Have you ever seen the show Neighbors From Hell? If you have then you’ll know some neighbors are that little bit extra. Even celebrities can be neighbors from hell. Thankfully not all neighbors are that crazy but having annoying neighbors can be a pain.
You know the sort. The type that blares music at three in the morning, that block you in with their big four-wheel drives and RVs. Or maybe they are rude and obnoxious to you, turning other neighbors against you.
If your neighbors’ harassment is getting to you then you need to figure out how to fix it. Here’s how.
1. Confront Them
Sometimes your neighbors might not realize their behavior is out of line. They could be creating problems without understanding the impact of what they are doing. One of the best ways of solving this is to confront your neighbors head-on assuming their best intentions.
Next time you see them you could mention their behavior in passing. You could also knock on their door and invite them around for coffee to ask them politely to stop.
Reasonable neighbors would respond well to this. They would realize that you had addressed them in the right way and would consider what you had said.
But there are ignorant people out there who will ignore what you’ve said and continue regardless. To stop these people then you may need to have a second conversation with them. This time you need to be firmer or move on to another solution.
2. Contact the Landlord or HOA
If you are renting a place in Spokane, document everything and then it might be worth calling the landlord. They can assist you because they might have a better idea of how to resolve the problem.
The chances are they have dealt with problems like this before. They could speak to your neighbor and act as a mediator. Failing this they might have the phone numbers of the appropriate authorities and how to make a formal complaint.
If the problem escalates then you might want to consider moving out. If you explain this to your landlord then they could do several things. They could offer to rehouse you or it might incentivize them to resolve the problem.
If the issue continues and you do move out then they might not be able to fill the property with new tenants and so the landlord might lose money.
If you live in an HOA, bring what you have documented to the comity to see what they would recommend.
3. Call Local Authorities
Another way you can solve the problems with nasty neighbors is the call the police. If you take this course of action the neighbors may figure out who called the police based on your interactions with them which could lead to conflict. There are some specific scenarios in which you should do this and these should only be considered as a final resort.
Noise Complaints
You do have a right to call the police on your neighbors if they are causing consistent noise issues. This is unlikely to lead to their immediate arrest. Instead, the police will take action to close down their party and to turn off any music they are playing.
Illegal Behavior
One way you can ensure that your neighbors are called to account for their behavior is to acquire evidence of them committing illegal acts. General low-level antisocial behavior is not illegal and so very little can be done about it.
However, if you can prove that your neighbors are breaking the law in some way then you have grounds for a genuine complaint. For example, your neighbors may be guilty of property damage if they cause part of your home to be damaged.
You may also be able to report them for disturbing the peace. This could include things such as yelling loudly, acting rowdily when drunk, or touching someone without their permission.
In some states, disturbing the peace is classed as an infraction. This means that at most, your neighbor will face a fine or community service. In this case, there is no chance of them doing any jail time.
There are several ways you can gather evidence for what happened. You could install CCTV outside your house so that if any criminal activity takes place on your front door you will know about it. Or if you see your neighbor acting in a disturbing way, you may be able to capture the footage on your phone.
The legality of recording someone without their permission will vary from state to state. As a general rule of thumb if their behavior is taking place in a public space such as outside your house, then they would have no reasonable expectation of privacy. This means you can legally record their behavior.
Be careful to do this discreetly as it may lead to further tensions. You also need to consider whether escalating the situation in this way is the best way to tackle the problem.
There are Ways of Dealing with Frustrating Neighbors
If you have annoying neighbors then it can be easy to feel as if there is no way out. But there is a way through situations and there is a range of options available to you, depending on the situation.
If you are a tenant then you can call in your landlord to see if they can help resolve the situation. It’s in their best interest to ensure they don’t lose a good tenant who is paying rent on time.
If you live in a community association like an HOA then bringing your evidence to the committee to see what the best course of action would be might be your best solution.
In some situations calling the police may be the best solution if you think it will resolve the issue.
If you are interested in renting or buying a home from us be sure to contact us today.
