How do I stop a neighbor from filing frivolous lawsuits against me which he uses to harrass and intimidate me?

Answer 1

You can phone a lawyer. It maybe better to try to work things out with your neighbor in an adult manner. Its better to just make your apology, swallow your pride, than spend thousands of dollars on nothing but a grudge.

Answer 2

If, in fact, there is no factual or legal basis for the underlying suit(s), many states have a statutory provision that allows for the recovery of attorney's fees against the proponent of the suit(s). Recovery under those statutes presumes that you retained counsel to represent you, in which case you may be able to get an award of fees intended to reimburse you. That award would be in the contest of one of the suits filed against you.

Your state may also recognize a cause of action for "abuse of process" which, in general, seeks damages for the improper use of judicial process to harass or annoy without factual or legal basis. Generally, pursuing that remedy would require you to initiate a separate cause of action, and would likely require the assistance of a lawyer. Therefore, you will want to be mindful of whether you can prove real damages, and also the collectibility of any judgment obtained.