Nobody likes to have noisy neighbors. Living in an apartment building where there’s a tap dancer upstairs, a crying baby next door and a DJ downstairs is a recipe for insomnia and anger. So most of us try to be courteous and keep our noise levels down, especially at night.
But one man quickly learned that no matter how quiet he was, his neighbor was always going to have something to complain about. Below, you’ll find a story that this renter recently posted on Reddit detailing the harassment he’s received over the past few years, as well as a conversation between the author and Bored Panda.
This man was warned before moving in that his new neighbor was notorious for making complaints
Image credits: EyeEm / freepik (not the actual photo)
But he could have never anticipated how much harassment he would receive from her
Image credits: sedrik2007 / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
Image credits: user18526052 / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Kindel Media / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Splicer201
“I will often sit outside at a friend’s house and feel paranoid, wondering why their neighbors are not yelling at them”
Image credits: standret / freepik (not the actual photo)
To find out more about this situation, we got in touch with Reddit user Splicer201, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. First, the author noted that the lawsuit is still ongoing.
“We are currently in the ‘discovery stage’ upon which each party must exchange what information they have that relates to the case,” he shared. “My neighbor has submitted over 130 documents including voice recordings, videos and pictures. One recording goes for 8 hours.”
“She (and her 20-something year old son, who is also on the lawsuit) have effectively recorded every conversation I have ever had since the week I moved in,” the OP continued. “I have also received all the emails she has sent to my real estate, one of which is a 6-page rant about how renters are bad for the community.”
But it turns out that this is far from the first time this woman has had an issue with someone in the neighborhood. “She picks fights with ALL her neighbors,” Splicer201 says. “The people who live on the other side have also been harassed by her in the same manner. And in the emails to the real estate, she claims that she is thinking of taking legal action against the people behind her as well. I’m not aware if she has sued anyone else other then me.”
Next, we asked the author if he’s ever considered moving due to this drama. “I have thought of moving, and may do so still. However, there are several factors keeping me here. One being I have a large dog (Alaskan Malamute), so I need a yard. This limits me to houses instead of apartments or units.”
“The house I live in currently is in a good spot, close to the CBD, work, and the airport, and the rent is quite a bit cheaper (landlord keeps it low because of her),” he continued. “Also, my city (and country for that matter) is in a bit of a rental crisis, which makes finding places to live very difficult.”
Thankfully, he said he enjoyed the replies to his post, though. “Helps reinforce that she is crazy, because all the law suit stuff makes me question my actions,” Splicer201 shared. “I will often sit outside at a friend’s house and feel paranoid, wondering why their neighbors are not yelling at them.”
Finally, the OP added that A Current Affair recently published a story on his situation that you can find right here.
Disputes between neighbors are extremely common
Image credits: korrawinj / freepik (not the actual photo)
Depending on where you live, you might be best friends with the couple next door, or you might not be able to name a single person who lives in your neighborhood. And according to a recent survey from Top Rail Fence, 65% of Americans admit that they actually hide from their neighbors to avoid interactions from time to time.
This might include pretending you didn’t notice them, staying inside when you see them outside, acting like you’re not home when they call or ring the doorbell, wearing headphones while outside and pretending to be talking on the phone. Gen Zers are the most likely to hide out from neighbors, but every generation is guilty of it.
When it comes to issues that arise between neighbors, noise complaints are actually the most common. Aside from noise, parking disputes also appear quite often, as well as complaints about pets and children, property line disputes, trash disposal complaints and disagreements over the cost of shared amenities.
But in the end, the survey found that the majority of people, 60% to be exact, say that they would rather just put up a fence than have no neighbors whatsoever. So we have to learn to live with them!
If you’re struggling with a noisy neighbor, your rights in terms of how you can respond vary depending on where you live. In the United States, if you have a homeowner’s association in your area, you might want to take it up with them first. Meanwhile, others might simply resort to calling the police.
If conflicts can’t be resolved cordially, it might be necessary to take legal action
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This story happens to take place in Australia. And according to Cinzia Donald, a partner with Perth’s Lavan Lawyers, “Everyone has the right to use and enjoy their property without that right being materially and unreasonably being interfered with,” she told ABC RN’s Law Report.
But Donald recommends that neighbors attempt to resolve issues on their own first, without escalating a dispute to court. Often, if both parties are reasonable, a simple and honest conversation can do the trick. But if it doesn’t, the lawyer notes that residents can typically call their local shire or council. They can send someone in to measure the noise and see if it’s actually violating noise regulations.
But if alerting the neighbors of their excessive noise still doesn’t help, it might be time to contact a lawyer. If you’re going to go that route, though, it’s important to be sure that you actually have a legitimate case.
“For someone to succeed in a legal claim to prevent noise interference, they need to prove that the noise has had a material and unreasonable impact on them and their lifestyle,” Donald shared. “They are also required to demonstrate the steps they have taken to try and limit the impact of the noise.”
In this particular story, it sounds like the cops rolled their eyes every time a complaint was made because they knew there was no real noise pollution taking place, so it’s unlikely that this woman would ever have a successful case. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to be the victim of her harassment.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments down below, pandas. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring disputes between neighbors right here.