'Neighbor from hell' speaks out following plea deal

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - The Twin Cities woman who has garnered international attention after being dubbed the "neighbor from hell" is defending herself in an exclusive interview with KARE 11.

"There are two sides of every story and I have not been able to get mine out at all," said Lori Christensen.

Christensen, 50, pleaded guilty Monday to violating a restraining order against her old neighbors in White Bear Lake. She is scheduled to be sentenced in September, which should bring an end to what has been a long neighborhood drama.

"Did I do anything wrong? Probably putting some of those signs out but really it was my first amendment right," Christensen told KARE 11.

Those signs she's talking about included one that read, "I saw mommy kissing a breathalyzer", that she hung on her house in White Bear Lake. It appeared to be directed to her neighbors Kim and Greg Hoffman. Kim is a recovering alcoholic.

"It doesn't allow you to heal completely. It's putting it in your face every day," said Kim Hoffman.

But Christensen tells KARE 11 those signs were not directed to anyone in particular. So why put them up in the first place?

"It was New Year's Eve. I'm a MADD supporter. Don't be driving drunk," she said. "I felt it wasn't implying anyone's name. I used to put cute signs up for my daughter."

But a Ramsey County judge did not agree, sending her to jail for several weeks last year after allegedly violating a restraining order. And for more than a year, she's had to stay away from her house and the neighborhood.

Christensen is in the process of selling the house and says she lost her job because of what happened. She claims she is the victim, and she was the one being harassed.

"My life for the last three years (was) videotaped," she said.

Behind that camera was Greg Hoffman who says police advised him to start recording to back up his allegations of harassment.

"It's upsetting because when you don't take responsibility and you are not accountable for your own actions, chances are you are going to repeat those actions whether it to be us or someplace else," she said.

Both families agree this neighborhood dispute started several years ago when their children got into a typical argument between neighborhood kids. And both are concerned about what this has done to their children. The Hoffman's have three children together, Christensen has one.

But nowboth families say they want to move on just in separate neighborhoods.

"It's unfortunate that this thing has snow balled," said Christensen.