When is your lease up? Sounds like it's time to move.

mrsconn23 · May 2023

Dear Prudence,

I rent half of a duplex where the garages are in the back with a shared driveway. I also have the shaded side yard. Recently, a young family moved into the other unit and continues to make my life hell. The kids leave their toys and scooters right in the middle of the driveway so when I have to go to work, I have to get out of my car to move all their stuff. The kids will play in my side yard screaming bloody murder and messing with my plants and patio furniture. They have already broken two expensive pots. Talking to the parents does nothing. I have left notes, knocked on the door repeatedly, and the few times I have gotten to speak to the parents, they are incredibly indifferent. They will make noises about taking responsibility for their kids and nothing changes. The mother even snapped at me that her side doesn’t have enough room for her kids to play and it is closer to the road. I responded that the side yard was mine and I didn’t want her kids trespassing and destroying my stuff. I have already complained to my landlord and nothing has happened. I’m tired of this. I know the minute I run over a scooter or bike, my neighbors are going to come screaming like banshees out of hell. I don’t want to escalate this but I feel I have no choice.

—No Peace

banana468 · May 2023

Talk to your landlord. Is the use of the property in the terms of your lease? If it's clear then bring it up that failure to enforce this will mean you're breaking the lease and soon.

MissKittyDanger · May 2023

Landlord might be only option.

Either they can talk to your neighbor, or maybe allow fencing so the kids can't get to your area.

Or ... like suggested - move.

levioosa · May 2023

Man I would be so tempted to drag their scooter conveniently over to the street side and if someone happens to take it…well you were just trying not to run it over with your car.

The neighbors really suck.

short+sassy · May 2023

It's tough all around when neighbors are obnoxious people. The sad thing is, there isn't much you can do, other than calling the police. And even that is usually pretty useless for the long term. If you're a tenant, like the LW, they can also involve their landlord. But quite frankly, there isn't much the landlord can do either. Though they should at least try.

From a legal perspective, it also may not be considered enough nuisance to justify the LW breaking their lease. The LW would also need to collect video or at least audio evidence to prove their side.

I'll give you all a real life example where I was the landlady. I had two duplexes next door to each other. The women in one duplex registered noise complaints multiple times about the people in the other duplex.

I didn't sit on my hands. I contacted the tenants. I also posted what's called a "Cure or Quit" notice on the doors of the other duplexes. It outlined the specific ways they were violating the lease, in regards to "peaceful enjoyment" for the other tenants. And that they had 5 days to cease those activities or move out.

If they did neither of those things, I could file for an eviction to regain possession. Which, let's face it, is a pretty extreme step and is also not quick. In some states, it can take months.

But this is the EXTREMELY important thing I told the complaining tenants. If the other tenants violate the Cure or Quit notice after the 5 days, I will not even consider filing for an eviction unless they provide me with video or audio proof that they didn't comply. One, because I want to make sure that what they consider excessive is actually excessive. Reason two is very simple and obvious. If I don't have any evidence that the tenants didn't comply and that their noise level is excessive, I'll lose. No question about it.

This was two different sets of complaining tenants. Did either one of them ever provide me with any evidence? Nope. One of them did send me a video, but the only sounds that could be heard were from inside her own home.

-------------------------

For a more immediate action, I would pile the toys in front of their front door or behind their car every time they were left in my yard. And I wouldn't be gentle about it. "Whoops" if something breaks.

charlotte989875 · May 2023

So I would definitely put the toys behind the neighbors car.

If they kept breaking my stuff I’d deduct that amount from my rent payment and send a receipt to my landlord saying I’ll pay that when they deal with the other tenants damages.

levioosa · May 2023

charlotte989875 said:

So I would definitely put the toys behind the neighbors car.

If they kept breaking my stuff I’d deduct that amount from my rent payment and send a receipt to my landlord saying I’ll pay that when they deal with the other tenants damages.

I was going to say I’d start deducting damages from the rent too, although I feel like legally that might be a grey area.

short+sassy · May 2023

levioosa said:

charlotte989875 said:

So I would definitely put the toys behind the neighbors car.

If they kept breaking my stuff I’d deduct that amount from my rent payment and send a receipt to my landlord saying I’ll pay that when they deal with the other tenants damages.

I was going to say I’d start deducting damages from the rent too, although I feel like legally that might be a grey area.

It would be funny and I'm not saying I'd blame them. But it's not even grey, they can't. Or at least not where the landlord couldn't file a valid Pay or Quit notice for the missing amount. They weren't the one who caused the damage.

However, the LW could take the other tenants to small claims court for the cost of the pots. Probably not worth the trouble. But that is their remedy for monetary damages.

When is your lease up? Sounds like it's time to move.

Re: When is your lease up? Sounds like it's time to move.

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