Nutty Neighbors

[jamespowers]

You got that right, Twitch. I can't stand these stinkin' lazy government bums who put up all kind of requirements if someone wants to do something to their house; notify all the neighbors, put sticks up so the semi-literates around you can envision how the family room addition will look. Get a permit to cut the tree in the backyard. :rage:

Yep, we've fought all those things around here. :eusa_doh:
A permit to cut down a tree in your own backyard was the worst of it. Cut down the tree without a permit and pay a $15,000 fine. That ended quick when people showed up with signs and attitudes.

Regards,

J

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Neither of the neighbors are very friendly. One keeps ridiculous hours and the other it's primarily the children slamming doors. I doubt communication will help. Man how times have changed. My parents taught me not to slam doors and I got in trouble if I did.

P.S. - She parked over the line AGAIN!

 

[carebear]

Neither of the neighbors are very friendly. One keeps ridiculous hours and the other it's primarily the children slamming doors. I doubt communication will help. Man how times have changed. My parents taught me not to slam doors and I got in trouble if I did.

P.S. - She parked over the line AGAIN!

My philosophy?

Tire's on my property? That thar's my tire.

Like 'em flattish myself.

 

[oswulf]

I wonder what the vintage way is to handle nutty neighbors..

Tommygun!

 

[oswulf]

I guess I've been lucky for the most part, never really had horrible neighbors. When we bought our house last year I had the advantage only a pawnbroker or cop usually has, I have a database with all my pawn customers and their addresses, and used that to make sure I didn't buy a house too near any of them.

It's a nice quiet neighborhood in a very small town, elderly neighbor on one side, real nice guy but quiet. Older couple restoring an old Victorian on the other side, surprisingly quietly too. Pretty much surrounded by good calm folks. I really couldn't be happier with my new house. I was looking for acreage to build on but the bare land prices had gone through the roof the last couple years and we had no choice really but to buy in town. Me being an anti-social type I wasn't looking forward to having neighbors in spitting distance, but it's been just great so far and my much more social wife and kids are happy to have people close.

 

[Nick D]

I've had a lot of problems over the past year since I moved into my grandparent's old house, and most of it stems from my abnormally long driveway. My house was built in the 50s, before any of the houses in our neighborhood were. As houses sprang up around it, my grandparents never sold the back lot, so we own two lots, one on one street, one on the next, with a long driveway from one street to the other. The house is on one, so we have a large back yard.

The people who live next to our back yard have a connect between their driveway and ours, and use our driveway as theirs. They drive on my lawn. They park in my lawn. They use my driveway as an alley. Now they've started dumping their garbage in my yard. And they deny all of it, though I've watched them at it. The people who used to live in that house were family friends, but they've moved and rent the house. So these new people have a renters mentality.

There are a lot of kids, two at that house, two accross the street from my house, and at least one in the house next to me. They all use my driveway as a throughfare and a playground. That's fine, I suppose, it's better than them walking around the street. Usually. The neighbors accross the street's kids get dropped off from school not in front of their house, but in front of my backlot and walk through my property to theirs. They've walked right out in front of my car a few times. That's the thing, they think it's their alley, but it's my driveway.

I finally told the kids off for throwing rocks at each other on my property, and I want to get the school to drop them off at their house. I really don't want to come around the corner and find them to close to stop, or what have you.

[/soapbox]

Sorry for the rant, but I'm a little tired of people having no respect for other's property.

 

[jamespowers]

I've had a lot of problems over the past year since I moved into my grandparent's old house, and most of it stems from my abnormally long driveway. My house was built in the 50s, before any of the houses in our neighborhood were. As houses sprang up around it, my grandparents never sold the back lot, so we own two lots, one on one street, one on the next, with a long driveway from one street to the other. The house is on one, so we have a large back yard.

The people who live next to our back yard have a connect between their driveway and ours, and use our driveway as theirs. They drive on my lawn. They park in my lawn. They use my driveway as an alley. Now they've started dumping their garbage in my yard. And they deny all of it, though I've watched them at it. The people who used to live in that house were family friends, but they've moved and rent the house. So these new people have a renters mentality.

There are a lot of kids, two at that house, two accross the street from my house, and at least one in the house next to me. They all use my driveway as a throughfare and a playground. That's fine, I suppose, it's better than them walking around the street. Usually. The neighbors accross the street's kids get dropped off from school not in front of their house, but in front of my backlot and walk through my property to theirs. They've walked right out in front of my car a few times. That's the thing, they think it's their alley, but it's my driveway.

I finally told the kids off for throwing rocks at each other on my property, and I want to get the school to drop them off at their house. I really don't want to come around the corner and find them to close to stop, or what have you.

[/soapbox]

Sorry for the rant, but I'm a little tired of people having no respect for other's property.

My grandfather had nearly the same problem on a piece of property near his many years ago. He ended up buying the property just to throw up a fence and end the incessant foot traffic.
I would do the same. Its you property, make it private. Fences make excellent neighbors.

Regards,

J

 

[Mike in Seattle]

My grandfather had nearly the same problem on a piece of property near his many years ago. He ended up buying the property just to throw up a fence and end the incessant foot traffic.
I would do the same. Its you property, make it private. Fences make excellent neighbors.

Regards,

J

Just what I was going to suggest. Wasn't it Robert Frost who said "Good fences make good neighbors" or somethign to that effect?

 

[jamespowers]

Just what I was going to suggest. Wasn't it Robert Frost who said "Good fences make good neighbors" or somethign to that effect?

It might have been. He was right too.
The fence on one side of my property is almost finished.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

There has been banging on the wall the past twenty minutes. Oh god it just stopped which is good because the next banging to be heard would have been my head against the wall.

I wonder what it's like to not have someone sharing a wall with you. I seem to have forgotten but I believe it's quite peaceful.

 

[Dr Doran]

Sharing Walls

There has been banging on the wall the past twenty minutes. Oh god it just stopped which is good because the next banging to be heard would have been my head against the wall.

I wonder what it's like to not have someone sharing a wall with you. I seem to have forgotten but I believe it's quite peaceful.

If your place is not too small (or will not become to small if you do the following) here are some ideas. They all rely on rearranging your room.

1.) Get an aquarium with filter engine thing which produces steady white noise and put said aquarium against the shared wall.
2.) Use shared wall for bookcases which will somewhat muffle neighbor-noise.
3.) Put speakers from your stereo against shared wall.

 

[Diamondback]

A refinement on the distinguished Professor Doran's sugggestion:

1. Get biggest darn subwoofers you can, theater-grade sound sytem.
2. Aim all speakers straight into shared wall.
3. Amass collection of CD's of the 1812 Overture, every version you can find, rip to MP3's on computer's hard drive. Connect computer to speakers.
4. Crank bass to MAX and just roll 'em--be the "'All 1812, All the Time' Dorm Radio Station from HELL" to those fratboy twerps.
5. EXTRA CREDIT: Mix in other sound effects like thunder crashing, artillery barrages, jet engines and other such fun things.

lol

 

[Pink Dahlia]

If your place is not too small (or will not become to small if you do the following) here are some ideas. They all rely on rearranging your room.

1.) Get an aquarium with filter engine thing which produces steady white noise and put said aquarium against the shared wall.
2.) Use shared wall for bookcases which will somewhat muffle neighbor-noise.
3.) Put speakers from your stereo against shared wall.

There's already a fish tank there! I'm in hell.

 

[Dr Doran]

There's already a fish tank there! I'm in hell.

Pay someone a few C-notes to "do a job" on them. Hope the next neighbors aren't worse.

 

[Dr Doran]

Pay someone a few C-notes to "do a job" on them. Hope the next neighbors aren't worse.

Or, if Mr Diamondback's excellent if cruel suggestions appeal to you, mix in some Einsturzende Neubauten to the 1812 overture sound-collage. I am fond of the album "Strategies Against Architecture." The Swans' early efforts such as the album "Filth" are quite fine as well, for this purpose. The Swans may in fact be the best if you yourself can tolerate them; if not, leave the house with the stereo on loud. Perhaps some of Throbbing Gristle's uglier tunes, such as the soul-deadening, cuticle-curling "Hamburger Lady" which is available on several albums. Yes, I was and to some respect still am an "industrial music" nut.

 

[Diamondback]

Or, if Mr Diamondback's excellent if cruel suggestions appeal to you, mix in some Einsturzende Neubauten to the 1812 overture sound-collage. I am fond of the album "Strategies Against Architecture." The Swans' early efforts such as the album "Filth" are quite fine as well, for this purpose. The Swans may in fact be the best if you yourself can tolerate them; if not, leave the house with the stereo on loud. Perhaps some of Throbbing Gristle's uglier tunes, such as the soul-deadening, cuticle-curling "Hamburger Lady" which is available on several albums. Yes, I was and to some respect still am an "industrial music" nut.

What are you calling "cruel", sir? The 1812 is one of my favorites, and I've always found rolling thunder and jet engines quite soothing, actually. (Maybe it's having been raised around an airpatch and growing up practically surrounded by aircraft, though...)

OOOH! Beethoven's Fifth, indeed all of his heavier, more Germanic works, to add to the "vintage" side of the playlist...

What? It takes heavy music to drown out the stuff in my nightmares...

 

[jamespowers]

Well, if you are going to leave after turning the stereo on then I suggest anything by Yoko Ono should be added to the mix. If they don't jump out the window after ten minutes of that then they really are crazy.
I would add some animal noises to the 1812 overture as well. Wolf howls, ducks quacking and other growling noises might add interest.

Regards,

J

 

[farnham54]

No good, gentlmen. The resident would have to put up with blaring music all day as well as the neighbors. It would end up being a test of will.

Instead, do all the above re: audio equipment, then book yourself a nice 2 week cruise in the Caribbean or some such thing. Accidentally leave your stereo on with 'mmmBop' on repeat.

Cheers
Craig

 

[jamespowers]

Instead, do all the above re: audio equipment, then book yourself a nice 2 week cruise in the Caribbean or some such thing. Accidentally leave your stereo on with 'mmmBop' on repeat.

Cheers
Craig

Good one. lol lol lol lol lol

 

[Hondo]

To be a good neighbor

I wouldn’t call this “nutty neighbors” but… look at my predicament, I have a really nice Vietnamese couple or family next door, my only problem is that they have 4 to 5 cars parked on the street, accross the street or where ever, I’m not some grumpy old guy, I don’t gripe much but I am annoyed when people park in front of my house, when I have company there is no place to park but in my drive way. I sold one of my cars (a truck) and now park in front of my house while I am cleaning up my garage, painting, and adding shelves for yard tools.
I think this family has family members (renters) to help support; I don’t want to bother people, all I wish is to be left alone, have easy access to on the street parking, I think they get a hint as they see I nolonger park inside the garage, what would you do?