My neighbor

[Suze]

This neighbor doesn't deserve a key for even 5 min. 

he sounds like the kind of guy that if you ask him for the key back, would.  But the next time that you gave him the key for a weekend trip or something would go and get a copy of it because he feels that he NEEEEEEEEEEEEEDS it.

I agree that he could be snooping in all kinds of stuff when you aren't home.  Just because he can get to the house through the "herd" of dogs doesn't mean he is trustworthy.

Side note--

Had one friend who had the meanest dog on the face of the earth (on a chain in a fenced in yard) His spare house key was on the dog's collar.  He told me about 3 people could get near enough to that dog to get that key. 

Of course his jaw dropped when dog came to me and plopped his head on my foot.  I'm not silly enough to get too far into chain range. just close, and dog was straining to do that. (Dr. Dolittle syndrome strikes again)

[aloe]

I live in a 'safe area' in a rural area outside of a small community and I always make sure that doors are locked.  When we built our house, I made sure that we ordered windows which can be opened a small amount but also securely locked.  I use rods or extra pin locks to help keep the sliding glass doors secure.  I also have a big dog (not sure for how long though because she is old and not well).
I am very security-conscious, and a big part of that is because I'm originally from a big city and its environs.

[sparksals]

I don't understand why you don't keep your door locked when you are at home. I couldn't imagine not having the door locked at all times.

We dont keep our doors locked when we are home. To much in and out and we can see both front and back door from our living room.

I'm sorry, but to me, that's a basic safety/security breach on your part.  Especially once you know this guy (or anyone else for that matter) could barge in at any time.  You've made it not only convenient for yourselves to go in and out, but unwelcome strangers to do so also!

There is nothing "rude" about locking your doors...even when you're home.  I'm not sure I completely grasp the concept here, of convenience trumping safety/security.

I agree, locking doors is a must for safety.

A few months ago, I was sitting in the family room watching TV at around 9 PM.  DH was in bed because he was working graveyard at the time.  I can see our front door from our FR.  Imagine my horror when the front door knob started rattling.  The dog starts going nuts!  Someone was trying to get into our house!  I immediately went into the bedroom to wake up dh.  He went outside with his gun, but couldn't find anyone. 

Had that door been unlocked, we could have been victims of a home invasion. 

I agree with the others that the OP should lock her doors.  While I empathize with the embarrassment of the situation, and I agree that the neighbour had no business entering the home, it really is her own fault since the door was unlocked, especially since the OP knows the neighbour has walked in before.

[MineralDiva]

I don't understand why you don't keep your door locked when you are at home. I couldn't imagine not having the door locked at all times.

We dont keep our doors locked when we are home. To much in and out and we can see both front and back door from our living room.

I'm sorry, but to me, that's a basic safety/security breach on your part.  Especially once you know this guy (or anyone else for that matter) could barge in at any time.  You've made it not only convenient for yourselves to go in and out, but unwelcome strangers to do so also!

There is nothing "rude" about locking your doors...even when you're home.  I'm not sure I completely grasp the concept here, of convenience trumping safety/security.

1)I live in a safe town in a gated community
2)NRA Stickers on the back of my dh vehicle (if you get my drift)
3)I have dogs the size of horses, with posted signs.
4)you have to go through a fence with these dogs to get to my door
plus i live in the deep south and it's just one of those things for my particular area. If o'm home alone then I will lock them but if everyone is running around, it's just not going to happen.

I've lived in gated communities as well.  There is nothing "safer" about them than a non-gated community.  It merely appears more exclusive, providing a "richer" target.

An NRA sticker isn't the same as locking the door.  If anything, it says that there are probably weapons in the home that could be stolen.  Particularly if the door is unlocked.  Wouldn't it be nice to be shot with one of your own guns, because you chose not to be inconvenienced by flipping the latch on your own front door?  (NOT!)

You may have dogs the size of horses, but obviously they're not much of a deterrent to this person.  I had a Doberman, but I still locked my door.

If locking your door is an inconvenience that's "not going to happen," and you don't wish to heed any of the well-meaning advice you've asked for, then why do you indicate surprise that your neighbor continues the behavior you're complaining about?

ETA:  Mr. Diva is a certified NRA firearms instructor. 

[HorseFreak]

I don't understand how the OP can continue to complain about this person entering their home when they refuse to take any actions about it. Lock your door and be a little inconvenienced or keep letting this whacko into your house. What do you expect us to say?

[Suze]

I don't understand how the OP can continue to complain about this person entering their home when they refuse to take any actions about it. Lock your door and be a little inconvenienced or keep letting this whacko into your house. What do you expect us to say?

"just let him in - it'll be fine."   NOT!

would have only happened ONCE at my house (maybe not at all)

[MerryRaven]

I just want to put my bid in for locking your doors.

I live in a small, very nice, low crime community.

A few years ago a woman was killed in her home with one of her own kitchen knives.  

Her door was unlocked and she was in the back of the house.  There was no car out front as it was in for repair.  

She seems to have walked in on a young man who had just entered in through the unlocked door and was was looking for some small things to steal.  

Unfortunately when confronted, he grabbed a kitchen knife.  He cut her on the leg somehow with the knife when he was trying to run away.  He didn't mean to kill her, but hit the femoral artery so she bled to death while he ran.

He was an amateur and had been in trouble as a juvenile before for petty theft but not ever for violence.

He was caught after a few days.  

He had been going around opening doors, entering people's homes and stealing petty things for a long time.  

He said he could usually just barely open the door and steal money out of a woman's purse without her even knowing it.  Most women leave their purse right by the front door so it is easy if they are in the back of the house or something to just go through and grab the cash.  

The other place women leave their purses is the kitchen.  That is what this guy was looking for when he was confronted by the lady he killed.

[sparksals]

I don't understand why you don't keep your door locked when you are at home. I couldn't imagine not having the door locked at all times.

We dont keep our doors locked when we are home. To much in and out and we can see both front and back door from our living room.

I'm sorry, but to me, that's a basic safety/security breach on your part.  Especially once you know this guy (or anyone else for that matter) could barge in at any time.  You've made it not only convenient for yourselves to go in and out, but unwelcome strangers to do so also!

There is nothing "rude" about locking your doors...even when you're home.  I'm not sure I completely grasp the concept here, of convenience trumping safety/security.

1)I live in a safe town in a gated community
2)NRA Stickers on the back of my dh vehicle (if you get my drift)
3)I have dogs the size of horses, with posted signs.
4)you have to go through a fence with these dogs to get to my door
plus i live in the deep south and it's just one of those things for my particular area. If o'm home alone then I will lock them but if everyone is running around, it's just not going to happen.

I've lived in gated communities as well.  There is nothing "safer" about them than a non-gated community.  It merely appears more exclusive, providing a "richer" target.

An NRA sticker isn't the same as locking the door.  If anything, it says that there are probably weapons in the home that could be stolen.  Particularly if the door is unlocked.  Wouldn't it be nice to be shot with one of your own guns, because you chose not to be inconvenienced by flipping the latch on your own front door?  (NOT!)

You may have dogs the size of horses, but obviously they're not much of a deterrent to this person.  I had a Doberman, but I still locked my door.

If locking your door is an inconvenience that's "not going to happen," and you don't wish to heed any of the well-meaning advice you've asked for, then why do you indicate surprise that your neighbor continues the behavior you're complaining about?

ETA:  Mr. Diva is a certified NRA firearms instructor. 

MD - the person to whom you are posting is not the OP.  I thought it was at first and I went back to look at the first post and they are two different people.

I totally agree with you that the NRA stickers can actually be more dangerous.  My dh has always wanted me to learn how to use a gun in order to protect myself.  Being from Canada, I don't have the same feeling.  I am afraid that it would do more harm than good if someone did get into my house.  If a struggle ensued, the person would most likely be far stronger than me and able to get the gun away, thus being able to turn it onto me.  I just see it as being extremely dangerous.   Instead, we have mace and a police baton in the bedside table. 

[ZipTheWonder]

L comes over ....

What on earth was he doing on your property again?  Why wasn't he under a restraining order awaiting trial for breaking and entering???

[MineralDiva]

Oh dear!  Thanks, sparksals!  Sorry, Mondrian.  I should have read back farther to know you weren't the OP, for whom I meant my last post.

[aloe]

It wasn't a gated community where I used to live, but it was a low-crime area where the residents were prosperous.  There were some crimes though, and most of them were caused by the teenaged sons of some of the residents.  They would break in houses to steal.

[Twik]

Well, the OP did indicate she was moving. A drastic approach, but probably effective  .

Unless he REALLY likes your place. Can't you see moving across the country, settling down for your first night of privacy, just to hear the door open and "Helloooo? I just came by to see how you're settling in!"

[MineralDiva]

Unless he REALLY likes your place. Can't you see moving across the country, settling down for your first night of privacy, just to hear the door open and "Helloooo? I just came by to see how you're settling in!"

Okay, you've officially creeped me out!  LOL

[Suze]

I totally agree with you that the NRA stickers can actually be more dangerous.  My dh has always wanted me to learn how to use a gun in order to protect myself.  Being from Canada, I don't have the same feeling.  I am afraid that it would do more harm than good if someone did get into my house.  If a struggle ensued, the person would most likely be far stronger than me and able to get the gun away, thus being able to turn it onto me.  I just see it as being extremely dangerous.   Instead, we have mace and a police baton in the bedside table. 

This just reinforces my theory that any weapon that you can hold in your hand can be taken from you and USED on YOU.

We run into the attitude at SCA events that --

I've just bought this - knife - sword - other sharp pointy thing - so NOBODY can hurt ME, I'll just kill them if they try anything. (yes this is what they say) 

It is a lot harder to kill someone than that.  Crocodile Dundee you are not.

PS - I've been in the SCA tooooo long. I read mace and Police Baton and thought aren't they the same thing --- DUH, dummy --- chemical mace

[jfulle5]

I don't understand why you don't keep your door locked when you are at home. I couldn't imagine not having the door locked at all times.

We dont keep our doors locked when we are home. To much in and out and we can see both front and back door from our living room.

I'm sorry, but to me, that's a basic safety/security breach on your part.  Especially once you know this guy (or anyone else for that matter) could barge in at any time.  You've made it not only convenient for yourselves to go in and out, but unwelcome strangers to do so also!

There is nothing "rude" about locking your doors...even when you're home.  I'm not sure I completely grasp the concept here, of convenience trumping safety/security.

1)I live in a safe town in a gated community
2)NRA Stickers on the back of my dh vehicle (if you get my drift)
3)I have dogs the size of horses, with posted signs.
4)you have to go through a fence with these dogs to get to my door
plus i live in the deep south and it's just one of those things for my particular area. If o'm home alone then I will lock them but if everyone is running around, it's just not going to happen.

I've lived in gated communities as well.  There is nothing "safer" about them than a non-gated community.  It merely appears more exclusive, providing a "richer" target.

An NRA sticker isn't the same as locking the door.  If anything, it says that there are probably weapons in the home that could be stolen.  Particularly if the door is unlocked.  Wouldn't it be nice to be shot with one of your own guns, because you chose not to be inconvenienced by flipping the latch on your own front door?  (NOT!)

You may have dogs the size of horses, but obviously they're not much of a deterrent to this person.  I had a Doberman, but I still locked my door.

If locking your door is an inconvenience that's "not going to happen," and you don't wish to heed any of the well-meaning advice you've asked for, then why do you indicate surprise that your neighbor continues the behavior you're complaining about?

ETA:  Mr. Diva is a certified NRA firearms instructor. 

I think you're confused, I didnt post this thread and I wasnt asking for any advice. I was merely commenting that I dont lock my doors. Trust me, I dont have neighbors that walk in my house.