Friend hassled by politician

[gillarosa]

ok fair enough, lets just say they were told not to approach house or communicate with person concerned. They are not random in the sense they were told the person was not interested at least 4 times. I think maybe it is cos one of their workers is delivering who maybe do not know and apparently cannot read

Or maybe the Politician and his volunteers are pretty busy going door-to-door and haven't noticed the sign. As its rare here for private homes to request its not like the 'no soliciting' signs people in that line may be used to in the US or other Countries and know automatically not to post in flyers.

IMO if your friend actually has grounds for actual and real harassment by this Politician (which flyers in the letterbox are not) it should be dealt with legally, likewise if its something unwinable or if its something simply in his head he needs to learn to let go before it affects him badly.

 

[aetius]

Something like 2% of these are only actually read and I speak as a 'dropper' of these leaflets. I find it amazing that these are causing distress to one individual as opposed to all the neighbours and the (probably) hundreds of others who received same leaflet.

 

[bacchus]

Also I have to pay to have my bins collected

Don't you have a green bin for recycling paper/cardboard/tins/plastics, collected for free every 2 weeks?

 

[Vanilla]

Harrassment is an offence, punishable by a prison sentence and/or a fine.

If your friend is genuinely being harrassed and feels that the leaflets are part of this then he should report all such incidents to the gardai. If the incidents are deemed harrassment by the gardai they can prosecute the individual involved. Nothing you have said amounts to harrassment however you have said there is a background and maybe that is what should be reported to the gardai.

Other than that I presume your friend could write to the politician involved and point out that leaflets are being delivered to his address which are unwelcome and ask him to refrain from future delivery of same either personally or through an agent. If this behaviour persists I suppose your friend could make a complaint to the Dail committee ( I'm not sure of the relevant section, maybe someone else could help).

 

[Padraigb]

My use of the idea of what people would generally agree with was somewhat informal. The real test is what a judge would think. A good solicitor would have an idea about that.

I can't say what it might cost, because I am one of those lucky people who has got through life so far without having to resort to litigation. But I don't think it would be cheap. There is also a non-financial cost to consider: such a legal action would be public.

One thing that might work to your friend's advantage is that politicians generally want to avoid embarrassment and bad publicity. It might be sufficient to have a solicitor send a formal letter stating that any approach to your friend or his home will lead to your friend applying for an injunction.

All in all, because your friend is suffering distress, it looks to me as if he should consult a solicitor.

 

[truthseeker]

Could your friend not approach whoever is delivering the flyers personally and point out the sign on the house stating No Ads.

Maybe also change the sign to a bigger one stating 'No Unsolicited Mail' (maybe the deliverer thinks No Ads means advertisements for products as opposed to ads for politicians).

 

[Smashbox]

I would wait in and try and catch the person delivering the flyers, and tell them that you don't want them.

 

[nuac]

Re the poster suggesting an injunction. Even if you can swear an affidavit supporting a stateable case for an injunction, such orders are at the discretion of the judge

V ery likley to refuse to entertain it as a waste of court time.

 

[Padraigb]

Re the poster suggesting an injunction. Even if you can swear an affidavit supporting a stateable case for an injunction, such orders are at the discretion of the judge

V ery likley to refuse to entertain it as a waste of court time.

As "the poster suggesting an injunction", it bothers me that you try to better my careful advice with your confident assertion that a judge would be very likely to refuse an injunction.

Jane Doe has not explained to us why her friend is distressed. Without that information, we cannot guess what a judge might decide. That is why I suggested getting advice from a solicitor about the chances of success.

 

[Jane Doe]

Could your friend not approach whoever is delivering the flyers personally and point out the sign on the house stating No Ads.

do you think my friend has nothing else to do and as i have said several times they have been told several times to keep away. How many times do i have to say that?They have been told several times my friend does not want them approaching the house and does not want their literature or anything to do with them

Also, how could they be at home each time or even know the time

maybe the deliverer thinks No Ads means advertisements for products as opposed to ads for politicians).

see large text above

 

[Smashbox]

Jane

People are only trying to help here - you did come here to ask for help after all.

Perhaps you should be a little more polite and not so snappy at people who have taken the time to try and help you. I for one, won't be trying again.

 

[Jane Doe]

do you realise how frustrating to have to write the same thing again and again. i did say thanks to the people who advised me and who showed they had read it. no offence i am tired of repeating myself.again thanks for all replies

 

[MandaC]

At the moment I am being hassled by Sky/Bord Gais/ESB/Visa/Mastercard in cahoots with an Post. They keep delivering offensive paperwork through my letterbox. Every night I come home from work there is more. They say they wont stop either, until I pay!

Seriously though, Is the politican affiliated to any party. If the answer is yes, would it be worth your friend sending a registered letter to them outlining the exact circumstances of exactly how he/she is being hassled (which does not appear to have been disclosed on the site) by the Politician. In my opinion, there needs to be more to it than a few leaflets going though the door. Request an official response.

 

[shesells]

I'm with the majority here who can't see what the issue is. I absolutely hate getting labels in from "charities" for clothes collections - but they go straight into the green bin. As do 90% of all other flyers I get in the door. Recycling is free at the moment.

In my experience most of the leaflet droppers (unless Party activists) are agency staff and for the most part not native English speakers - hence the sign not working. Plus surely the neighbours are getting the same leaflet so your friend cannot claim to be targetted or harassed.

As for asking to be left off a leaflet run, be practical - there's one TD (if indeed it is a TD) for approximately every 25,000 people in the country. To single one constituent out of thousands on the delivery run is not feasible.

As an aside, I think this is more of a LOS thread than a legal one.

 

[Brooklyn]

Maybe also change the sign to a bigger one stating 'No Unsolicited Mail'

Or how about "no political leaflets"

 

[mathepac]

At the moment I am being hassled by Sky/Bord Gais/ESB/Visa/Mastercard in cahoots with an Post...

LOL, me too!

@Jane Doe, you seem to be getting rather exercised both by your friend's problem and some of the responses posted. The shouty response above was OTT, which I guess was my first reaction when I read the nature and extent of your friend's problem with the political leaflets.

Rhetorical question: Is there any chance that "your friend" is really you?

 

[Jane Doe]

LOL, me too!

@Jane Doe, you seem to be getting rather exercised both by your friend's problem and some of the responses posted. The shouty response above was OTT, which I guess was my first reaction when I read the nature and extent of your friend's problem with the political leaflets.

its not so much with the leaflets.....ah no point in repeating

Rhetorical question: Is there any chance that "your friend" is really you?

Rhetorical answer: what would be the advantage of that?
As you do not know the history you cannot understand the issue. Thanks for al the replies especially the reasoned ones who read took time to to read that there is history. Sorry for the shout, frustrated by repeated questions, i apologise

 

[nuac]

Padraigh

My advice re the futility of an injunction application in this case is based firstly on reading through the thread and then decades of practice as a solicitor and with experience of many many injunctrion applications.

I am not a betting person, but a book could possibly opened on how far down the court the indignant judge would throw the papers= that is assuming a solicitor and and possibly a barrister could be persuaded to take on the case.

The person complaining should get out and about more, or else we are all being wound up.

 

[mathepac]

...how far down the court the indignant judge would throw the papers...

Is the judge related to OP's friend, or even the leaflet posters?

...The person complaining should get out and about more, or else we are all being wound up.

Agreed.

 

[McCrack]

I think this thread is exhausted.

Jane youre too defensive regarding other posters. People can only go on the information you post and on the face of it it seems a silly inconvenience having unwanted leaflets posted in ones letterbox but such is life.

More pressing issues going on in the world.