You know - I was thinking about this some more. Everything has a price. You can always offer to be "bought out" of your place by the cooperative/HOA if they're unhappy with you. They could then turn around and sell the unit or lease it or whatever. If played right, this might actually be a money-making opportunity for you...

Haha. Revenue enhancement through annoyance. I love it!!!

A BB gun would fix that.:p

I wish! the thing working against me on that is, the president of the HOA has been trying to sell their place for 4 months now. Their location is worst than mine b/c they back up on an office park.

Also I really like my place. I have no up-keep, I am right in the city, I have a 2 car garage, and I am close to everything.

The scary thing is, the crazy woman accross the way will probably try to be president of the HOA after the current one moves out.

All the more reason to have her cited for harassment. Then run against her as the law-abiding candidate. :D

Ohhhhhh....I just reread your first post. They're doctors. Sorry...the law doesn't apply to doctors as they never do any wrong. Might as well start packing.




Atleast on this board.;)

frogger has got it.
Run for the presidency :)
Then you'll have everybody taking sides.

Are you the only person she has bothered?

This sucks since the only way to win is either to move or she moves.

Or, you have the law re-enforce your position and everytime she has something to say, go tell her pound salt.

The last way is to get on her "bearable" side, but that requires ???

Feel for you!

Word! :cool:

Definitely take the high road as Wayne and several others have advised.

sounds like you have a loud muffler (see top of this page) - cap off the RH side if it is a cowhorn style

do something to keep it quiet for a while, anyway...

also, absolutely no paint spraying or anything else that can migrate onto their property; keep you oil etc. out of the gutter (and drainage system) etc. - there are surely city codes on that

Good Luck & keep us posted

Secretly, we all have neighbor retaliation fantasies... and are hoping that you posted _after_ trying the high road first...

No no no no. they are far from doctors. my friends/witnesses are the doctors.

The other two witnesses were highschool teachers.

I also have a state trooper and the local PD ready to testify as character witnesses.

It is the stock muffler(I cant help this beautiful aircooled engine makes some noise) As per waynes rebuild book, "you must run the engine at 2000 rpm for 20 minutes" I did this around lunch time on a week day as to not disturb the neighbors. one neighbor (retired) even came out to get the mail. I asked if I was being too loud and he said "not at all, what are you packing in that engine bay? it sounds awsome!"

I have made it a point not to drive the car late at night. Even though the Audi is a "work only" vehicle, If i go out late, I take it instead.

I am taking the high road first, with a bit of kiss my arse in the process.

So what exactly is their big beef? You working on your car with the garage doors open? Loud pipes when you fire it up? Lots of traffic from friends?

You mentioned your dogs barking...thgat it?

From their perspective what bothers them?

I guess I'd just mosey over there when they were in the yard and ask what their schedules were sou could avoid waking/disturbing them, etc. If they're unreasonable when you humbly approach them, then fok 'em. Live your life within the confines of your HOA rules and let the choips fall where they may. I wouldn't try to provoke them tho its tempting.

I believe I would have driven the car to a remote spot to do the twenty minute 2000 rpm break in

I made sure the crazy lady accross the way was gone before I did the break in run. In theory I could of towed the car to a remote location, but I figured me taking the day off of work for the benefit of the neighbors was enough. the good news is, they were all gone (the anal ones at least) and it was never an issue.

The jury is still out on what her beef really is. I call it jelousy, but how do you really deal with such a jelous person?

Edit: I also rolled the car to the end of the street so we didnt have the "tunnel effect" with the noise, it really wasnt loud at all...

jealous of what?

John, I've thought about this a bit more, and think I would do absolutely nothing if I were in your position. Some people "are what they are", and you just can't let it affect you. I tend to "not sweat the little stuff", and imo, that's what this is. You seem to have already taken the "high road", so why not continue to live your life as you have been, smile & wave when you see them, and just don't give them a second thought. Could be your age, "toys", who knows what, but if I were in you, I just wouldn't let it bother me. Good luck, and remember my Harley and stereo are still available if you want to "poke them with an olive branch" :).

Wayne, Keith, Randy, and everyone else who suggested the high road, I am going to go with it. I spoke with my Real-estate attorney, and there were no covenants against me. He also told me some stories of his past clients who got into legal battles with neighbors. He told me it would be a waste of money as it will just go back and forth with no real end result. I like my money to much to waste it on a crazy lady. He backed up my suggestion of recording any future incidents, and if need be get the authorities involved before an expensive lawyer.

I will give it one more chance, I will smile every time I see her, I will not be speaking to her b/c I don't think that will get me anywhere either. Next time I come home late, I will record it.

If she does do this again, three strikes, she's out, and a Raleigh PD on her doorstep.

Thanks for the valuable input, and the great ideas on how to make your neighbors life a living hell!! If something does happen again (which I am almost positive it will) I will let you guys know all the gory details.

I put up 328 feet of 5' high hurricane fence between myself and my neighbor...
she's been a better neighbor since. Well, maybe it's because somebody, like the county road superintendent, told her that the private lane she uses is actually MY property...I pay taxes on it, giving a "right of passage" to neighbors behind me. Since her property borders on the county road, she does NOT have this "right of passage". The fence? Built because she was trying to extend the 20' passage lane onto my property by building obstacles into it.

So far, a truce has formed...we don't speak to each other. Previously? She was doing most of the speaking, telling me what I needed to do, like cut down trees that were well inside my property, etc.

Screw the city, man...buy yourself a few acres in an unincorporated area...more freedom, less bureaucracy.

Run for president of the HOA and pass a covenant that requires a psych hold of one week for terroristic threats....

John:

I think you have gotten some good advice. Take the high road. Smile when you do see her and try to let the little stuff go. You may get REALLY lucky and she might just change her attitude down the road.

I bought a home 10 years ago and quickly discovered that one of my neighbors was a nut case. She had a restraining order against one lady up the street and basically gave everyone a hard time. The police visited my house several times stating that they knew she was not stable, but had to come out because she was so persistent with complaints against me. The real test came when my wife and I walked out our front door the morning after Christmas and were greeted by the city manager. We honestly thought he had come by to recognize us for the restoration we had done to our vintage home. Instead, he was following up on a hysterical complaint from her because a small Nerf ball was in her back yard and she concluded it belonged to my son. She admitted to him that it was the first time anything had ended up in her yard over the previous 5 years! We were hurt and ANGRY! She continued to do things to us that make your situation seem minor. Anyway, I stuck it out and refrained from blowing up at her or her husband.

To my entire family's amazement, she spoke to my son one day and asked him to tell me she was sorry for behaving so badly over the past years. She said she was on some medication that made her very difficult. She has been golden for over 2 years now. I would NEVER have guessed it possible. She has actually become an ally and has warmed to all the neighbors.

Hang in there with your neighbor. When you start to lose it, try to avoid an angry response and focus on how pitiful she must feel to carry on like she is.

Good luck.

Mike

Rotten Neighbors
 

Definitely check out www.rottenneighbor.com. Hope taking the high road works for you. Seems like that would be the best route. Good luck.
Chris