How to deal with this neighbor?

[blastus]

So I come home and the neighbor below was playing loud music. After a little while I go down stairs and knock on their door. No answer. I knock louder still no answer. I bang a few more times and then go back upstairs.

Then I call the police about the noise. They come out and I tell them that I tried knocking/banging on his door several times but there is no answer. The police knock on the guys door and no answer. They have to bang on the door several times and say it's the police and the guy finally answers.

The music gets turned down and then the police leave. Then the police phone me and confirm that the music is turned down. The cop then says that the guy knew it was me that complained right away and he said that there were noises coming from my place. I asked the cop what kind of noises, well he said there was stomping around and things like that.

I don't get it. No only have I never knocked on this guys door before about loud music or called the police on him, but there was absolutely no noise coming from my place...I certainly did not stomp around like the police said I did. The guy is a lier.

If anything is true the police heard the music when they came out and they also had to bang on his door several times which validated two statements I gave them; that the guy was playing loud music and that he did not answer door after 30 seconds of knocking/banging.

What should I do about this neighbor? I own but he rents. Update: As I'm writing this I can hear the guy slamming doors and stuff downstairs. He's probably all in a fit about not being able to play his crappy music however loud he wants.

[Crafty Kisses]

I'm not sure if this is a Apartment complex or Condos or whatever, if you're the owner of the complex I would warn him, if he continues then throw him out. If you're not, record the loud music on a video camera, and show the police, so they actually know there is noise going on and you're not stomping around like a mad man. :D

[Jim!]

How old is your neighbour? It sounds like he's a little kid. I think the best thing you can do is just ignore him and don't do anything to annoy him on purpose (Like bang on the floor in retalliation). He sounds pretty immature but it's probably worth trying to talk to him on the issue. You never know...

[MaxIBoy]

Light up some thermite on the floor. That stuff melts through everything.

[p_quarles]

Find out what the relevant laws, ordinances and contracts are. Without knowing that, there's no good advice.

EDIT: Please don't recommend violent and/or illegal countermeasures, even as jokes. It will take very little to get this thread, which is already questionable, closed.

[blastus]

I'm not sure if this is a Apartment complex or Condos or whatever, if you're the owner of the complex I would warn him, if he continues then throw him out. If you're not, record the loud music on a video camera, and show the police, so they actually know there is noise going on and you're not stomping around like a mad man. :D

I haven't really had a problem with this neighbor until now so maybe it is actually a new neighbor I don't know. I'm not the owner of the complex, I own my suite though. He (and I think his brother) rents the suite downstairs. I know they don't own.

[schauerlich]

EDIT: Please don't recommend violent and/or illegal countermeasures, even as jokes. It will take very little to get this thread, which is already questionable, closed.

Is using someone's wifi illegal?

[blastus]

How old is your neighbour? It sounds like he's a little kid. I think the best thing you can do is just ignore him and don't do anything to annoy him on purpose (Like bang on the floor in retalliation). He sounds pretty immature but it's probably worth trying to talk to him on the issue. You never know...

Well I think I'll just ignore it like you said until it becomes an issue. The condo board can probably do something about it if becomes an issue.

[-grubby]

Is using someone's wifi illegal?

without explicit permission, most likely

[p_quarles]

Is using someone's wifi illegal?
Depends on the jurisdiction. In many cases it is, even if the network is unprotected. You would need explicit permission.

That is, of course, a law that fails to understand how wireless devices work, but there you have it.

[schauerlich]

Depends on the jurisdiction. In many cases it is, even if the network is unprotected. You would need explicit permission.

That is, of course, a law that fails to understand how wireless devices work, but there you have it.

Obviously whoever wrote the law has never been in student housing... everyone uses everyone's wifi and no one cares.

[Lord DarkPat]

In which case, I should be an outlaw.

[KiwiNZ]

Do not recommend the use of others Wifi on these forums .I will jail any further and issue infractions

[asnd16]

kinda funny . . well tough situation . . what kind of music was it?

[blastus]

kinda funny . . well tough situation . . what kind of music was it?

I don't really know actually. Some weird stuff classical or something I don't really know. In one place where I lived the guy downstairs used to play banjo music.

[frankleeee]

I haven't really had a problem with this neighbor until now so maybe it is actually a new neighbor I don't know. I'm not the owner of the complex, I own my suite though. He (and I think his brother) rents the suite downstairs. I know they don't own.

In the state I live in the owner of a property is available by calling a title company. In the past when I had a problem with some tenants who were setting off illegal fireworks (bottle rockets) late at night months after July 4th on a daily basis, I tried talking to them but they were very rude, and wouldn't stop. Eventually I just called the owner and said I am not looking to get anybody evicted, but you might like to know whats going on. I also said who doesn't want to come home from work open a beer and light off bottle rockets, but it is a nuisance. It turned out that in the rental agreement illegal fireworks could not be on the property, they stopped, and eventually moved.

[pp.]

kinda funny . . well tough situation . . what kind of music was it?

Presumably Wagner's Valkyries, performed on a bass guitar.

[MickS]

Being a bit facetious here but couldn't you report people who play loud music to the RIAA? It's a form of file sharing after all.

Mick

[aysiu]

Since he doesn't rent from you, find out whom he does rent from and report him to the landlord. Keep lots of documentation.

In the end, though, annoying neighbors are sometimes a part of life. If the law can't help you, either you have to move out or he does... or you just put up with it.

[lisati]

Is using someone's wifi illegal?
Even if it's not illegal, it's bad manners to use it without permission.

As to the noisy neighbours, perhaps it's time to get to know them. My neighbour sometimes likes to play his music loud too (he has his reasons, which we can understand). Once we got to know him a bit and talk with him, it became less of an issue.

[fiddledd]

Unfortunately I have a great deal of experience of dealing with noisy neighbours, and you don't have many options. If you are not careful you can become obsessed with getting your own back (I myself became obsessed with it).

The first thing you should do is politely explain how the loud music is affecting you. It is better to do this on neutral ground, or if possible invite him into your home, where you have a psychological advantage.

If you get nowhere, then legal options are your next course of action, these have already been mentioned by other posters.

If all that fails you can try to get your own back, however, in my experience, this doesn't work. You end up spending every waking hour thinking about, what started out as, a minor irritation.

It might help to try to imagine how you would feel if your roles were reversed.

If you do a google search for "noisy neighbours" you will get many hits, and find forums dedicated to this subject. But in the end you might end up having to put up with it.

[Chessmaster]

You end up spending every waking hour thinking about, what started out as, a minor irritation.


I know it is basically impossible not to think about it, but if you can, don't become obsessed about the noise. It is easy to do. Then you listen for every noise and you hear things that you would have never heard before. It starts driving you crazy.

I had this happen to me once. Used to live next to this lovely old lady (85 yrs) who used to make us soup and invite us over for drinks etc (she used to poor herself massive gins, and very little tonic). She was really cool. Then she died and some clowns, their dogs, and their kids moved in and started driving me up the wall. Had to call the police once when a fight broke out. We eventually moved, but man, I still look back with anger. Although, to be fair, I was over reacting a wee bit, as my partner thought they were bad, but didn't get as obsessed as me.

If all they are doing is playing classical music, that isn't so bad. Definitely document it though (although one problem with that is you become obsessed about it - so maybe just the major disturbances) in case you ever need to call the landlord or police in the future.

It is hard to approach a noisy neighbour though, as you never know how they will react. If they are normal, they will feel bad hopefully.

[Dr Small]

Out here in the country, we have our own ways to quiet noisy neigbors. Sometimes it takes firing a few rounds from our booming gun into a log pile, before they get the idea.

Other times it requires a decent knowledge in electricity. Like for example, they are on their back deck booming their music with an amplifier. It's getting dark out, and the electric panel is on the side of the house...

Of course, then there is always just walking up on the property to talk to them about it, while carrying a gun on your side. Sometimes a little intimidation works too.

If all else fails, you can always climb a tree and shoot their amplifier :)

[billgoldberg]

So I come home and the neighbor below was playing loud music. After a little while I go down stairs and knock on their door. No answer. I knock louder still no answer. I bang a few more times and then go back upstairs.

Then I call the police about the noise. They come out and I tell them that I tried knocking/banging on his door several times but there is no answer. The police knock on the guys door and no answer. They have to bang on the door several times and say it's the police and the guy finally answers.

The music gets turned down and then the police leave. Then the police phone me and confirm that the music is turned down. The cop then says that the guy knew it was me that complained right away and he said that there were noises coming from my place. I asked the cop what kind of noises, well he said there was stomping around and things like that.

I don't get it. No only have I never knocked on this guys door before about loud music or called the police on him, but there was absolutely no noise coming from my place...I certainly did not stomp around like the police said I did. The guy is a lier.

If anything is true the police heard the music when they came out and they also had to bang on his door several times which validated two statements I gave them; that the guy was playing loud music and that he did not answer door after 30 seconds of knocking/banging.

What should I do about this neighbor? I own but he rents. Update: As I'm writing this I can hear the guy slamming doors and stuff downstairs. He's probably all in a fit about not being able to play his crappy music however loud he wants.

Calling the cops on someone in the building isn't a very nice thing to do buddy.

It goes without saying he's going to act out for a while because you did so.

[rune0077]

Calling the cops on someone in the building isn't a very nice thing to do buddy.

It goes without saying he's going to act out for a while because you did so.

+1. It sounds like you're the bad neighbor here. Calling the cops the very first time someone plays loud music is just wrong. If he did it every day, it would be a whole other deal. But one time? Really? As long as it's not all the time, you really should just suck it up and let your neighbors be annoying from time to time. You'll see that they'll be much more willing to let you be annoying as well, and that all in all, in creates a much better atmosphere between you. You ruined any chance of you two getting along now.

[blastus]

+1. It sounds like you're the bad neighbor here. Calling the cops the very first time someone plays loud music is just wrong. If he did it every day, it would be a whole other deal. But one time? Really? As long as it's not all the time, you really should just suck it up and let your neighbors be annoying from time to time. You'll see that they'll be much more willing to let you be annoying as well, and that all in all, in creates a much better atmosphere between you. You ruined any chance of you two getting along now.

I understand what you are saying, and perhaps I overreacted and the best thing was I should have ignored it, but the guy didn't answer the door. I could swear I heard laughing near the door and that is what ticked me off in addition to my mother (who is temporarily staying with me) was ready to go to sleep. The cops had to pound on the door to get him to open it. What if there was an emergency like a fire and the guy can't hear the door?

As for being annoying, I neither play loud music nor play movies loud. I am aware that there are other people in the building and that they have are probably not interested in what I'm interested in. Sorry but there's simply no reason for it. If you want to be annoying then go rent a hall or go buy an acreage. Unfortunately, some people don't understand the concept of communal living.

If my mom wasn't staying with me I would very likely let it go.

[dasunst3r]

I'll admit that I play music loudly every now and then, especially after final examinations (I play "Overture 1812" as loudly as my ears can stand it for that occasion). If you think your one incident is bad, here's what I had to deal with in the dormitories: Some @#$% plays music with a really powerful subwoofer. The waves penetrate through one or two rooms and get to me... while I'm studying.

In any case, when you listen to that music, just take comfort knowing that he/she's gonna need some hearing aids soon, and I hear that getting that costs lots of $$$.

[blastus]

Since he doesn't rent from you, find out whom he does rent from and report him to the landlord. Keep lots of documentation.

In the end, though, annoying neighbors are sometimes a part of life. If the law can't help you, either you have to move out or he does... or you just put up with it.

It seems the best advice from the Internet is to talk to the neighbor and keep documentation. If that doesn't work then take it up further with letters, the condo board and his landlord, and it if becomes really bad then call the police.

Anyway, what's done is done. If he is going to retaliate by getting louder and more often then so be it. My mother is leaving in a few days too so it will be just me again so I probably won't get so ticked off about it. One thing is for sure is that if I have to knock on his door again I'll do it when I'm not angry and when he isn't playing loud music so I know he will be able to hear the door if he's home and I won't say something that could make it worse.