WASHINGTON (AP) -- A temporary order by a Superior Court judge is keeping one man from lighting up inside his home in the District of Columbia. WJLA-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1BrlPLl ) that Edwin Gray's next door neighbors in northeast Washington have filed a civil suit claiming that they are being harmed by smoke that sneaks into their home through a hole in the basement. They are seeking an injunction and $500,000 in damages. Now Gray, who loves a cigarette to relax, must smoke outside. "You want me to stop what I've been doing in my house, all my life," he said. A judge issued a temporary injunction last week saying neither Gray nor any family or guests may smoke in the home the family has owned for 50 years. "We were floored," said Gray's sister, Mozella Johnson. She was shocked a lawsuit filed by neighbors who moved in last year could now dictate what they do inside their home. In court filings and a statement given to WJLA-TV, the neighbors said they tried to work with Johnson and Gray, and filed suit when mediation attempts failed. The plaintiffs are listed in court records as Brendan and Nessa Coppinger. Johnson said they will fight. "If this judge has done this, who will be next? What other neighbor will be next?" Johnson asked. D.C. real estate attorney and Washington Post columnist Benny Kass said he was surprised to learn of the injunction. "I think it's an excellent precedent to start, so people can realize you can't just ignore your neighbor," Kass said. "Your home is no longer your castle." Kass believes this decision may set a precedent for public nuisances in the District. "I think this is going to open the door to a lot of thinking, a lot of cases," Kass said. "I gotta believe once this comes out there's going to be 100 cases filed in Superior Court tomorrow."