[jyl]

I've only ever had one bad neighbor. This was in Berkeley during grad school, we were renting the upstairs from the owners, our friends, who lived in the downstairs. The neighbor to our north was a b*tchy woman who had feuds going with all the neighbors. She got angry about the clothes washer/dryer (it was outside), any sort of music, cats entering her yard, everything. She was always calling the police, also accusing everyone of code violations, and claiming racism (she was black). I think she was borderline deranged. She didn't bother me personally - she was scared of me after a couple of encounters - but would curse at my friends who were mild non-assertive types. Eventually she got her due. The police realized she was a wacko. Our friends put X10 cameras around the property, whenever she called the police out, the officers would come over to our place and watch the latest time-stamped video of her screaming at our house, throwing things at it, trespassing on our property, etc. All the neighbors started filing complaints about her. She started getting arrested, then the district attorney prosecuted her, finally the terms of her sentence basically required her to be as meek and quiet as a mouse. End of problem.

Otherwise, my neighbors have all be good to great. Kids play with their kids, they come over for drinks and dinner, etc. Just came back from pizza and beer tonight with my neighbor to the west. I told him we've going to have some big trees trimmed, he told me he was glad because they've been dropping branches near his car, he's going to take care of our bonsai while we're gone and will have his gardener mow our yard during the absence, just the usual neighborly cooperation and consideration. I like it.