HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ - 13 Village of McGraw CorrespondenceAugust 27, 2023
From:
Rachel Anderson
9 Ok St
McGraw, NY 13101
To: Village of McGraw
I am wriƟng to you to lodge a formal complaint against 16 Ok St McGraw, NY 13101 for repeated
and escalaƟng harassment. Not only have I sustained property damage due to the harassment, I
have now also sustained bodily injury and may be facing permanent disability because of their
acƟons.
The Cortland County Sheriff Department and the Village of McGraw have both repeatedly stated
that 16 Ok St is not in violaƟon of any laws or ordinances in their acƟons. However, due to their
escalaƟng aggression and our physical injuries this summer, I am now in fear for the lives of
myself and my family.
We are not safe in the Village of McGraw. I am a homeowner. Not only should I not have to sell
my house due to this harassment, but it takes Ɵme to do so. We are being harassed because
they want to purchase this house. Their acƟons are working; however, no one should be
harassed to this point.
Before I get to the physical injuries sustained by me and my children this summer, here is a brief
list of their acƟons against us over the past five years (taken from a more detailed list of dates,
Ɵmes, photos and other supporƟng documentaƟon):
They drove into the front of the house at least twice causing damage to the mailbox,
bushes, siding and front porch. I now have two rooms in my house I cannot even use.
We are fearful that the next Ɵme they drive into the front of the house the damage will
be more extensive and we will be injured.
Our driveway has been blocked so we could not leave the house. This was done when
they parked a vehicle directly at the end of our driveway, prevenƟng egress.
The front door has been covered in feces.
Repeated loud music at various Ɵmes of the day and night, causing loss of employment
due to noise.
Used condoms leŌ in yard and on top of vehicle.
Fire damage to vehicle, garage, and home from fireworks and other explosives.
Repeated random explosions at various Ɵmes of day and night. Unsure of source of
explosions.
The loud music has escalated this summer and typically happens five or six days a week. Earlier
this summer, my ear drum was ruptured due to the music being so loud. The loud music lasted
well over 12 hours and into the night. My eight year old daughter also had blood dripping out of
her ears. I have missed work and we have had to seek medical care. We may be facing hearing
loss due to the noise.
When my ear drum was ruptured, I experienced verƟgo and was not safe to drive to be able to
leave the house and take us to safety. Where are we supposed to go? Am I supposed to pay for
a hotel room for several months or move into a hotel so they can play music loudly? Should I
put three children in the car at 9:30 pm and leave the house to escape their harassment? I pay a
mortgage to live in this house.
Yesterday the music was loud again, and it is very painful with our ruptured ear drums. The
doctor has advised my daughter may have permanent hearing damage from their ac Ɵons this
summer. We spent the night in the stone basement, as that was the only recourse. We had to
try to escape the noise. Even in the basement with ear plugs, the enƟre house sƟll shook, and
all the windows raƩled from the noise they were making.
When the noise started a few months ago that ruptured our ear drums, I did call the Sheriff
Department. They said since there is no noise ordinance in the Village of McGraw, there was
nothing they could do. AŌer the Sheriff leŌ, they turned up the music even louder. With blood
dripping out of my own ear, I held my crying daughter who was clutching her own ears a Ōer our
ear drums ruptured.
This acƟvity has conƟnued all summer. It escalated this weekend.
We are being assaulted in our own home and may be facing permanent hearing damage. It is
difficult to leave when this happens, as it is not safe to drive with verƟgo from a ruptured ear
drum. I also don’t know where we would go or how to pay for another place to live when we
pay a mortgage and taxes to live in this house.
I am also a permanent remote worker and have already lost one job due to their noise (no one
could hear me over them). I have received reprimands from my new job that the excessive noise
is interfering with my ability to take phone calls for work, as no one can hear me. I have had
contractors come out to provide esƟmates for sound proofing the house, but that costs
thousands of dollars on top of the thousands of dollars I have already paid out in property
damage, medical bills, and lost work due to injuries they have caused.
The Cortland Sheriff Department and Village of McGraw assert that it is perfectly acceptable to
create so much noise that you rupture your neighbors ear drums and conƟnue with such noise
levels as to cause permanent hearing damage. As a human being and as a parent, I would like to
tell you that I do not appreciate being assaulted in this manner. I have always taught my children
to be kind to others. This weekend I had to explain to them that some people enjoy injuring
other people and when that happens, there is no one to stop them. I should not sustain injuries
in my own home from malicious neighbors.
This has escalated to the point where I am fearful for our conƟnued health and safety. While all
their acƟons may be acceptable to the Village, I would like it notated that this behavior is
occurring and causing permanent disability in case it escalates to the point of our murder.
The residents of 16 Ok St have no respect or consideraƟon for people living around them and
are maliciously causing permanent injury with their acƟons. I am sending this leƩer as another
piece of documentaƟon of their harassment over the past five years in case it escalates further.
We would like the behavior to stop so that we can live safely in the Village without sustaining
repeated bodily injury and property damage.
Repeated calls to the Village over the past few years have done nothing. If the Village is not
equipped to deal with these issues of injury, harassment, and property damage, then I would
appreciate guidance on how to proceed to get the behavior to stop. The parƟes involved are too
unstable and violent to safely approach. I am truly terrified.
Respecƞully,
Rachel Anderson
607-351-1464