario to them, they informed me what I already knew, but: I asked them to please go over there and have whatever conversation with this guy. They were none to happy to oblige, especially when they heard he was an ex-con - there for selling meth. So, they went over there. The guy had pulled down his blinds and left. Oh, the cops can't do anything? Lol. They came walking back by - no car in the driveway? I asked. No. Oh, then he's not there, he took off. What kind of car does he drive..............we'll be in this area all night long, we'll stop back by later if the car is there.

Oh, and they specifically stated this: if the animal is in your yard, you catch it and it doesn't have identification on it, then yes, you can take it wherever and release it. They started in on not killing cats - I guess everyone automatically thinks that, if you are going to catch it, you are going to kill it. The thought, truly and honestly, has never crossed my mind. I just want it away from MY property, that's all I care about.

The cat trap will be loaded with tuna fish and it will be out tonight. I will get rid of any cats that come on my property, period. I will take it far enough away that it will find a new life, somewhere else. The river bottom is my first thought. Water and pigeons, what more does a cat need?

That's it.
ben