Crazy Condo Neighbors

[Trek420]

We have a remodeling thread, we also have crazy drivers thread. While this is about someone acting crazy, and relates to owning a home it fits neither. Hence a new thread. If you have a crazy condo association, feel free to chime in

After I sold the California home, Knott and I began looking in earnest for something here. We love our neighborhood but did not think we could afford to own here. One day, while walking the dogs, I saw a small unit that looked like the owners were prepping for sale. We contacted our agent, yes, they are about to list. We bid, held our breath and we got it! It's small, quirky, has character, ground floor end unit so we can garden a tad (a requirement I'd had), friendly neighbors, GREAT area but there is just one thing that should have been disclosed in the MLS. "You're upstairs neighbor is crazy".

[ny biker]

Heh. I could write a book on this. I'm currently the only owner living in my building -- the other 5 units are rented out. No doubt they all think I'm the crazy one, since I tend to insist that they follow the trash rules and I spray the hallway with air freshener every time they fill it with the odor of whatever the hell it is that they are cooking. (Seriously people, why don't you ever eat anything that actually smells appetizing?? Not to mention, if you put decent weather stripping around your door, you'd save money on heating and the rest of us wouldn't have to know that you burned the eggs.)

Congrats on your new home. Have fun making it your own.

[Pax]

Not crazy but we do have "Mr. Stompy Pants" living upstairs. He's an Asian man roughly the size of my left leg, and yet he can walk with a tread that honestly sounds like he's tossing bowling balls around. To add to that he sings VERY bad karaoke at the top of his lungs, routinely. At first he was annoying, now we just sing along with him and laugh when he stomps up the stairs, we'll shout out "HEY, STOMPY'S HOME!!!"

[shootingstar]

It's been fine ...so far, in terms of neighbours. I've lived in 3 different condos for the past 25 years.

Fortunately even though the guy upstairs has an alcolhol problem, he's never made any disruptive noise. It helps he's an owner and wants to be cooperative with condo board.

[ny biker]

Not crazy but we do have "Mr. Stompy Pants" living upstairs. He's an Asian man roughly the size of my left leg, and yet he can walk with a tread that honestly sounds like he's tossing bowling balls around. To add to that he sings VERY bad karaoke at the top of his lungs, routinely. At first he was annoying, now we just sing along with him and laugh when he stomps up the stairs, we'll shout out "HEY, STOMPY'S HOME!!!"

It is fascinating how some people can make so much noise even though they don't weigh much. I've had some very petite upstairs neighbors who routinely stomped around like elephants, and larger neighbors who were very quiet.

The thing that really gets me is toilet seat slamming. I've had a couple of neighbors who are always slamming their toilet seats. I don't mean an occasional "oops, it slipped out of my hand," I'm talking about loud intentional slamming every single time they heed nature's call. I just don't understand why they do this. Are they angry at the toilet?? Does it need to be punished???

[Pax]

It is fascinating how some people can make so much noise even though they don't weigh much. I've had some very petite upstairs neighbors who routinely stomped around like elephants, and larger neighbors who were very quiet.

The thing that really gets me is toilet seat slamming. I've had a couple of neighbors who are always slamming their toilet seats. I don't mean an occasional "oops, it slipped out of my hand," I'm talking about loud intentional slamming every single time they heed nature's call. I just don't understand why they do this. Are they angry at the toilet?? Does it need to be punished???

Stompy does that too, I assumed he was opening/closing the lid by roundhouse kicking it. My mental image is of the tiny little man yelling yahhhhh in time with a crappy karaoke song, while leaping into a fabulous kick.

[Trek420]

Stompy does that too, I assumed he was opening/closing the lid by roundhouse kicking it. My mental image is of the tiny little man yelling yahhhhh in time with a crappy karaoke song, while leaping into a fabulous kick.

Does stumpy garden outside your living room or even bedroom window at zero dark thirty at night? I'd take "stompy" over crazy.

[Pax]

Does stumpy garden outside your living room or even bedroom window at zero dark thirty at night? I'd take "stumpy" over crazy.

No, but he does vacuum and sing at midnight.

[Trek420]

No, but he does vacuum and sing at midnight.

We'll trade!

I should have known she'd be trouble. The day we were moving in, I put our large wood planter on the slate front deck, propped the small bicycle sculpture in it while going back for another load. She trundled up to us and complained that she feared she'd get tetanus from the sculpture whenever she uses the nearby garden hose. That was the time for me to calmly and all friendly-like state "That's ok. WE'RE going to take care of the garden around our condo". How could we have known then, that she's obsessed with every detail of the grounds, and looking in bedroom windows?

[Pax]

We'll trade!

I should have known she'd be trouble. The day we were moving in, I put our large wood planter on the slate front deck, propped the small bicycle sculpture in it while going back for another load. She trundled up to us and complained that she feared she'd get tetanus from the sculpture whenever she uses the nearby garden hose. That was the time for me to calmly and all friendly-like state "That's ok. WE'RE going to take care of the garden around our condo". How could we have known then, that she's obsessed with every detail of the grounds, and looking in bedroom windows?

You are way nicer than me, I'd be up in her face in a heartbeat if she looked in my bedroom window.

[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).