I want stories of lunatic neighbors

This was an insightful thread- so I'll play.

Long ago in my first apartment (2 bedroom, front upstairs unit in a 4-plex + granny flat out back)- "Landlord" was a management company that had several units in the neighborhood. The main guy was a complete ass. The second month I lived there, they claimed we didn't pay our rent and charged us an absurd late fee. I had to put a stop on the check, and all that. From then on I went to their office and physically handed them a check and got a receipt.

Desipte that we lived trouble free for many years, and got along great with the others in our building. Collectively the tennats helped the little old lady at the back, taking her to the store, etc.. It was a good place. I resigned the lease every year often with new roommates as people's lives evolved after college. After about 5 or 6 years, a new neighbor moved into the upstairs apartment in the next building over. Separate building, different owner, but same property management/landlord. Right off the bat these people were strange, not friendly or approachable, they were eastern European of some sort. They ran some sort of business out of the garage below the unit during the day- nothing outwardly illegal (but against the terms of their lease and zoning of the building). The four units in our building would often get together and cook dinner, hang out, play games, etc.. The new neighbors did not enjoy this at all, and yelled at us through their window to be quiet all the time. Depending on if we felt it was appropriate to comply or not we'd either carry on or change what we were up to. If it's 7pm and we're having some drinks and making dinner.. we're gonna carry on doing that. If it's 10pm and someone is telling a loud story, sure, we'll wrap up and go home to our respective apartments. It got to the point where they started to use the police to harass us. ANY time we were home they would call and file a noise complaint. When the police did show up, we would respectfully explain the situation to them. It got to the point where we were on a first name basis with a handful of them. They would knock on the door, and a neighbor and myself would be sitting on the couch watching tv at a normal volume. Another time I had simply walked up the stairs to my door and opened it, and a cop showed up... This was at like 5pm getting home from work. We often received "I'm sorry I am back, but we have to follow up on these calls. Carry on..." from the officers. I really wonder what the neighbors told the police to get them to show up for that. Several of us tried to knock on their door and talk to them, but they never answered.

One day several of the tenants got a letter from the landlord saying we're all on our final notice for lease termination due to a clause in the lease about police visits. That was their game. Wrack up the visits and force all these people out. We fought it. One of the newer tenants (who did not receive a letter) in our building was a lawyer and was shocked by it. She went out of her way to write letters for each apartment as character references, etc. Collectively we went around to each neighbor around us and got similar letters. Needless to say, the support was overwhelming. We tried to get a group meeting with everyone and the landlord to go through everything, but he "didn't do things like that".

Ultimately nothing came of that, and they continued to haress us until we all moved out. But I can't imagine the stress they must have put themselves through caring about a relatively small amount of neighborhood noise. I really just think they didn't research the location they were moving into, or think through apartment living in an over crowded neighborhood at all.

Had a few minor issues with neighbors doing mildly annoying things at the next two houses. One lady tried to have a tree in our yard removed without asking the landlord... but nothing worthy of this thread.

We just moved into a new home in a quiet neighborhood- from what we've gathered, the previous owners were a pain in everyone's ass, and they are happy that someone else/anyone else moved in. So we're off to a good start here.

 

Two Stories....
We had some really cool people move in next to us. It was our starter home - we were in our mid 20's. They were 40 (her) and 50 (him). Really cool people. Each was on their second marriage and they had been apartment people up to this house. We enjoyed hanging out and having neighborhood get to gethers. Through one get together we learned they were swingers. It wasn't an invitation to swing or anything, just a casual "hey this is what we are into" kind of confession. And we were all cool with it. No judgement. But then they started complaining about the lack of privacy in the neighborhood. Things were too noisy. There were two story homes that could see down into yards etc. We all accepted it as part of the neighborhood we all voluntarily moved into.

Then one day they came over and threatened to have our dog taken by animal control because they could hear it barking. It's a dog. It occasionally barked. Nothing remotely close to excessive. We apologized and said we'd keep an eye on it. That's when I looked up statues and ordinances and found out we were more than in the clear. But wanting to be good neighbors we told them to call us if it's ever an issue and we'd be happy to fix it.

A few weeks later he comes barreling across the yard threatening to kick my ass for my dog barking at all hours of the night. I apologized and told him the dog had been inside with us and wasn't outside. He wasn't hearing it and continued to yell and scold us for allowing the dog to bark when his wife was suffering a colossial migrane.

Then they started making requests of us and the other neighbors to stay in our homes and not be in the back yard or looking out front to respect their privacy during swinger parties. Literally expecting the neighborhood to shut down for their shindig that no one really cared about.

The final straw was when we were out of town on vacation and got a call from them at 1:00 AM because our dog was out barking - but she was actually being boarded in a kennel facility 5 miles away. I explained that it couldn't be (and this was the confirmation I needed) that our dog was a wasn't even at the house. He wasn't hearing it either this time and then after ripping me a new hole, they never spoke to us again.

Other neighbors that had spoken to them found out that they were upset about living in the neighborhood because they thought it would be much more private than the apartment they lived in and they were upset to have purchased an expensive home and be able to hear other people and cars and children playing and DOGS. All of the things they tried to get away from in the apartment. Eventually we moved. I can only hope a heavy metal band who breeds rottweilers bought the house from us.

 

Second Story...
Moved into a small neighborhood that had an HOA. HOA's are just pretty words on a paper, it's the people that make it good or bad. We had some real special people on this HOA. The kind that want your house to look exactly like theirs so they enforced made up rules above and beyond what was in print. One lady was the spitting image of Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter in personality and appearance.

So I ran and got on the board to moderate them and bring some common sense to the whole program. Within two years I had the out of control HOA quelled down to only enforcing what was in print and doing it in a much more compassionate manner.

After I left my position, two people got a letter about dues they didn't like - they hadn't paid in 13 years and 15 years respectively. When they got turned over to collections, I started getting death threats and having stuff thrown in my yard. Tried to explain I was no longer on the board but because I had "reformed" the HOA, they saw me as the face of it. One guy eventually showed up acting violently and had to have a discussion with Phoenix PD as a result. Not sure why but he had his daughter there (she was like 6 or 7?) to video the whole thing. His video ended up being used against him.

God I hate HOA's and the people that go out of their way to cause issues in them - be they in charge or residents. Next house is going to be way out in the country.

 

You deserve a round of applause for actually stepping up and fixing the HOA.

 

My neighbor constantly cut his grass, and then comes over and cuts ours for free. What sort of nut ball likes cutting the lawn

 

Sounds like you should make sure to leave beer and cookies for him instead of calling him a nut ball.

 

Sounds like someone doesnt get sarcasm

 

Hank hill

 

My crazy ass neighbor pur this contraption on his car. Yesterday, he forgot. To take it off.

 

I came home one day saw my neighbor in his car with the engine on. I didn't think anything of it because he does this time to time, but his engine is usually off. His SUV was parked a little crooked too. Eh whatever, I go in to my unit and have dinner. ( we live in a townhome complex ) I look outside and the SUV is still there with the engine running. Now it's been about 2 hours. I go outside to check on the driver. He is slumped down on his steering wheel. (He's drunk as a skunk) I bang on his window, no response. I do this for about 2-3 min and I am thinking I am going to the popo and ambulance. He finally lifts his head and I tell him to move his SUV. I find out that it's in gear and pushing against another units retaining wall. He nods and I walk away confirming that he will move. I stand behind and wait about 20 seconds. I walk back and he is slumped again. I say dude, wake up and move your car. He finally backs up dragging his bumper on the side of the wall and miraculously parks in his garage. I see him now and not even a thank you for saving his ass and not calling the police.

 

If he drove home that wasted he's gonna do it again, next time he could kill someone. I'd have no issue being that guy that calls it in if you see him doing it again.

 

I enjoy mowing my lawn, mow it usually 1.5 times a week.

way back in this thread I posted about my redneck neighbors across the street, nothing horrible, just lots of broken down cars and way to much horn honking at all hours.

they threw a large party on the 4th of July, and invited me over. I had nothing else going on so I stopped by. I was introduced to grandma, and she said “is he the one who mows his lawn too much?” My response was, “yes I do like having a good looking yard since I paid for the property “.

Grandma was on an oxygen machine, but still chain smoking her cigarettes. But she got angry at her son(60ish) when he started the fireworks because it was safe with the oxygen….

 

I’m wondering how you mow 1.5 times a week? Like do you do half your yard?

 

Totally unrelated to stories of lunatic neighbors, but your post made me think of this...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/48QGtE74d5Q

 

I do that, kinda. Depending on how fast things are growing in the summer, I'll mow the back yard every other time I mow the front yard. I got better things to do than make circles in the yard.
I definitely don't water the yard so I can mow it more often like some do.

 

Haha, I was imagining someone only mowing one side of their yard. I thought it was like you mowed 3 times in 2 weeks kinda schedule.

 

I suspected that was it. If I'm really slammed for time I just mow the front which takes about 15 minutes in front of the house, the side piece grows much slower. Back has one part that grows quicker but it's not visible from the street.

 

More often then every 7 days, but not twice a week. Probably every 4-5 days or so

 

I am trying to follow story of dickhead, you guys high jacked the this thread with your dog shit!!!.
This is not a complaint , it’s just funny!!

 

Dickhead still spits at me when I pass his house