Lori E. Christensen White Bear Lake, Minnesota woman dubbed ‘neighbor from hell’ charged with stalking and harassing neighbors, real estate agent trying to sell empty house next door.
A Minnesota woman with a history of terrorizing neighbors ‘over the years’ has been charged with stalking after allegedly harassing real estate agents and prospective buyers looking at the home next door to her residence.
Lori Elaine Christensen, 57, of White Bear Lake, was charged with two counts of stalking this week, one of them a felony, after repeated efforts to frighten off potential home buyers, according to the Star Tribune.
Christensen, better known as the ‘Neighbor from hell’ amongst locals is said to keep the head of a female mannequin mounted on a stake on her deck, with the woman turning the head to face her neighbors when agitated- amongst a ‘long list of eccentricities’.
Christensen according to filed court documents is alleged to have photographed and videotaped clients, posted ‘No Trespassing’ signs facing the for-sale property, taunted real estate agents, harassed cops and city officials with a variety of complaints, along with yelling disparaging remarks at clients, including claims that ‘meth users’ had lived in the home.
In one particular instance, Christensen swore at a real estate agent, told him to get out of her neighborhood and threatened to call police because of where he parked his car before slapping her butt as they drove away.
Laundry list of complaints against ‘neighbor from hell’
‘My buyers actually liked the house and really liked the location, but we had an encounter with the neighbor which completely convinced the buyers that they wouldn’t make an offer on the house,’ said one real estate agent, according to court documents cited by Bring Me the News.
But there’s more.
Christensen is also alleged to have taunted and frightened the previous home-owners who moved into the house in 2016, only to move out in December. According to the complaint, Christensen immediately began videotaping her former neighbors, upon them moving in. The next door couple said their daughter stopped playing outside ‘for fear of getting filmed.’
In 2019, Christensen e-mailed city officials to report her neighbors were storing items on public property, were parking in no parking zones and that a new fence the family put up exceeded city height limits and should be torn down.
Not the first time on the merry go round
The woman’s behavior earned Christensen the nickname ‘Neighbor from hell’ as far back as 2013, when she was sentenced to a second consecutive five-year probation after pleading guilty to violating a restraining order.
Christensen generated national infamy that year when she was the focus of a “20/20” segment on ABC News in 2013.
‘We fear for our lives and for the lives of the renters and prospective home buyers and agents,’ said the previous neighbors in filed court documents. ‘I am losing sleep. I even experience a physical reaction when I am faced with a situation that involves her. I start shaking and feel very sick to my stomach from fear. This feeling of fear and intimidation has increased significantly of late as we have prepared to sell our house.’
Christensen has previous convictions for domestic assault and violating a harassment restraining order. In 2013, she was sentenced to five years probation and 50 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a felony harassment charge. She was also ordered to stay away from her next door neighbor victims.
Responding to the latest crop of charges against her, Christensen told investigators that she has a First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and that she videotapes conversations to protect herself and always remains on her own property. Indeed.
Christensen who posted a $20,000 bond Friday, is due back in court June 24. If convicted on the felony stalking charge, she faces up to 10 years in prison and/or up to a $20,000 fine.
