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Holi, the best revenge you'll have is that the management company is going to have a heck of a time renting out your apartment after you move! If the noise is that incessant, any prospective tenants will hear it and say, "No way!" (Not much comfort for your current situation, I know, but I'm trying to find a bright spot to all of this!)
Holi, the best revenge you'll have is that the management company is going to have a heck of a time renting out your apartment after you move! If the noise is that incessant, any prospective tenants will hear it and say, "No way!" (Not much comfort for your current situation, I know, but I'm trying to find a bright spot to all of this!)
Haha, thanks, Sandy! Although, seeing how many people are looking for apartments in this neighborhood, some may tolerate and/or put up with it. But for me, because I have been here so long and I only occasionally heard the previous upstairs tenant walk around, etc., this is widely unbearable. Even my friend who is less noise-sensitive than me came to visit and said at one point, "Oh my God, what are they doing up there? Roller skating? Moving furniture? What the hell - didn't used to be like this here!" So I'm not imagining things.
I have been in property management for many years, and have rented to all kinds of people, and let me tell you firsthand, these people living above you are trouble, with a capital "T".
About 20 years ago, I was asked to manage a building in Lincoln Heights.
One of the tenants were just like the one's you are now dealing with.
The owner fired the previous manager because they would not address the problem family.
There were a husband, wife, and two kids.
The owner knew of the problem, but relied on the manager to fix it.
Well, that never happened, so He contacted me.
The first thing I did was knock on their door, and introduce myself, then explained that there were numerous complaints by other tenants, and neighbors regarding the loud music, babies crying at all hours, and arguments.
I asked them to control it, and left it at that .
Two days later I was called to the property by one of the other tenants, because of the noise coming from that same apartment.
This time I came with a three day notice that they had to comply, or they would be issued a thirty day notice to vacate.
Before slamming the door in my face, the husband told me I had better "watch my back".
I knew then we were in for trouble.
I gave them a thirty day notice three days later, and the husband again was very hostile.
I still remember his words to this day, "you are going to be ****** sorry, for this", and once again slammed the door.
I spoke with the owner and told him we are going to have real trouble with these people.
I had a hunch they were going to retalliate in a big way, and they held true too form.
The day we got our judgement in court against them, the house was set deliberately on fire, and was a total loss.
I knew they did it, but couldn't prove it.
So Holli, take head, these fools are not to be screwed with.
You have no idea what people like that are capable of.
They may not burn the building down, but you can bet you will be on their ***** list of things to "take care of".
Bob.
Yes, it's more risk and trouble to deal with these people, better to just leave and save your health and potential property damage, as if you stay you're stuck in one place and they can retaliate against you.
Once threatened by such people, by telling you're going to be **** or will regret, one should immediately get a restraining order against them--they won't be able to have a legal gun, then, and can get in a lot of trouble for contacting you in any way.
Last edited by Count David; 01-08-2012 at 11:55 PM..
Reason: starred out the hidden bad words
They may not burn the building down, but you can bet you will be on their ***** list of things to "take care of".
Bob.
There are, of course, felonious wackos out there. The fear of retaliation is what keeps most of us from reporting offenders in these types of situations. This is why many neighbors can be driven to the brink but just hunker down and don't do anything.
I own my home and picking up and moving wasn't as ready an option to rid myself of these outrageously loud and obnoxious people.
Several times I tried to speak to the offenders and was either overtly or indirectly intimidated. No direct threats for which I would have for sure filed a complaint with police.
One neighbor with very loud "thumping bass" music on a daily (and nightly basis) lived on the block behind me. When they woke me from a sound sleep one night, I put on my bathrobe and drove by the house to get the address to phone in to police. As I slowly approached, from the dark came a group of 10-12 gangbanger looking types with their beverages in hand. They surrounded my car and asked what I was looking at. I told them their music had awakened me and since it had become a major problem, I had come to find out where it was coming from. They were quite intimidating on their unlighted street. I reiterated that they had awakened me and told them what the noise ordinance is. They argued they had come from a town where there is a large prison and that the noise ordinance was different there. I told them this isn't that town. I then slowly drove away.
I was shaken but my extreme frustration overrode my fear response. I signed a complaint against these people in another day or two. The music quieted down some. When it went back up later, I called the sheriff again and stated I would file a complaint. Since then, no problem.
I reported my relatively new nextdoor neighbors for the same problem. They were nice but ignored my pleas to turn down the music and their son was the one who intimidated me appearing hostile and somewhat menacing. Since I had the sheriff come out, no problem.
You're in close quarters with your offending neighbors but the thing I would say to you is some people are constant bluff and bluster; lots of bark and little bite. That's enough to let them continue their bad behavior and cause other people to keep their distance and not establish natural consequences for those actions.
Do your neighbors seem like the loud, bluff and bluster types or are they more intimidating? If you can get their names, you can find out at your local courthouse, by computer, if they have had any civil or criminal involvement locally. (The lawyer will do this if you should get a consultation.) If they don't have anything on record to raise a red flag, it might make you feel more OK about following up with a legal complaint.
If you feel you must find another place, I totally understand. I followed through because it felt like a choice between sacrificing my sanity and well-being and following through as I did. No choice is easy or uncomplicated. It's horrible feeling held hostage (and tortured )by these kinds of people.
Have you tried talking to other neighbors to see if they hear it as well?
If they have then call the police, and tell them that multiple people complain. This way the police will talk to them and say that it is multiple complaints so the noisy neighbors won't just think it is you.
I have had the same problem in the past and it resulted in a physical confrontation. So I know what you are going through. Don't make anymore contact with these people!
Call the police and bother them about it. You should not have to move!
If the first time you call the police it doesnt work, call again and again and again.
Have you tried talking to other neighbors to see if they hear it as well?
If they have then call the police, and tell them that multiple people complain. This way the police will talk to them and say that it is multiple complaints so the noisy neighbors won't just think it is you.
I have had the same problem in the past and it resulted in a physical confrontation. So I know what you are going through. Don't make anymore contact with these people!
Call the police and bother them about it. You should not have to move!
If the first time you call the police it doesnt work, call again and again and again.
Have you talked to management in person?
It doesn't do good to call the cops on this kind of noise--the cops go by "if we can hear it from patrol car parked on the street" rule, otherwise they won't do anything and not obligated to (unfortunately). If she keep calling the cops and they don't see a valid complaint, they'll just tell her to stop calling and ignore any future complaints.
Do your neighbors seem like the loud, bluff and bluster types or are they more intimidating?
They seem more the entitled type - because management has a 1-year lease with them, they know they are not going anywhere unless they don't pay rent - which I'm assuming they are - so they act like, "Too bad for you; we're going to do what we want, get over it".
I obviously also blame management. They are choosing NOT to fix the ceiling noise issues, which was a non-issue in the past, but obviously something came loose since they replaced the carpets with the new tenants. I even had called the city building inspector and he came out one day to look, but the neighbors weren't home so he asked me to record the sound and send it to him via email. Well, I did...it's LOUD - and he wrote back, "Sorry, can't do anything". I know it's because he is lazy, not because I didn't have a valid complaint.
I should find a place to upload the noise online and share it here with you guys...
It doesn't do good to call the cops on this kind of noise--the cops go by "if we can hear it from patrol car parked on the street" otherwise they won't do anything and not obligated to (unfortunately).
It doesn't do good to call the cops on this kind of noise--the cops go by "if we can hear it from patrol car parked on the street" rule, otherwise they won't do anything and not obligated to (unfortunately). If she keep calling the cops and they don't see a valid complaint, they'll just tell her to stop calling and ignore any future complaints.
Not sure about there, but here, in general, the officer will go out the first time and warn them based on your verbal complaint (whether or not the noise is occurring at the time he/she is there). If it recurs (which it very likely will), then you have to file a written complaint with the officer. It's basically a citizen's arrest but you don't have to be present or identified until the case goes to court. It's not the officer's perception but the complainant's report that drives the officer's action.
Don't take someone else's report as to what the noise ordinance is. Read it yourself. I had one deputy repeatedly argue with me that we have no noise ordinance in this county. Once I told him what the code was and where to find it, he followed through in enforcing it. He didn't want to but I didn't care. He didn't have to live with it. I did. When he warned the neighbors, the noise stopped. Accurate information is important, if you decide to follow-up.
Sorry if I sound like an activist. I've had to learn to be a little bit; trial and error.
There is another way here, too. You can schedule an appt. with the Health Dept. and they will come out with a decibel meter. If decibels exceed the identified level for a specified period of time, your neighbors will be cited. If it's not corrected, they'll be fined and continue to be fined until the noise is below the specific decibel level.
It would be great if you could join with a couple of other neighbors as jdaelectro suggests. Are there neighbors adjoining their apt other than yours. If so, those neighbors are going through it too. Have you talked to other neighbors?
Not sure about there, but here, in general, the officer will go out the first time and warn them based on your verbal complaint (whether or not the noise is occurring at the time he/she is there). If it recurs (which it very likely will), then you have to file a written complaint with the officer. It's basically a citizen's arrest but you don't have to be present or identified until the case goes to court. It's not the officer's perception but the complainant's report that drives the officer's action.
Don't take someone else's report as to what the noise ordinance is. Read it yourself. I had one deputy repeatedly argue with me that we have no noise ordinance in this county. Once I told him what the code was and where to find it, he followed through in enforcing it. He didn't want to but I didn't care. He didn't have to live with it. I did. When he warned the neighbors, the noise stopped. Accurate information is important, if you decide to follow-up.
Sorry if I sound like an activist. I've had to learn to be a little bit; trial and error.
There is another way here, too. You can schedule an appt. with the Health Dept. and they will come out with a decibel meter. If decibels exceed the identified level for a specified period of time, your neighbors will be cited. If it's not corrected, they'll be fined and continue to be fined until the noise is below the specific decibel level.
It would be great if you could join with a couple of other neighbors as jdaelectro suggests. Are there neighbors adjoining their apt other than yours. If so, those neighbors are going through it too. Have you talked to other neighbors?
You don't live in LA, obviously... LA cops in high density residential won't bother with you for complaints that do not match "hear noise from patrol car", and if they decide you bother them too much, they won't help you if you really need it later, or will tell you that will get arrested yourself if you keep pestering them. OP does not have any recourse as far as police is concerned, this is a civil matter between her and the property owner.
Last edited by alexxiz; 01-08-2012 at 10:45 PM..
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(Not much comfort for your current situation, I know, but I'm trying to find a bright spot to all of this!)
)by these kinds of people.
