Neighbours... Grrrrrr

[rumpleforeskin]

This is going to be a rant as my neighbours really do vex me. Three years ago my neighbour sold up and moved on and the new home owner brought the property to rent out. Since that day I have had a mix of good and bad people renting the property that I have an adjoining wall with.

In this time I have had people parking their cars across my drive leaving me unable to get my car out, Drilling/hammering starting at 10pm and random blasts of music at unsociable hours. In their defence, for the most part, they have moved their cars or turned down the volume when I Have complained. But in the last eleven months I have had five different families living there, so almost every 2 months I have the sound of moving furniture and drilling for a week as they get the the house to their liking, followed by a week of their friends parking across my drive when they visit then a few visits round to complain about the bass on their stereo.

I don't begrudge people doing DIY in their home or listening to music at a reasonable volume but this currently never seems to end. It seems every time we come to an agreeable method of living next to each other they leave I start over

The last year this has been a constant cycle of new neighbours as 3 families lost their jobs and could not afford the rent, one left the county pursued by the police and one left after four people forced their way into his home and stabbed him in case of mistaken identity.

Yesterday a group of three girls in their early twenty moved in (yep I bet you all think/hope this will turn into some massive sex fest with cling film and whipping each other with sheep guts but that's not gonna happen) and after 2 visits round the music is still booming.

To give an idea of the volume I can watch my glass move across my kitchen counter from the vibration of the bass.

Next week I have a meeting with my mortgage provider and am getting my house valued by the estate agent (realter in the USA?)

I hate to feel like I'm being pushed out but think its the only way I'm gonna get any piece back.

I'm sure many other ATOTs have been through this.... any tips?

 

[Brigandier]

Knock on their door and remind them that noise complaints exist in your jurisdiction, and then outline your grievances.

If the problem persists call the fuzz in.

 

[T9D]

Show the girls your rumpleforeskin

 

[mmntech]

I've got the same problem except my neighbour is a strip mall. They'll be out there at 4am with a big vacuum truck or leaf blower droning away. There's a bylaw that forbids running heavy equipment before 7am near residential areas. Complained to the city three times about it already. Next time it'll be the cops.

 

[rh71]

I feel for you. I'm home all the time (work too) and little things get on my nerves now. Inconsiderate neighbors are the worst. Renters - forget about it. Are they literally sharing a wall with you?

We bought this house and upgraded it after it had been a rental for years. I'm sure my neighbors love us for it.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Moved to the country. Solved most of the problems. Nothing is ever perfect though.

 

[IronWing]

Next time the rental is vacant add a remote disconnect to their breaker box. They get loud -> they get quiet.

 

[MedicBob]

^^^

Nice idea IronWing

 

[kranky]

I suggest renting it when it becomes vacant, but so you can sell your place without fear of crappy neighbors messing up the deal.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Get massive subwoofer, face it along their wall. Turn it up and go take a nice leisurely walk.

 

[Newbian]

Five different renters in less then a year sounds like the owner does not know what he is doing.

You need to go after the owner if it's this bad and not the renters.

 

[PingSpike]

I suggest renting it when it becomes vacant, but so you can sell your place without fear of crappy neighbors messing up the deal.

This sounds drastic but may be the best way to solve your problem, short of burning down the whole building for the insurance money.

I personally don't believe in owning property with shared walls for this reason. I have no problem with renting it, but I need to be able to quickly and easily abandon these time of dwellings when the environment changes. Neighbors with any kind of property can be a problem but most of the time you can at least shut a window and if their middle of the night music is loud enough to hear through that several other houses will probably have also called the cops. When its going through the shared wall there is a good chance you're the only one suffering.

I just moved last time I had this problem but I was renting the place.

I wish I had better advice but short of sabotage or just flat out waiting for the owner to be foreclosed upon I think selling is your only escape.

 

[Jimzz]

Get the owners phone number and call them at all hours of the night when there is a problem. I bet it gets fixed reasl quick. Also call the cops and make sure to give them the owners contact information as well.

 

[Jeffg010]

Sound like you are living in a town house? If so that is your problem. I'll never live in a town house.

 

[Kreon]

Probably illegal, but if the loud noise persists you could do this:
http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/k62sc/i_feel_bad_for_this_guy/

 

[Newbian]

Probably illegal, but if the loud noise persists you could do this:
http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/k62sc/i_feel_bad_for_this_guy/

Lolz

Got a microwave? jam a bit of wood or something in the door switch, place it face down on the floor with the door open right above where you think the stereo might be located, and let it blast 1kW of 2.4Ghz microwavey goodness down into the boombox for a minute or two.. Chances are high some piece of wire inside will be close enough to 12.5 cm long, and will fail in a spectacular fashion.. Let's see her prove it was anything other than a random act of God.. She'll run out of boomboxes before you run out of RF energy.



giving the floor below cancer seems like a small step over the line granted.

 

[mvbighead]

Sound like you are living in a town house? If so that is your problem. I'll never live in a town house.

Meh, I've lived in a town house for a few years. We had a good neighbor, and never had a problem.

Sounds like the OP lives somewhere that rent is cheap enough for jackasses to move in next door. I've heard enough stories about neighbors who don't share an adjoining wall that make life terrible for their neighbors. A coworker of mine lives in such an area. Has his own house, but neighbors are notorious for throwing shit in his yard, blocking his driveway, and various other sorts of nuisances.

Pretty short and simple, if you want quiet, move to the country or find a retirement area that doesn't require you to be retirement age to live there. In my old neighborhood, the majority of the population was 60+, with a few from late 30's to 50's. We were late 20's, but we fit right in.

Sucks, but the OP's best bet is to move. Especially when they are coming and going so frequently, you'll have a hard time getting a good arrangement if they aren't there for longer than 2 months.

 

[Quantos]

Sounds like the OP lives somewhere that rent is cheap enough for jackasses to move in next door.

I was in a similar situation a few years ago. People usually are attracted by the idea of having an actual house as opposed to an apartment, but usually they simply cannot afford the rent and leave after a few months. Essentially, whatever the neighbourhood, pray that the house nearby to yours are not rented out. A rented house is almost guaranteed to attract trash. :\

 

[Jeffg010]

Meh, I've lived in a town house for a few years. We had a good neighbor, and never had a problem.

Sounds like the OP lives somewhere that rent is cheap enough for jackasses to move in next door. I've heard enough stories about neighbors who don't share an adjoining wall that make life terrible for their neighbors. A coworker of mine lives in such an area. Has his own house, but neighbors are notorious for throwing shit in his yard, blocking his driveway, and various other sorts of nuisances.

Pretty short and simple, if you want quiet, move to the country or find a retirement area that doesn't require you to be retirement age to live there. In my old neighborhood, the majority of the population was 60+, with a few from late 30's to 50's. We were late 20's, but we fit right in.

Sucks, but the OP's best bet is to move. Especially when they are coming and going so frequently, you'll have a hard time getting a good arrangement if they aren't there for longer than 2 months.

So you say MEH then tell him to move to the country got ya.

 

[clamum]

(yep I bet you all think/hope this will turn into some massive sex fest with cling film and whipping each other with sheep guts but that's not gonna happen)

Ahahahaha! :awe:

 

[CPA]

Using a "u" when it's not necessary...grrrr

 

[rumpleforeskin]

Knock on their door and remind them that noise complaints exist in your jurisdiction, and then outline your grievances.

If the problem persists call the fuzz in.

Knocking on the door only seems to solve the problem for one night, calling the police is not going to happen. There will be a record of the incident which will be a problem as im now planning on moving out and leaving them to it.

I feel for you. I'm home all the time (work too) and little things get on my nerves now. Inconsiderate neighbors are the worst. Renters - forget about it. Are they literally sharing a wall with you?

We bought this house and upgraded it after it had been a rental for years. I'm sure my neighbors love us for it.

Yeah they share a wall with me
Sorry to hear you have to endure this misery too.
You make a good point about little things being annoying, things that never bothered me prior to having bad neighbours now just add to my rage

Sound like you are living in a town house? If so that is your problem. I'll never live in a town house.

Sadly most of the UK consists of "town houses" which are either terraced or semi-detached.
Detached property are certainly not the norm in towns or cites.

Using a "u" when it's not necessary...grrrr

I live in England and as English was invented here I propose that spelling it with a "u" is correct.

Meh, I've lived in a town house for a few years. We had a good neighbor, and never had a problem.

Sounds like the OP lives somewhere that rent is cheap enough for jackasses to move in next door. I've heard enough stories about neighbors who don't share an adjoining wall that make life terrible for their neighbors. A coworker of mine lives in such an area. Has his own house, but neighbors are notorious for throwing shit in his yard, blocking his driveway, and various other sorts of nuisances.

Pretty short and simple, if you want quiet, move to the country or find a retirement area that doesn't require you to be retirement age to live there. In my old neighborhood, the majority of the population was 60+, with a few from late 30's to 50's. We were late 20's, but we fit right in.

Sucks, but the OP's best bet is to move. Especially when they are coming and going so frequently, you'll have a hard time getting a good arrangement if they aren't there for longer than 2 months.

Rent is about average here for my town (£900/month excluding bills) I just seem to have the misfortune that my neighbours landlord allows inconsiderate asshats to rent his house.

As for moving, me and my good lady talked it over last night and think its the best solution. I have been here over a decade and have quite a good amount of equity in the property that I can put towards somewhere bigger and more secluded. I hate to think they are beating me and pushing me out but in reality its a good time financially for me to move on.

Thanks for the posts, ill be sure to get any pics of the girls if the weather improves and they start sunbathing topless in the garden and having naked pillow fights...

 

[JTsyo]

Buy the unit from the owner so you control the renters. Or rent it and sublet it.

 

[rumpleforeskin]

Update:

Finally moved last month and apart from having to spend the next 3 months decorating and fixing things I'm really happy with the decision.

After reading so many stories on the interwebs with people in a similar position I'm just happy I was in a position where moving was an option.

People just want to go home from work knowing that their stress is over for the day, not just begining. Although I miss my my old good neighbours my new neighbours are also a great bunch. Now that I don't have an adjoining neighbour I have also been enjoying some loud music of my own (something I missed when I was sharing a wall)

It seems a sorry state of affairs when instead of correcting social bad behaviour its easier to just move away from it, but after a few months I'm tired of trying to reason with people who have such different communal values than me. I do take small satisfaction in the fact I sold my house to landlord who will rent it out. Maybe when the new tenants move in the will have some kind of ritual booming music standoff to determine who is the alpha asshat.

 

[SlickSnake]

With a nick like yours, you really need a nice avatar to go with it.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rumpleforeskin

A mythical man of wrinkled foreskin appearance who's ability to weave golden fleece from his pubic hair is renowned throughout the land.


"Check out the Merkin Rumpleforeskin wove me!"

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