douchey and loud neighbors

[1001petals]

So we seem to have gotten some new, very rowdy neighbors upstairs from us. We live in a condo building where the units are privately owned, and sometimes privately rented out. The walls are thin -- in the dead of the night, occasionally, I can hear when someone gets up to take a piss. They are that thin. Usually it works out just fine, our neighbors are very quiet and we don't hear anything at all from them for weeks or months at a time. Until the new ones moved in above us.

For the last three Saturdays in a row they've thrown crazy parties. I'm talking foot stomping, hooting and hollering, loud music, sounds like a night club up there. On Sundays they like to have several friends over as well, usually watching some sports game it sounds like. We, along with other neighbors, have been complaining to the building's security/concierge. Last night I had to complain twice before the neighbors finally shut it down around midnight. I can't go up there myself (oh how I've been tempted) cause this building has very tight security and no one can get anywhere past their own "wing" or the common areas. I do know their unit #, though.

I have a toddler and another baby on the way so this is a problem. I hate feeling like a stick in the mud but at this point it is just so disrespectful! They know they're getting all these complaints yet they continue partying every weekend? Once every several months, ok fine. Every weekend -- not cool. They clearly don't give a shit.

I have written a formal complaint, as suggested by security here, to property management. Probably going to give it to them tomorrow. Yet I am wary of what good this will bring. I doubt property management will force them to sell or move out. Security has told me the police can't do much and have suggest our property mgmt handle it.

FP and I are planning on moving across the country in about 18 months, so would rather not find another place to live for the interim.

Anyway, the whole point of this post is that I've gone from fantasizing about writing them a letter giving them a piece of my mind to sending them a package of poo, or something like that. I probably won't do anything at all -- every week I forget all about them until Saturday 11pm comes around again and I am left fuming! But it's cathartic to fantasize and I thought you all might have some great, vengeful ideas.

[East Coast Hustle]

Fight fire with fire.

Buy your toddler a really loud electronic drum set and only allow him/her to play it at, say, 7am sunday morning, when the neighbors should be fast asleep and wicked hungover.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Fight fire with fire.

Buy your toddler a really loud electronic drum set and only allow him/her to play it at, say, 7am sunday morning, when the neighbors should be fast asleep and wicked hungover.

THIS

[Bruno]

The Residents are always handy for annoying neighbors.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22the+residents%22&search_type=&aq=f

"Duck Stab" is a particularly screechy album of theirs. Dogs hate it too!

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9F398A0F4D66A26B&search_query=duck+stab

Also, Negativland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTrHwH2gEY8&feature=related

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

Fight fire with fire.

Buy your toddler a really loud electronic drum set and only allow him/her to play it at, say, 7am sunday morning, when the neighbors should be fast asleep and wicked hungover.

this shit is brilliant. 7am is also a perfect time when they're hungover because alcohol interrupts your sleep and if you're woken up around this time it'll be impossible for them to get back to sleep.
Especially if your little one has a karaoke machine and likes to sing sesame street songs to go with those drums.

[bugmenоt]

I can't go up there myself (oh how I've been tempted) cause this building has very tight security and no one can get anywhere past their own "wing" or the common areas. I do know their unit #, though.

Step 1: Talk to them
Step 2: Write a formal complaint.

You seem to have forgotten step 1.

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

Ohai Mrs FP! Yea the best way is to politely speak to them if you can get up there. The letter is step 2, and when that fails the toddler with drums making hangover worse sounds pretty much FTW!

And if none of these things work, get back onto the management.

In the UK we have a thing called environmental health who will come around and measure noise nuisance, anything like that in Canada?

Serious offenders can get their TV stereo ect removed if they keep it up.

Trying the calm civil approach is always the correct motorcycle initially. Exhaust all legal routes first, do never send faecal matter thru the post cos some postal worker has to handle it, and its just plain nasty for the middlemen.

Also toddler hangover ruiner is inside reasonable expected behaviour.

Good luck!

[Triple Zero]

There's a reason we call them cabbages. Hide cabbages in their ventilation shafts. Works just as well as fish.

[Reginald Ret]

is sound insulation a possibility?
for them i mean.

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

If you can get up there on a party night get one of the inhabitants to come downstairs and just show them how loud it is.

Play it nice but frazzled mommy.

[1001petals]

I have wanted to go up there myself and talk to them right from the start but when I say this building has tight security I mean, I literally can't go up there. We have to use our security cards to get into the building at all, and then on the elevator -- and it only works for our floor and the floor with the pool/gym etc. Even if I managed to ride up with someone else coincidentally going up to the loud neighbor's floor, each floor is divided into two wings and you need to use your security card again to get into a wing. So I can't even go to the other side of my own floor with my security card.

It is impossible to contact them in person. Only this weekend did I confirm their unit # with the concierge and figure out I could send them a letter or a package.

--
I have thought about fighting fire with fire but then I'd disturb the other good neighbors around me. They don't deserve that.

[Dysnomia]

Early morning cartoons.   

[LMNO]

Early morning news programs.   

Because fuckers like that would probably dig the cartoons.

[Cramulus]

Ugh, those guys sound like dicks! I used to live upstairs from a party apartment - at 3:30 AM my roommate and I would be woken up by somebody pumping up the bass. We'd be stomping on the floor only to hear "Just go to bed, faggots"! shouted back at us. I went downstairs to give them a piece of my mind and some drunk kid opened the door while freestyle rapping at me. I almost punched that guy right in the fucking face.


My suggestion:
forge a petition signed by people from the building. The names don't even have to be real.

"We, the undersigned, will call the cops if we can hear your parties from our apartment. A party once in a while is acceptable, but our tolerance has evaporated by many consecutive weekends of late night noise. These types of gatherings may be normal in a college setting, but it is unacceptable for you douchebags to wake up our young children every single Saturday."


The goal is to create the illusion that the whole building is united against them. Social pressure is the strongest type pressure. It doesn't have to be an illusion, either. I mean, if the cops ignore your noise complaint, get the neighbors to call in too. The cops will be forced to respond if they get six calls in the same night about the same party. This will make your loud neighbors paranoid and think that they should button it up.

[Doktor Howl]

Aim speakers at the ceiling, and play the 1812 overture at 8AM.