One person’s rights

Dear editor:

Where do one person’s rights end and another person’s rights begin? My ex-neighbor decided to rent his house for the weekend. That is certainly his right. He advertised the rental on Airbnb, saying in part, “The neighbors are quiet. On one side is a retired couple who are frequently on trips. On the other side is a home used as a vacation home by a doctor from out of town.” I am part of the retired couple frequently out of town (nice information for criminals who would like to break in without being disturbed).

Someone rents the house and decides to have a party on Friday and Saturday night. Again, that is their right. Several hundred people showed up each night, parking up and down my street (a one-lane dead-end street with seven houses) and two adjacent streets. Cars were parked in my yard and driveway because I was not here to prevent it. The police were called several times by many neighbors complaining of blocked access, noise, trash, etc. I called to have the police get the cars off my property. I was told they could not do that. The police suggested that I call a tow truck, which I did. The tow truck driver explained that I had to be at the property to sign paperwork in order to protect him. It seems I was out of legal options since I was out of town. I did call my ex-neighbor, left a message for him, and still have not heard back from him.

Thank goodness for my neighbors who cleaned up my yard and driveway both days. They picked up liquor bottles, beer cans, cigarette and cigar butts and wrappers, a bag of marijuana, and six empty 9-mm shell casings.

The lesson I learned is there is no protection for my property if I am out of town. So, where do my rights begin? Mike Morrison Hot Springs