So I have this neighbor

[palindrome]

I just moved into a new apartment complex 2 weeks ago with 2 roommates in a third floor 3 bedroom apartment. We have this lady who lives below us who has come knocked on, or rather beat down, our door to tell us we are being too noisy. She has come a total of 5 times now, only one of which was after 10 pm. This last time I ignored the door, so she continuously beat on it until someone answered. Now what's confusing me is that we aren't throwing parties, we aren't horsing around or jumping around everywhere, we are just living in the apartment (i.e. making dinner, taking a shower, walking to the bedroom, etc...) We have lived in 3 other apartments before, all different complexes and have NEVER had a complaint against us, for anything. Now she hasn't contacted the apartment office or the police yet (I'm assuming because she doesn't have a leg to stand on). So my question is, what rights do I have that can prevent her from coming and beating down my door whenever she feels like it? She is literally at the apartment all day long. I've only seen her wearing pink pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt any time she has been out of the apartment. Her 2 kids leave trash all over the stairs and hang out in front of our door yelling at their friends. I have never talked to this lady other than when she has confronted me about the non-existent noise. I suspect she is on welfare or living off of divorce money since she doesn't seem to have a job. I've let the apartment know about the situation, but the 3 dumb blondes that work in the office have no idea what going on, so I don't really know what to do. Should I file a police report for harassment if this keeps up?

Cliffs
-Moved to new apt.
-Crazy lady on welfare keeps banging on our door
-Apartment office doesn't really care
-Should I file a police report?

Anyone with any experience with this kind of situation, I would greatly appreciate your input.

 

[Safeway]

Definitely get that bitch evicted, but make sure she doesn't know which car is yours ... and for that matter, move out of your apartment.

 

[lupi]

Having been in something similar to that, prepare to move.


Stand alone housing FTW.

 

[palindrome]

Originally posted by: Safeway

Definitely get that bitch evicted, but make sure she doesn't know which car is yours ... and for that matter, move out of your apartment.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is enough here to get out of a lease or evict someone. I won't make any racial comments, but you are welcome to assume what you will. My GF tried to go down that path at another apartment complex, its a tough uphill battle.

 

[palindrome]

Originally posted by: lupi
Having been in something similar to that, prepare to move.


Stand alone housing FTW.

Did you get evicted or choose to move?

 

[Nebor]

Do you have a mail slot? We had a neighbor like that in college. Some pepper spray out the mail slot fixed his wagon. He never came knocking on our door after that.

 

[Vonkhan]

Last time something like that happened, I tried to ignore it - but the situation resolved itself after I I shouted in the neighbour's face "you knock on my door one more time motherf***** ..."

Never heard a word from him again. But then, I live in Brooklyn, your environment and consequences might be different.

 

[olds]

When I was a kid (21ish) I had a neighbor who did this. I answered the door naked. We became friends.

 

[MazerRackham]

That sucks. Now this would NEVER work, but you should try to get a housing office person into your apartment to see what you guys are doing, and then do your "normal" stuff. Then you have to hope that the crazy woman comes knocking and complaining so that the housing person sees that you weren't even doing anything at all.

Otherwise, you need to move.

 

[lupi]

Originally posted by: palindrome

Originally posted by: lupi
Having been in something similar to that, prepare to move.


Stand alone housing FTW.

Did you get evicted or choose to move?

Chose to move to another apartment in the complex.

 

[adairusmc]

Originally posted by: Nebor
Do you have a mail slot? We had a neighbor like that in college. Some pepper spray out the mail slot fixed his wagon. He never came knocking on our door after that.

There is your answer. :thumbsup:

 

[novasatori]

has a similar issue
my suggestion is to call the police next time they are pounding or just ignore it and report it to the management

 

[palindrome]

I'm just gonna call the police and file a report next time she comes I think...

 

[FoBoT]

:camera:'s?

 

[Chunky Monster]

Tell the management office that they need to make a decision and take a stand. Tell them that you find it to be unreasonable to live with someone harrassing you all hours and you will call a lawyer if they don't sort it out.

 

[tasmanian]

Call the police and file a restraining order for her harrassing you.

 

[DainBramaged]

If you want to tempt me into reading that you should give it proper paragraphs.

 

[chusteczka]

Do you slam your door, walk heavy on hardwood floors, play music, or watch tv? Try being careful with such activities and turn down the volume. More than one person in an apartment creates an endless pounding in the apartment below. Somehow, I doubt your building is a well-made concrete structure that dampens noise. When you talk with your roommates, do you raise your voice? Try being quiet and see if that helps.

Unfortunately, quiet is a relative term so your quiet would most likely drive me up a wall. I am glad you are not my neighbor.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: DainBramaged
If you want to tempt me into reading that you should give it proper paragraphs.

imsureyouwouldnthaveanythingworthwhiletoaddtothe conversationanywaysowhydontyoujustkeeptoyourself?
whyshouldheputitinparagraphsforjustyou?youarenotentitledtothem.

Dainhole.

 

[mooglemania85]

Originally posted by: chusteczka
Do you slam your door, walk heavy on hardwood floors, play music, or watch tv? Try being careful with such activities and turn down the volume. More than one person in an apartment creates an endless pounding in the apartment below. Somehow, I doubt your building is a well-made concrete structure that dampens noise. When you talk with your roommates, do you raise your voice? Try being quiet and see if that helps.

Unfortunately, quiet is a relative term so your quiet would most likely drive me up a wall. I am glad you are not my neighbor.

Where do you get the impression that the OP is not "careful" and should turn down the volume, along with "being quiet"? Since its only 1 neighbor that is complaining, it is rather hard to know whether the neighbor is just a pain in the ass or if her complaints are valid.

 

[novasatori]

Originally posted by: mooglemania85

Originally posted by: chusteczka
Do you slam your door, walk heavy on hardwood floors, play music, or watch tv? Try being careful with such activities and turn down the volume. More than one person in an apartment creates an endless pounding in the apartment below. Somehow, I doubt your building is a well-made concrete structure that dampens noise. When you talk with your roommates, do you raise your voice? Try being quiet and see if that helps.

Unfortunately, quiet is a relative term so your quiet would most likely drive me up a wall. I am glad you are not my neighbor.

Where do you get the impression that the OP is not "careful" and should turn down the volume, along with "being quiet"? Since its only 1 neighbor that is complaining, it is rather hard to know whether the neighbor is just a pain in the ass or if her complaints are valid.

It doesn't matter anyways as long as its not excessive he has a right to make his "every day living noises".

Don't live in constant fear of making noises, just continue to live normal, as long as its not like 3AM who gives a shit.

 

[chusteczka]

Originally posted by: mooglemania85

Originally posted by: chusteczka
Do you slam your door, walk heavy on hardwood floors, play music, or watch tv? Try being careful with such activities and turn down the volume. More than one person in an apartment creates an endless pounding in the apartment below. Somehow, I doubt your building is a well-made concrete structure that dampens noise. When you talk with your roommates, do you raise your voice? Try being quiet and see if that helps.

Unfortunately, quiet is a relative term so your quiet would most likely drive me up a wall. I am glad you are not my neighbor.

Where do you get the impression that the OP is not "careful" and should turn down the volume, along with "being quiet"? Since its only 1 neighbor that is complaining, it is rather hard to know whether the neighbor is just a pain in the ass or if her complaints are valid.

I have found that people who are loud, often do not realize they are loud. That is why I asked the questions that I asked.

Additionally, it is possible to make a choice and believe him or not. Most people are siding with him. I decided to show the other side of the situation. If he has a neighbor complaining that he is loud, then I would say he is most likely loud but that he probably does not realize he is loud. I am not saying he is behaving poorly, just that he is probably being loud in ways he does not realize.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: novasatori

Originally posted by: mooglemania85

Originally posted by: chusteczka
Do you slam your door, walk heavy on hardwood floors, play music, or watch tv? Try being careful with such activities and turn down the volume. More than one person in an apartment creates an endless pounding in the apartment below. Somehow, I doubt your building is a well-made concrete structure that dampens noise. When you talk with your roommates, do you raise your voice? Try being quiet and see if that helps.

Unfortunately, quiet is a relative term so your quiet would most likely drive me up a wall. I am glad you are not my neighbor.

Where do you get the impression that the OP is not "careful" and should turn down the volume, along with "being quiet"? Since its only 1 neighbor that is complaining, it is rather hard to know whether the neighbor is just a pain in the ass or if her complaints are valid.

It doesn't matter anyways as long as its not excessive he has a right to make his "every day living noises".

Don't live in constant fear of making noises, just continue to live normal, as long as its not like 3AM who gives a shit.

I'd tend to agree; some people just refuse to accept that by living in an apartment, there's a certain amount of noise--at just about all hours--that must be tolerated. If you want complete silence, suck it up and move into a house.

Seeing as how the OP has lived in three apartment complexes before without complaint, I'll make an educated guess that he and his roommates aren't the ones being unreasonable here.

As others have said, bring it to the attention of your complex again. If the three workers at the front office won't do anything, either make them commit to some type of action, or ask for a manager/corporate number.

 

[TheGizmo]

Step 1. Cut a hole in a box.
Step 2. Put your junk the box.
Step 3. Let her open the box.


seriously though,

Originally posted by: tasmanian
Call the police and file a restraining order for her harrassing you.

she is goingg to be a pain your ass the whole time you live there, file as many complaints against her as you can to cover yourself. make sure the entire building knows that she is crazy and that its not your fault. i have dealt with this before and we ended up gettingg screwed because she called the cops one day when we were smokinng pot. needless to say they took our pot and gave us a noise violation $700ish dollar fine. didnt get in trouble for the pot that time though, im pretty sure they just took it and smoked it. we never even got loud, she was just nuts... the volume was never above 1/4 way on the tv

this is a good way to get a police case on her: make your door frame look like the lock was jacked open by her, have one of your roomates lead her up to your bathroom to talk to you about the noise. when she gets there open the door, and the key here is you have to be naked, now get your roomate to take a picture of you naked with a terrified face and her in the bathroom with you. either a) use this as blackmail or b) actually file a police report with the picture evidence of the door frame slightly broke and your picture terrified face nekkid with her in the bathroom

with either case, post on ATOT with results

 

[mobobuff]

Talk to the lady the next time she comes up. Be courteous, be polite, but understanding, plead your case. If she's still a b*tch, wait until she takes it to management, then plead your case to management.

That's about all you can do.