Random Sucky Neighbor Thoughts

[Nunavut Pants]

OH hell no, cigarettes don't smell great but smell WAY better than weed. Weed is the foulest odor ever, it's DISGUSTING.

Not to my nose. To me, most weed smells far better than any cigarette. Some pipe tobacco and some cigars can smell much better, but cigarettes are awful.

... Then again, I spent many years smoking weed and none at all smoking cigarettes ...

[Pixelated]

OH hell no, cigarettes don't smell great but smell WAY better than weed. Weed is the foulest odor ever, it's DISGUSTING.

Maybe we have different weed up here ... ?

[telecom_goddess]

I have virtually no sympathy for those who say they hate the smell of weed ... I'd rather smell that than tobacco any day (and I'm not even a user ....)

OH hell no, cigarettes don't smell great but smell WAY better than weed. Weed is the foulest odor ever, it's DISGUSTING.

[Food Lady]

Have to admit there is really nothing to be done about this but ... come the warmer weather, I feel as if I'm back in my parents' house. Cigarette smoke drifting in through my bedroom window, cigarette smoke drifting in under my front door.

Yes, this IS a non-smoking building; however, smokers who lived here prior to the smoking ban are "grandfathered" and allowed to continue smoking in their units (or on their balconies) ... just not in the common areas.

I have virtually no sympathy for those who say they hate the smell of weed ... I'd rather smell that than tobacco any day (and I'm not even a user ....)

My friend had to go through this in her old complex. She has asthma. We are allowed to smoke on our balconies and it doesn't bother me if neighbors do unless I don't close my patio door soon enough.

[notalwaysright]

This comes via my coworker who lives like one street over from me in a big apartment complex. She was late to work this morning, which is very unusual for her... (she would have been leaving before dawn) She comes in and says she walked out her front door, the building has outside hallways, and there was a little boy sitting outside her door crying wearing a blanket and nothing else. He couldn't find his parents/grandparents and couldn't give my coworker any information like if he lived there or names or anything. Obviously she called 911 and stayed with him until help got there.

When we heard this story the most depressing and true statement from another coworker was "he was lucky a good person found him." What a way to start the day. I will be checking the sheriff report to see what happened, if they even say. My complex, by comparison, is pretty quiet. We're almost entirely one bedroom units so very few families with kids to make things loud. Not that other people can't be loud, of course, but for whatever reason this location seems to run to quiet retired folks (who pester the on site property manager until she wants to rip her hair out) or people like myself, who work early in the morning and don't have loud parties or whatever.

ETA: The sheriff's report said "child problem in progress."

[Pixelated]

Have to admit there is really nothing to be done about this but ... come the warmer weather, I feel as if I'm back in my parents' house. Cigarette smoke drifting in through my bedroom window, cigarette smoke drifting in under my front door.

Yes, this IS a non-smoking building; however, smokers who lived here prior to the smoking ban are "grandfathered" and allowed to continue smoking in their units (or on their balconies) ... just not in the common areas.

I have virtually no sympathy for those who say they hate the smell of weed ... I'd rather smell that than tobacco any day (and I'm not even a user ....)

[Mental_Mouse]

Cool, sounds like things are staring to work out.

[Food Lady]

She's being great. Downstairs dude who is the problem gave phone number to next-door dude who is above them in case they are too loud. Def. got talked to today.

[Mental_Mouse]

In this case, it looks like the manager is trying to deal with the situation, but this sort of thing is she needs prompt notice -- e.g. "They're slamming doors and shouting in the halls" --> manager calls cops --> cops find methhead ranting in the hallway --> handcuffs --> eviction if the tenant gets tagged -> peace and quiet for you.

If you were dealing with a less supportive landlord, "I'm moving soon" would translate to "you won't have to deal with these complaints for much longer".

[Food Lady]

I've no problem with her knowing I'm upset--that would be the point--and I am moving but some things need to happen first, not the least of which is clearance of this lockdown. I got a response reprimanding me for not letting her know I was that upset. What did she think this email was? My neighbor was having issues before and she lumped me in with him. I'm not responsible for what he tells her. She's frustrated because she thinks they're doing drugs and she needs evidence. I don't know why she thinks I'd report something I wasn't annoyed over. I wasn't irritated enough until yesterday because it was really the first time with these particular people and it was impeding my working.

[Mental_Mouse]

The main body of that is reasonable, but it does get a little cranky at beginning and end. In particular, I don't think it helps to lead with "you're losing a tenant". Really, especially when you're using E-mail, i'd say the most effective strategy is just to report each incident as it happens.

[Food Lady]

That is an entirely reasonable note to the manager. It also qualifies as "notice" -- the manager can't deal with a problem if they don't know about it, and it helps a lot if multiple people report it so they know it's affecting multiple people. I'd say send it (edited to reflect "after the fact").

Found out it was them causing more problems today. Here's what I just sent, bolded being the title:

Your are losing a tenant....Not now because of the current circumstances, but eventually. [Management Company]
is great and as I've said before, I like this place. But I cannot live in what I can only describe as the Ghetto of [City] anymore. I have been here for a long time and every. single. year. it's someone in one of these units having no regard for anyone else. I am sleep-deprived and trying to work from home because I do not want to go to the office. I do not want to go out if I don't have to because I may be a carrier and due to some issues it's possible I'm at risk. I shouldn't have to risk my health.

Let's start with last night. It was incredibly quiet, so much so that I wondered what was going to happen to disturb the peace. I found out at around 2:00 am. Door slamming so hard that stuff was shaking.
This was reminiscent of Thursday night/Friday morning at 1:30 am when people were outside very loud. I could swear I heard it on the stair landing and that was perplexing because A and H are usually respectful. I texted him, annoyed, because I felt like I was betrayed. I should have known better. It was the people below him. He had gone to bed at 10:00 pm Thursday night and got my text Friday. It's just crazy that I thought I could hear people outside my door.
Maybe voices carry (more on that below).

So let's skip to last night (Monday): all is well, weirdly quiet for a Monday night. Then, around 2:00 am I hear loud people saying goodbye or whatever. I don't know where people are coming home from at that time; if they work in the bars they can't because the bars are closed. Gas station? Maybe. If this was a social call then they are violating the Governor's order and putting neighbors at risk. We do not know how this virus is transmitted but we have community spread now. I do not want people outside my door. I hate to admit it, but I was literally shouting because I hit my limit of patience. I stopped and suddenly I heard outside my door a male voice saying "HELLO?!?" It was't A; I would've heard his door. Plus, I think he is working overnights so he may not have been home. I have no idea why anyone would be outside my door but it was clear as day. I am so exhausted that I'm falling asleep while typing this.

In addition, this afternoon someone was out in the parking lot or the [complex behind us that same company owns] parking lot with bass stereo for at least half an hour while I was trying to work. Even if it's in the middle of the day, it's still disturbing the peace and I was trying to call a client. I called the sheriff's office instead and had them send the boys in blue (or brown?) next door to [Other Complex]. I feel bad for making them go on a goose chase because I asked A via text if he heard it and he said for sure it was the people below him again. He has talked to them before because they have slammed the door so
hard that a painting almost came off the wall. They were slamming doors around the same time today. That's what initially disturbed me, before the car. I didn't connect those events until A told me it was all the same people. He says they sometimes get into fist fights and that he's not sure who lives there but it seems like several couples. That's my impression, too. Isn't it supposed to be 2 tenants per bedroom?

Life is hard enough right now. I'm trying to hold it together with one job. I am paying my rent on time and not organizing a strike against my landlord. I'm being and adult. I'm sorry if other people are bored but they need to find something useful to do. I can't imagine being so cavalier at a time like this. People are dying every day and these kids apparently think it's time to party.

[telecom_goddess]

It's been quiet over here for the most part, although the other night some asshole decided to set of fireworks around midnight. I was sitting on the front porch having a beer (not much else to do lately), and I heard them and saw them going up in the sky.
.

Same here, I could have SWORN I heard fireworks last night, briefly but still. WTH? They sounded like the illegal kind too OF COURSE!

[Mental_Mouse]

That is an entirely reasonable note to the manager. It also qualifies as "notice" -- the manager can't deal with a problem if they don't know about it, and it helps a lot if multiple people report it so they know it's affecting multiple people. I'd say send it (edited to reflect "after the fact").

[Food Lady]

I'm not sending this email to the manager because she has enough on her plate but it helped to type it out.

It is 2:00 am and people are slamming doors and yelling "HELLO?!?" outside. It's fairly quiet until 1:30 am when whoever comes traipsing home. I hope to God they are working some essential job and not out with their friends defying the Governor's order. I texted Alex next door one night thinking it was them--even though it was out of character--and they let me know they were bothered by whomever it was as well. They had gone to bed at 10:00, even before me. Their stuff rattles on the wall from whatever party is going on downstairs. I texted him because I heard people on the stairs but it wasn't anyone either of us knew.
It's bad enough that I am stuck at home in fear of going out--people MY AGE are dying--and that I don't get to see my friends but I have to deal with people who may as well be bad roommates. I have to work, too! I don't know how many people are crammed in that apartment on the end downstairs but apparently a lot and I'm sick of all of them.