You Want To Be A Private Detective-Confrontations

I was hired to work a case last month on an outer island last week that entailed interviewing a number of people who had signed a petition for relief of civil nuisance against a neighbor.  As I drove, parked, and walked through the neighborhood, I identified myself, offered credentials, and identified parties at the addresses listed.  The addresses were all on designated agricultural land according to the tax map records, but were identified as “condominiums” even though they were single unit unattached dwellings often with acres of land in-between the residences.  There was a mixture of concrete driveways, and gravel and grass driveways.  Some locations had more formal enclosures, gates or walls.  Some stated private property in front or around their addresses.  Many had no identifying numbers. Most areas used their front yards as parking, with vehicles and boats in ready view. 

At one particular residence a middle aged woman identified herself as one of the parties of the listed address.  I gave her a short explanation as to my purpose, and she immediately played the “I don’t remember game”.  

I don’t remember when I signed.

I don’t remember what was said.

I don’t remember who approached me.

I don’t remember what I was given to read.  

She did, however, look at her signature and affirmed that she had signed.  There was another females name and signature attached to the same address.  I asked this woman if she knew the other party named.  She immediately bristled in front of me. (In my minds eye I saw her turn into a porcupine awaiting to launch her quills at me. Perhaps I have been reading too many shifter novels this year, or maybe she really was a porcupine and those books are telling the truth!) 

The woman said in a firm voice, “That is my partner.”  I asked if she was available.  She told me no, her partner was showering and would not speak to me.  I noticed a woman had just stepped out on the porch as I turned to leave the area, because it was very clear that there was nothing else that could be gained.

I went to the next address and spoke for over a half an hour to that male witness, recording the information in my notes and went to the next location that had been identified by the cooperative male witness.

That location was at the top of the subdivision and I passed through a formal concrete driveway that had pillars on either side and rod iron fencing outside identifying a property line.  A sign on the fencing approaching the gate said Private Property.  There were no visible numbers on this location, but I felt confident it was the correct residence based on the recent directions.  I drove up and called out to an older filipino male in the parking area next to a pickup truck.  He stated that he only worked at the location and did not know the address.  He directed me to continue up the steep drive to the front of the home where a woman owner was inside.  I did.  The woman was pleasant and told me to go to the bottom of the property at the ‘stoop’ and I would find the party I was looking.

I backed out of this difficult driveway and notice that the ‘I don’t remember woman” was standing next to a small bright blue compact vehicle blocking the exit from the property, and another middle aged woman, the one I believed had been standing on the porch of her residence as I left, was approaching me with her telephone in her hand, talking aloud.  I took that to understand that she was filming me and my rental vehicle.  I rolled down my window and she stuck the camera closer to my face and told me that I was trespassing, harassing the neighbors, and that she was a caretaker for the complex and told me to leave.  I calmly told her that I would if they would move the vehicle from the exit.  She continued to rant at me.  I calmly took out my camera and took her picture and the other woman at the entrance blocking my way.   That seemed to make her pause for a moment. I again stated, since she was still recording me, that she was blocking my exit and reiterated my request for them to move the vehicle.  They did and I pulled out of the private driveway and stopped a ways from the entrance, on the shoulder to write some notes and they approached me again.  I put my vehicle in drive and left the area to avoid any further confrontations.  

I am very clear on the laws in Hawaii from my years of law enforcement.  None of my actions were neither criminal in nature, or disrespectful.   I am curious to hear from other private detectives if you have had any similar experiences, and how you handled the situation in this age of social media, where I suspect I am now being “played”.