Hi Justin--Yes, the story is absolutely real. I pride myself on being honest in life and in writing. I took a look at the link you posted. Thank you. I will look more closely at it. I doubt I will be sharing it with Susan, because as I wrote, I haven't even been able to catch her eye to wave hello on the rare times I see her lately when walking into town. We are not on the kind of friendship basis where we get together and socialize--I think we just have a special bond because we both entrusted our precious babies to the same woman (our nanny).

I agree with you completely that harassing neighbors is wrong. IDK how to stop that. Even when I was a girl in Dumont, New Jersey, 30 minutes north of Montclair, our next-door neighbors complained about the leaves our tree dropped on their lawn. My parents finally had it chopped down. But that tree was part of my girlhood, and I loved climbing it and sitting in the branches. That was a sad day.

On the other hand, the same neighbors liked to clip the flowers that grew on our shrub but on their side of the property. That was fine.

But as you can see, getting along with neighbors takes a lot of finesse.

I do hear your important point about Black people being in danger with a reported violation....injured or even murdered....I do hear you.

Again, I have been on the receiving end of property complaints, not on the giving end. Thank you, Justin.

Sincerely, Alice