In Seattle, a man filed a 36-page complaint against his next-door neighbor, alleging that he suffered profound emotional distress from his neighbor’s dog’s “raucously, wildly bellowing and explosive” barking (photo from KOMO News).
The man filing the lawsuit claimed damages of $500,000. Because the neighbor-defendant never responded to the filed complaint, a default judgment entered on behalf of the aggrieved filer.
In some instances, conflicts like this can only be resolved through the judicial process. However, many conflicts can be resolved successfully through faster, less costly, and less arduous methods, such as mediation.