neighbors from hell!!!

[Fandango 1,439]

I'd move.

Getting all your money back from the movers and realtor is prolly a long shot. It's not the movers' fault, and the realtor? You'll have a hard time proving he knew even IF he knew...I mean just from a different perspective, I don't personally know what's going on at 3-4am on the properties I sell. Whether he knew or not is grey area...so proving it is even harder.

I'd get an ipod and tell all your fam to call your cellphone in case of emergency. Then I'd have it on vibrate next to my pillow.

Good luck.

oh, btw if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere...means it's harder than anywhere else..but it really is one of the best places on earth!

[Lizzy 0]

Could you go during the day or evening and actually sit down and talk with them, explain the problem and that it is affecting your life?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Solution: Move!

You cannot change the azzholes behavior and it is affecting your life. So, take the loss and move.

Best of luck!

I agree. Move. But that loss (moving cost and such), I'd at least try to hand that to the landlord. He's got a responsibility and is quite obviously not taking that very seriously. I'd also think about putting the landlord on notice that you'll put the rent into an escrow account for the time being until the issues are fixed. Then you talk about what undisturbed sleep is worth. That might wake him up. Or not. After all, you're in NYC and the word is that you don't have as strong a position as a tenant there as you'd have elsewhere.

[JoeMama 0]

I saw a movie just like you're describing. I can't remember the name of it. But it only involved a single lady, Alli Sheedy, who was the annoying neighbor who lived next door in NYC. The girl tried many things, banging on the wall, calling the cops, complaining to the super, and even, taking out a personal's ad on her neighbor for multiple sex partners, etc. Nothing worked. She lost her job and control of her life because of her neighbor. Eventually, the girl couldn't take it any more. She went to the neighbor's apartment with a knife and slit the neighbor's throat. Ending all the problems.

I would hate to see life imitate art in this aspect.

[Sharon 1]

I'm with Lizzy.

Tho I'm the type that hates personal confrontation (believe it or not...heh.) so I'd probably sit down and write/type a nice polite letter, explaining to them (but sympathizing with whatever their troubles may be too - to keep things smooth...lol) that the nightly late-night noise is affecting your life all the way to your job performance and your health. Ask nicely (tho I know they don't really deserve it and should just naturally have respect for other people) and see what happens. Sign it just "A concerned neighbour, slip it under their door (or tape it to their door if the envelope won't slide under) and wait to see if it changes anything.

What do you have to lose? (except more sleep)

Good luck!

[Together4ever 1]

Another thing to consider, as someone else mentioned, is when your fiance arrives. You are already stressed and tired. Do you want to subject him to the same thing? The adjustment to new culture, new rules, new marriage, new everything is going to have challenging moments as it is for both of you and I would think an environment like this would amplify everything. I'm sure sorry for what you're going through. My downstairs neighbor likes to play video war games all night long at full volume right under my bedroom. He has ignored the thumps on the floor (probably can't hear them anyway) so I've learned to sleep with my room fan on high and a pillow over my head and the sounds of tanks and bombs exploding all night. We just got a new dog (small) and yesterday the dog was racing around chasing his ball and the chopf**k started banging on his wall. Karma dude. It's all I can say. I don't know why some people are so utterly clueless, but throw in habitual alcohol use and I guess your neighbors are just too blurry to consider there are other people around them.

[ChristinaM 0]

Until last week, I had neighbours upstairs who screamed and shouted at each other, moved furniture round at 2am (dragging it across their hardwood floors) and were, I swear, the heaviest-footed people on the planet. The guy downstairs always seemed nice, but he had people coming and going at all hours of the night and his brother stayed with his girlfriend often and they tended to get drunk and fight loudly too. Then the downstairs neighbour shot a hole in my kitchen floor. (Turned out he was running drugs from down there.)

We moved. Yes, it cost us time and money we didn't really have, but what price peace of mind and sanity? We decided that it was more important for us to 1) be safe and 2) actually get a decent nights sleep than to stay, worry about the 30 days notice we didn't give and finding the money to move. Given that I'm away from the house working and taking classes to over 14 hours three days a week, I understand the need for quality sleep. It sucks that your estate agent wasn't more upfront about the known problems with the apartment, but I think your chances of recouping that money are lost - unless you can persuade him/her that it was such an awful place that they should help you for free this time.

Pony up the cash and find somewhere else - you're setting yourself up for a lot of stress and headaches otherwise, by the sounds of things.

Good luck!

(Edit for typos!)

Edited April 29, 2007 by ChristinaM

[Mags 112]

If you REALLY can't move then earplugs are a good solution. When I first started using them I felt un-nerved by losing one of my senses, but now? Can't sleep without them.

If you are worried about an intruder during the night, sleeping tablets are more likely to keep you asleep than ear plugs anyway.

[Nearly Done 8]

I would move, cut your losses and get out. Lack of sleep will make you ill. I went through a few months of hardly any sleep cos my ex said he was "going to kill me", so ofcourse I stayed awake most nights. In the end I felt like I was falling apart, I would not resort to taking medication. Why should you put your body through that.

You will be a nervous wreck before your fiance gets here.

Best wishes to you and I hope you can sort things soon.

[Fandango 1,439]

Solution: Move!

You cannot change the azzholes behavior and it is affecting your life. So, take the loss and move.

Best of luck!

I agree. Move. But that loss (moving cost and such), I'd at least try to hand that to the landlord. He's got a responsibility and is quite obviously not taking that very seriously. I'd also think about putting the landlord on notice that you'll put the rent into an escrow account for the time being until the issues are fixed. Then you talk about what undisturbed sleep is worth. That might wake him up. Or not. After all, you're in NYC and the word is that you don't have as strong a position as a tenant there as you'd have elsewhere.

That's an excellent suggestion.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

...I'd probably sit down and write/type a nice polite letter, explaining to them (but sympathizing with whatever their troubles may be too - to keep things smooth...lol) that the nightly late-night noise is affecting your life all the way to your job performance and your health. Ask nicely (tho I know they don't really deserve it and should just naturally have respect for other people) and see what happens. Sign it just "A concerned neighbour, slip it under their door (or tape it to their door if the envelope won't slide under) and wait to see if it changes anything.

This has a very small chance of success. Remember, they've been informed and warned about this already according to what's been discussed here. Such people just don't give a shite. Forget politeness and either move out or get these folks evicted. These neighbors are inconsiderate fcuks and no letter is going to change that. Speaking from experience here. I've dealt with this once and I pursued the path that I described earlier. I didn't have to move as the landlod kicked those punks out just in time.

[Alex+R 0]

I think moving would be hard for Jen now, especially since it seems she'd like to move back to California ASAP as well. Lots of moving costs. I hope you find a workable solution, Jen!

[sereia 0]

yah i already would like to move back to ca...and this prolongs it even MORE if i have to sign another years' lease! but i think you guys could be right about taking the loss. the landlord doesn't have the decency to give me my money back and be a real man about it.

last night it was back to the same bullsh*t. i called the cops and asked that i could speak to them first when they arrive. so they came about an hour later (this was 5:30am by the time they showed up) and i gave them my sob story. they said all i can do is take the landlord to court. so then i went inside and they knocked on my neighbors door. he came out and they asked why he was making so much noise. he had the NERVE to say he just woke up and was getting ready for WORK! he lied straight to the cops face... and the cop asked why he had alcohol on his breath then? lol. she could see right through it. she told him he better stop waking neighbors up. blahblahblahhhhhhhhhhhh... which i'm sure is all he heard anyway. he just laughed and then closed the door. i swear they went right back to their antics less than five minutes after the cops left. so i ran out, SLAMMED on his door and yelled,"shut the fukc up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". i couldn't take it anymore! i've never done anything like this in my life. i'm hanging on a thread here.

i called my landlord again today and told him what happened. i asked him why should i pay another realtor fee, cost of moving, etc when he knowingly rented this apartment to me when they were like this. he just said i should go ahead and take him to court. he has tons of proof he's tried to kick them out and i wouldn't win. *sigh*.......... i'm going to call lawyers tomorrow to get their opinion but it seems like hope is lost and i should move out.

i'm at a turning point in my job as well... i'll find out anyday now whats going on what that. so if things don't go well, i'm moving back to california NOW with my get out of jail free card. if i still have my job #2 (i work two part time private chef jobs but one of them has been on an extended vacation and not sure when they are returning) then i'll move to another apartment. and try to find a building with sound proofing. is that even possible? lol

the first of the month is tomorrow. is there a way i can withhold the rent until something has changed? i can't imagine giving then thousands more of my money to have 30 more sleepless nights. i guess i'll ask a lawyer that. if someone here knows though...please let me know!?

i don't want my fiance to have to go through this either. its already going to be so stressful i don't want him to get involved with that bs. although he does speak more fluently in french than i like those azzholes next door do. maybe being a big 6'5" guy would scare them? haha.... i doubt it. they're drunk and could care less about anyone but themselves. its unbelievable the things they say to each other. who could stay married to someone like that?

"you're a fukcing #######!!!!!!!!!!" "i fukcing hate youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" "you're nothing but a piece of sh*t!" blahblahblah.... endless. and plenty of cursing in french i don't understand. ugh.. thanks for all the advice. i'm rambling now. so tired.

Edited April 29, 2007 by abdounjen

[Nikita2Charles 32]

OK

Growing up in Brooklyn, It may sound harsh but it works most of the time. Try to catch up with them and just straight fowar, I work all day, and I am really tired, Can you guys please keep it down specially in the night when I need my sleep.

IF they start to make a lot of noise you must have a common hall, I would Start BANGING REALLY HARD ON THE HALL. And if the noise kinda quite down go to the Hall and SHOUT OUT

"SHUT THE FCKUP"

If they still continue, the next time get one of those Boom BOX, place it right against the common Hall, and set it to Hot 97. and BLAST that radio making sure you feel the vibration on the hall, that would definitely send them the message.

[JoeMama 0]

OK

Growing up in Brooklyn, It may sound harsh but it works most of the time. Try to catch up with them and just straight fowar, I work all day, and I am really tired, Can you guys please keep it down specially in the night when I need my sleep.

IF they start to make a lot of noise you must have a common hall, I would Start BANGING REALLY HARD ON THE HALL. And if the noise kinda quite down go to the Hall and SHOUT OUT

"SHUT THE FCKUP"

If they still continue, the next time get one of those Boom BOX, place it right against the common Hall, and set it to Hot 97. and BLAST that radio making sure you feel the vibration on the hall, that would definitely send them the message.

This is hilarious! I did this whenever I lived in a bottom apartment! My neighbors fought and were always cranking out around 2-3am. One night, I set up the guitar and amp, I pumped 100 watts of straight sound into the bedroom of my upstairs neighbor at 3am! My guitar is wireless. So I closed the door and I cranked everything up. I gave them my best Eddie Van Halen solo for 20 minutes with Ted Nugent feedback. It was great hearing them stomping on my ceiling. That was the end of that problem. They never said anything and I never heard them doing the ####### they did.

I will only live in a home now. But I do have Mexican families living nearby thinking that it's a necessity to blast their ethnic music for all the neighborhood to hear. Fortunately, I have a mobile DJ/sound business. I took on their little 500 watt system and blasted them with Metallica and other choice metal music at 10,000 watts. I set it up in the driveway, pointed it at their house, and the war was one in a matter of seconds. That put an end to them being so generous letting the whole neighborhood listen to what they thought everyone would like. I've been here 2 years and have never heard their music again.