Life Next to Sick Nick in Porterville, California

By Courtney Gillespie

The folks around here call the place next door Sick Nick's Ranch. When you finish hearing this story you will understand why.

Nick's long time friend, Fred Thompson, left suddenly on May 15^th this year. This was right after a complaint was filed there for child molestation. We read about it on the Internet, from the Tulare City Police Department.

Nick's last wife died under strange circumstances several years ago. How does a woman cave in her face falling off a bed when she is sitting down? It was ugly. Her brother wanted an investigation but it did not happen. The marriage lasted around six months before the funeral. Nick inherited what she had.

Many of us think Nick is a psychopath because he fits the description. Creepy guy who lies at the drop of a hat and gets what he wants no matter what he has to do. And when I say that, I am not exaggerating.

We did not know that when when this all began. We thought we knew Nick because he attended our church and we saw him socially from time to time. He walked my bride down the aisle at our wedding. Friends, you know? He kept up with what we were doing. In fact, as soon as my parents died and I inherited some money he appeared on my doorstep with this idea.

.We would buy property together, help each other build houses, and then help others do the same. It sounded good to me. I could just see us, living next door, helping when someone had troubles. Our grand-daughter spent a lot of time with us and she and Nick's daughter played together constantly.

Nick's disabled son also looked at us as his grandparents. It was like an extended family.

Strange thing. After I built his house he decided he wanted us gone. Let me be clear. I built his house, put in the foundation (add some details) If I had been paid it would have cost him (fill in)

He got it for free. Free. Even though this is something I do for a living I did it because we had an agreement twixt us. I help him, and he will do the same when we build.

Somehow, our house never got build. Today we are still living in the temporary trailer.

You can tell someone wants you gone when they .saw down your fence, Steals your equipment, refused to return them, shoots one of your dogs, maims another, and poisoned the rest. He also shoots at us, sneaks around at night, stealing from the neighbors houses around here, and screaming in the middle of the night. Very un-neighborly gestures, don't you think.

The cops know. They just roll their eyes now when they come out.

Hoffman runs his business, FirstAmendment Radio and Radio Liberty Live from his home. (add other station) We pay for his electricity because he refused to let us put in our own meter so we have to pay his to have electricity.

For the last six years we have been paying the electric bill for Nickolas Hoffman. Hoffman's bill last month was $2,200. Our bill is around $120.00 of that.

We have filed a mechanic's lien against Hoffman for $724,000 for our costs. Yep. This includes non-payment, harassment and other costs plus lost work time. We both work regular jobs. I'm an engineer and my wife is a psychiatric nurse working for the State of California.

Yesterday, we called the police because we wanted to turn off his electricity because he refuses to pay us. We wanted them to keep the peace. So Hoffman lied yet again. He called the Southern California Edison. The technician came out and threatened us. He refused to give us his name. But he said he would make us pay for Hoffman's electricity and then said he would turn ours off. Then he found out he couldn't do that entirely because our line feeds Hoffman's

Welcome to Sick Nick's Ranch. Where sanity does not exist.