Anonymous accusations

Dick Rees

Dick Rees

Curmudgeonly Scandihoovian
Jan 11, 2011
1,551
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St Paul, MN
An open rant:

I am quite upset at having just received an unsigned letter addressed to "Current Resident" with a home-printed label in the return address position saying "([my neighborhoods name] Crime Prevention". The text gives the address of one of my close neighbors and makes some serious accusations of "unprovoked and anti-social behavior" and asking everyone to keep an eye out and report any "suspicions" to the police. This from an anonymous coward somewhere on the other side of the block. I know for sure it's nobody on my street.

What the heck's going on? Is this East Germany before the fall of the wall?

I'm much more concerned with this closet National Socialist behavior than with the accused.....who does happen to be loud and opinionated. Since when is that a crime????? If it were, I'd be a resident of a small cell somewhere.

I just wonder if circulating such a letter is actionable........slander, defamation of character, whatever.

Close rant.
 
Re: Anonymous accusations

Dick Rees said:
An open rant:

I am quite upset at having just received an unsigned letter addressed to "Current Resident" with a home-printed label in the return address position saying "([my neighborhoods name] Crime Prevention". The text gives the address of one of my close neighbors and makes some serious accusations of "unprovoked and anti-social behavior" and asking everyone to keep an eye out and report any "suspicions" to the police. This from an anonymous coward somewhere on the other side of the block. I know for sure it's nobody on my street.

What the heck's going on? Is this East Germany before the fall of the wall?

I'm much more concerned with this closet National Socialist behavior than with the accused.....who does happen to be loud and opinionated. Since when is that a crime????? If it were, I'd be a resident of a small cell somewhere.

I just wonder if circulating such a letter is actionable........slander, defamation of character, whatever.

Close rant.
Click to expand...

Was the letter actually mailed via USPS?

John
 
Re: Anonymous accusations

Hello MR. Rees,

Yes, the letter is actionable, but, to what end? It's anyone's guess as to whether it would be prudent to try and find the letter-writer and then, file a suit.
Does the letter state any other accusations other than "unprovolked and anti-social behavior"?

Is the neighbor aware of these letters? I'm sure your neighbor may have a clue as to whom had sent the letter. It's quite possible that the writer is not even from your neighborhood. All too often such letters are prompted from a Work, Family, or Social acquaintance, and meant to only harass the target person.

I wish him luck,
Hammer
 
Re: Anonymous accusations

Dick Rees said:
Yes. Quite a bit more. The "unprovoked anti-social behavior" is just an unsubstantiated opinion. The other stuff gets serious......
Click to expand...

Hello Dick

Well, you can't just stop there, now you have our curiosity up.

In 1999 a friend of mine that lies not to far from me started getting letters dropped in his mailbox. Someone wanted to know who all had weapons in the neighborhood, so they could coordinate a neighborhood militia for when Y2K happened. He ignored the first one, and got a stronger worded second one. Then someone mentioned that they hadn't seen him at the neighborhood meeting. It was all a bit weird for him. But things settled back down after y2k came and went.

Regards, Jack
 
Re: Anonymous accusations

Show the letter to the accused. Let him/her decide if the information is slanderous. Technically it would be considered Libel because the words are printed and distributed. According to a cursory reading of the Wikipedia article on defamation, your state of Minnesota has criminal laws on the matter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_defamation_law#Criminal_defamation. To pass muster in a court of law, the claims about your neighbor must be false. Otherwise technially, no defamation occurred.

I think it's B.S. if the statements are indeed false. Otherwise though, while it may not be nice to talk about someone behind their back everyone has a right to free speech.
 
Re: Anonymous accusations

Update:

We've ID'd the letter writer. It appears that he is extremely paranoid and has a recent history of calling the cops at the drop of the hat.....or a pin. So the police are aware of the history on this. The AC is a hunter and as such no doubt has some sort of firearms in the house. I'm just hoping he's far from the snapping point, but wouldn't lay odds on him.

DR
 
Re: Anonymous accusations

Dick Rees said:
Update:

We've ID'd the letter writer. It appears that he is extremely paranoid and has a recent history of calling the cops at the drop of the hat.....or a pin. So the police are aware of the history on this. The AC is a hunter and as such no doubt has some sort of firearms in the house. I'm just hoping he's far from the snapping point, but wouldn't lay odds on him.

DR
Click to expand...


Hello Dick,

If by "AC", you mean the sometimes "loud and opinionated" neighbor that the letters were warning of....be cordial to him, express regret that he'd have to experience the letters being sent....but then, distance yourself from him and his hunting firearms.

You don't want to be any form of release for any anger that may be simmering in his head.

Just a friendly wave now and then... and keep your head down.

Cheers,
Hammer
 
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Re: Anonymous accusations

Charlie Zureki said:
Dick Rees said:
Update:

We've ID'd the letter writer. It appears that he is extremely paranoid and has a recent history of calling the cops at the drop of the hat.....or a pin. So the police are aware of the history on this. The AC is a hunter and as such no doubt has some sort of firearms in the house. I'm just hoping he's far from the snapping point, but wouldn't lay odds on him.

DR
Click to expand...


Hello Dick,

If by "AC", you mean the sometimes "loud and opinionated" neighbor that the letters were warning of....be cordial to him, express regret that he'd have to experience the letters being sent....but then, distance yourself from him and his hunting firearms.

You don't want to be any form of release for any anger that may be simmering in his head.

Just a friendly wave now and then... and keep your head down.

Cheers,
Hammer
Click to expand...

Nope. The AC stands for "anonymous coward"......a term I picked up from the PSW (Pro Sound Web). The neighbor the letter referred to is a fine fellow. A bit eccentric, but who am I to judge eccentricity?

No. The letter writer has sent his poison pen letters only to those in the neighborhood on whom he has NOT called the cops. And that lets out a significant portion of those around him. And for anyone who thinks I'm dissing a "hunter" you couldn't be more wrong. I'm only saying that, as a hunter, he likely has firearms in the house. It is becoming clear that we have a very disturbed individual in our midst......and it ain't the one being written about. It is the writer.

I WILL be keeping my head down and my eyes and ears open.

Dick (Duck!!!) Rees
 
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Re: Anonymous accusations

My Grandma says "If it weren't for all these people around, it would be a lot easier to get along."

I shared a driveway with an interesting character for a few years - my roommates and I got accused of a number of interesting things. Thankfully that ended when we moved. Glad the cops are aware of your situation.
 
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