Well, he sounds like a nasty piece of work.
I suppose you should be thankful, he hasn't found your outside water meter, with the stop cock.
As, if he had, he could have bought a packet of quick setting mortar from brico marche ( other diy shops are available), and sneaked round at night with a couple of two litre bottles of water, and turned the stop cock off, and then filled up the hole with the mortar. If he had done that, you would probably have done considerable damage to your water stop cock, trying to get a water supply switched back on.
And all the while this was going, you wouldn't have had any water.
I guess you should be thankful for small mercis ;-))
A friend of mine has a neighbour opposite her who has been up to all kinds of awful stuff. He poisoned one of her dogs, cut down a tree in her garden during the night (yes! really!), and wrote a letter to the authorities accusing her of abusing her foster children. The reason was that her house was originally a farm, and around this time her mother decided to sell the land off for a few houses. This guy assumed that he would be able to buy the land for a pittance and make a killing building houses himself.
She eventually went to the gendarmes, who advised her to keep careful detailed notes of everything that happened, and to come back and see them if there was anything more. Since then I haven't heard of any further problems, though I don't know if the gendarmes paid the guy a visit.
Might it b possible that he is not aware of what his weedkiller is doing to your grass? Is he working your land and paying you, or just driving over it? If you own the land he works, you should be able to recover it a little at a time, in carefully selected sections, by simply planting a hedge and trees in strategic spots. We had to do that once, but it was on our farm land being worked by a local; second or third generation. While it does decrease acreage which means less profit for the farmer, if done gradually over a couple/few years time, it seems acceptable to the neighbors, and it's legal. Otherwise, I think Tom has a good suggestion which you could carry out at the same time. You could even invite him and a couple of other well chosen neighbors at the same time for tea and talk. Even if he doesn't come, he'll certainly be frought with the thought of your audacity...or kindness.
Great advice from everyone so far! I'll throw in my suggestions - find the neighbours who are cat owners. Make sure you have your poor kittie with you. Also get talking to the neighbours with children - say you don't know what he is spraying and show them the effect on the grass. Take pictures. You might get him via the Maire on health grounds.
any idea why he behaves this way Catherine? anti Brit? anti neighbours? anyone else having probs with him...? I agree that bullies are cowards...and being a lady with a temper...I would most def. have a go...but wouldnt advise anyone else to do that...as was said ....it could escalate..but ignoring is tantamount to giving him permission to continue...the Maire certainly a good step and making friends with others the best idea...and then...once you have made good contacts share your concerns... chin up....he sounds like a miserable old git...wish you a speedy resolve..
Do you know what he is spraying? Perhaps use that as a question in trying to make an opeining with him?
Droit de passage doesn't give his the right to 'maintain' the path. I'm really sorry for you and your cat. I had several similar experiences since arriving in france.
Bullies are usually cowards. A solution is to make good friends with all the neighbors. There is nothing like social pressure to change these situations. I've had neighbours who were superb help. They know the ropes better than you. The last thing you should do is nothing. Get out there and meet as many nice people as possible. Make as many friends as possible and he will become afraid to go near you. Right now he probably thinks you are isolated and vulnerable. A perfect target for a racist.
So throw a party. Invite the other neighbors. Cook cakes for local charities. Go to the shop and chat with everyone. Borrow sugar. Do anything to get to know the people and make friends there.
Kate finishes with a point that is the crunch. Also, is your maire a farmer?
You know, I am really concerned about escalating this situation. I really think this man is capable of almost anything. I would rather just go to the Mairie and ask them to issue or post some kind of statement to us all, reminding the villagers what the regulations are.
Farmers seem to be a law unto themselves. Photograph him on the wrong side of the line between his and your property spraying, take that to your Mairie and make it clear you have a bigger case against him for other things he is doing that you will take to the tribunal if he is unable to do anything. It's all threats but about the best you can do.