What to do about problem neighbors? (apartments, work, hospital)

[Lookout Kid]

On another thread there has been a long discussion about neighbors who don't pick up after their dogs, bring dogs onto private property to do their thing, or litter. In a large dense city with 3 million residents, it is inevitable that you will be annoyed by your neighbors eventually, whether its the loud stereo you can hear through the ceiling or the crazy party that goes on into the morning hours (I know some of you 20-somethings are guilty of this). So, here is a thread to share your lousy neighbor stories. Suburban dwellers are free to join in as well, of course!

In addition to my dog story on the other thread, I'll share another one. Recently there was a party going on in an adjacent building, and they sent their smoking neighbors outside to the back yard (which is incidentally quite close to my bedroom window). A group of eight or so people were out there smoking cigarettes and pot, and being quite loud. My wife is pregnant and has been having trouble sleeping already, so it was a big inconvenience to have this going on at 1:30 in the morning. How would you handle this? Call the cops? They won't show! Luckily another neighbor yelled "the cops are coming" after yelling a few other things that didn't work, and that broke it up pretty quickly.

[WitchDoctor]

Since I was already up, I'd have to sneak around to a good place to throw a couple of packs of firecrackers at their feet. (Since they are smoking pot, it's pretty unlikely they will call the cops on you.)

Yeah, I'm evil, but nobody gets hurt and it keeps me sane. ;-)

[Avengerfire]

Call Sal and Vito. That is what I always do.

[dragoro]

I live in a building with wood floors and person upstairs likes to vacum then at 10 at night as well as move furniture lol.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Call Sal and Vito. That is what I always do.

Hmmm... Hired thugs. Good idea. Is there an agency that represents them, or are they all free agents?

[kak49]

You can find them on craigslist.

[july]

My usual MO is to do nothing and seethe about it for days. In theory, I should talk to the neighbor about the problem, but I never have the guts to do that.

My worst story? In my last apartment, I shared a courtyard with one other apartment. My neighbor had a meat smoker, and would smoke meat for hours until my apartment was permeated with the stench. The courtyard was shared outdoor space, but I wasn't going to sit out there with a beer while clouds of smoke billowed around me, so they were effectively depriving me of my outdoor space. I considered complaining to the building management, but I was moving soon anyway, so I let it slide.

[j33]

I'm in pretty good with the large doormen at the bar down the street, I'd go over and get them. Nothing like a small group of big tattooed bearded men with mac lights to settle down a crowd

... actually, I used to have some bad neighbors, they were DJs who would come home drunk and spin at 4am and they would have parties on week nights. I knew their phone number, so usually I would just call and tell them to settle down and they would. Once however, a friend of theirs answered the phone and told me to 'f-off', so I went up there in my robe and pounded on the door and when the once guy answered I asked 'hey, whats with telling me to f-off, I have to be at work the next day' and he profusely apologized for his 'buddy' (mostly just to get the crazy lady in her robe and mussed up hair out of his house I"m sure) and they turned their crap down. They still invited me to their new years party, and I did stop by, at about 4am

However, when some new neighbors moved in and knocked on the door to complain, the one guy absentmindedly answered the door holding a large kitchen knife, and then wondered why the new neighbors never knocked on the door again and resorted to just calling the police on them. When I told him 'you know when someone knocks on your door to complain, and you answer holding a knife, it doesn't necessarily make for open dialogue', he conceded my point.

It is a tough call, sometimes annoying neighbors can be civil when it is brought to their attention how annoying they are (in the case with these younger guys who were new to apartment living) and sometimes they can be bullies, and complaining makes things worse, it is hard to tell.

[neonwattagelimit]

I'd guess I'm lucky. My apartment is surprisingly quiet, aside from the occasional blaring siren on Broadway (I think there's a hospital north of me somewhere). I never hear my neighbors except sometimes when they open and close their doors, or are chatting with a friend on the way up the stairs to their apartments.

[Lookout Kid]

Well, I'm not going to get dressed and walk outside in the middle of winter to talk to neighbors at an adjacent building at 1:30 a.m. after I've already gone to bed. But I agree that it's best to talk to neighbors before calling da cops if they are in your own building.