This is the view from the lake

What about putting up a trellis on each side and planting something pretty to cover them?

What a lovely home you have! You are in the right to enjoy and live peacefully in your home and yard. Document any time the jerk does something to keep you from enjoying your yard. Also check what you are legally allowed to do for planting and structure/ fence. You may be required to do a survey before putting in anything permanent. I prefer the idea of hedge down the side yard if possible as it will be thicker and possibly screen more. Put in the largest size you can afford or fast growers (in height). Ensure your property line is well marked so they don’t get planted on “his” side by accident. Another option is to get some large planters and put in tall shrubs. That can get expensive and possibly be a pain to water.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Other than the fact it drives the crazy neighbor nuts, is there a reason you can't put up a fence? Neighborhood restrictions? A fence is the fastest way to achieve any privacy and will take up the least amount of room of what appears to be a narrow lot. And it doesn't need to extend all the way to the shoreline....just enough to screen off your outdoor living areas.

The alternative is to plant some shrubs, preferably some fast growing evergreen ones suited to your location. I like the trellis idea as well but if a fence is a no-go, I'd wonder how well the trellis would go over.

I can see how a fence could alarm a lakefront neighbor as it might injure his most valuable asset, the water view. I would plant a hedge or hedgerow but not one tall enough to interfere with either of your panoramic views from your homes. Enjoy the privacy of lying on those chaises but don’t expect to create a total sanctuary. I’m sorry for your unpleasant neighbor. It can be awful but try to keep a sense of humor about it. And feel out other neighbors about their relationships snd strategies. You’re part of a larger community of the lake, not just your abutting neighbors. FWIW I’d take a curmudgeon over a pool, trampoline, smoker, vicious dog, and many other possibilities unfit to post.

I would put an elevated deck on the front, change the windows to doors, and put a privacy trellis on the “bad neighbor” side.

Plant a row of arborvitae.

Situations involving the cops being called are not going to be solved with landscaping - as it stands now you can't even have outdoor living related service providers merely make an appearance to provide an estimate without an incident resulting. (Unless the cops were able to get him to cool it from now on - something you are apparently assuming was not the case). So what's the neighbor going to do if you actually go ahead and add privacy creating elements to your property? Especially if you try to rely on something that can be deformed or even killed such as a hedge planting?

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions! HU... I plan on a maple tree on the right and dug the hole for it so that the neighbor had a chance to complain about it before I spend money. We shall see! And I have been looking for furniture. Picky me can’t find what I like!

Shivece .... great idea! I had also though about that but the winds off the lake are incredible and not sure a trellis could withstand them 😕

Sarah... the documentation is very long... started out with us having a ladder sitting in the side of our garage.... then over a peony and spiraled from there. We got a survey after the flower incident and he went crazy over that! Strung a line, pained orange markers everywhere.... we are legally allowed to have anything we want. But are kind of afraid 😱 I am thinking about a hedge though. I just worry he will kill them...

Garden gal... no legal reason I can’t put up a fence. His issue is he only has about 6 inches past his heat pump to bring things to his backyard without coming on ours. I thought fences make good neighbors but can’t with this one. When the fence guy was here he yelled at us in front of him saying “you are going to regret this you mother f’rs”. And went absolutely berserk for 5 hours...
And mind you he is 70 years old.

Kitasei .. all true about the other kinda of neighbors. We are a small cove, 11 houses. They all know they are crazy but at least he tolerates them. We are the new people... the other neighbors love us and know what they have been doing and hate the war. One who is a judge even tried to mediate the situation but the neighbor would have no part of a mediation when we were more then willing to try.

Rachel.... we looked into that but it would require a permit and variance which he would likely fight with the town 😕

Joseph... thank you! Looking into that.

Embothrium... you hit the nail on the head. Anything we do is going to bother him. The cops had been called by others in the past but nothing changed. The neighbor who tried to mediate told him he will be the one who ends up with endless lawyer bills and fines if he doesn’t stop his crap. He hasn’t been violent since last year but the staring, giving the finger to our camera everytime he walks by, driving very fast by the house etc etc... is almost as bad.

So that’s the situation.. This house was a 100 year old uninsulated shack when we bought it. We have had a lot of construction going on the past 5 years but only to make it better and will definite increase the property values.

Thank you again for all of your response! Have a great Tuesday.