WWTD: Annoying Neighbors

[kolamum]

We recently moved and are stuck living next door to the worlds LOUDEST neighbors. I swear, when I sit in the toilet and the women greets people who come up to her house the vibration of her voice knocks me off my seat! It's LOUD.

 

I try, really I do, to be tollerant. Theyhave a 7 year old little girl who SCREAMS all THE TIME. The other day she was going at it for 45 minutes. My boys refused to play with her because of it and when she finally zipped it my kids went to play. Yeah, so they are playing away and she starts again and I storm out the door and say LOUDLY, "There will be NO screaming unless there is an emergency." She was shocked, taken aback, but has not screamed since unless playing with water.

 

The mother is a night owl. She stays up later, in her garage, with guys and friends and is LOUD. She laughs LOUDLY. They keep the outside light on which shines in my room. I've been tempted LOTS to use a slingshot on the bulb, seriously.

 

So, we lodged a complaint with our rental agency and they offered, after we gave it more time, to write a notice of complaint on our behalf. We haven't lodged a second complaint, but will be on Monday. Things had calmed down a bit.. until this weekend.

 

Did I mention they have a yippie small dog? It barks ALL the time. If I make ANY noise in my yard or in my home the bloomin thing goes off. I hate it. They got a second one for Christmas. The first one fights the second one.. all the time and barks even more now.

 

Last night the d... thing barked from 11 until 2. I got up and screamed at it to shut up. It stopped for a few minutes. Another neighbor screamed. The people in the garage did nothing. I finally called the police. They informed me I needed to call the council. Then he thought better of it and told me they are clearly not open and I should go talk to my neighbors.

 

Yeah, at 2 am in my pjs? With the only non-aussie accent in the neighborhood? So that when I lodge a complaint with the council she knows exactly WHICH neighbour to come after with $500 fine? I think not. I wanted a neutral party to deal with it. He claimed he couldn't help me, which suddenly made me VERY aware as to why, when working with the RSPCA, we had so many poisoning issues. I suspect people call police for help and then take matters into their own hands.

 

ANYWAY, I went back to bed and heard more people shouting and then 10 minutes later the neighbor darts out the door screams for her dog and slams doors shut. I wouldn't be surprised if they got a visit or call from the police despite what he told me.

 

We can't do ANYTHING until Monday in regards to the council. I don't WANT to have these people fined the money. It's HUGE, if your dog is a nuisance. First offense PER dog starts at $250 or $300 after that it DOUBLES. More then x amount of calls you lose your pet. BUT, I've had enough. I went to sleep hearing their dog bark, woke up to it, went back to sleep to it, and woke up this am to it. The dog has been at it on and off ALL DAY so far. I'm ready to scream and cry. I'm a horrible ugly good for nothing person when I don't get sleep. Think bridezilla times a million.

 

I'm stuck in a 12 month contract. I don't WANT to move. I like where I am, for the most part. I just hate my REALLY loud neighbors. I want to make peace, but I'm struggling. I don't want to confront them, it won't come kindly for an American to tell them they are being really loud. You have to understand that most Aussies {i'm sure those on the board will agree} find American's loud and annoying in their own country.

 

So much so, I'm often mistaken for Canadian because I'm not considered "loud enough" or "annoying enough" to the people who know me. *sigh*

 

 

Here's the other problem. Apparently the former tenants to this house were hell on wheels. They were loud & annoying. They ruined a lot of the property. They stole from these neighbors. They caused a LOT of trouble to the neighbors pets, etc. I suspect most of the trouble is that I'm paying for the sins of the former neighbors. YET, if I go over there and introduce myself and ask them to keep their children and pets quiet after 10 pm, I don't think they'll smile on me either. ;)

 

I chose to use the police as a neutral party. Someone who could go in and say, "Look, some of your neighbors have complained things are a bit loud. We don't mind you have a good time, but let's not annoy the other people who live here.." Kwim?

 

What else can I do? I will be calling the council in the am and seeing if they send out warnings or instant fines. I will be contacting my rental agency {they rent a few other properties here} and see if they will send out that notice for me. They won't name names they will merely say "neighbors". I'd freak, but like I said they cover other houses in this street.

 

I need sleep!! :lol: And advice that doesn't consist of confronting them. If I were an Aussie citizen I probably wouldn't think twice about it. I confronted some neighbors when we lived in the US and asked them if they could limit their noise a bit because I had bubs sleeping. They weren't keen on it, but were kind enough to do so. ;) I also shouted out the window at a highschool band "group" once and they shouted back to me and then shut down for the night.

 

However, shouting out my windows and taking the "middle man" route aren't working. I don't want to form a hatred with these people, I've got another 8 months here and the owners were REALLY hopeful we'd stay long term/indefinitely. It's exactly what we wanted, but man I can't live on no sleep!!

[Celia]

If you can't get it dealt with annonymously through the avenues you've already thought of, I'd leave a note on their door. In that note I'd politely inform them of the difficulties they're causing in the neighbourhood, as well as the consequenses regarding fining. I'd explain why you don't want to be forced to go that route.

 

And I'd deliver the anonymous note when they aren't home. :)

[Danestress]

Honestly, no one needs to be told that these things are rude and untenable. She knows she's keeping people up. She doesn't care. I am pretty sure Australia can't be so different from America that this isn't true. I would think that 2:00 am would seem pretty late almost anywhere. But honestly, even during the day, that kind of noise seems quite rude to me.

 

I like the idea of contacting your rental agency to do a complaint. But in the end, I wouldn't care that much if they get fined. Maybe they need that to shape up.

[Garga]

I wear earplugs at night. It's annoying the first few nights, but soooo quiet.

 

Of course, I have a dh sleeping next to me without earplugs. I wouldn't want to wear earplugs with kids in the house if I was the only one there. (Because I wouldn't hear if they were in trouble.)

[elegantlion]

:grouphug:

 

Our previous house was on 3 acres. I could barely see a neighbor. Our new house is in a town. Thankfully we're on a corner, but the neighbor is close.

 

They're great actually and mostly quiet, but they're close. Like I could reach out my classroom window and touch their car close.

 

They have parties in the summer on their deck. Their actually not loud, but our bedroom is on the back of the house, by the deck. I'm a light sleeper. At 3am the drunken cackle of someone wakes me up. :glare: So I started sleeping with my MP3 on nights they have parties. Beethoven or the classical station on sleep mode. It works.

 

I was getting really bent out of shape about it earlier this year. I have insomnia, so about the time I was getting a good nights sleep, they'd have a party. I wasn't going to confront them, because they're not loud, it's their deck. Dh could sleep through a tornado. So for my sanity I started with the earplugs.

 

I hope you get some resolution from the authorities. In the meantime I use earplugs or an MP3 to drown them out.

[kolamum]

Honestly, no one needs to be told that these things are rude and untenable. She knows she's keeping people up. She doesn't care. I am pretty sure Australia can't be so different from America that this isn't true. I would think that 2:00 am would seem pretty late almost anywhere. But honestly, even during the day, that kind of noise seems quite rude to me.

 

I like the idea of contacting your rental agency to do a complaint. But in the end, I wouldn't care that much if they get fined. Maybe they need that to shape up.

 

There is a time limit on noise. The problem was I didn't report the partying. While it was annoying, for them it was quiet and it was their garage despite the light blaring in my room. It was the dog I wanted to kick in the rump and then muzzle so it'd shut up that was my biggest problem last night. Because that's what I lodged a complaint about with the police was why they wouldn't come deal with it. :glare: It was annoying, because while I respect his stand it was Friday night and the council won't be open again until 930 am on Monday.. Apparently he either didn't think of it, or it was an after thought.

 

I have considered mailing them a letter! Just a rather "would you please" type thing.. As I understand it, the woman next door is really sweet. Her kids told my kids that she supposedly goes and greets all the new comers to the neighborhood, etc. She did NOT come and greet us, but again I think Im paying for the sins of others. She greeted the people who were here before us and they borrowed some mattresses from her. Apparently they never gave them back. Her kids let all her rabbits and guinea pigs out of their cages. They let their dog out of the fenced in yard so it took off. They kicked the dog, etc. Other people we know in this neighborhood told us the former tenants were miserable. The reason they aren't still renting is because the owner refused to rent to them again. Even the agent told us there was a history with the house that was unpleasant in regards to former tenants but we didn't need to know about it because she knew we'd be fine.

 

The problem is, while she might know it, others don't. They might expect the same idiotical behavior, kwim? We have a dog, but he doesn't bark. We have kids, but they aren't permitted to scream and run amuck. My children, unlike the neighbors, are not permitted to climb the fence and then sit on top of it SCREAMING for other children to come and play and then spraying my patio {shoes included} and open house windows with the water hose. :glare:

 

*sigh* I know when her children return to school next month a lot of it will calm down, but man.. I hope her darn dog goes hoarse between now and then. It's STILL out there yapping. It took an hour off earlier this afternoon, but other then that. :no: None stop barking.

[Mergath]

We live in a duplex, so I feel your pain. ;)

 

For us, we've found that asking people to keep it down does exactly nothing. I usually play classical music just loud enough to drown out any noise.

 

It's amazing how loud people in different houses can be, isn't it? Earlier this summer, there were some college students renting a house. Their music was loud enough to rattle my windows. They lived TWO HOUSES DOWN. I can only imagine what their actual neighbors went through. I called the police on them. They didn't stay long.

[Catwoman]

No advice, just :grouphug:

[cin]

We live in a duplex, so I feel your pain. ;)

 

For us, we've found that asking people to keep it down does exactly nothing. I usually play classical music just loud enough to drown out any noise.

 

It's amazing how loud people in different houses can be, isn't it? Earlier this summer, there were some college students renting a house. Their music was loud enough to rattle my windows. They lived TWO HOUSES DOWN. I can only imagine what their actual neighbors went through. I called the police on them. They didn't stay long.

 

we sleep with an air filter going in our room.

[Night Elf]

Having been in a similar horrible situation, is there any way you would consider examining your contract to see the penalty for moving out early? Ours was a one-month rental fee. We gladly paid it because the complex wouldn't reprimand another tenant unless more than one tenant complained. We were the only ones in the whole building that had a child and actually wanted to sleep at night. It was worth the money for us to move, and you can bet I asked possible apartment complexes about noise rules and the types of tenants they had. We found an extremely quiet complex located near office buildings instead of being close to entertainment possibilities. Lesson learned.

[kolamum]

We'd have to continue to pay the rent until someone else moved in. :glare: Plus, the downside is this is suppose to be a NICE LONG TIME rental. We've lodged a complaint about these people all ready. We actually said, "Gee, do these people rent we'd like to lodge a complaint with their rental company!"

 

Their kids proceeded to be nitwits last night. Seriously, I had to tell them off. My kids were playing outside in their pj's and after their 7 year old told my 9 year old to "Shut up you idiot!" she decided to let lose on him with her nerf water gun. :mad: I told her to beat it and to take her cousin with her..

 

Actually I said, "OIE!! Cut it out NOW!" And she jumped off the fence and ran off. I know the child is acting out due to being spoiled rotten and a family break up.. I think the "nonsense" is because they have company over. However, I will be seeking help/info from the council in regards to the beast of a pet who decided to spend last night HOWLING instead of barking. grrrrrr!!

 

I'll lodge another complaint with the real estate company, they can send the anon note for me. I'm hanging room darking curtains ASAP in my bedroom and going to move an ipod dock in there for noise control. Prayerfully it will all help. I'd rather NOT move if I can help it. There's nothing out there to choose from right now, not to mention I JUST moved here in September and moved my mil 3x last year.. move is a "dirty" word in our house! ;)

[Alyeska]

Unless you are willing to live with it, you need to pursue the complaint even if they get fined. The fact that they will get fined isn't your fault...it is theirs. :grouphug:

 

You are paying to be able to live there, not to be miserable there. Your money is just as good as theirs is. Many times people need some incentive to behave and hitting them in the pocketbook is a good way to help them act like civilized neighbors.

 

I understand. We are currently in a rental and our downstairs neighbors smoke. We could hardly breath in our own house and I have a child with asthma. Knowing all this they continued to smoke. Insert landlord with a threat to evict them. Problem resolved.

[clarkacademy]

Unless you are willing to live with it, you need to pursue the complaint even if they get fined. The fact that they will get fined isn't your fault...it is theirs. :grouphug:

 

You are paying to be able to live there, not to be miserable there. Your money is just as good as theirs is. Many times people need some incentive to behave and hitting them in the pocketbook is a good way to help them act like civilized neighbors.

 

I understand. We are currently in a rental and our downstairs neighbors smoke. We could hardly breath in our own house and I have a child with asthma. Knowing all this they continued to smoke. Insert landlord with a threat to evict them. Problem resolved.

 

So a threat from the landlord stopped them? I would sue the landlord. Unless a signed non smoking clause was in his lease he cannot evict them for smoking. They pay to live there and that is their home too. It is the principle of the thing. So if your kid has a peanut allergy mine can't walk the hall with a peanut butter cracker?

 

Unless there is a claus in the lease they sign he cannot say a word. he can move you, he can redo the lease at the next signing he can't evict them. The moral thing would be them to quit smoking but they don't have too. I would have that landlord reported and sued in a matter of days.

 

I feel bad for any child with asthma mine deals with it everyday as do I but either way you look at it is not right. If you move somewhere you accept the terms of the lease. I am not debating smoking or anything like that I am saying that it is not right to change the rules to suit someone else. Beyond that according to every landlord I have ever known it is not legal either.

[LucyStoner]

So a threat from the landlord stopped them? I would sue the landlord. Unless a signed non smoking clause was in his lease he cannot evict them for smoking. They pay to live there and that is their home too. It is the principle of the thing. So if your kid has a peanut allergy mine can't walk the hall with a peanut butter cracker?

 

Unless there is a claus in the lease they sign he cannot say a word. he can move you, he can redo the lease at the next signing he can't evict them. The moral thing would be them to quit smoking but they don't have too. I would have that landlord reported and sued in a matter of days.

 

I feel bad for any child with asthma mine deals with it everyday as do I but either way you look at it is not right. If you move somewhere you accept the terms of the lease. I am not debating smoking or anything like that I am saying that it is not right to change the rules to suit someone else. Beyond that according to every landlord I have ever known it is not legal either.

 

Where I live leases are almost always clearly no smoking. If someone is threatening eviction there is a decent chance it is covered in the lease. It is 100% legal in my state for property owners to protect their property (smoking causes serious damage to carpets, drapes, drywall- trust me I have had to clean up the homes after smokers and it usually involved special paint and new carpet and curtains to make the place smell neutral again). You certainly could not sue your landlord here over this. My mother was a smoker and a renter and to find a halfway decent place to live she always smoked outside. Always, rain too.

[clarkacademy]

Where I live leases are almost always clearly no smoking. If someone is threatening eviction there is a decent chance it is covered in the lease. It is 100% legal in my state for property owners to protect their property (smoking causes serious damage to carpets, drapes, drywall- trust me I have had to clean up the homes after smokers and it usually involved special paint and new carpet and curtains to make the place smell neutral again). You certainly could not sue your landlord here over this. My mother was a smoker and a renter and to find a halfway decent place to live she always smoked outside. Always, rain too.

 

I agree! I am just saying if it were not in the lease it cannot be done. A landlord cannot change a lease unless it is a re-sign or new tenant. If it were in the lease they would never have smoked there since they were already smoking it is safe to think it wasn't in a lease to begin with.

 

My landlord tried something similiar years ago, he tried to come in after the fact and make changes to a lease I talked to a lawyer as well as several friends of my parents about leases and it was a no go. Like I said I am not debating smoking it is the fact a landlord cannot threaten or bully with an eviction unless the tenent is going against the lease they signed.

[Parrothead]

Were it me, I'd call the police every single time the dog barked for more than 5 minutes. I'd call the council (I'm not sure if there is an equivalent in the US). I'd call city hall. I'd call the landlord directly if I could google his number.

 

In short I'd make a nuisance of myself with the proper authorities until someone fixed the problem. Barking dogs drive me mad.

[Tammyla]

There never is an easy solution to the problem of rotten neighbors. You have my sympathy though.