Archive: Opinions

I reside in Ludlowville and built one of the fences some readers have commented on. After years of abuse from the neighboring property owner at 159/157 Ludlowville Road, we finally erected a six foot stockage fence to separate us from the abusive behavior by the landowner and his tenants. I checked with the Town of Lansing to ensure that this fence is legal. However, trespassing, harassment, threats to people, to their animals and to their property is not.

Just recently, the landlord on June 30, 2011 took our garbage and threw it into the street (it still sits there). On this occasion the Landlord of 159/157 told us he was going to make his property into a "Crack House". This was all caught on video. He also boasted to my husband he won't be arrested until he "Kills Him". This is not the first time he has threatened to "kill us". In 2009 he did so in the presence of the New York State Police.

We erected the fence due to the blatant disregard for our privacy, our property rights, and was a last ditch effort to protect our family. The NYSP and the Tompkins County Sheriff's Department have been called on several occasions. The police just told us to erect a fence to assure a proper property line and video all incidents. This was after we were told to spend money on a new survey with boundary posts. When the landlord purchased the property, he had a survey. We provided the survey to his attorney in 2002 which showed where the property is and the survey was recorded in the courthouse for years.

This nuisance property constantly has garbage stacked on the back deck, which attracts cats, rats and every other creature. In 2009 the garbage flowed onto our backyard. I had to go and pick it up. This landlord has a track record of "tenants" that destroy the land in Ludlowville. For the past 5 years his tenants have been an endless stream of abusive, horrible people with "children" that cut holes in screens to throw rocks at our dogs for sport. The tenants have"Visitors" at all hours of the night, pulling into our driveway leaving the lights shining into our bedroom window. The tenants/landlord and their "visitors" have attacked me on several occasions, block our driveway, refused to move their cars and screamed foul language in front of their children. The Landlord stands over a six foot fence to scream at us in our back yard.

I know very few people in my neighborhood. I once minded my own business. Now I am forced to watch over our property and the safety of my dogs. My dogs are contained by an invisible fence and we keep them as quiet as we can because we don't want to disturb other's right to enjoy their property. We no longer feel safe leaving them alone outside to enjoy their property without supervision due to the abuse they have suffered.

I see gangs of teenagers that taunt dogs, harass animals, mouth off to adults and seem to have no discipline or self respect. I see criminal activity on a daily basis.

I begged a friend to buy a piece of property in this area. Her response was, I love your house but Ludlowville has become "too dangerous". I was shocked, but then again, I agree. So while there may be some nice people, I've only met a few.

In my humble opinion Ludlowville has become too many people in a very small area. The land can't support this kind of high tenant population with all the modern conveniences. Ludlowville should be preserved for it's beauty not abused for profit.

Kelly Kheel
Ludlowville / Lansing.