Troubling Neighbors?

Question

I live in a 4 plex apartment. The neighbors diagnol from us on the second floor have a 3 year old son that they refuse to properly discipline or care for. He has thrown everything from trash to toys to a hunting knife in our yard at our pets and is constantly screaming and slamming doors in the commons area hall. His mom has been confronted several times by us and other people in the building and she always has an excuse from "he's too stubborn to deal with" to "I have a sleeping disorder". She has openly admitted to being dependant on sleeping pills that she takes at all hours of the day and her husband (who is not the child's real father) is not allowed to discipline her son, but she won't. We have turned in a few complaints and social services and our housing director have visited, but it's not changing. They even have friends come over at all hours and one guy came over this morning with his stereo so loud it made a car alarm go off! Any advice on how more to deal with this?

We have made formal complaints and it has not seemed to do any good. I've even seen this child hang off the edge of their balcony. I'm sitting there thinking where's the mom??? I went out and told him not to do that because he could fall and get hurt. I feel bad for this kid. His mom said that the day he threw the knife into our yard, she knew he was acting up but chose not to get out of bed to stop him! I wish I would have had a tape recorder.

For those of you who say to move, we can't. We live in a military post and my husband is going to deploy soon. I can't move off post because the closest housing is an hour away.

Answer 1

I would call social service if you feel the child is a threat or being treated wrong. Call the police if you have to for the loudness and if he continues to throw knives. Then I would make a formal complaint with the complex you live at. take a petition of other neighbors in. Good Luck....I know neighbors can be real pains!

Answer 2

Report those late night visits and noise disturbances to the poilce.
Call the Child Protective Services about the child. Because the mother isn't caring properly being on pills (it's called an addicition, sleeping pills or not) and a 3 year old should not have access to a knife??? That is dangerous.

Keep filing those complaints and go higher on the chain of command if the housing director wont help. Sometimes getting a petition for everyone helps too. Then the complaint is in writing.

Good luck!

Answer 3

In this situation the first step I would take is to talk to your neighbor. Be polite and let them know that the noise is an inconvenience to you and that they need to be considerate of others around them. From what I am reading, this has not work for you.
Next I would get myself a copy of your local Noise Ordinance and familiarize myself with it. Chances are if this is going on at all hours they will be breaking it at least some of the time. Make yourself a few copies of the ordinance, one for yourself and one for your neighbor.
Also, read over your lease carefully. There is likely a clause in there somewhere that entitles you to "quiet enjoyment" of your home, or some similar phrase. If your neighbor is on the same lease, then he/she is likely in violation of the lease and can be evicted.
If things still haven't improved, send your neighbor another warning, this time in writing. Don't make threats but let them know that if the noise keeps up that you will go to the landlord. If your lease does have a clause as mentioned before, enclose a copy of the lease. Keep a copy of this letter for yourself.
When this fails to quiet them down. go to the landlord. If you are bothered by it, then others are too. You will get the best results if you get all the comlaintants together at once to go to the landlord. It will show him the scope of the problem. If the neighbor is violating the lease and there are multiple complaints, the landlord will likely tell them to keep it down or fave eviction.
If your landlord wont play ball, your best bet is to start calling the authorities at this point. If and when you do have to call the police, try to get them to come when the neghbors are being noisy. Have all the paperwork you collected handy when they get there to show that you have tried to correct the problem on your own before calling them. They will be less likely to go easy on your neighbor.
If the authorities still can't (or won't) do anything to help you out you can always sue your neighbor for nuisance if your neighbor's noise unreasonably interferes with your enjoyment of your property. As long as you can prove there is excessive and disturbing noise, your enjoyment of your property is diminished, and that you have asked the person to stop the noise, you will likely be succesful in your suit. If you kept all the papers and any police reports up to this point you should have more than enough to prove that.
Keep up on your landlord and rally the other annoyed tenants to make calls to the authorities whenever the neighbors are violating the noise ordinance. Make it hard for them to live there, within the scope of the law.

All that being said, I understand your situation has already progressed, but giving it a frsh start as I have laid out and keeping maticulous record will get you in the clear.

Answer 4

For a while I lived in this building with three apartments I had the upstairs one, B had the ground level, and C had the basement apartment. I worked 2nd shift so my sleeping hours were odd and the people in C liked to play thier music very loudly. Well I knew it bugged B as well as me though sometimes he was at work when they played it. Well I found the best way was to plug in my bass crank the amp and play the opening riff to "lean on me". Or some other Riff. It would shake the entire house I was told. They did turn off or turn down their radio so I could sleep though. hehe.

Answer 5

At this point it seems better to move than to continue to frustrate yourself even more. If you can break you lease then do so, and if management says you cannot do so without paying a hefty fine, then I would say that you would go to court to fight the fees and say that after frustration of all you have been through with this psycho neighbor you will get a good lawyer to prove she has made your life a living hell. Keep a paper trail, and find out your legal options...

Answer 6

A) Report them to Child Services! That kid is messed up due to his insane parents!
B)If you can't get the police to handle it or the base won't relocate YOU, then just plant a story that the husband had an affair w/another woman who is ALSO in the service! He'll get kicked out and you'll be rid of them! LOL! (Happened to someone I know...really!)

Answer 7

I would keep calling the police over and over. they will do something then. I feel for you , i have neighbors from hell!!!were moving soon, i cant wait. we have called the law 8 times in one day finally every thing calm down. they still come from hell tho.

Answer 8

Call family services and call the cops. Just be willing to accept the consequences of your actions.

Answer 9

Short of moving,,,,, I wish you luck,, alot of people have no respect of others,,, seems as tho you know that by now.

Answer 10

Is it too much trouble for you to move out?....sometimes it's better to get away from the whole scene altogether.... your life will be better believe me...