And you thought you had it bad when your neighbor would let their dogs go to the bathroom in your yard…this case takes it to another level. Attorney Ben Stechschulte weighs in.
A Miami homeowner, Alexander Tatum, is claiming that his neighbor is making his life a living hell, and he has the evidence to back up this claim. He bought his Miami home in 2019, and he said it’s been hell ever since.
Threats and Police Calls
Mr. Tatum has documented numerous incidents with his neighbor, Jesus Hiedra; one, in particular, became nasty, where Hiedra resorted to using death threats against Tatum and his five dogs.
Tatum said that after Hiedra raised concerns about his dogs, he tried to have a civil conversation with him. He told him, “We’re neighbors, if you have any problems, talk to me.” Hiedra then burst out with the death threats.
These issues aren’t new. Tatum said they began not long after he moved in. And since the death threat encounter, he has documented multiple other incidents, some leading to calls for service from the local police.
Miami Police records show multiple calls to Tatum’s address, though there haven’t been any arrests made or citations given to Mr. Tatum. When the police didn’t give Hiedra what he wanted, he resorted to calling animal control.
Code Enforcement and Fines
Tatum says that Hiedra and his wife drive by often taking videos and photos of his dogs; trying to get him fined.
Tatum trains and breeds dogs, and said that his pets often follow him to his garbage cans outside of their fenced-in yard. Since the dogs were photographed “running at large,” beyond their fence, he has been subjected to fines.
Code enforcement tried to stage an intervention with Tatum and Hiedra in the form of mediation, but Hiedra didn’t show up.
Video Evidence
Though Hiedra didn’t show up for the code enforcement mediation, he did show up on the cameras that Tatum eventually installed around his home.
In one recording, Hiedra sprays something over the fence in Tatum’s backyard. Tatum is convinced that whatever it is he sprayed burned his dog’s skin and fur.
Another chilling recording shows Hiedra crossing his neck as if to give the sign of death. He later raises two middle fingers to the sky, exposes his buttocks to the camera, and does a dance on his front porch.
One night, Hiedra and his wife hurl racial and homophobic slurs at Tatum. Yes, it was caught on camera too.
Hiedra has even resorted to shining a green laser through his window to antagonize Tatum.
What’s Next
When asked by Miami’s Local 10 News for a response to Tatum’s allegations, Hiedra said he was unaware of the situation.
Since then, Hiedra has filed suit against Tatum, claiming that he is the one being harassed by Tatum and his dogs. The suit also claims that Tatum’s cameras invade his privacy. He is seeking over $20k in damages.
Tatum is hoping to secure a restraining order against his neighbor. His hearing is scheduled for April.
Ben’s Thoughts
Our very own Ben Stechschulte weighed in on the case as he has experience in arguing neighbor disputes in court. He says that a pattern of behavior that is harassing, serves no legitimate purpose, and causes substantial emotional distress, could be grounds for a stalking case. Ben said that Tatum could use all the documented incidents as evidence to support his case.
“It seems to me that, certainly, there’s a good faith case that a judge could potentially grant an injunction in this case.” There’s no legitimate purpose for this individual’s behavior towards this person, other than some sort of personal animosity, or whatever it might be.”
-Ben Stechschulte
Related> What Do You Need to File an Injunction on Your Neighbor?
File a Harassment Injunction
Attorney Ben Stechschulte has a deep understanding of the injunction process and current stalking law. This allows him to best represent our clients in these matters.
To enhance your unique case, we’ll need to first obtain indisputable evidence of neighborly harassment or stalking. With that documentation, we can then file an injunction.
If you need the help of a skilled legal team to ensure that your petition for an injunction has the strongest chance of approval by the court, call us at 813-280-1244 for a case review today. Stechschulte Nell is on your side.
