I have been experiencing dodgy neighbors too - its a long story and a bit of a long saga but the issue appears to have toned down significantly for now; specially when many of them were booted out.Originally Posted by Tober
This is a good chance to vent, and something I need help with...
So I have complete ass****s for neighbours in my apartment. They arrived here about 18 months ago, announcing their arrival by kicking a soccer ball off the walls around their apartment - these are single-brick shared/common walls... you get the idea...
About 9 months or so ago they started making weird noises against the wall I share with them - spraying of aerosoles, running water through a faucet, squeaking tap, sound of a bucket filling up - kinda odd seeing as there shouldn't be a tap there. Also the really abrupt sounds of the clanging of metal pipes and the thumping of various sounds agains the wall like cupboards or a bench.
I can't really work out what they have done there, but it's extremely invasive and constantly annoying - the pipe clanging and banging anyway. All through the weekends and almost every day before and after work.
I'm wondering if it might be some sort of...you know... gardening... or maybe not. They were almost constantly at it today when they had guests over.
They used to play movies or games really loudly late at night too, but they seemed to have stopped that, I think they have had some confrontations with other neighbours already, not sure.
So... I'm also wondering if anyone has any experience dealing with this sort of thing. As I understand it there are laws forbidding intrusion of peace in another person's living areas. But I'm not completely sure what the paramaters are. Also they shouldn't be able to make any sort of permanent installations without strata consent (I gather). They are owner occupiers too - which would make an actual eviction of any sort really difficult. I essentially own this apartment, although it's in my family's name it is rented in mine.
Any serious help or advice appreciated.
And no, I've never actually talked to them.
Basically this is what the neighbors did which is part of a letter I sent the RE (they were an extended family of Tongans who lived on two ground floor units):
- Due to them all apparently being relatives, they constantly leave their front doors open during most of the day and can often be seen eating, drinking together outside between their residences in a very noisy manner.
- They enjoy playing very loud high base music at any hour of the day, particularly early weekend mornings; this becomes worse as they leave the doors open all the time so they can hear their music as they move from one unit to the other (The individual residents do not appear to live in one particular unit but they live in both as they are all one family).
- They have very little concept concept of hygene and too often they leave garbage from take away food, candy wrappers and even soiled baby nappies just on the ground outside and even in the driveway. It is also not unusual to find dirty plates and dining utensils around the building as they eat outdoors.
- They treat the whole unit block as if it were part of their own home so the kid's toys are often seen scattered all over the place among other things for weeks at a time.
- They also like to have loud gatherings outside other people's windows without any consideration to other residents.
- They allow the children to play with the garbage bins and as a result its very common to see garbage scattered by the wind all over the place.
- There is very little to no privacy as they allow the children to look through other people's mail - This is the reason why I have a PO Box.
- They have no consideration or respect at all for other residents as it is apparently believed by them that they can 'rule' the unit block due to their numbers.
- They like to use my Washing Machine without permission and due to this I have to take measures to prevent them from doing so as well as constantly be checking on it so they don't damage it.
- They treat the shared laundry and the back area of the building as their own private 'storage' space for the kid's toys, old clothing, etc.
- They see no problem with sleeping outside under people's windows so its very annoying to hear someone snoring while in my bedroom.
- The 'extended' family members seem to come and go with some leaving while new ones take their place and as a result I always see different people living in the building causing a security concern.
Originally this family also occupied a third ground floor residence but one of the units was vacated recently and as a result the 'extended' family members that lived there have divided themselves into their two remaining units. I noticed this because they always leave their doors open and I can see that they sleep on the floor of their living rooms and couches at night.
In the 6 months or so that I have been living in this unit, I have been very tolerant of this family but things reached boiling point when last Sunday morning some new 'residents' joined the existing ones and decided to play incredibly loud music at 8am. I went to politely ask them to turn down the volume but instead this bloke who I have never seen before but apparently now lives in the units came out and threatened to "Bash" me next time he sees me outside for asking them to turn down the music which he appears to have taken as a 'challenge' to the family's 'authority' over the building.
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Confronting them did nothing - It only makes things worse and the story above has a sequel confirming that but what did do some good was notifying the real estate of the significant problems they were causing. Apparently the Real Estate was already aware of some issues and was in the process of booting them out when I sent my letter. Only one unit remained with them but they still caused some problems with odd behavior like sleeping on the drive way (pillows, bed sheets and everything)- When I confronted them about this they initiated a shit storm and the Real Estate apparently no longer gave a crap and without their backing you are stuck.
Due to this I was afraid for my property (car, washing machine, etc) but thankfully they did not do anything but I begun to park my car outside on the street as it makes it harder for them to do anything to it. Its been a couple of months now and nothing bad has happened or strange but I know that as long as they are there its only a matter of time.
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