Moved house - updated with pics (see last post)
 

Don't know what the world is coming to, I really don't. I thought people here were a lot less ignorant than some of the idiots in the UK...

I am going to give you some insight of my own experiences from the past week. This is going to be a long post...I use the term 'neighbour' loosely and most certainly not in the biblical sense.

Wednesday - My wife calls me at work as a pit bull terrier has just been in the apartment attacking our dog. V was about to take the dog for a walk and thus opened the front door (as you do). Next door have this idea that exercising their dogs involves opening the door and letting them run about unleashed thus the dogs, seeing our dog Lucy, darted into our house. It turns out that the apartment complex did not know they even had dogs, and pit bulls are on the 'banned' list. Wife was of course very distressed and is lucky to not be injured from separating the two animals.

What do you do? After already having politely asked the neighbour to leash their dogs on several occasions already, we decided to follow the 'by the book' rules. Well, that's what we thought was best... Got the police and apartment complex manager involved and as a result of our complaint the neighbour was served 24hrs to remove both animals or face eviction. The dogs have been gone since Friday, and to the cost to our neighbour of $500-$750 in various fines from FWPD and the complex. Since then, our neighbour has hurled verbal abuse at my wife (Saturday) and glared at me (Sunday). I smiled back :wink: I have since reported these incidents and they are going to face further action from the apartment complex.

Friday - the neighbours opposite us (different set of people) have a party.

Until 4am.

On their balcony which is 40ft diagonally across from our bedroom window.

People left at 4am and drove - most certainly drunk based on the noise in the car park. Saturday morning I approached the girl who lives there and say "guys, I know youve just moved in, you probably dont appreciate how sound travels across to our window, really sorry to come over and moan and didnt want to appear a killjoy last night but can you please keep noise down in future?" End of problem? No way...

Last night it kicked off big style. Really did. One of these kids parked an F150 across the fire lane which is like a painted off area you are not supposed to park in so that the fire truck can get through. If there had been a fire we'd have been toast so I call the police, they come out and get the truck moved. The police go, this around 1130pm.

I then hear 'this is fucking ridiculous'. Maybe, but why should my family's safety be compromised? Then the 'retaliation' starts, balcony doors get thrown open, music on loud, one of the guys comes down, revs his V8 SUV, even sounds the horn twice. Nice exhaust note, but I wasn't appreciating it right then.

I am livid. Wife trying to hold me back, I knock my window really hard as if to say 'shut the noise up for gods sake'

The insults begin to fly up from the car park

'fucking freak'

'fuck you'

and other such like stuff.

Picture it for a moment, you are there in bed listening to this, wife is scared, you are scared, the dogs know something is wrong they can sense it. There are maybe 4 or 5 drunk (possibly armed) guys outside.

I dialled the police. Get here fast...Although, the police get here very quickly indeed, the neighbours must have seen the FWPD car arrive, turned off their lights and music, and not a sound is coming from their house.

Police come, interview me, and then go over to the apartment with the balcony to speak with them and to basically tell them if they don't leave us alone they will return and throw all of them in jail.

Police go. About 15 minutes later I hear slow (I guess they were going for the sarcasm effect) clapping coming from under the window (they are tucked up against the wall so we cant see them)...

Fortunately, that's where it ended...

I haven't been to work today, I got no sleep at all. I didn't feel safe and was physically sick with worry last night, apprehensive they might return. I have spent today worrying about where we are going to move to, if we can find a 9 month lease (tricky), will they follow us to see where we go?

I really don't want to leave my wife alone here now, and of course with our new puppy she needs to be outside once every two hours to exercise him...

Right under the view of their balcony.

It's been over 12 hours, we've had the apartment manager down and listening to my tale she's going to waive any early termination penalties on my lease, which is good. I still feel sick, I feel helpless. Intimidation is one of the most horrible feelings and I am going between frightened and angry. Those guns in Walmart looking such a good idea but I'm not totally stupid thank god.

Oh, and back to the topic, what have these neighbours got in common?

They are bratty students, maybe 20-21 years old. Rich too, They go to a local Uni which cost $30k a semester (TCU). Mummy and daddy co-signed their leases and it is not a cheap place to live. My rent for a 2-bed apartment is $1300 each month. I'm not hating on rich people, but you assume these kids are upper middle class and thus maybe just maybe have some respect for others?

I'm gonna hit the fuckers real hard if I can, legally of course. I have made contact with a lawyer and await his call, although I am lacking any taped evidence. Hopefully I can sue for my moving costs, and any puntive damages due to my distress? Do I have a case at all? I'd appreciate any robust advice if anyone out there happens to be a lawyer...I am not in it for the money at all - we've already said we'd donate any $ to the local dogs home. I just think the best revenge I could have is to perhaps get my moving expenses paid and move on with my life knowing that these kids have a civil conviction record to follow them around :twisted:

I don't know what more I can do now, I can't see me being able to concentrate on very much at all until either we or they are gone. I feel a bit better getting this off my chest, to be honest.

I was very close to having a smoke last night but for those of you who are aware of my plan to quit, I didnt give in despite all this hassle!

I know exactly how you feel. I myself live in an apartment, and I am surrounded by idiots as well. Before they moved it, it was actually pretty nice to live here. It was quiet and safe. Now it's loud with a few shady characters.

The building I'm in is fairly large, it has 3 sets of apartments in one building. If you get what I mean. The guys (and hto chick) that live staright above me, seem to be friends with the guys in the other set of apartments up a tiny hill from me. All night long, they are yelling back and forth, loud music, and throwing shit off of thier balcony.

The police have come I don't know how many times. And they still live here. It's really really annoying.

I love having friends come over, so they can see beer bottles and cigarette butts littering the yard in front of my apartment. It really makes the place look like a shithole. Which is rather sad, seeing as it's kind of expensive and a rather nice place.

I've seen it all with just those two apartments. Fist fights, drunken vandalism (smashed out windshield), fireworks going off at all times of the night, stupid loud music, yelling. They even managed to break the window on the security door. The whole door is glass, imagine what that costs? I've seen these guys get arrested.
Yet, they still live here.

Thankfully, dogs are not allowed here at all. Which sometimes, kind of sucks, I wouldn't mind having a dog. I suppose it's for the best though. I can only imagine what would happen if these people had dogs.

Like you, they are my age. And I hate every single on of them. The really bad thing is, they dont' party on the weekends. They do it in the middle of the week. 4AM on a tuesday morning, they'll be out there.

Do you have a noise time cutoff deal? We do here, after 9PM, there is to be no loud music and such.
If I were you, I wouldn't be scared, 99.9% of the time, they are just all talk, no action. Put the police on speed dial, and call them for anything you can. The more the police have to deal with them, the sooner the apartments manager would toss them. At least I would hope so.

And anyone willing to let a pitbull roam loose without a leash should be subjected to chemical castration. A dog can be sweet and gentle for 15 years and all of a sudden turn on someone and attack.

It sounds like you don't have it any better. Some of what you just wrote rings true for me too:

When I moved here, a Belgian girl downstairs, quiet as a mouse, never heard a word from her.

Other than her it was mostly middle aged couple (who are waiting for their custom houses to be built) type of residents.

Litter, bottles and mcdonalds wrappers are everywhere & we seem to be the only people that pick up after the dog.

The two sets of neighbours in question 'know' oneanother vaguely.

As for calling the cops, well that is what has sparked off all this trouble after me quietly putting up with it for so long. Don't worry, if I hear so much as a peep tonight I will call and call and call the police time and time again.

Ever seen a film called 'Falling Down'?

hehehe. I can relate to the guy so much! :lol:

Well i can see why they may feel persecuted or something, but they have no right to as far as i can see. The first lot with the dogs, well they are clearly in the wrong, you've tried the informal "nice way" it didn't work and put your family (dogs i'm also counting as family :D ) in danger. Arsholes should have checked their contract, its their own fucking fault

As for the party louts well, idiots with no social skills would be my guess. Whenever you are having a party, always let the people aroound you know, invite them maybe and agree turn the music/noise down low after a certain time, knowing not everyone is a lazy stuuudent :wink: Myself and my friends at uni have never had problems, we're all students (not affluent ones tho :P ) and have had a good few parties/ BBQ's without causing complaint. As for the parking well maybe you were a touch harsh, but i don't blame you for not going an approaching them, they'd have probably told you to fuck off anyway, they sound like little bratty arseholes.

Thing is unless you are sure you can get them out of the place i wouldn't go for legal action etc. I would approach them to sort it out if possible. Sounds like the hippy way i know, but maybe they will surpise you and be resonable. Otherwise it would be hell living there of course. If you definately have a good case of course, get the fuckers kicked out! If its a big building i bet there are plenty of others who feel the same, but are just didn't want to do anything for fear of retaliation....

my only advice is get a camcorder and record everything they do to threaten or aggrivate you.. especially as they seem to think they are wiseasses and can get away with it...

other than that its sad but not really a surprise to hear that some people can be such ignorant dicks.

Al, I see your point about the parking, but it has been going on for a while and it is just laziness on the part of F150 boy. There are ample parking spaces, albeit 50 yards walk away. I was being a bit pedantic perhaps, but I'd "had enough" after a year of this intermittent selfish parking.

The apartment complex manager told me we are not the only people complaining about these various issues so that is reassuring. There are maybe 12-18 apts per building here. I was beginning to think I am a right miserable bstard! Getting old y'see :lol:

My digital camera will do 60 seconds of 320 x320 video. Not the best, but maybe good enough?

My biggest regret last night was not switching it on - even the soundtrack would have been useful and it would have been enough to sting the SUV guy revving his motor for sure, if not high res enough to make out details, sex, build and race would have been evident.

There is a 24hr walmart so I can go out and get a proper camcorder if I really need to, but I'll take the long way past the hunting/fishing/shooting/baseball section of the store :wink:

I own it! LOL

I hate that!!!! The beer bottles and ciggy butss will be cleaned up by the maintenace crew at some point, but when it's blowing all over the place, it's a little harder!
I dont' know how many people I've seen clean their car by just emptying it out onto the parking lot. There is a goddamn dumpster behind that fence about 50 feet away from you jackass!!!!! :fist:

Exactly what I'd do, they'll hate you for it, but fuck 'em. If you are onyl making a complaint about noise or something, the police have no reason to talk to you, so ask to remain anonymous since they are "shady" characters. They'll have their suspicions, but no proof you called them.

One of the great things about my apartment, is you can enter from the back or front. So I always tell them to pull up to the back, that way the dipshit neighbors don't see them coming.

They hate me already 666fast, I am pretty sure of that.

Because they are all on co-signed leases, mums and dads have been contacted by the apartment complex so I doubt very much more will happen. I hope not, anyway.

Also, there are 15 or so UK families on the complex so potentially a lot of business to be lost if my company pulls everyone off the complex over this.

Time to move to a house! Land is pretty cheap in Texas you should be able to pick up a nice house for cheap. I would definately move out of there before they do something to your car!

Car and bike safely tucked away in my garage, blah, and yes, we are hoping to move to a house...

Ironically, the picture in my sig is the car park where it all occurred...

just remember if you do anything like them you have no case fro yourself

I agree completely T-Bird, I'd not stoop to their level, but I could...

I have a selection of hardcore / jungle rave music from the early 90s and a 5x120w Yamaha system...I wonder how that must sound to your average country fan?

Oh, and that race pipe for the motorcycle seems brilliant for my 7am weekend rides all of a sudden...

I must stop myself I am getting carried away...

I'm just off to Best Buy to get a Camcorder... :mrgreen:

Thanks for your words guys, as you can see I am feeling a little better about things now I have vented.

well shit you shouldn't be forced dude, you seem to have the influence with your company and all maybe the people in charge will find a way to get rid of the idiots? You guys are just in the right plain and simple,

Anyway i hope it all gets sorted, i know nothing is worse than trying to work/ live even when you've been prevented from sleeping, keep off the fags to :wink: :D

that's the best option, with a tripod located by your window and you'll have video proofs of those assholes
if you can borrow one of those things that...shit I don't remember the name... so you can see the noise levels, grab a shot of the device when those assholes are pumpin' 80dB at 3 am

The best advice you have already been given, namely to record evidence. The cheapest camera will do provided it works obviously.

I could give you more guidance if this was in the UK, but even then my knowledge of residential Property/criminal law is limited.

Further to the video, start a diary of events -including if you have to vacate the property and for what reason etc. This will be useful to link with the video evidence. It is a nice way to really demonstrate how often events happen and I don't see why that would be any different over the pond.

While I don't doubt your integrity, make sure you do nothing, I mean nothing outside the law. Any defence lawyer worth his salt will pick stuff like that out and hang you to dry.

By the sounds of things, the police are well aware of the situation. Do not hesitate to call them no matter how many times. It again adds credibility your grievance. Further, jot down in the diary the name of the police officer involved so that they can quickly be traced for witness purposes - failing that, take the car number plate.

I'll let you know if I think of anything else...