Question:

Good morning, for the past year, our next neighbors have been complaining to the Virginia Beach city office that our backyard is in disarray. We work on our backyard at our own pace, but the neighbor insists my flowers are weeds, my natural landscaping is witchcraft, that all the rats come from my house, etc. We get weekly visits or posted notes about one thing or another from the city when it's obvious we are working on something. She even took us to court last summer for "trash accumulation" because the "grass" was too tall... and we had no grass in our backyard. I am tired of her harrassment, intolerance, and assumptions. How can I defend myself?

Jim's Reply:

It doesn't sound as if your status as a veteran is a part of any of this so you have a simple dispute with a neighbor. If you're being taken to court, you probably need to hire a lawyer. Good luck.

• PS from StatesideLegal:  Use the Find Legal Help director to identify the LRS provider closest to Virginia Beach and ask for a low -cost consultation with a lawyer who could address on your legal rights related to neighbor disputes/harassment.