Crazy Condo Neighbors

[Crankin]

She sounds like she has something clinical going on. Really. The next time you catch her peeking in your window, call the police.

[Trek420]

She sounds like she has something clinical going on. Really. The next time you catch her peeking in your window, call the police.

She quieted down a bit since we called the police on her.

She'd made a half @zzed attempt at a break in one day while I was walking the dog. At over 75 she's not very good as a cat burglar. Probably should keep her day job; being elderly, confused and retired. So the only evidence was obvious damage to the bottom of our door. Bean, our 70 lb, veeeeeery friendly, canine good citizen certified dog, probably would not put up with her breaking in any way. she knows that too The only time I've seen him growl was when she's near our window.

She's taking her role as queen of the landscaping just a little too far. This all started when we took out the dead and dying ivy.

[emily_in_nc]

When we were living in our first floor condo in Belize, the man who owned the third-floor unit right above us would occasionally get in at 3 am and play his guitar...or he'd wake up really early and start playing before 6 am. Often alcohol was involved. We were amazed that sound carried right through the second floor, but it did. And the second-floor folks, when they were there (they only visited a few times a year), sounded like a herd of elephants above our head with their stomping around on the tile floors above us.

Learned our lesson. If we ever live in a condo again, it will be on the top floor.

[Helene2013]

ishhh and I was looking into selling our home (too big for us) to get a nice - high-end - condo when we retire in 6 years. Not so sure anymore.

[ny biker]

We have noise rules here. And a patrol officer from a security company who is on duty from 8 pm to 5 am. If someone makes noise at night, you call the patrol officer and he tells them to knock it off. If the problem continues, you can get the condo management involved.

One thing we don't have is a carpet requirement. They thought it wasn't necessary when the condo association was formed because everyone had wall-to-wall carpets back then. Now that many people have hardwood floors and noise complaints have increased, they won't institute a carpet requirement (covering 80% of the floor with rugs) because it would require a change in bylaws. So my recommendation to Helene or anyone else is to make sure your condo has a requirement to cover at least 80% of floors with rugs. It makes a big difference.

And yes, top floor units are best, if you can get one (and if it's in your price range).

[rebeccaC]

Now that many people have hardwood floors and noise complaints have increased, they won't institute a carpet requirement (covering 80% of the floor with rugs) because it would require a change in bylaws. So my recommendation to Helene or anyone else is to make sure your condo has a requirement to cover at least 80% of floors with rugs. It makes a big difference.

And yes, top floor units are best, if you can get one (and if it's in your price range).

My HOA has requirements for particular sound isolating material under a new wood floor if someone wants to replace the carpet or travertine in their unit. It works well!

[Crankin]

I would not live in a place that had a carpet requirement. My current house is 95% hardwood and I am a lot healthier!
We are in the beginning stages of thinking about what we are going to do when we sell this house, in probably 3 years. It's hard to find condos and townhouses around here, in areas we want to live in. I will consider moving to a neighboring town, but I don't want a long commute to work or a change in lifestyle. DH is 3 years younger than me and will be working for at least 5 more years, maybe more. We are leaning toward buying a small condo here, maybe even in places we wouldn't have considered before, and another condo out in the Berkshires. We just have to figure out how we will handle all of the bike stuff we have!

[Trek420]

ishhh and I was looking into selling our home (too big for us) to get a nice - high-end - condo when we retire in 6 years. Not so sure anymore.

Condos can be ok. I had no problems with my neighbors in CA, and that was not as "nice" a neighborhood. Made some friends, no real issues.

We've found out our new neighbor's been here over 30 years, has a record of "hazing" new people. Some problem with anything changing, I think. They've never seen it as bad as this got but then she may have some dementia at this point.

Simply put, I will garden. It's why we bought this (also the location and low HOA). If she wanted to garden around my home, she needed to buy this home. She didn't. And of course, this means war!

[shootingstar]

Then consider a townhouse or something that doesn't demand you to physically look after the lawn, shovelling snow, a lot ...life doesn't get easier when one gets older.

[emily_in_nc]

ishhh and I was looking into selling our home (too big for us) to get a nice - high-end - condo when we retire in 6 years. Not so sure anymore.

Stick to the top floor and you should be fine. I guess you can still end up with some crazies, but at least their noise shouldn't drive you crazy!

[Helene2013]

Right. But we're not there yet! Who knows...we may be fulltimers in a motorhome (we'll be in our late 50s so enough time to enjoy life) and if we don't like the neigbhours, you can just move the rig somewhere....pretty easily.

[Pax]

Right. But we're not there yet! Who knows...we may be fulltimers in a motorhome (we'll be in our late 50s so enough time to enjoy life) and if we don't like the neigbhours, you can just move the rig somewhere....pretty easily.

That's what we're considering as well. Just travel for a while and see where we'd prefer to be.

[Trek420]

Stick to the top floor and you should be fine. I guess you can still end up with some crazies, but at least their noise shouldn't drive you crazy!

We're ground floor end unit. Our upstairs neighbor is nice, we rarely hear her and get along well. Our next door neighbor, also pleasant. He's a student and pretty quiet. But that could be because his parents own the unit above him also.

Crazy condo lady has a penchant for over-watering randomly wherever she can. We removed 3 large plants, totally root rotted. It's been raining hard as per usual in the sunny PNW and today she was still out there watering our grounds with the public hose of the building.

We'll be removing that

[marni]

when I was in grad school I lived below a semi professional flemenco dancer and her roommate a theater major. Someone was either wailing out gypsy songs, pounding feet or declaiming whenever I was awake and home. The result is that I can pretty much sleep through anything, including the SAG guys snoring ( chain saws with in reach of the bed).

I can't remember much else about grad school.