How it works
Document it. Put them on notice. Go further only if you have to.
Every matter follows the same path. It keeps the work focused on what can be proven, and it lets you stop paying the moment the nuisance stops.
The path
Timing depends on your neighbor and on the agencies involved, so we do not quote timelines.
Try a polite letter and start a log
If you have not already, send your neighbor a courteous letter and begin recording what happens and when. Our letter builder and logs are free. Many problems end here. If yours does not, you have shown that you tried.
Tell us what is happening
The online intake takes about ten minutes. It asks what the nuisance is, how often it happens, how it affects you, who the neighbor is, and what proof you have besides your own account.
Conflict check and file review
We confirm we have no conflict of interest with the other side, then review what you sent. If the proof is thin, we tell you what is missing and how to get it, including monitoring equipment if you need it.
Step 1: case review and cease and desist letter
You receive a written case analysis that measures your evidence against each thing a nuisance claim has to show, and rates how strong it is. The firm then sends your neighbor a formal letter describing the nuisance and what must change.
Step 2: complaints to the agencies that can enforce
If the letter does not work and a code or governing document is being violated, we prepare and file complaints with the city, county, or homeowners association, and follow up.
Step 3: District Court
For files with strong evidence, a lawsuit can ask a judge to order the nuisance stopped, and to award damages where loss of use, property damage, or health effects are proven.
Two things we always document
The nuisance, and what it has cost you.
They are separate, and each needs its own proof.
The nuisance itself
What crosses onto your property, how much, how often, and when. Recordings, readings, dated photographs, and agency reports.
Your damages
Loss of use of your home, physical damage, and effects on your health. Repair estimates, inspection reports, and medical records.
Expert inspection for physical damage
When a tree, roots, water, or construction has damaged your wall or property, we arrange an inspection by our expert, starting at $500. The report identifies the cause and the corrections needed.
Cost and scope
Clear about what it costs and what to expect.
Step 1 is $275. Step 2 is $995. Step 3 is quoted after the first two, when we know what the file contains. Monitoring starts at $225 per month. Most people should expect to invest about $1,000 to $1,500 in total to see a nuisance through, plus any monitoring or inspection they choose.
In most neighbor disputes there is no payout at the end, and you cannot make the neighbor pay your attorney fees. You are paying to make the problem stop. In a smaller share of cases, where loss of use, property damage, or a health effect can be proven, compensation and fees may be available.
Satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the service we provided at any step, we refund the fee you paid us for that step. The guarantee covers our work, not how your neighbor, an agency, or a court responds.
No attorney-client relationship exists until a written agreement is signed and the firm is retained.
Free case review
Tell us what is happening next door. We will tell you where you stand.
Describe the problem once, in writing, and send whatever proof you have. We review it before anyone gets on the phone, so the conversation is about your options.