Annoying neighbors-need help (1 Viewer)

[JoanPablo_T]

Hey guys,

So I have some annoying downstairs neighbors, They consistently either slam their door, or forcefully close it. This also goes for the patio door. I have tried to eliminate any excessive noise I make. (Lower HT system, keep music down etc) I have also spoken with the managers office twice, have often told them directly to try to close their door more carefully. I am at my wits end. They have 2 kids and they don't listen either. Anyone have any ideas??


although I am kinda just venting

 

[Alf S]

Asked to me moved to another apt??

 

[Shane Martin]

I would suggest this is ample ammunition to begin saving for a place that doesn't involve neighbors above or below you but then again I've seen housing prices in Cali. lately :frowning:

 

[Zen Butler]

JoanPablo, Alf and Shane kind of hit it. Wait it out until they move or move yourself. Do they have flats in Spring Valley? Back house?

I waited 2 years to get in this one. Businesses below, spread out and well separated. 4 flats total.

I have the best neighbors. All young adult to adult tenants, no florescent child toys sprinkled about, no blow-up pools, no loud-talkers, no chronic borrowers.

I do deal with the occassional HT shoot-out, battle of the stereos, battle of the bands and the famous "Where are you supposed to park in this city?" when friends come over.

Take your time, save and stakeout any potential residences that appear appealing. This was my strategy. Get out of those packed buildings, man. They'll suck the vitality right out of you.

 

[ScottR]

Hang in there....they will probably move soon.

 

[MikeH1]

lol you think you have problems with neighbors Joan?

I recently posted this on another board (gaming website I hang out at) about my neighbors so I'll copy it here for HTF to enjoy.



This is going to be my rant.

At the end of July I moved out of the city to a town about 45 minutes away. I moved in with Roxane and things between the 2 of us are going good and getting better. She was renting part of a house (the basement) and there's people upstairs renting the top floor. Two of them, no kids at home, somewhere in their 40's.

Within the first week I noticed something wasn't quite right. The laundry room is down here in the basement but seperate from our suite. The woman upstairs does laundry every day, two - four loads on average! No kidding, its like she's running a business. The landlord was around a week or so after I moved in and mentioned to me she was concerned about all the water usage (none of us in the house pay for water - the landlord covers it) I told her that it wasn't us and that the lady upstairs is doing way to much laundry for 2 people. So I'm waiting for a notice from the landlord to have to start paying for water because some moron is taking advantage of a good thing. She also recently started using Dettol (a harsh cleaning agent) in the machine and Roxane has now broken out in a itchy bad rash on her arms, back and neck. I told the landlord the other day that this was bullshit, I read the bottle and its a toilet bowl cleaner! The woman is using toilet bowl cleaner in the washing machine!

Since we live under these people we hear them all the time. Walking around, dropping things on the floor, sometimes being quite loud. When their young grandchildren come over for the weekend its a weekend of ear plugs. Ever have someone bounce a soccer ball on your ceiling for 3 hours straight? I couldn't even watch TV because it was so loud. But I choose not to complain...I mean they have to live after all. Its not like their cranking music, partying or being loud in an intentional sense, their just living, going about their daily lives. And I feel I have to respect that. Its a piss off but tolerable. Its an old house (1962) so its naturally going to have thin walls and such...I don't see pointing any blame on them will be constructive in any way (although I'll admit it has made me angry sometimes).

But here's the good part.

Most, I would think, would dream of having someone such as I for a close quarter neighbor. As many of you know, I'm on my pc a lot, 99% of the time wearing headphones and am NOT loud. I don't even listen to my home theater much anymore because since I enjoy it at a moderate level I don't want to disturb them. When watching cable TV, its not hooked up to the home theater speakers like it usually is, I use the tinny, crappy TV speakers so that I don't disturb them. I have done just about everything I can to keep it down. But its not good enough. In this old house, we have to contiuesly hear them bouncing around above us. But Roxane and I deal with it. Thats what happens when you share a house with others...your going to hear the other people. Its a fact of life and if you can't accept that then you better find your own place.

I continue to get complaints about "my talking". They can hear me talk. Faintly. Mostly its to all of you at Wolf I'm speaking with, when I'm on teamspeak. I'm not being loud or screaming, I'm simply talking and maybe laughing and playing my BF. I use headphones. And they can hear my speaking and it bothers them. They have asked me to "keep it down" during the nights, the days and the evenings ( I have recieved letters from them). Basicly, around the clock. Since all I'm doing is talking what their asking me to do is not speak in my own home. After trying to be resonable and attempting to work out a solution (I told him maybe we should soundproof with foam on my ceiling, they need to run a fan in the background to drown out the noise, perhaps then they need to wear earplugs then if their such lite sleepers). Since after some time I have come to the conclusion that talking to them is like talking to a brick wall, I recently told them to go f*ck themselves. Its my home and I'm going to speak when I want and how loud I want. I talked to the husband outside the other day and told him straight out "you telling me I can't speak in my home is as retarded as me asking you to not walk around in yours since I can hear it".

These people expect us to live like TZ's rats down here. Their allowed to galivant around upstairs but heaven forbid I better don't be speaking in my own home. A couple days ago I called the landlord and told her the story in a 15 minute conversation. That we're not partiers, and not excessivly loud, we're just trying to live but we can't even do that. She told me she would have a talk with them. I also told her to mention to the lady to quit using toilet bowl cleaner in the washing machine.

The landlord must have mentioned something. The people upstairs were nice enough since they have full cable TV to split their connection with us (its been like this since before I moved in) But yesterday we noticed no more cable TV. Looking at where the splitter was outside the house I can see he had taken ours off and essentially cut us (especially Roxane, shes the one that watched 90% of the TV around here) off from cable.

What a bunch of idiots. I can't believe it has led to this, stupid irrational people. I guess the only way to make them happy is if we walk around our home as mutes but of course have to deal with their noise. F*ck that.

But I guess now that we don't have cable TV, all we can do is watch movies. Time to fire up the home theater and give them something to really bitch about.



http://wolfgaming.net/wgn/vB/showthread.php?t=8639

 

[CaseyL]

I say you take off, and nuke the entire site from orbit...It's the only way to be sure!

 

[Bruce N]

Fuckin'-A!

 

[JoanPablo_T]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I was thinking of moving, but I may be leaving my job, so money may be tight.

 

[Karl_Luph]

I hear you Mike, it's time to crank those subs up and go right up in them. Let's see, I seem to remember someone mentioning in a thread once that U-571 gives the old subs a good workout. Keep us informed...

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Michael,

I've been in a similar situation as you. In April I moved from an apartment into a house, and that really solved the problem.

With me though, I was living above my neighbours, and they were constantly bitching about something or other. They were an older couple, and were known for their issues with others in the building. For me though, in particular, they would complain about me walking around in the evening, opening my closet door (it was on rollers), watching TV, watching movies, or when I had a girl over (if you catch my drift). One instance in particular had the wife confront me & my then girlfriend in the parking lot, with "I don't know what you & her do at 2:00 am, but it's keeping us up!". I retaliated with a "None of your business" type line, and walked away.

Of course, my "disturbances" were nothing compared to what they would do. Like they 2 years of ongoing (and unauthorized) renovation to their unit, which consisted of an entire kitchen remodeling, bathroom renovation, and room-by-room construction. Imagine waking up every morning to hammering, sawing, and drilling at 8:00 am, including weekends! Let's not forget the one Saturday a few years ago in which the husband decided to replace the windows. This was a delicate process that started at around 7:30 in the morning, and involved a hammer. And the Windows.

We were at odds for several years, which made my life quite stressful. Near the end of my tenure in that building though, things got better as I was on the board of directors with the wife, and we were forced to make peace. This didn't change the fact that there was a high degree of tension between us, but I did what I could to make things more comfortable.

In your situation though, I'd suggest drafting up a note addressing ALL of your issues, specifically that relating to the washing machine & the "detergent" they are using. Send the note via registered mail to the landlord, your neighbours, and YOURSELF. Don't open your copy though... leave it sealed in case you need it for proof later. Have Roxanne visit a doctor and get checked up to make sure that she's ok, and get records of everything. If there's a serious health risk involved here, then that might be something you'll want to bring to the attention of your landlord. I'm sure your "neighbours" will get quite a scare if they realize what they're doing is a SERIOUS health hazard, and one in which litigation is a feasible option.

In terms of noise-pollution... do your worst. If they can have kids over to bounce a soccer-ball on your head for hours on end, then you can introduce them to the joys of a Subwoofer & Jurassic Park at 10:00 pm.

They don't like it? Too bad, so sad... you might be mad, but I'm ever so glad.

Moe.

 

[Ricardo C]

Michael, here's what you should do: Invite the landlord over to show off your HT. Pick Star Wars, or LOTR, or anything else with a lot of loud action scenes, and crank up the audio. When the bastards come over to complain, let them see who your guest of honor is, who will hopefully be having the time of his life by then

 

[Tony Whalen]

Now that's just cruel.

Just set it up to keep repeating the TRex "footsteps" for a couple of hours....

 

[Philip_G]

I push my shiva up against the wall and let U571 rip with the gain all the way up.
Horrible for the driver, but satisfying for me

 

[MikeH1]

The landlord came over and we had a big discussion. Long story short, they have another house available and we looked at it. Its a bit more money but twice the size, brighter and much nicer than this place. So at the end of this month we're moving.

I told the landlord that he better be careful with the next tennants ... that he's just going to go through this all over again if he's not careful. And to say the truth, the people upstairs should be "asked to move out" if people can't even live in the suite below them.

I'm just thankful to be getting the hell out of here.

PS. Sorry to hijack your thread Joan, I just saw this neighbor thread and thought I would put my expirence in with yours.

 

[wayne-sun]

I had similar problems a few years ago and while searching possible solutions I came across this website;
http://jclement.ca/mirrors/humour/redneck_neighbour/
it is a long read but worth the time. It will put any problems you're having in a totally different light.