I hate apartment living!

[Selkie]

Oh goody, a new "My neighbor sucks" topic!

It''s 5:30AM on a Saturday morning. I don''t have to work today. Why am I awake and venting on Pricescope? Let me tell you. Behind our bedroom is an alley, and about 20 feet across the alley is another, larger apartment building. The person whose windows face ours has an alarm clock that goes off every morning at 5:30, with that really annoying beep, and he leaves it on for an HOUR rather than taking the millisecond to hit the off button. He also leaves it on during weekends, and when he isn''t there (we see no activity in his other rooms, at least). And it''s LOUD. I''m a light sleeper so I wake up the instant it goes off (even if the windows are closed) but it even wakes DH up if the windows are open. Oh, and this has been going on for at least a year.

Ha, I just heard my other next door neighbor (whose wall adjoins ours) yell "A******" out HIS window at the beeping alarm.

Trouble is, I''d leave a note (and risk it getting posted on www.passiveaggressivenotes.com) but it''s a big building with an intercom, and I have no idea of the apartment number or name. I''d stick it to the front door and hope he sees it, but the tenants generally go in and our through the underground parking. I''d throw a ROCK through the freakin'' window, but, you know, vandalism...

Anyone know how I can find out the landlord''s name?

We SOOOO need to get out of here.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[zoebartlett]

Hi Selkie!

First, what a beautiful stone in your new av. Is it for a new project?

I hate neighbors who are like that. Your story reminded me of a Friends episode when they''re in Monica''s apt. and they see someone in a window across the street in another building. They (Ross and Joey?) try to figure out which apt. that person is in by counting the windows or something. I think they were looking for a hot girl or something. Then they go across to the other building and look there also. It made me laugh.

ANYWAY...

Does the apartment building near you have a name? You could google the name and see if you can find out who to contact. Maybe you''ve already thought of that. If you ever see anyone coming in or out of that building, you could just ask them for the complex''s name. I don''t know of other ideas but I''ll let you know if something comes up.

Hopefully you''ll be able to get some sleep soon.

 

[Selkie]

Hey Zoe! Man, I''m jealous. It''s 9:30 where you are, and a REASONABLE hour to be awake!

Well, I know the apartment building''s street number, and managed to look it up on the county assessor website but that doesn''t give building owner names or landlords directly. I can track those down, hopefully, by calling. But not until Monday, obvs. I don''t know the tenant''s name or apartment number or I''d just stick a note on the main street door. I''ll probably do it anyway, cause this is ridiculous. Why are people so inconsiderate?? And what I don''t get is why no one in the actual same building has complained, because I''m sure they can hear it too.

There are other interesting tenants in that same building that we can hear in the mornings and evenings. We call one of them "Phlegm Man." You can probably imagine why.

But at least HE doesn''t wake us up at 5:30!

I love that Friends ep! They get the complete wrong apartment when they go over, don''t they? It''s some weird guy or something. Oh, and then there''s "Naked fat guy" that they see too...

The new stone is a sphene-it''s actually an eBay find, and I''m going to set it in a pendant. It''s golden yellow, but gives off flashes of red and green light as well. Very cool.

 

[LittleRock]

Date: 4/26/2008 9:29:26 AM
Author: ZoeBartlett
Hi Selkie!


First, what a beautiful stone in your new av. Is it for a new project?


I hate neighbors who are like that. Your story reminded me of a Friends episode when they''re in Monica''s apt. and they see someone in a window across the street in another building. They (Ross and Joey?) try to figure out which apt. that person is in by counting the windows or something. I think they were looking for a hot girl or something. Then they go across to the other building and look there also. It made me laugh.


ANYWAY...


Does the apartment building near you have a name? You could google the name and see if you can find out who to contact. Maybe you''ve already thought of that. If you ever see anyone coming in or out of that building, you could just ask them for the complex''s name. I don''t know of other ideas but I''ll let you know if something comes up.


Hopefully you''ll be able to get some sleep soon.

I had to laugh when I read your post cuz the fist thing I noticed like Zoe was your beauty of a stone! I''m sorry your having apartment troubles. I surely don''t miss living on top/under/next to people.....FOR SURE! Good luck to hopefully getting things resolved soon.

 

[neatfreak]

Selkie,

You should be able to find out the landlord's name by looking up the property on the city assessor's website. Usually it has their name and home address. Could just be the owner and not the LL, but it will at least get you started somewhere!

ETA: Oops! I see you've already done that. You could also stop someone leaving the building and ask for their LL's name and number.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Yep, find a neighbor who lives there and get the info needed. . .In addition, have everyone coming and going from that building sign a petition complaining about about the alarm clock, then you''ll have more guarantee something gets done about it.

 

[Selkie]

Thanks guys...I''m going to go over today and post a note on the building door, at least. I''m sure that won''t get result, but at least I''ll have done something other than fantasize about throwing rocks at my neighbors.

It gets better, by the way. I went back to bed around 8AM (after sitting up and fuming for a couple hours) and fell back to sleep pretty quickly. I was in the middle of a dream, and imagined that a commercial I was watching on TV had an alarm clock sound in the background. Then, I woke up and realized it was ANOTHER alarm, in a different apartment in the same building. GRRRRRRAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 4/26/2008 9:40:49 AM
Author: Selkie
We call one of them 'Phlegm Man.' You can probably imagine why.

But at least HE doesn't wake us up at 5:30!

Aw Selkie, I feel your pain sweetie! We have "hawk a giant luggie old, crusty when-is-he-going-to-die-already dude" who lives next door to us. He and the Mrs. also have these random knock down drag out yelling fests every now and then. You'd think they're so old it'd kill them but no, they keep right on going. Hawking and all. So home ownership also comes with the crazy neighbors...and it's worse because you've got so much money invested in the house..but yeah, I feel your pain! You've got some good advice here. I'd get a petition going for the alarm dude though, so you're already armed with ammo to get him to stop. Sometimes people just dont think...

Let us know how it goes...these things take moral support!

PS: Love the "Do you have a flag?"...

 

[miraclesrule]

Buy this white noise machine and turn it on next to your bedside table.

http://www.speechprivacysystems.com/pages/Noise_Shield

I even travel with it. I live on a semi-busy street and used to have a neighbor with a Harley who would start that monster at 6 a.m. in his driveway which was right next to my bedroom window. Another neighbor with a dog that wouldn''t stop yapping. At one point I had my brother''s kids staying with who would run to the bathrooom on my hard wood floors and birds that chirped so loud I really seriously considered buying a bb gun (that happens when you lose sleep, you become irrational).

And I live in my own house...

Now, I sleep like a baby. You can rob me in my sleep and as long as you don''t enter my room, please take it and go, just don''t wake me up!

I swear the $42 bucks is worth it. And if you sleep with a person who snores, something I just can''t do, I am pretty sure if this thing is on your side of the bed...you won''t even him them.

Good Luck!!!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Oh Selkie I feel your pain! Sorry you have to deal with that!

Similar to Surfgirl, we own a home, but we live close to our neighbors, and they drive us berserk! We have 6:00am power-tool-operating-Mr. Fixit next door--his tool area is right beside our bedroom window.

My only choice is to sleep with earplugs, but C'mon how uncomfortable is that?!

Sorry Selkie! There is nothing worse than interrupted sleep when you really need it.

That white noise machine sounds pretty good Miraclesrule.

 

[oobiecoo]

I had a similar experience when I first transferred to my new university... the apartment was noisy, my room was right by a main hallway and I could hear EVERYTHING at all hours of the night including parties and alarm clocks. I don''t mess around... I call the cops if someone or something is being extremely noisy. It''s been my experience that even if you talk to them or let them know about the problem, the person generally won''t care and will continue doing whatever is causing offense.

 

[Selkie]

Surfgirl, I swear that hacking, hawking smoker''s lung thing is one of the grossest human-made sounds there is.

Miraclesrule, my husband keeps suggesting getting a white noise machine too. The thing is, I have a hard time with ANY sound at all. Does it REALLY blend into the background after a while? I grew up in a VERY quiet house, with neighbors a nice distance away, so living in SoCal where even the houses are on top of one another has been an adjustment!

Coati, power tools at 6AM?? Wow, that''s even worse.

oobiecoo, that''s my fear, that even if could figure out who it is, they''d just blow me off. Or worse, leave it going 24/7!

 

[zoebartlett]

Yeah, I hear ya, Selkie, on the white machine noise. I usually don''t like any noise when I go to bed, so I could see where a white machine would be hard to listen to. I will admit though, it has to be better than listening to my FI snore.

 

[miraclesrule]

I uderstand your concerns about the white noise machine. I had the some concerns as I need absolute quiet when I go to sleep. I even have to blow my nose before I go to sleep so I don''t hear myself breathe

The first night I had the noise machine I was like "Ugh, this is not going to work". I put it on the low setting. And this model has two speeds with a range of variations for both. I started on the low speed, lowest sound. It did take me a bit longer to fall asleep the first few nights, but the fact that I wasn''t awakened by anything bolstered my belief that my brain would adapt to the sound and not annoy me.

After about a week, I was hooked. Even my daughter was shocked one morning when she was in the kitchen and making breakfast (banging drawers and pans and such), and that I didn''t wake up. I was so bummed to find out that the food was gone and she said "OMG, you were sleeping!?!?!?!, I thought you weren''t home?" I responded "Where else would I be, do you see my car in the driveway dear dork?" And she said, but you never sleep this late.

I said "I know. That white noise machine ROCKS!!!!"

Now, I sleep with it on high.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 4/26/2008 9:08:58 PM
Author: miraclesrule

After about a week, I was hooked. Even my daughter was shocked one morning when she was in the kitchen and making breakfast (banging drawers and pans and such), and that I didn''t wake up. I was so bummed to find out that the food was gone and she said ''OMG, you were sleeping!?!?!?!, I thought you weren''t home?'' I responded ''Where else would I be, do you see my car in the driveway dear dork?'' And she said, but you never sleep this late.

I said ''I know. That white noise machine ROCKS!!!!''

Now, I sleep with it on high.

Ah, nothing like a mother''s love!

Maybe I''ll look into a white noise machine after all. It does sound pretty great.

 

[sna77]

funny... I love living in the city ina condo... my worst nightmare is a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence and 2.3 pets or soemthing.

 

[Selkie]

Date: 4/27/2008 9:48:04 AM
Author: sna77
funny... I love living in the city ina condo... my worst nightmare is a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence and 2.3 pets or soemthing.

Heh, I guess it's all what you're used to. I don't need the picket fence, and I've already got the pets, but I'd sure just like to sleep through the night and early morning on the freakin' weekend!