what to do with a nightmare neighbor...

[Kenny Smith]

Hey BP community!

I have a bit of a delicate situation with my neighbor directly across from me. I am currently house hacking a non-conforming duplex here in Denver and we bought this SFH back in late 2021. Since then, almost all of our neighbors have been very friendly and no issues at all. However, we noticed when we moved in, that the property directly across from us was very distressed, and we were wondering if they would being a potential problem neighbor down the line.

Our assumptions proved to be true.  They have caused nothing but problems since we have moved in.  It is a household of 3.  1 teenager, 1 early 20's, and a grandmother who either doesn't care what their grandsons do or simply cannot control them.

Based off public records and looks like one of the kids has been arrested multiple times due to things like theft, but it seems nothing too egregious yet to put him in jail.  Since we've lived here, they constantly have other kids over blaring rap music, smoking and drinking in their front yard and overall causing perpetual noise disturbance.

I look at all of this through the lens of an entrepreneur who has to do what is right for his business.  Therefore, I've let those small things go and haven't notified the police or complained to them.  However, summer of 2022, they decided it was okay to throw beer and liquor bottles in the street/my driveway and smash glass everywhere.  I had some words with them and it seems to have worked because there were no more major issues like that since last summer, until this past weekend.

They decided to buy 2 goats (which is illegal to be in possession of past 7 days in our municipality).  It wasn't an issue of owning them, but they decided not to lock them up and they got out, walking through all of the neighbors yards defecating and eating peoples shrubs/flowers.  My wife sent a stern but polite message to them on FB that they need to come home asap and tend to their goats.

They decided this was not "appropriate", and when they got home decided to swear and yell at us for harassment.  They called the police on us the next morning, which is comical.  I spoke to the police and explained the situation, and they were clearly on our side.

Since then, they now are yelling profanities at us any chance they get and I've bit my lip.  From a business perspective, I want/need to keep the peace and ensure it does not affect the perception of my property as a viable rental.  Nor do I want to engage in any type of altercation with people who are clearly mentally ill.  At this point, we are planning to ignore them, and will only notify law enforcement if there is something egregious taking place over there as was this past weekend.  I feel as though calling the police on everything they do will only escalate the situation.

Sorry for the long explanation, but curious on what YOU would do in this situation?  And what is your worst neighbor horror story?

Thanks in advance BP! 

-Kenny

[Chris Seveney]

Quote from @Kenny Smith:

Hey BP community!

I have a bit of a delicate situation with my neighbor directly across from me. I am currently house hacking a non-conforming duplex here in Denver and we bought this SFH back in late 2021. Since then, almost all of our neighbors have been very friendly and no issues at all. However, we noticed when we moved in, that the property directly across from us was very distressed, and we were wondering if they would being a potential problem neighbor down the line.

Our assumptions proved to be true.  They have caused nothing but problems since we have moved in.  It is a household of 3.  1 teenager, 1 early 20's, and a grandmother who either doesn't care what their grandsons do or simply cannot control them.

Based off public records and looks like one of the kids has been arrested multiple times due to things like theft, but it seems nothing too egregious yet to put him in jail.  Since we've lived here, they constantly have other kids over blaring rap music, smoking and drinking in their front yard and overall causing perpetual noise disturbance.

I look at all of this through the lens of an entrepreneur who has to do what is right for his business.  Therefore, I've let those small things go and haven't notified the police or complained to them.  However, summer of 2022, they decided it was okay to throw beer and liquor bottles in the street/my driveway and smash glass everywhere.  I had some words with them and it seems to have worked because there were no more major issues like that since last summer, until this past weekend.

They decided to buy 2 goats (which is illegal to be in possession of past 7 days in our municipality).  It wasn't an issue of owning them, but they decided not to lock them up and they got out, walking through all of the neighbors yards defecating and eating peoples shrubs/flowers.  My wife sent a stern but polite message to them on FB that they need to come home asap and tend to their goats.

They decided this was not "appropriate", and when they got home decided to swear and yell at us for harassment.  They called the police on us the next morning, which is comical.  I spoke to the police and explained the situation, and they were clearly on our side.

Since then, they now are yelling profanities at us any chance they get and I've bit my lip.  From a business perspective, I want/need to keep the peace and ensure it does not affect the perception of my property as a viable rental.  Nor do I want to engage in any type of altercation with people who are clearly mentally ill.  At this point, we are planning to ignore them, and will only notify law enforcement if there is something egregious taking place over there as was this past weekend.  I feel as though calling the police on everything they do will only escalate the situation.

Sorry for the long explanation, but curious on what YOU would do in this situation?  And what is your worst neighbor horror story?

Thanks in advance BP! 

-Kenny

 Personally, I would move. Sell the house and find a better place to live. But that is just me. If you decide to continue to live there, then just ignore them - if they break the law then report them.

[Kenny Smith]

@Chris Seveney

appreciate the feedback!  If only it was that easy..we will cash flow like crazy on this property when we move out..which we are shortly to buy another house hack.  Plus, we have a 3.3% rate on it..I can't get rid of that.

[Dominick Johnson]

I've been there before. The quickest solution thing you can do is just move and it won't be your problem anymore. Unfortunately it might be a nuisance for your future tenants, but landlords aren't responsible for neighbors so they would have to call the police.

My horrible neighbor story was our first house. Our backyard butted up to the neighbors behind us and they had a chicken coop. We went out of town for a weekend and came home to 3 roosters crowing all day long. I politely asked that they do something about the noise since it was against the municipality to have roosters. They got rid of 2 roosters and kept one with a choke collar on it to muffle the sound. It didn't work, as the rooster crowed all day long but now sounded like it was drowning. I talked to them again and they said they didn't realize it was a rooster when they got it but their kid considered it a pet and they could not get rid of it now. I called animal control and the police and they both said there wasn't anything they could do even though I showed them the municipal laws that roosters were not allowed in the area. Then our neighbors beside us got a rooster and they crowed back and forth all day long. We listed the house the next week and got the heck out of there. Too bad, it would have made a great rental.

[Karl B.]

I would get a few security cameras installed. They would be the kind that records sound as well. When they harass you, swear, party and make noise or do anything else that is wrong you'll have the proof.

If you don't want to listen to them complain about you, wear headphones when you're outside and ignore them. 

Continue reporting them for noise infractions and whatever else they do that is against the law.

I had problem neighbors who were renters and I contacted animal control as well as the police and the tenants moved out as they knew I had their number. 

I had animal control after them for a dog that barked in the middle of the night and when the tenants' brother got drunk and wrecked their car I called the police and told them to give him a breathalyzer and when they showed up and he failed the sobriety test they took him to jail.

Most people fear confrontation. I really don't care about confrontation as what are they going to do? Try and beat me up? lol.