I hate having neighbors!

elannis · August 2011

I can't wait to move out of the apartment building! I have been doing my workouts on my lunch breaks. It's Insanity. It involves jumping. It's noon.

She must forget that she lives in an apartment building and that she's going to have to put up with noises (like we put up with her kid screaming and listening to "Benny and the Jets" four times in a row). She's made a noise complaint on me for working out at 4 PM already and today started banging on the ceiling while I was doing my workout.

I'm already compromising. I talked to her SO and I found out they work during the day and put their kid to bed between 8 and 9 and she also naps between 1 and 4 on the weekends. I have been working around that. Why can't she put up with me jumping for a half an hour at noon? I don't want another noise complaint for something ridiculous like this. I understand it's probably annoying, but it's only half an hour.

Any suggestions for handling this? I don't have a yard or anything and I need a tv and dvd player for my workouts. No where else to go and it's not always easy to do my workout directly after work.

SopChick · August 2011

I'm sorry you have crappy neighbours!

Have you tried telling the landlord all the accomodations you have made through talking to her SO just in case she makes another complaint? I think it's reasonable that you should be allowed 1/2 an hour when you have taken the time to know when they are sleeping, at work, etc and you work around it.

swhite2012 · August 2011

I have no suggestions. I hate when people don't realize they are in an apartment. Our apartment complex has pretty thin ceilings, so we hear the people above us quite often, especially walking. Thank God the people who live there now are OK and only have parties rarely. But the people who lived there before would stomp around for like five hours non-stop starting around 11pm. It was ridiculous. We would talk to them and ask them to stop (through the door since they wouldn't open the door for us at Midnight) and they would say (in very broken English) "Oh OK, sorry sorry. You go back to sleep". Yeah, that didn't work. So glad they moved.

I can't wait to have my own stand-alone house.

[Deleted User] · August 2011

I'm so sorry Elannis. Maybe you and she could come up with an agreement of times that are OK for you to workout and then both sign it? I don't know if this would hold up with your apartment management...but it might be worth a shot. At least then you would have records as to your attempts to work it out and be reasonable. She has the right to complain I guess, but it's not an office building. If she wants a perfectly quiet space perhaps she should rent an office space specifically for that.

bawidget · August 2011

I agree with Sopchick. You need to SW your landlord and tell them about the concessions you have been making. If all else fails, you can issue a noise complaint the next time they play Elton John too loud on repeat. That's right, sink to their level

marleylikeair · August 2011

I like Allusive's suggestion. In any case, I would definitely go talk to her directly. Be super friendly and maybe bring her something--a cheapie toy or coloring book for the kid? Bribes never hurt. ;-)

Sorry to hear you're dealing with gripey neighbors. :-/

ravenray · August 2011

Allusive is wise.
I am no help but that sucks! Hope you can work something out.

CCO2012 · August 2011

That sucks! I'd just go down there and talk to her and explain that you are only going to do it for 30 mins a day and that you are working around her sleep/ working schedule the best that you can.

We have about 5 guys living across the hall from us and they all work at the Mexican restaurant up the street and I swear they come home at like 11 most nights and have a party in the bedroom that shares a wall with ours. I only complain if the noise goes past 12 though.

[Deleted User] · August 2011

Another thought here. I don't know if you want to share with them, but maybe if you explain your weightloss story a bit they will want to be more supportive and accommodating. Maybe not...but I would have a really hard time saying no if I knew someone had been so diligent in their weightloss efforts. Especially since it's only 30 minutes of inconvenience to myself!

If it truly is impossible to work with her, maybe you can pre-watch your sessions? If you got a stopwatch and had a list of the exercises and time lengths/reps...you could do it at a community gym or outdoors.

elannis · August 2011

I've actually tried talking to her, but she wouldn't answer the door. I have to wait for her SO to get home. We aren't even the type of people to have parties...ever. Occasionally we watch movies with the volume up, but we keep it before 9 on the weekdays.

Maybe I will go talk to the landlord. It can't hurt anything. Maybe I can do my workout in our bedroom and reduce the noise she hears. That could work. Guess we'll find out tomorow.

orangehills · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_hate-having-neighbors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c95c0d06-698f-4113-b89c-5180ee9c4411Post:76058500-0ab2-4540-b22a-fb1624bf73df">Re: I hate having neighbors!</a>:
[QUOTE]I agree with Sopchick. You need to SW your landlord and tell them about the concessions you have been making. If all else fails, you can issue a noise complaint the next time they play Elton John too loud on repeat. That's right, sink to their level ;)
Posted by bawidget[/QUOTE]

I agree- sink to their level, if after talking to the landlord and them doesn't work. They need to realize- they live in an apartment building. If they want constant quiet, they need to move to a house!

[Deleted User] · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_hate-having-neighbors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:c95c0d06-698f-4113-b89c-5180ee9c4411Post:f858fa38-7144-4c7b-8c1f-85b06c650327">Re: I hate having neighbors!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: I hate having neighbors! : I agree- sink to their level, if after talking to the landlord and them doesn't work. They need to realize- they live in an apartment building. If they want constant quiet, they need to move to a house!
Posted by orangehills[/QUOTE]

I completely disagree. If she is continually getting noise violations her complex may be able to fine her or even kick her out for community disturbance. I agree that these would be ridiculous outcomes for the minimal amount she is "disrupting" anyone, but it is possible.

Generally, poor behavior for the sake of retaliation will bite you in the butt. Try to work it out with your management company if the neighbor is not willing to come up with a mutually beneficial solution.

lunarsongbird · August 2011

Uuuuggghhh.... I. Hate. People.

What's in your lease regarding noise?

I didn't even think you could complain at 4 PM unless it was absolutely excessive.

I would most definitely confront her.

ETA:....I'd actually confront her with the apartment manager with me. But I would start out the conversation something like this, "Hi So and So. It appears that we are having some problems with noise. So I brought Mr. Manager over here so that we could discuss ideas on how we can come up with a plan so that I can work out 30 minutes a day in the apartment I'm paying for, you crazy BIATCH! (omit last part).

elannis · August 2011

I really am not the type of person to sink to someone's level. I don't want to start a war with them either. We're only 1/3 of the way into the lease. I'd rather kill them with kindness and try to find a way to reach a compromise...again. It'd be nice if she'd actually be mature enough to open the door to talk to me though.

I'll try to talk to her after I get off of work I guess. And then talk to the landlord so she at least knows what's going on.

Thanks for the suggestions and complaining about her with me, lol. It helps to vent.

elannis · August 2011

I'm not sure what the lease says. I'll have to look it up.

lennonkdc · August 2011

I agree with Allusive on both counts, talk to the LL and don't stoop to her level. Maybe see if the LL can do a mediation for you?

Also, does you're building have a gym/ work out room? If so you could take a laptop (assuming it plays DVD's) with you and do your workouts there.

Other then that I am at a loss. You're trying to be accommodating, but it sounds like this woman just doesn't get it. Sorry

bawidget · August 2011

I wouldn't really advocate sinking to her lvl. Sorry was just kidding. Her SO sounds okay though. What's his opinion in all this. Could you ask him to talk to her?

elannis · August 2011

The complex does have a workout room, but there isn't enough free space between the equipment for me to do the workout, especially if someone else is in there.

Bawidget: I did joke about complaining about the noise of her banging on the ceiling, lol, so I get the "get even" mentality, but I wouldn't be able to do it and it wouldn't help anything. Still fun to think about though, lol.

Her SO seems to be very laid back and honestly probably wouldn't be bothered by it if he were home, but she seems to rule the roost. I'll probably end up talking to him because she doesn't seem to want to have an adult conversation. Last time I talked to him when she made the noise complaint she did have a head injury so I understand the noise was a pain, but she could have talked to me before calling the landlord and putting it on our record. I'll see if I can work something out with him I guess. I refuse to give up my workouts, darn it! lol

tdwpg1984 · August 2011

I don't have any suggestions but I sympathize. When I lived in my apartment, my neigbor complained that my cats made too much noise during the day while her kid was trying to have a nap. This coming from the same woman who allowed her child to run around the hallways at 7 am on a Saturday, and who has loud sex at 3 am on a weekday. Like so loud it woke me up even though I had a fan and music on to drown out traffic (I lived on a busy street). My new neighbors are just as bad. They allow their kids to run all over our yard, the kids have a bouncy castle set up in their front yard and are always screaming and yelling right ouside the room I have my home office set up in. Then when we have people over at night and are hanging out in the back yard just talking, she yells at us to keep it down. The only thing I could suggest would be to make noise complaints about her/her kids as well...

I hate having neighbors!

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