Seeking Advice - Noisy Neighbor

Rudals · #1 05-31-2017, 07:48 AM

Been living in a mid grade townhouse since 2013. We barely heard any noise from our next door neighbors. Early May, one of my next door neighbor decides to retire and sells the house. A new family moves in and we start hearing noise right off the bat. The noise is mainly a loud female voice piercing through the walls. Her voice is loud enough to wake up our 8 month old son. I let it persist for about a week before calling the HOA. They say call the police. I talk to the community board members, they also say call the police. I go to the next door neighbor and ask him if he can hear anything or if we are being noisy. He says no then proceeds to ask if they are. I tell him that I hear a loud female voice late into the night past midnight and it has woken up our 8 month old son. I tell him that he has every right to enjoy his new house and his life but unfortunately the walls are not thick enough to contain some noise. He doesn't apologize and questions how it is possible that we are able to hear his wife. I told him I don't want to be the jerk that bangs on the wall whenever I hear the noise so let's keep it cool. He agrees and we shake hands. The next evening, same noise plus foot stomping as his wife laughs. They even vacuum at 1 am in the morning on the other side of where we were sleeping. The next evening, noise persists through the late evening, 11 pm and past, and so I play some music to prove to them that the walls are not thick enough. When the song ends, they start kicking against the wall and I hear laughter. That's when I call the police to start my way of dealing with this noisy neighbor. The cops document and tells us to call if they threaten us and when the noise starts back up again. The next door neighbors went dead silent while the cops were in our house. How funny. We'll call the police if the noise returns this weekend.

The cops say that they're trying to bait us and are taunting us based on what we told them. The officers tell us not to react but to call them at any point that we feel uncomfortable or threatened. It appears talking to them has no effect at all and so we will use the police as our only option. The next door neighbors have started acting like little kids.

Has anyone been in this kind of a situation?
We've begun the process of looking for a single family since we were planning on moving anyways but we will just speed up the process. I am told by those who've experience similar situations that the neighbors will not change and they'll just retaliate every time we call the cops. Life is too short for this so maybe moving out is the best solution. Also, it appears they have a drinking problem. It is quite during the week and gets loud on weekend nights and when they have guests over...which is every week. Sucks to have a home where it is no longer "Home Sweet Home."

sled · #2 05-31-2017, 08:00 AM

I would so set them up when I knew they were listening. Get some people over there and play out a murder scenario complete with blood curdling screams and simulated gunshots (two hardback books slammed together ought to do it). Then have them haul a rolled up carpet out to your trunk and drive off. When the cops arrive, your nice family is sitting there playing Monopoly.....

unimogbert · #3 05-31-2017, 08:05 AM

...........

RP · #4 05-31-2017, 08:10 AM

I feel your pain but have never experienced it. As an adult I've always lived in small but self-standing dwellings. I'd resist the temptation to retaliate or play games with these people in any way and just let this experience help direct your search for your next residence...

Rudals · #5 05-31-2017, 08:15 AM

Actually, a bunch of us in the neighborhood are kind of baffled and are trying to figure out how they were able to buy such an expensive house. They seem to not have a regular job or work from home. Everything from the car that they drive to being home all the time, we are definitely puzzled. The housing market is hot and they paid the most in our neighborhood. It was kind of funny telling the new neighbors that they bought the best house in the neighborhood and they thought it was an actual compliment when in fact I was pointing out they paid about $100k more than what I had paid just 4 years ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RP

I feel your pain but have never experienced it. As an adult I've always lived in small but self-standing dwellings. I'd resist the temptation to retaliate or play games with these people in any way and just use this experience help direct your search for your next residence...

Yeah, it sucks. Once we decided that our best option is to just speed up our search for a SFH (Single Family House), we stopped caring. We'll just go on our way and enjoy life while we have each other. I think two weeks wasted on stressing over the rude neighbors is enough waste of my life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unimogbert

If they have a drinking problem there might also be a drinking and driving problem. You might watch for that and call the cops when they go out. Take down the car licenses ahead of time so you can call it in accurately.

Might also look into how they've come to be there - if they are renting from a landlord one might suggest to the landlord that rude renters frequently damage the place and may skip out. Even if they are "buying" the place - the mortgage company might be interested in protecting their investment.

Rudeness likely has more than one dimension to it.

Good luck!

That's a very good idea. I looked into the purchase and it was a home purchase and they're the owners...unfortunately. I don't know why they need to have parties every single weekend. Maybe I can just call the cops on illegal parking as well since they park on the side walk and partly on the street but I just don't want to waste time on them. If we had just bought the place and planned on staying there for a long time, maybe we'd put up a real fight but we're moving on.

Jeremy · #6 05-31-2017, 08:22 AM

Having lived in condos or apartments for all my adult life, my neighbors have been a mixed bag. Some were so quiet I sometimes questioned if someone was actually living there, others had no consideration and didn't change even after being asked to stop, and my current neighbors were noisy at first but fortunately responded favorably when I talked to them about it.

Unfortunately, with the not so considerate neighbors, I just had to ride it out until one of us moved. Bad neighbors have forced me out of two homes. Fortunately, I get along very well with my current neighbor so I'm in no hurry to move.

Rudals · #7 05-31-2017, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Having lived in condos or apartments for all my adult life, my neighbors have been a mixed bag. Some were so quiet I sometimes questioned if someone was actually living there, others had no consideration and didn't change even after being asked to stop, and my current neighbors were noisy at first but fortunately responded favorably when I talked to them about it.

Unfortunately, with the not so considerate neighbors, I just had to ride it out until one of us moved. Bad neighbors have forced me out of two homes. Fortunately, I get along very well with my current neighbor so I'm in no hurry to move.

If we, the victims, move then it feels like we are the ones losing. But I guess it really depends. Why put up with people who will not change. My wife is happy because she had always wanted to move into a SFH since the day she moved in after we got married. She may be getting her wish soon.

mr. beaumont · #8 05-31-2017, 08:31 AM

That old saying about "good fences making good neighbors" is true...and unfortunately, there is no fence when you share a wall.

There's very little that can be done, until a law is actually broken. Don't get goaded into being the one who does first.

Good luck in your search for a single family home. It's the best investment I ever made.

architype · #9 05-31-2017, 08:35 AM

Don't let them know you are moving. They could potentially make it hard for you to sell. Tell the realtor to be discrete when showing your home. Don't put up a sign if possible.

LSemmens · #10 05-31-2017, 08:43 AM

Yes, In years gone by we have had similar problems. In most cases, all we did was pray them out! I won't say any more, because that would be a breach of the rules. One lot had purchased the house next door and were not intending to go anywhere, within a few months, they were gone. We've also called the police, too.

Rudals · #11 05-31-2017, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

That old saying about "good fences making good neighbors" is true...and unfortunately, there is no fence when you share a wall.

There's very little that can be done, until a law is actually broken. Don't get goaded into being the one who does first.

Good luck in your search for a single family home. It's the best investment I ever made.

I hope to say the same pretty soon. Will talk to how much loan I can get at in about 15 minutes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by architype

Don't let them know you are moving. They could potentially make it hard for you to sell. Tell the realtor to be discrete when showing your home. Don't put up a sign if possible.

Hmmm...wouldn't they be happy that we're moving? Not sure if I get this.

BrunoBlack · #12 05-31-2017, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sled

I would so set them up when I knew they were listening. Get some people over there and play out a murder scenario complete with blood curdling screams and simulated gunshots (two hardback books slammed together ought to do it). Then have them haul a rolled up carpet out to your trunk and drive off. When the cops arrive, your nice family is sitting there playing Monopoly.....

That's very funny.

Tahitijack · #13 05-31-2017, 08:51 AM

Condo or townhouse living is not for everyone. Put your place on the market and buy a detached single family home.

mr. beaumont · #14 05-31-2017, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudals

I hope to say the same pretty soon. Will talk to how much loan I can get at in about 15 minutes.

Hmmm...wouldn't they be happy that we're moving? Not sure if I get this.

If they're really big jerks, they might be extra noisy during a showing/open house...

Good luck. Hope it works out.

Jeremy · #15 05-31-2017, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudals

If we, the victims, move then it feels like we are the ones losing. But I guess it really depends. Why put up with people who will not change. My wife is happy because she had always wanted to move into a SFH since the day she moved in after we got married. She may be getting her wish soon.

Trust me, I've never been happy about being forced to move away from a crappy neighbor, but staying in a toxic environment because of principal wasn't worth my sanity.