Neighbors Part two

New neighbors, whose lot abuts the rear of bad neighbor, take on this family as a “project” to help them learn how to parent. They become friends with new neighbors (Earth Mother and High Tech Father and 3 sweet girls) , making a positive impact on them. At least for awhile. New neighbors tell bad neighbors “like it is.”

Mom gets off drugs (supposedly) and gets a job working for the Peacock County Health Dept. She embezzles money and ends up arrested for embezzlement, and then arrested for drugs in our County. She went to trial and landed a year in jail. During this time the Older son (16?)becomes, essentially, the head of house. Dad works constantly and there are male teens constantly at the house—partying a lot. Daughter eventually goes to live with a neighbor after Mom begs the neighbor to take daughter in. Felt daughter would be safer, and they might be capable of dealing with her lice infestation.

Several times a week during the early morning hours, a car would drive by shouting loud obscenities and threats toward Elder son . Someone has not been playing well with others in school. It wakes us and other neighbors up. This continues off-and-on for several months.

Upon release, Earth Mother gets Mom involved with her daughter’s school. Mom’s in therapy as well as daughter.

I approach Dad, the bad neighbor, about helping him get rid of the non-working vehicles. Earth Mother also pushes Mom and Dad to clean up yard and get rid of cars. Earth Mother and I pay for 1 car to be towed. After several more weeks, Donna’s car finally gets towed. The 3rd car was to be given to son. Eventually it disappears.

Elder son has plans to join Coast Guard. He drops out of high school. He has belonged to Sea Scouts for a few years. Not sure what happened, but THAT bridge is burned. He starts getting drunk and starting fights downtown. (underage) He is arrested, is not bailed out. After he eventually goes before a judge on a Friday, and is given probation, he is arrested again on the same charges on the following Monday night. This fight was a drug dispute with a Coast Guard sailor! (Another bridge burned) He does some more time, and upon release gets a job as an apprentice electrician. So now he’s making more than his step dad. When work slows, he is laid off because he is the only employee who has problems showing up on time and taking off a lot of days when he didn’t feel well. More drinking, more fighting, more jail, another good job in an auto body place. Now he’s driving.

Oct/Sept 2004 – Mom and Dad decide to marry. We pull weeds in their driveway anticipating their wedding and to reward them for cleaning up the driveway. Had wedding in their backyard, inviting some of the neighbors.

2005 – Small trailer is placed in their driveway, right next to our bedroom window, to be used “by the boys” as a place to hang out with their friends. Becomes a nightmare—loud parties, drinking, fighting. Teens in and out all day long, even when “boys” not around. Trailer has widows knocked out, etc. Mom and Dad begin to place plants around it to “hide” it more from view.

SWAT Team shows up and arrests Younger son for home invasion and pistol whipping the resident (But he was a drug dealer!) Caught with a gun. Sent to locked facility. Did some major time, almost sent to the “Big Q” .
Cite home owner for code violations. Back yard finally gets cleaned up.
Home Owner tells us he is evicting Dad and Mom. Says he thought about evicting them many times. This does not happen, however.

2006 – Mom “disappears” for 3-4 weeks, and returns with a new boyfriend. Mom and new boyfriend stay at Earth Mother’s house. Dad moves out of house, and Mom and new boyfriend remain at Earth Mother’s house to “housesit” while Earth Mother and High Tech Dad move back to Oregon. Later, they move to another rental owned by Earth Mother and High Tech Dad.

2006 - House finally becomes vacant, landlord does half ass job of fixing it up, new renters found.