Yeah, I know. I'm a dick. But I didn't become a hermit because of my people skills...
Introducing a new neighbor, whom we'll call SurvivalDave. He's kind of a wannabe, but they can be cute when their hearts are in the right place and his seems to be. I dunno - maybe when he's in the city he's the second coming of Charles Manson. But what I see is a perfectly nice guy who doesn't deserve this crap.
Long story. Between the Property and S&L's Place, there's another settled parcel. Sort of settled. It's a nicely skirted trailer, a couple of utility sheds, solar panel rack, well and cistern. It was put in long before I arrived here, maybe ten years ago, and for all that time it has sat there untenanted, just sort of slowly falling back apart. It's not that rare. For years I never met the owners. One time, a couple of years ago, I saw activity there, went up to see what was up, and by the time I'd climbed the ridge the boys had this total stranger cornered against the wall of the trailer...
That was my introduction to SurvivalDave, though it was nearly two years before I saw him again. The property in question was a family affair, and a very complicated one even by the standards of many, er, dysfunctional families of my acquaintance. Suffice that the owner of record decided to sell it recently, more-or-less out from under his son-in-law who had been the driving force behind it. That would be SD. But property agreements out here can be...informal. S&L wanted the parcel as a buffer against possible unacceptable neighbors moving in too close to their place. They knew SD, and didn't really care about that little patch of buildings on the ridge, so they subdivided it and agreed to sell it to SurvivalDave. So he's become a more familiar visitor lately, and when I spotted him coming in yesterday I didn't think much about it.
Went up this morning to say hey. He was sitting on his porch, and before I was even out of the Jeep he started pouring out a sad story. He'd been on a business trip out of state for a week. When he got back he was served with protection papers right in the frickin' airport. He's been having problems with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and she apparently decided that while he was gone she ought to see about screwing up his life good, instead of simply divorcing him like a civilized person. He had to have a cop come with him just to collect some of his clothes. All his guns, gone - what little the ex hadn't disappeared he had to turn in to the cops. He didn't have anywhere else to go, so came up here to try and wrap his mind around it and make plans. Good thing he had it available, and that it isn't legally in his name yet. I gather he plans to leave it that way for a while. Can't blame him.
Nice. The "protection order" thing is the one trick my ex hasn't pulled on me, but for a while I waited for it, just because she could and conceivably would. Just to be mean. It seems to require no evidence that a guy is an actual danger to anyone. Just go to a judge and bang! Ruin a guy's life. You're done.
Sweet.
I really hate society sometimes. In a passionate and childishly nihilistic way. I really do.
Memes Before Lunch
4 minutes ago
5 comments:
You're not alone in your hatred. And this has me thinking that perhaps my guns would be safer in another location...
Ummm...
I'm blissfully ignorant... What does this mean??
"she apparently decided that while he was gone she ought to see about screwing up his life good, instead of simply divorcing him like a civilized person. He had to have a cop come with him just to collect some of his clothes. All his guns, gone - what little the ex hadn't disappeared he had to turn in to the cops."
Meaning that they were living in the same house, and she basically had the cops evict him and he got what he was able to carry? Why does that mean he had to turn in his guns to the cop (and I think I understand that the wife had already taken several - can't he report those as stolen disappeared whatever? especially if they're registered to him?)
Are most states about the same in these matters?
I used to see a lawyer in a favorite bar all the time (he was divorced and too ugly/smart to get remarried). I asked him once about the protection thing when it happened to one of the other regular drunks in the bar. He said it was standard practice and he would even talk the woman into it if she didn't want to do it. He would scare here and finally she would sign up to the program. I said, naively, why? He said because it meant more money for him since the guy had to fight to get his stuff back and the lawyer was involved in every action, thus more money, and going into court the burden was on the ex to prove he wasn't the bad guy in the marriage. So much for the law...
I didn't let my lawyer talk me into anything that I felt should not happen during my divorce. I didn't take half of what was owed to me...I regret that now because he made 150k per year at divorce and I made 26k 150k 401k was half mine but I didn't take it. I should have because I helped him earn it. But other than your half, it is very stupid for a soon to be ex to take more than his/her half. You screw yourself in the end that way.
Not to get on my soapbox...but this is the kind of shit that makes me want to never ever ever get married and leaves me with a healthy distrust of most women.
Just the fact that the law allows women to tarnish take all your shit & any children you may have at the drop of a hat...not to mention that 'he hit me' is enough to put you away in most jurisdictions, no evidence required.
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