Neighboor raising a stink.

[flyingwolf]

What is the name of your state? Ohio

I have a neighboor down the hall from me who will not stop opening his door and yelling out into the hallway that 316 (my apartment number cause he doesnt know my name) is a fat-ass.

I am fat but that isnt the point.

They have disliked me since the day they moved in. They asked to use my phone and I invited them in and welcomed them to the neighboorhod. While her husband/boyfreind was using the phone she asked me if I had any pills to sell or if I wanted to buy any. Keep in mind there are 2 officers who used to live in the apartment complex and she has no clue if I could be one. Well after she asked I politely told her husband to finish his phone call (tuned out to be long distance) And I told them to leave and they were no longer welcome in my house. I have had a couple of problems with them because her husband/boyfriend has a very short temper.

When I hear a noise outside close to my door I look out. Its usually them in the hallway smoking a cigaret. Smoking is not allowed in the public hallways but they dont care.

So when I look out the door they see me and I usually just shut the door. One time he tried to some into my house. I am an a retired Marine and have 14 years of martial arts training so taking him on would most certainly wind up with me in the klink as I would be using my martail arts experiance. So I just politely (read locked his wrist once he was in my house) sent him out my front door. He has since begun yelling out derogatory comments whenever he knows we are home. there is always a smell of weed from thier apartment and they are constantly slamming thier door waking up our 17 month old son and us at 3 am.

I know it is alot to digest but any help or reccomendations on actions would be nice. I know nothing of this area of the law and would like to get some bearing on where need to be in this particular case.

Thanks alot.

Jim

PS He just ripped a note off of our door telling thecable man to knock loud because I would be in a back room. I have the baby monitor looking out the peephole and I saw him come to the door and the mic is really sensitive so I heard it being ripped off.

Any idea what I can do.

 

[pogo_80]

Start being a pain in the @ss right back. Start calling the police everytime they yell something in the hallway. Also call when they make noise distrubances, especially at 3 in the morning. Not sure what the law is in your area (distrubing the peace), but here it's 10pm. I would also call the apartment management company in regards to their smoking in the hallway. Also seems they are doing that to upset you. They might get tired of the police showing up at their door and eventually move. Make sure you document everything, including the dates and times you phone the police.

 

[flyingwolf]

And as a second to this question. What would my rights be if I setup a camera right outside my door. It would be in the public hallway but I could set it to only look at my door. I would use a vadle resisitant camera to make sure it couldnt be stolen but what would I need to be able to do this. Law wise that is. I know I need the equipment but what are the laws concerning video suveilance in public places.

 

[travlinlady23]

neighbors

You can do what the following said to do. But in a situation like that it only gets worse. The police can only do so much. The best thing to do is get a restraining order against them...than the police can do something..and than they will get tired of police coming to them and enforcing the restraining order..money, getting in front of a judge, hassle of police in their face, etc, ..will take their toll....as far as the camera, check with an attorney...
Check with local ordinances at city hall on noise disturbances and curfew on things...push the landlord to intervene...have other neighbors make complaints...you just have to take action...

 

[flyingwolf]

Spounds like a good idea. Though I am afraid it may blow up in my face. I am sure the police will soon tire of comming out only to hear them say we didnt say anything. And if I have no proof other than my word then they may just mark me a nuisance and if I really need thier help might not respod quickly.

Around here the noise ordinance starts at 9pm. Though any noise that disturbs your neighboor at any time day or night is agaisnt the lease guidlines. Also one call to the police is supposed to be an instant eviction if the call was warranted. We know that this is not true as we had an old neighboor that had the cops called on him over 200 times for loud music. Our next door neighboor made the calls on a dily basis. Instead of evicting him they moved him to another complex they own. The managment does not care about thier rules unless it costs them money.

But please keep the suggestions and any possible case law comming.

 

[flyingwolf]

good ideas travlinlady23. I wonder if I could get a 100 yard restraining order on them. They loive about 20 feet from me. Across the hall and down one apartment in a normal apartment setup. So like I said its about 20 feet.

I get a 100 yard restraining order they cant even come home. That would effectively move them out would it not.

 

[seniorjudge]

Move. If you cannot move, stay absolutely away from these nutcases; they're scary and anything you do will escalate the situation.

 

[pogo_80]

A restraining order can only do so much. It won't prevent them from yelling in the halls, slamming doors and smoking in the hall. A restraining order or no contact order is just that, they can't come knocking on your door or phone you. Plus, I don't think a restraining order can force them from the apartment. You'll have to try and get them evicted.

 

[stephenk]

is the apartment that great? how long has the problem been going on? why don't you and the missus start looking for a better place for your kid?

write letters to the property manager/landlord complaining of your neighbor. if you smell drugs from their place, call the police and report it.

if you do get a restraining order it will force them to move. however, be prepared to face the possibility of you getting hit with a restraining order also. a judge may grant mutual restraining orders forcing both of you to move.

 

[flyingwolf]

Well we have been here for 4 years and they have been here for 6 months. It has really escalated in the past month. For the first 5 they kept to themselves. But once they got to know everyone (and by everyone I mean all the drug dealers and users) they started to get pretty bold. I had his 16 yr old little brother jump bad with me once. You should have seen him when I steped out of the car. Since then his brother has been cool but he has been getting worse daily.

I am planning to talk to the owner of the complex tommorow. Not the manager the owner.

The manager doesnt seem to care as long as it doesnt affect her. I amlooking up the laws on the camera now. It would be nice to have concrete proof of them in the halways and of them yelling the profanities out.

Thanks for the help.

 

[pogo_80]

"all the drug dealers and users"

And you were jumped by someone from the apartment complex?

Maybe you want to think about moving, for the sake of your child.

 

[flyingwolf]

The two youths who jumped me a few years ago (before my son was born) were not residents here. They were here with freinds it seems.

And yes we are looking for a new place but til that time comes that dioes not mean I am going to put up with this crap on a dialy/weekly basis.

There are a number of drug dealers and users here. Go to any neighboorhod and you will find drug users. I consider weed a drug (as does the law) and many many people smoke it. But here I know we have a few dealers so that makes it a bit worse. It has gotten bad in the past year though. So we are looking for a new place to live. But that simply isnt the answer.

If I moved in next to you and started the same stuff would you just pack up and move from an apartment you like or would you get me the heck out of your hair.

I think the mentality of "if you dont like it move" has gotten to easy for people to say. I am not attacking any of the responders to this thread but just in general the whole move if you dont like it defense is simply bull. If you are breaking the law I am not going to move to get away from it. I am going to usethe law to the best of may abilities to either stop you from breaking it or to have you removed so I no longer have to be bothered with it.

 

[pogo_80]

Flyingwolf, please don't take anything I say as an attack on you or telling you what to do. I know this situation is frustrating to you, I've been thru it myself.

I own my home, and the house next door was rented to a family that used and also sold drugs. It was a nightmare from day one. The front door slamming at all hours of the night, people coming and going the entire day/night, fighting, screaming in the street. I can't tell you how many times I had sleepless nights over it. I couldn't keep my windows open in the summer. I started to call the police and make annonymous complaints. They basically said they couldn't do anything as far as the drug smells coming from the house. After every call, the police did show up at their house. I also contacted the owner and also the alderman. They eventually moved, after a long 8 months. If I rented, I would've moved. Since I own my home, nobody in their right mind would buy it after seeing what was going on next door.

The only solution was to be persistant with the police and the owner of the home. The vice squad eventually got involved because they started smoking crack in front of the house. I just recommend either moving or getting the law involved. Filing a restraining order is going to enrage them, and you never know how vindictive they are. If you have other neighbors in the building who are just as aggravated as you are, try to get them involved as well in calling the police and the building owner. I hope it all works out for you.

 

[flyingwolf]

Pogo I dint mean to sound like I was mad. I am not mad at anyone on the board. Just while I was writting that I could hear him in the hallway making the noise.

Anyway I have an appointment with the building owners tommorow.

We do like the place it just needs the trash taken out. But I guess we can expect that living next to a college. We get alot of people in the area who arent exactly family freindly ya know.

Bottom line is they will be gone. Come hell or high water they will be gone. I have called the cheif of police and talked to him about this matter. He said to call the sheriff's office everytime I have a problem or smell something and they will be here. There will be no problem with them getting annoyed as they are trying to clean up this are also.

As for neighboors who can help.

In this hallway there are 6 apaetments. besides mine and the annoyance there are 4 other residents. Across the hall from the annoyance is a couple who speak very little english but they are buddy buddy with them becuase they also smoke weed. Next to the annoyance is a lady and her 2 kids whome I have seen maybe 4 times in 4 years. She rarely comes out of the house and will not get involved in anything.

Beside us is a new teneant (been here a month) whos is very wary of gettng involved with this sort of thing becuase she has heard the stories of people speaking up and getting kicked out.

Next to her is a person who has been here for 10 years. She is deaf and blind and really doesnt care about what is going on around here as long as it doesnt directly affect her.

We have some people in other building who have problems with these 2 going up and down the halls looking for drugs to sell or buy or jewelry for sale. (just the other day she offered to sell me her wedding ring for 20 bucks. But she dont do no drugs lol.)

Her downstairs neighboor is also tired ofthe dancing til all hourse and the door slamming. When they slam thier door it creates such air pressure in thier house to cause her ceiling (thier floor) to push down like its going to fall in.

So she is trying to help us as best as she can.

We will get this taken care of and thank you for all the ideas and help.

I was seriously thinking about using JB weld to lock thier door permanently while they were in the house. Figure if they cant get out they cant buy more drugs lol.

Probably not a good idea on my part though.

Thanks for the ideas.
Keep em comming.
Jim