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Guess I am lucky. My neighbors are awesome, don't have a single complaint about any of them. Super friendly, eager to lend a hand if I need help with something. Plus no revolving neighbors. I've lived in the same house for 14 years now, and no one has moved off of our street. We all own our properties, no rentals and we are all animal oriented and enjoy our quiet country life too. I love where I live, and appreciate it every day.
JohnnyK, if I remember correctly you are in Canada, so the laws may be a bit different - but would be worth checking into. Here in the US, there are laws about noise violations and generally the rental agreements state that you have the right to the quiet enjoyment of your property, so long as you are in compliance with the lease. It is the manager's obligation to provide that to you. So, if he's not meeting his obligations you don't have to pay him. ONE CAVEAT - you can't cease paying rent, you just cease paying HIM. In these situations, what we do is set up an escrow account for our clients and send a letter to the landlord that we consider him to be in breach of the lease for failure to provide quiet enjoyment, as evidenced by the complaint on x date, the complaint on y date, the police report, etc., etc. (you get the picture). As a result, notice is hereby given that until the landlord fully complies with its obligations under the lease, all rental payments by you will be paid into an escrow account.Originally Posted by JohnnyK
The big caveat here is to be prepared. Some landlords get the message and will move to evict the troublesome tenant - since I would guess they are technically in breach of their rental agreement. What could really bolster this is if other of your neighbors have similar complaints and you could band together. However, I have also had landlords who completely go the other way, try to evict you and/or stop providing any service, like utilities, because they take the position (wrongfully, if you are in fact paying into an escrow account) that you are in breach of your lease for non-payment. Their attitude is to try and evict you and if you don't like it, you can sue - which I'm sure you know is not cheap. If you can find a legal aid clinic at a local university, these are exactly the types of cases they like to take on for experience, and the cost is usually pretty cheap.
If you don't want to go that route, then I agree about continuing to send notices to your landlord/manager. Look at your rental agreement about quiet enjoyment and try to refer to the provisions in the lease - specifically call him out on the breaches. And if it gets too loud, check the noise ordinances in your area - it might be worth continuing to contact the police to see if they can be cited. Sounds like at this point, the neighbor knows it is you who is complaining - and sounds like they are not sorry. I would be prepared for them to continue to be obnoxious and maybe even confrontational. I would be careful not to go overboard about every little noise (and it doesn't sound like you are), but be consistent. If you keep at it, it will come to a head - either by the police citing them and having them on their radars, by the landlord/manager deciding to get them out because they are a hassle, or by the neighbor doing something stupid, which hopefully gets him kicked out or even arrested. I just want you to be careful, whatever you do!
Thanks for the replies.
There are two people living next door, hence the fights with eachother all the time, but one of them is not here right now so it seems to be quieter until they come back.
What really ticked me off yesterday was when I found out that they wanted to report us for banging on the wall.
I talked about it with somebody today and will talk to a couple others later. Hopefully they will be able to help with the situation. I'll be sending the number of the managers to this somebody and they say they can help. I hope so. But I don't want things to get worse.
That's what I notice, actually. Whenever I want things to get better, they get worse.
Johnnyk....I live in Ontario Canada and we had neighbours like yours in our condo complex. The first time I went over to their house and told them to quiet down. They would come home from the bar at 3am and turn their stereo on so loud stuff would fall off of our shared walls. Eventually it got so bad that my daughter was scared to go outside because the neighbours were always sitting outside and would say things to us or to her. So........I started to call police each time and each time they came and could hear the noise they got fined. Eventually that fine was $1000.00 and they finally moved. I would never get involved myself anymore, I call the property manager and if nothing is done then I call the police. Thankfully both my neighbours are quiet now and we no longer have any party people around here. I too woke up to beer bottles and smoke butts in my backyard and contently threw them back in theirs.
JohnnyK, I think what M_shelll has posted here is a great place to start. Sounds like your biggest problem is actually the manager. It would probably feel difficult and awkward to approach the neighbour on the other side of these people's apartment, but if you can get the guts up to do it, then it'll just get easier approaching others. Good luck!
I did the revenge route with my loud neighbours once. They would have a loud party until three am... I would cut the lawn as soon as legal the next morning... but it only made them worse. Even if it made me feel better for a short while. I never once called the cops on my neighbours... sometimes it's the only way to go. Be persistant, and I hope it ends for you soon.
I'd add a bigto everyone who said let the manager take care of it - force the manager to take care of it. If you get any more personally involved than just banging on the wall, your neighbors will just take it out on you. Be polite, but firm and persistent with your apt. manager. Put everything in writing and like others said, get your neighbors involved too. Know YOUR rights as a tenant as well. If they know that YOU know the law, they're more likely to evict your neighbor and leave you alone.
I learned that lesson the hard way, BTW. The apartment complex I lived in when I was in college was always loud. The apartment upstairs from me had a rotating cast of tenants and even the ones who were quiet were still kind of loud. I'm pretty sure the walls and floors were made of cardboard. Anyway, this young girl moved in (I knew I was in trouble when I came home the day she moved in and her Barbie pink car was parked out front) and on the first day, she had her music blasting so loud that I couldn't even hear my TV. Trying to be nice, I went up to knock on the door and ask her to turn it down. She didn't even answer. I went over and got the manager and walked back with her and then stood there while she told the girl to keep her music down. I should have just gone back to my apartment instead and let the manager handle it.
What ensued was a two month long assault of noise. She'd come home at all hours and STOMP around - and have her friends do the same if they were there. She played her music too loud and basically acted like a brat. They were gearing up to evict her when she gave her 30-day notice, but I had to endure her for 2 months. Other neighbors told me that she hated me because I complained, so she was loud on purpose (duh - she wasn't very subtle), but they also all thanked me for doing something. I was SO happy to see her go. What a little bitch. I can't imagine she lasted as a tenant anywhere. I'm sure she'd either just moved out of the dorms or away from home for the first time and thought that living on her own meant she could do whatever she wanted.
The worst thing she did - and it still pisses me off to think about - involves my cat. He was indoor-only, but used to sit in the dining room window right by the stairs. One day, she was coming down the stairs and I heard her say "bang!" and I knew she'd pretended to shoot him. It seems a silly thing, but I sprang up off the couch and almost went out there. Then I realized there was no point. Still, I really do get mad when I think of it and it was at least 15 years ago.
Worst. Neighbor. Ever.
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
Oh geez I can relate to many of these stories. Loud music, parties and people who walk way too friggen loud. I swear, the woman upstairs must be the size of an elephant if I can hear every step thru concrete!
Then there were the guys who ended up being drug dealers. They worked 7 on, 7 off and that one week was so pleasant. The other 7 were hell. Fights, loud music, people passing out in the hallway/driveway. My landlord was provincial police, thought he would do something about it but never did. What I should have done after calling our local police would have been to call him also at 3 a.m. Except I was too considerate, didn't want to wake him or his wife. Pffft.
I really should write a book about these experiences, it's been an interesting ride. I am actually looking forward to the day I can move into a senior citizens' home. Finally I will have some peace and quiet!!
Based on stories I've heard, I think you'll be in for a rude awakening.
My first upstairs neighbor years ago was a student at the fire academy, so he always came home late at night and wore these huge boots. He couldn't have been quiet if he tried. I didn't really mind though because he was so nice.
The little community I live in now is so small - only 9 tenants and an onsite manager - and many of us have been here a long time, so whenever a unit opens up, I think we all hold our breath!
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
What's dd?
Also, why did they put noise on full tilt on Sunday if they knew the neighbours hated it? Did the neighbours complain a lot or something? I guess I just don't understand going out of your way to tick off someone unless they are really awful to you.
In fact, we had an elderly gentleman living across the street and everyone loved him, he was as sweet as pie. Even though he wasn't religious, he expressed distaste for lawn cutting on Sunday. Most of the neighbours just didn't cut their lawns on Sunday after that, and it was actually pretty nice to sit outside and hear mostly backyard noises that didn't involve load motors.
There were moments of peace in my old neighbourhood, when I think about it. Perhaps that is what I miss.
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