The Right Way to Deal with the Wrong Neighbors!

Have you ever had the experience of having to deal with “bad” neighbors? I have and I can tell you it’s not a lot of fun. Most times problems that arise from our neighbors are accidental in nature. That is to say that they are not aware they are doing something that is disturbing us. In these cases a friendly talk will almost always solve the problem.

Of course, there is the other kind of neighbor. You know what I’m talking about. Those are the people that simply don’t care about anyone but themselves and a friendly talk would have no benefit at all. If you are unfortunate enough to have a problem with one of your neighbors I suggest taking the following steps in an effort to calm the waters.

Always give your disruptive neighbor the courtesy of a friendly talk before involving anyone else in the situation. As I already mentioned many times they simply aren’t aware that they are distressing you or others and a simple mention will put the situation right. No need to create hard feelings for no reason.

If a friendly dissertation doesn’t help matters it may be time to ask other neighbors to speak to them as well. In this way they will understand that others are also being disturbed by their actions and the problem is not you, it is them. I would consider this the “final courtesy”.

If the annoying or disturbing behavior does not cease it is time to “get tough”. If the problem is loud music or some other behavioral problem now is the time to call the police. If a different situation exists such as a dirty yard, trash on the sidewalk, etc it is best to notify the Homeowners Association or local government authority that enforces such policies. If your neighbors are renting a call to the landlord would also be in order. Don’t feel bad about taking these measures; if previous attempts to resolve the situation have failed I can assure you that future talks will only exasperate matters. It may even make things worse.

In the less common event that any of your property or belongings have been damaged in some way it is also time to consider suing for damages. I would only recommend this in the most extreme cases but there are times where this is definitely your best defense against it happening again. Also be sure to contact your local law enforcement agency to make a proper report of the incident. This is very important if you need to go to court or make an insurance claim.

It’s important that you understand that you need to take action if you are living around someone that is completely unresponsive to the needs of others. You deserve to live with peace, security and cleanliness. If your “bad” neighbor doesn’t see it this way it is their fault that action has been taken against them, not yours. Be diligent and stay within the law and you will eventually solve this problem in the correct way.

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