In January 2010, Firstenberg filed a lawsuit against his neighbor, seeking damages of $530,000, for "refusing to turn off her cell phone and other electronic devices." He claimed that because of shared wiring, electromagnetic fields from his neighbor's electronic devices were keeping him up at night and destroying his health. He stated that he was made homeless as a result. The First District Court of New Mexico dismissed the case in September 2012, citing lack of sufficient supporting evidence. Firstenberg filed an appeal of the dismissal in the District Court in December 2012. On March 9, 2015, the New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal by the district court.