THERE ARE TWO SIDES to every story. In this case—two
households and two versions. On a summer evening last June in North
Portland, Laurel Wilson and her partner Brittany Clarke threw a
backyard party. Next door, William and Denise Zinter twice called the
police to report a noise disturbance, kicking off a battle between
neighbors that’s brought both sides to court, and has Wilson and Clarke
planning to move.
Shortly after the party, Wilson and Clarke claim they were kept
awake at night for almost a week as shop lights and sirens blasted
through their bedroom windows. On the Fourth of July, they were
startled as lit fireworks were thrown into their yard.
The situation escalated on July 9. Clarke and William Zinter left
their Arbor Lodge homes at the same time, but Clarke says she became
concerned when she realized he was taking the same route as her. Clarke
claims she attempted to lose Zinter by cutting across “two lanes of
traffic to get on the highway,” as she changed course to head to
Wilson’s work in busy Montgomery Park, located in the NW Industrial
District. Wilson waited for Clarke outside the office complex. Wilson
attempted to confront Zinter, but he “peeled out close enough for me to
touch his car,” Wilson says.
Confused, angered, and frightened, the women called the police to
report the incident and appeared in court the following day with a
lawyer to ask for a temporary stalking order against William Zinter. A
temporary order was granted and a court date was set for one month
later.
The court date arrived and both parties presented their sides.
Zinter claimed he was headed to Montgomery Park to visit the
administrative offices for his bank, Onpoint Credit Union. Though the
judge pointed out that this was a “whale of a coincidence,” according
to Wilson, a permanent stalking order wasn’t granted.
On October 5, the Zinters caught Wilson and Clarke off guard by
filing a civil suit in the small claims department asking for $5,117.
Court documents explained it was payment for a fence, a security
system, and loss of time and job position at William Zinter’s work.
The Zinters built the fence to keep the neighbors out of their yard,
claiming Wilson had trespassed by entering their yard to retrieve her
cat after the temporary stalking order was granted. Police later
contacted Wilson to tell her she had trespassed, and the Zinter
household was concerned that she had been planting bombs in their
bushes.
The two sides also tried mediation led by North Precinct Police
Officer Phillip Harper. Harper says he ultimately ended the meeting,
saying it was “obvious [Denise Zinter] didn’t want a peace
session.”
Now, with the small claims suit dropped and the stalking order no
longer valid, Wilson and Clarke say they’re looking forward to selling
their house this year and moving elsewhere.