View Full Version : Neighbor Trouble
Hey guys, need a bit of advice. I own a condo. Above me are renters. Last March he and his wife got into a full fledged fight....screams, people running back and forth, things crashing, yells to give a phone back...all at 3am. I called the police out about it. Within a week she moved out and within a very short amount of time they were officially divorced.
He remained the renter. Since then he has basically waged war against me. Vomit and dog droppings off his balcony onto my front porch, trash, food. People up there stomping and yelling at all times of the day and night. I am only home about half the week and between March and now I have had the police out here to deal with him 8 times.
I have tried recording him but he does it intermittently. Basically to catch him I would need a camera running 24/7. The police have made contact but he continually denies everything. Blames it on other neighbors, the washer/dryer, a door that slammed a bit louder than intended...I am frustrated and at this point angry. The HOA fortunately has had another neighbor complain and they have started issuing fines...which prompted him to show up at my door (I was not home fortunately) but he made a vague threat to a friend that he and I are going to start having problems. Again he denied it to the police when they contacted him.
Other than keep at the attempts to video him is there anything else that I should do? I ccw everywhere and am especially vigilant when around my place.
BushMasterBoy
12-13-2015, 05:48
Maybe run a background check? Find out if he has any criminal convictions. Know thy enemy!
BPTactical
12-13-2015, 09:05
Be damned careful and wise. Keep your cool no matter what. He files a RO on you and you can kiss your firearm rights goodbye.
I think I would document everything and do your best to avoid one on one contact with him.
Can property management be of any help?
Spend the money and consult an attorney.
Tough spot, keep your mind in the middle.
I'd contact an Attorney and see what you can legally do. Possible restraining order on him if he threatens you and your property.
Can't you get motion activated cameras? I'd definitely look into those for the porch and front door area.
Great-Kazoo
12-13-2015, 09:52
4 words
32oz louisville slugger
gnihcraes
12-13-2015, 10:25
Similar reasons why I moved from an apartment to my current house.
I've had some questionable neighbors living in a house, but they aren't sharing floors and walls with me.
Document everything with PD, sucks to keep calling them on these types of things, but they will keep a record of the calls. Hopefully the HOA will continue to help along with other concerned neighbors.
KestrelBike
12-13-2015, 10:28
I might try to find out who actually owns the condo, and tell them about everything their tenant is doing. If I owned a place, I really would not like some belligerent a-hole presumably wrecking my place and making my neighbors' lives miserable. They may not renew the lease next time, especially if that area is conducive to finding new renters. Best case is that they really come down hard on the guy, and have some sort of anti-a-hole clause in their lease they can use to terminate it early and start the process of getting him kicked out. I'd try to find out who the owner is by 1) contacting the HOA and see if they'll give you contact info, 2) track down the ex-wife (facebook? LinkedIn?) 3) maybe Zillow.com has info that will help you identify the buyer, 4) look up local tax property data, a lot of states/localities will list the name/info of who pays the property taxes.
Be damned careful and wise. Keep your cool no matter what. He files a RO on you and you can kiss your firearm rights goodbye.
I'd contact an Attorney and see what you can legally do. Possible restraining order on him if he threatens you and your property.
Good idea, I'd see if I could get an RO against him and strike first. If you can get the neighbor to sign a statement about the guy looking for you and speaking in a threatening manner, it might be worth your time/trouble.
I'd also invest in a security camera system. Are the packages at Costco worth anything? It seems like they're $600-900 for a whole system that includes motion detection/night-vision/recording. If he takes it to the next level and directly screws with your place, that $750 investment could pay for itself 5x over by being evidence.
Document everything. And I mean everything.. What happened, what time, what date, what circumstances, etc, etc. ... Keep a log book and it could save your ass in court. Obviously the cops have records of their encounters. Always ask for a copy of the reports.
The way it sounds, if he were to file a RO against you, and with the evidence you have against him, he could be liable for harassment or something similar.
Keep calling the cops, get him recorded, have witnesses and keep records
Amazon sells sound-activated audio recorders that can go for 48 hours straight. They're $21.
I would document everything- and that includes the shit that he throws from his balcony onto your front porch. I'm pretty sure that's against HOA rules. You can check the assessor's office online to see who owns his apartment. Pray it's not a family member.
Great-Kazoo
12-13-2015, 12:29
Amazon sells sound-activated audio recorders that can go for 48 hours straight. They're $21.
I would document everything- and that includes the shit that he throws from his balcony onto your front porch. I'm pretty sure that's against HOA rules. You can check the assessor's office online to see who owns his apartment. Pray it's not a family member.
Any use of fecal matter towards another person is not only a Health, Life, Safety issue. it's also a Hazmat concern. You should contact the property manager, HOA and local LE.
BUT...................... Do each contact by Registered mail. This way there's none of this, well we may have received something, but our records don't show any contact . WE also had an issue with our computer and lost all correspondence
You need to get through to any entity you contact the potential for serious health issues from said fecal matter is very real.
Next time there's some form of "fecal matter" on your steps, deck, anywhere other than the lawn. Call the FD. Explain there's a questionable substance and you have concerns it might be of a hazardous nature.
Threatening you with any form of bowl matter IS a form of Bio-terrorism. See how well the HOA and others react when you inform them.
REMEMBER YOU ARE THE VICTIM.
wctriumph
12-13-2015, 12:32
Contact an attorney and have a letter drafted to the owner of the rented condo and state that the party that is renting the condo is doing whatever they are doing and it is threatening the safety and well being of everyone else and that the owner will be held responsible if they don't do something about it. It worked for me once, the guy was gone within the week.
Similar reasons why I moved from an apartment to my current house.I hated sharing walls/ceilings/floors with jackasses so much in my first apartment after college, I'm not doing it again.
mahabali
12-13-2015, 14:50
Its not a bad time to sell, especially if it is causing you that much stress.
Its not a bad time to sell, especially if it is causing you that much stress.
Not such a great time to buy though. If you're getting right back into the same market as a buyer, not such a great opportunity.
Find the owner, relentlessly hound them about their tenant until they sell out of desperation, then buy the unit above you. In a perfect world anyway.
EDIT: My advice is facetious. You've gotten great advice already.
RCCrawler
12-13-2015, 16:06
Dropcams are $200 then $7 per month for 7 days of recording off site. You can access it anytime from your phone, and if you wish it will notify you of any motion or sound.
Ive had mine for years and it's come in very handy. Caught my neighbor backing into my daughters car, causing $2,000+ in damage then just leaving the scene. I'd have been screwed if I didn't have it on video. After confronting him I got him to fess up to it, but I've still never revealed I have video.
If all else fails you could pull a Karl.
[Shock]
Similar reasons why I moved from an apartment to my current house.
I've had some questionable neighbors living in a house, but they aren't sharing floors and walls with me.
[snip]
Can't be quoted enough! Too bad home prices are nuts right now.
Like others said, I would get a camera that can run 24/7 to capture the patio shenanigans.
Contact your association Monday. There are typically rules about owners renting. If the owner starts getting heat from the HOA/association that might help get the tenant out.
Have you tried talking to him?
Didn't see it in your original post.
Have you tried talking to him?
Didn't see it in your original post.
No...very specifically I have avoided any contact with him. Anyone who gets into a full on brawl with his wife is probably not going to hold a reasonable discussion about what they are doing wrong.
I have been in contact with the HOA...emailed them the same evening. Contacted the owner again...and again the renter claims it wasn't him and his story doesn't match the officers. He claims he arrived home while they were on his doorstep.
On the upside per the owner he will be gone the first of February at the latest. Not letting my guard down. I do know he teaches hockey as a profession...and we know the old saying about going to a boxing match....
Great-Kazoo
12-13-2015, 19:03
No...very specifically I have avoided any contact with him. Anyone who gets into a full on brawl with his wife is probably not going to hold a reasonable discussion about what they are doing wrong.
I have been in contact with the HOA...emailed them the same evening. Contacted the owner again...and again the renter claims it wasn't him and his story doesn't match the officers. He claims he arrived home while they were on his doorstep.
On the upside per the owner he will be gone the first of February at the latest. Not letting my guard down. I do know he teaches hockey as a profession...and we know the old saying about going to a boxing match....
The neighbor a canuk or russkie, eh
Holger Danske
12-13-2015, 20:55
get the arlo cam, they are battery powered wifi cams thst can store 7 days data to the cloud. You can move them where you need them.
Zundfolge
12-13-2015, 21:05
If all else fails you could pull a Karl. (Not many members will know what I'm talking about). Just sell off any and all of your NFA before thinking about it [UZI]
(as always, standard disclaimer applies, this is not legal advice, hire an attorney to seek legal advice)
Ha! Only Foxtrot could get away with making that joke ... I, for one, am glad he did ('cause a lot of us were probably thinking it).
StagLefty
12-13-2015, 21:42
.
If all else fails you could pull a Karl. [I](Not many members will know what I'm talking about)
Now I know I've been here too long(because I remember) [Coffee]
OtterbatHellcat
12-13-2015, 22:49
Speaking of fecal matter and someone named Karl...........how about giving your neighbor a "hot Karl" with his own droppings.
[Dunno]
Dropcams are $200 then $7 per month for 7 days of recording off site. You can access it anytime from your phone, and if you wish it will notify you of any motion or sound.
Ive had mine for years and it's come in very handy. Caught my neighbor backing into my daughters car, causing $2,000+ in damage then just leaving the scene. I'd have been screwed if I didn't have it on video. After confronting him I got him to fess up to it, but I've still never revealed I have video.
Aside from paying an Internet provider, many surveillance mfg.'s with networking capabilities are set up to shoot you an email in real time if your cameras pick up any movement.
A little side note: I don't know any of the legalities about privacy infringement, but I'm pretty sure you can't point cameras at a neighbor's home. Hopefully somebody can clarify.
Sounds like the accident happened in the street. I don't think you can do anything about a camera that can see the outside of your house. I asked my neighbor about one of his cameras because it looked like it could see right over my fence into one of my windows. He showed me and you couldn't see as much as I thought. He then moved it anyway though.
RCCrawler
12-14-2015, 08:59
Here is one instance where my camera made more than what it's cost me in money back. My daughter and I looked for months to find the Honda CR-V she wanted, she saved for 2 years to buy it, then a week after she got it this happened. I came home and saw her door was hit and immediately went to her and started chewing her ass, asking what she had hit. She was positive she hadn't hit anything, so I decided to pull up the camera to see if it had happened at our house, and sure enough I found it.
I was furious, but wanted to give the neighbor time to do the right thing so I waited 2 days, then went over and asked if they had seen anything. At first they started to deny, then they came clean. I've never told them I have it on video. Had they not admitted fault I was going to get the police involved and charge him with a hit and run. Yea I'm pissed it happened, yea I'm pissed he didn't man up and come to us right away, but it's not worth starting WWIII over when I have to continue living across from them.
The video.
https://video.nest.com/clip/1e4f5666047b4a65a16664b2ab83e9db.mp4
Great-Kazoo
12-14-2015, 09:00
Aside from paying an Internet provider, many surveillance mfg.'s with networking capabilities are set up to shoot you an email in real time if your cameras pick up any movement.
A little side note: I don't know any of the legalities about privacy infringement, but I'm pretty sure you can't point cameras at a neighbor's home. Hopefully somebody can clarify.
Depends on state and local laws.
Here is one instance where my camera made more than what it's cost me in money back. My daughter and I looked for months to find the Honda CR-V she wanted, she saved for 2 years to buy it, then a week after she got it this happened. I came home and saw her door was hit and immediately went to her and started chewing her ass, asking what she had hit. She was positive she hadn't hit anything, so I decided to pull up the camera to see if it had happened at our house, and sure enough I found it.
I was furious, but wanted to give the neighbor time to do the right thing so I waited 2 days, then went over and asked if they had seen anything. At first they started to deny, then they came clean. I've never told them I have it on video. Had they not admitted fault I was going to get the police involved and charge him with a hit and run. Yea I'm pissed it happened, yea I'm pissed he didn't man up and come to us right away, but it's not worth starting WWIII over when I have to continue living across from them.
The video.
https://video.nest.com/clip/1e4f5666047b4a65a16664b2ab83e9db.mp4
Awesome that you got that!
I would be pissed too that he just drove off. It would have been easy to leave a note or knock on the door.
RCCrawler
12-14-2015, 09:30
I would be pissed too that he just drove off. It would have been easy to leave a note or knock on the door.
Yea it really says a lot about the guys moral character, he didn't even slow down. I just keep that in the back of my mind anytime I have to deal with him.
Wish my parents had that when my 1/4 panel got pushed on pretty good parked there. Same thing except they didn't have a car in the way to help justify it. No proof but sure it was then given positioning and they've done it before. Both with them and the video I don't get how retards can't figure out backing out of a driveway
I had a situation with a neighbor that was similar. In addition to actual cameras I took some old USB cameras, cut their cord and pointed them right at their house. The cameras were totally fake but actually had a large impact. The fakes were mentioned at my RO hearing and the judge said I could point a camera anywhere I wanted.
Sounds like someone should do a longer detailed write up in the diy forum.
BushMasterBoy
12-14-2015, 14:58
Throw a party, have the hottest looking lady at the party invite him to the party. When he shows, get him drunk! Have an ugly hooker service him, keep the video as a souvenir...
OctopusHighball
12-14-2015, 16:49
Sounds like someone should do a longer detailed write up in the diy forum.
I would be a consumer of that info as well... Been thinking about this for quite a while. How 'bout it, foxtrot?
Time to mount a GoPro to your chest and go have a conversation with him and have a friend behind you recording as well. Tell him straight up you know what he is doing and if it doesn't stop you will pursued legal action against him with video evidence of everything he is doing.
Yea it really says a lot about the guys moral character, he didn't even slow down. I just keep that in the back of my mind anytime I have to deal with him.
It's one thing to have a small accident but another thing to drive off like you don't give a shit.
Thankfully, we've had nothing like that other than deep tracks in our grass (looked like a heavy rig drove over the yard).
Or just wait 45 days.
That's a lot of dog crap. Good thing it's winter.
Great-Kazoo
12-15-2015, 10:07
All this snow out there. Shame to have the snow crew pile it up on his car.
Aside from electronic wizardry. One thing that sounds me is trying to run cable thru walls etc from outside cameras and heck even inside.
gnihcraes
12-15-2015, 20:04
Blue Iris rocks. Works very well.
example from my setup: (night time now, these are BW because of the IR)
62762
using several of these outdoor POE Ethernet cameras. One cable to each, cheap network switch, i7 Laptop, Blue iris. ~$500 and you're complete!
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hikvision-New-Full-HD-4MP-Multi-language-CCTV-Camera-DS-2CD3345-I-POE-ONVIF-Support/32563973350.html?ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_6%2Cse archweb201644_1_79_78_77_82_80_62%2Csearchweb20156 0_1&spm=2114.01020208.3.269.WcGzjd
gnihcraes
12-15-2015, 20:06
Aside from electronic wizardry. One thing that sounds me is trying to run cable thru walls etc from outside cameras and heck even inside.
There has to be a chase through to the attic somewhere. Cold air intake or exhaust from water heater etc. Mine all go up into the attic and are mounted to the Gables and Eaves. Ethernet cameras are the best way to go if you can.
Grant H.
12-16-2015, 00:46
For real world camera info/reviews, check here (http://www.networkcameracritic.com/).
Unfortunately, the guy passed away unexpectedly this year, but he's got a lot of information in there.
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