I'm Ready to Kill My Neighbors....

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Rhode Island

Hello! Let me be as brief as possible: our neighbors are horrendous! My husband and I own a duplex in what was once a quiet working class area. We live in one side and rent the other. The problem is the duplex next door. A family moved in there about a year ago, and everything changed! Last summer the noise from their children and children's friends was unbearable pretty much 24/7; we could not open our windows or sit on our deck. We were patient last summer and fall/winter, but things are rapidly deteriorating. The father intalled a trampoline and the noise is truly unbelievable. This family has four kids (16 girl, 12 boy, 8 twins, boy and girl) in that tiny 1/2 of a house, and the whole neighborhood is paying!! The kids are wild, totally out of control and cause the most awful noise. Please note that I am not talking about a couple of kids getting a little loud during a game of basketball or kickball. I'm talking about chaotic activity. We have many kids in the area who DON'T behave like these children and their friends. They get on the trampoline or tear around the neighborhood shrieking, screaming, swearing...last night the 12 year old screamed at his 8 year old sister, "give it to me, f&*%*%g bitch!" Then, the 16 year old and her 5 friends got on the trampoline around 6 and were there til 8:30 or so. They were all screaming and being obscene too, the boys trying to grab the girls' privates and the girls shrieking at the top of their lungs. we were treated to such things as "C'mere so I can stick my finger in your hole" and "I like penetration better than oral." These are kids between say 13 and 16. This goes on every night, every weekend, and with the summer coming it will be around the clock. yards here are small and close (we do have a fence though, the kids go around it into our yard) so we expect some noise drift, but this is INSANE. We have also seen the kids dropping their snack trash all over the street, sexual activity on the trampoline, and the kids in our yard and trees after we have told them they MUST stay out. Do we have ANY legal protection from this? We have talked to the parents who are either 1)drunk and/or 2)clueless and they promise to fix it and then don't. We filed a police report recently, have spoken to the landord, and will pretty much do whatever it takes to fix this. Oh, we also lost our tenant of 3 years over this, because she was sick of the noise!!! Would it be prudent to report them to the Housing Authority for all those people in a two bedroom place? Thanks so much!!! Noisefrazzle

If you are very lucky, the trampoline might solve some of your problems this summer.

It is very difficult to get anyone to really do anything effective, especially when minor kids are involved. The "complainer" usually comes off as seeming unreasonable or worse. Generally, the more you complain to the parents, even if they seem cooperative, the worse it gets - as the children, who are entering their "rebellious" stage - will try to "get back at you" in all sorts of unpleasant, antisocial ways. Then, when they have done some real monetary damage, you will find there is little recourse for you - because, legally, they are minors, even if you are an eye-witness to their "pranks". And, if your experience is parallel to mine, their parent's are "judgement proof".

If you keep calling the police they might eventually get tired of your calls and alert social services/juvenile division about the unruly children, but they are generally reluctant to do so. You can do so yourself - and remain annonymous. Sort of.
Just be ready for the revenge phase.

YuP I am ready for Revenge

Crowbone thanks for the reply. I am ready for the revenge phase, totally. Really though my immediate goal is to make this the landlord's problem as much as possible. We have about three-four hours of video of the kids' behavior so hopefully we can use that.

Best case scenario really is: you get them to move. Sooner the better.

Sometimes you can prevail thru the landlord, tho, as often as not, they just want to collect the rent. From whom or whatever.

Someone with this many kids usually has a lot of debts, and one step ahead of a bill collecter. Find out as much about these paragons of reproductivity as you can, and put it to wise use.

Or, get your own trampoline and mimic the kids. They'll be gone in no time at all. Ewww, old people! They gotta be at least 30!

I do not know about your city/state but in FL 2 bedrooms means 4 people max! you can call DCF and see if they will come check it out. I honestly don't know what else to say other than I hope you get this resolved,quickly. You said the landlord was willing to do anything he could to help I am assuming anything but evict them?

Don't Know About Landlord

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I don't know if the landlord will do anything...he said he would so we are giving him a week before we proceed with further action. He actually told us not to confront the parents ourselves because they are, in his words, unstable.

We have already contacted Housing in RI and they told us 4 kids in one room plus 2 parents is a violation. We are waiting to use this info against them; if the landlord is able to quiet them down (hah!) we will be happy to let them continue to live in their squalor.

I have had thoughts of calling DCFS because in my unschooled opinion what we see over there borders on, if not *is*, neglect. I am reluctant though. I don't know that it is legally neglect and I would not want to bring that down on someone without justification. I have also thought of mentioning my neglect concerns to the landlord, as he has access to the property. Can one call DCFS anonymously? Of course if I witnessed abuse I would call without hesitation.

Right now, I just want to be able to sit on my deck. noisefrazzle

Woo Hoo!!!

Don't know if anyone cares but I thought I would post an update to my original post and let everyone know that the neighbors from hell are MOVING!!! They bought a house. The neighbor who shares a duplex with them came bombing over the other afternoon to tell me as soon as she heard the news - she hates them too. So they will be GONE in four weeks, financing willing, and hopefully we will be in peace once again. Wish there was some way to force the landlord to rent to decent people

Of course we found this out two days AFTER we complained to the landlord!! Talk about bad timing. Mrs. Neighbor From Hell came over with fire in her eyes demanding to know why we called her landlord. Her two main points were:

- if we were stupid enough to buy a property in a neighborhood full of renters like her, than we shouldn't complain because everyone knows renters cause problems.

- since we do not have children we cannot possibly understand those who do and therefore forfeit any right to social consideration or respect from our neighbors.

Go figure. Anyhoo, drop by my neighborhood the day they move and you will see me doing an Irish Jig down the street. Do they call it an Irish Jig anymore or is that not PC? Cultural Be-Bop? Indigenous Boogie?

Thanks again all who responded!!

Devil neighbors

Definitely time to schedule a block party