how to deal with condo townhouse neighbour?

[TimG]

We live in a townhouse condo.

Last year the condo board approved the use and installation of "approved" window air conditioners. great. my neighbour goes out and buys a behemoth and installs it in his bedroom window a few feet away from our bedroom window. This thing is so loud that i can't sleep well and my wife had to sleep on the sofa downstairs.

He also owns an older diesel truck which he always backs into his driveway and his exhaust blows into our unit and gasses us. I've talked to him about it and he's been ok with not idling his truck, but lately it seems like he's reverting back to his old ways.

What would be the best recourse? Can the condo board do anything about the AC?

[ZorroAMG]

He won't be changing his AC unit without being forced to by the condo board, if they CAN do anything about it. Maybe jam a few random objects into it? LOL

[Mixalot27]

You shouldn't have to worry about the A/C for a while in another month or so. Maybe you can ask him if he can avoid running it after 11pm or whatever time you go to bed, he should be able to cool his place down a reasonable amount by then.

[dannie]

The first thing to do is talk to him. If after speaking to him, it doesnt change, then take it to the board.

You can ask them to send you the list of approved air conditioners and make sure his is on the list.

As far as the truck goes, there is one by-law in every set that says something along the lines of: If another person is disrupting the quality of life for another... blah blah blah. This is a blanket bylaw that allows discretion on the boards behalf. Find that section in your by-laws and quote it to the condo management co and ask them to send it to the board. They have to at the very least follow up with the other owner. It also helps if you can keep times and dates (as ignorant and intrusive as that may sound) that he was causing a nuisance.

[Kloubek]

dannie is right.

The bottom line here OP is that you need to talk to your management company, and see what the bylaws are involving both issues. Most bylaws are fairly vague and broad to ensure that they encompass most issues.

For example: Your neighbor's AC might have been approved, but it might violate noise bylaws (OR municipal laws) by being run after a certain time.

Talk to your management company, and explain your concerns.

If they do not help you out, and you own your condo, you are entitled to ask for a copy of the bylaws. You can then read through them, and write a letter to the management company, asking for him to stop his _____ action, as it is breaking ______ bylaw.

[Masked Bandit]

Here's an easy solution. Buy an air conditioner yourself?

[ZorroAMG]

Originally posted by Mixalot27
Maybe you can ask him if he can avoid running it after 11pm or whatever time you go to bed, he should be able to cool his place down a reasonable amount by then.

LMAO...the guy pays good money for a good AC and you think he's not gonna run it at night on hot days, just so someone ELSE can sleep?

[Swank]

^Correct, that's what living in a society is all about. And if an A/C is loud enough to keep the neighbors awake, it's not a good A/C. If he bought a noisy, used clunker for $30, he did not pay good money.

I agree with the others, talk to him, then table your concerns with the board.

[Mixalot27]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG


LMAO...the guy pays good money for a good AC and you think he's not gonna run it at night on hot days, just so someone ELSE can sleep?

I have an A/C but I rarely run it at night. Why? Because it cools down nicely most nights in Calgary. If you've run it for a few hours in the evening (perhaps 6pm - 10pm), then the house stays cool enough throughout the night, with just a window or two open. Its not like A/C's are cheap on electricity, so most people like to run them the least amount of time possible, as oppose to 24/7.

Even if it doesn't work it seems like an easy thing to try before having to get and read bylaws, write letters, etc. If it doesn't work, you've really lost nothing and can move on to another approach.

[theken]

Does he smoke on his balcony and make your house stink?

[5000Audi]

his A/C goes into his bedroom..and runs all night.. how friggin cold does he need his room.. i did this years ago and after about an hour my room was effing to cold to sleep in.. so id take it to the condo board..make him at least move it to another location in the house

[brandon]

Originally posted by theken
Does he smoke on his balcony and make your house stink?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Alterac]

You should start bbqing right outside his window, so it sucks the smell of your meat into his place.

[Seanith]

Originally posted by Alterac
You should start bbqing right outside his window, so it sucks the smell of your meat into his place.

:rofl:

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by Alterac
You should start bbqing right outside his window, so it sucks the smell of your meat into his place.

Sounds like an effective way of dealing with this situation!

[Eleanor]

Talk to him about it, then go to the board.

Originally posted by theken
Does he smoke on his balcony and make your house stink? :rofl:

[guessboi]

I would put an AC in your window and have it on at night. :D

[r3ccOs]

I absolutely hate living in my complex...

At one point it was a semi-reasonable set neighbors, but as with the churn and units turning to rental, all respect and conciderations for anyone is lost.

We have people who smoke on their doorsteps, which does funnel into other's open windows.

We have people who have parties in the common area, often going past 11, being shutdown by cops on several occations. Mind you the same people getting the same damned warnings.

We have people parking their vehicles in visitors parking, as its not enforced... same deal, renter with his full ton rusty work truck, and his jeep in the visitors parking, and his new STI in his own spot.

Garbage is the worst, as when people leave, they just toss everything in front of the garage door, or on the floor... I mean how hard would it be to put the bags into the bins...

Unfortunately we don't have garages in my complex, and we have the most ignorant neighbor, who happens to have a family and a 80g SUV. They have full family everything, which includes a whole set of bikes for the whole family, piled rustily in the back common area beside my place, a spare stroller, 2 sets of tires amongst other things. Let alone the fact that you shouldn't be raising 3 screaming kids in a 1000sqft townhome with 2 bedrooms.

There are at least 2 new Mexican families who moved in (renting) , and not to be racist, but it is relevant, as there are close to 10-12 people living in a 2 bedroom unit!

God damnit, sounds like Dover, but its I live in freaking Evergreen.

p.s. living by Point of View complexes are the worst, as they don't even make enough provisions for parking.

[4DoorGTZ]

Originally posted by r3ccOs
p.s. living by Point of View complexes are the worst, as they don't even make enough provisions for parking.

Must be across the street on Eversyde Ave. :) There's never any street parking left unless its 9am-3pm. I knew that would be the case and thats why I bought an extra stall. I love how the street is "just" wide enough... whenever 2 minivans or 1 large truck and a car meet its always a close call. I've seen many side mirrors dangling on that street.

/end off topic.

[Shogged]

Originally posted by r3ccOs


There are at least 2 new Mexican families who moved in (renting) , and not to be racist, but it is relevant, as there are close to 10-12 people living in a 2 bedroom unit!



reminds me a story from when my parents had a rental unit. Rented it to a nice asian couple, honestly wouldn't have thought a thing about them. Did a walk-through one day, house looked normal enough but when they were upstairs they heard shuffling around above them so they went to check out the attic. Found 10 asians in the attic.. turns out they had the whole extended family living with them!

[bmeier]

get a pellet gun and try to shoot a hole in his ac unit when he is out...

though thats really only a short term solution. you are best to just complain to the condo board on a consistent basis.

[Masked Bandit]

Why does everyone think the best thing is to bitch and whine to the condo board? Maybe the OP should try to do something on his end, like buy his own A/C (like I suggested earlier in the thread). Or even one of those window mounted fans that can run as intake or exhaust. Set on exhaust I would bet that would get rid of a lot of the sound.

When you live in a residence that has part of the building SHARED with someone else, you almost have to expect some extra noise.

[TimG]

the point is is that the AC is LOUD and the vibrations transfer through the frame of the house. if i have to put a fan up that's not solving the problem.

I have tried talking to him about his truck but like i said he reverts back to his old ways after a few weeks.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit

When you live in a residence that has part of the building SHARED with someone else, you almost have to expect some extra noise.

I disagree. Yes - one might expect SOME noise in a condo setting. But there are limitations; which is why bylaws state such.

Not everyone likes to take infractions which effect them lying down like you do...

[Mar]

Originally posted by r3ccOs
We have people parking their vehicles in visitors parking, as its not enforced... same deal, renter with his full ton rusty work truck, and his jeep in the visitors parking, and his new STI in his own spot.

Does he park it there constantly all day? I hate this rule of no parking in the visitor spots. Sometimes I have to move my roommate's car to get mine out of the garage and I don't feel like shuffling them so I put hers in the visitor's spot for a few hours and move it back when I get home, happens every second day maybe. So if he's doing stuff like that I wouldn't complain about it.


Originally posted by r3ccOs
Garbage is the worst, as when people leave, they just toss everything in front of the garage door, or on the floor... I mean how hard would it be to put the bags into the bins...

I do the same thing. :dunno: The garbage is a freaking long ways away and I don't want to keep it in my car for more than 1 second so I leave it outside and take it to the bin after work that same day.

Both are against my condo's rules but I don't really care. The rules are pretty dumb and it's not bothering anyone. Why would you care if someone has a garbage bag outside their place?

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by Mar

Does he park it there constantly all day? I hate this rule of no parking in the visitor spots. Sometimes I have to move my roommate's car to get mine out of the garage and I don't feel like shuffling them so I put hers in the visitor's spot for a few hours and move it back when I get home, happens every second day maybe. So if he's doing stuff like that I wouldn't complain about it.


I do the same thing. :dunno: The garbage is a freaking long ways away and I don't want to keep it in my car for more than 1 second so I leave it outside and take it to the bin after work that same day.

Both are against my condo's rules but I don't really care. The rules are pretty dumb and it's not bothering anyone. Why would you care if someone has a garbage bag outside their place?

First off, this renter uses 3 stalls like he's entitled to all of them and yes he leaves them there for months on end if he isn't using one or the other. Its like he has a phobia of parking on the street.

In regards to garbage... this is what I mean:
There is a common garbage area with a bunch of Bins, including cardboard recycling.
Rather than throwing the garbage in the bins, they just leave their bags on the floor, in the path to the bins, or worse, just leave it in front of the Garbage Room door, even blocking the door at times.

Other issues?

I've had an inconciderate f)ck of a neighbor park his uhaul, attached to his massive SUV in the single spot, blocking my ability to drive in, and 3 others as well.
He then left it there for 3 days straight, as he didn't take time off work when he moved in, and only moved stuff a little bit of a time at night.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Kloubek


I disagree. Yes - one might expect SOME noise in a condo setting. But there are limitations; which is why bylaws state such.

Not everyone likes to take infractions which effect them lying down like you do...

And I would bet that if a decibel (sp?) meter was used, the unit is probably within bylaw guidelines. Of course this is assuming he bought the thing recently and it's not some 25 year old wreck that he pulled out of his parent's basement or something.

I hate neighbours that bitch and whine at the smallest things. In our last house we had a really nice firepit that I built into the retaining wall we had in our back yard. On our block, there were no less than eight of us who had & used our fire pits once or twice a month. Well this old witch that lived across the back of us didn't like the smell of a campfire, so one summer she decided to call bylaw everytime someone used their pit. Now keep in mind, everyone's pits met all the codes for design and use (seasoned wood only, no scraps or such). Once night the FIRE DEPARTMENT shows up and says, "sorry boys, have to shut it down". I say "are we breaking any part of the bylaw?". He says "nope, but the bylaw states that if anyone is offended in any way, even if you are not breaking the rules, you have to cease activity immediately". So this one old bat managed to shut down fire pits for the entire block because she doesn't like the smell.

My point is, the neighbour probably isn't breaking the rules, so piss off. If he is though, I have no problem with the rules being enforced. I guess this is just one of the problems with living in a shared building.

[Kloubek]

I understand what you are saying. Noise bylaws for a condo complex will almost never have an actual decibel rating. They leave it vague purposely to ensure they have control over anywhere they need to exercise it.

It is entirely possible that the board, if asked, will deem the air conditioner suitable and not out line in regards to sound emissions. And if so, there is really nothing the OP can do... unless it violates municipal bylaws due to noise volume - which is clearly will not.

On the other hand, the board are people too, and if the OP is right about this thing being excessively loud, then it is possible they will check it out and agree. Many bylaws state something to the effect that nobody is to use common space (which includes airspace) in a manner detrimental to the well-being of the residents.

So if you do bring this to the board, OP, make sure that you are sickly nice about it. This may very well come down to their personal opinions moreso than an actual black-and-white bylaw.

[Mar]

Do you sleep with your window open? How does this guy sleep with it in his house if you can't sleep with it outside your house?

[alloroc]

Originally posted by Mar
Do you sleep with your window open? How does this guy sleep with it in his house if you can't sleep with it outside your house?

The condenser fan and compressor are outside and can very easily be louder than the supply fan inside which will mask the other noises.

The best solution is to put a white noise generator in the bedroom - remove the cable from a TV and turn up the volume of the static to a point where the AC isn't such a bother.

[theken]

Real solution. 2 parter. Either tell him it is fucking annoying and to please turn it off (this is the man way).
Play some really fucking gay music all night that's not super loud but loud enough he can hear it. Or run a bandsaw at 12 till he stops.

Buy a house

[nj2Type-S]

i live in a duplex and once i save enough money, i'm getting out of this hell hole, LOL! the unit itself isn't bad nor is the neighborhood terrible. but the neighbors are just brutal! Total lack of consideration but i guess it's sorta my fault since i should've known what i was getting myself into. :banghead: