torvald Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 i rent a lower unit in a fourplex. i like my apartment and it is quiet save a sometimes amorous upstairs neighbor. there is a duplex next door about 9ft from my outside wall and its drive buts up directly to it. there are new neighbors there now ad they are loud but not loud enough to call the police. basically there are 5 children who throw tantrums constantly the mother screams at them and tells them to go outside. they throw one outside and she screams at them come in. their windows are usually open so i can hear everything as if it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 (edited) how frustrating i would definitely talk to the landlord - if that doesn't do much, maybe the city can do something (health dept?). cps is harsh, but maybe you could leave a few clues, like get some letterhead and casually toss it near their front door also, you may not be the only one bothered (although you may have the best seats to the show). any other neighbors notice? Edited March 6, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Go to http://www.hcad.org/ and do a record search using the address; find the owner's name and address and write a letter saying pretty much what you have said here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 i agree that you should find the landlord and let him know that his house could be getting trashed. i too have a rental property and would very much appreciate a heads up if my tenants were abusing the property and annoying the neighbors. also, talk to the other tenants in your fourplex and see if you are not the only one having a problem.although i'm sensitive to your plight, i'm reminded why i like strict neighborhood covenants and a diligent neighborhood association. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted March 6, 2006 Author Share Posted March 6, 2006 how frustratingi would definitely talk to the landlord - if that doesn't do much, maybe the city can do something (health dept?). cps is harsh, but maybe you could leave a few clues, like get some letterhead and casually toss it near their front door also, you may not be the only one bothered (although you may have the best seats to the show). any other neighbors notice? i agree CPS is harsh --- although the kiddos are constantly crying it is more from tantrums than abuse. although the mother seems somewhat neglectful by the state of it over there. the other neighbors are pretty quiet and spend less time here than i do. Go to http://www.hcad.org/ and do a record search using the address; find the owner's name and address and write a letter saying pretty much what you have said here. yes! that was part of the issue -- figuring out who to contact. i would maybe just mention the state of the property because i would say that 2 months ago it was very nice. is there a minimum standard for how close residential buildings are to one another? i guess patio homes are quite close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 i agree that you should find the landlord and let him know that his house could be getting trashed. i too have a rental property and would very much appreciate a heads up if my tenants were abusing the property and annoying the neighbors. also, talk to the other tenants in your fourplex and see if you are not the only one having a problem.although i'm sensitive to your plight, i'm reminded why i like strict neighborhood covenants and a diligent neighborhood association.Absolutely. Although I don't like my fees, I love the fact that I don't have to worry about this kind of situation. My neighborhood association sends letters when you have a weed in the expansion joint of the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted March 6, 2006 Author Share Posted March 6, 2006 (edited) Absolutely. Although I don't like my fees, I love the fact that I don't have to worry about this kind of situation. My neighborhood association sends letters when you have a weed in the expansion joint of the driveway.well, i guess my other concern is that the front looks fine... it's the common side we have that is insane! the backyard is worse but not visible from the street and that was part of my concern --- if it is not visible from the street, is it anyone else's business but there own (as far as lodging a complaint to an association)?the landlord’s i guess!just looked up the info on HCAD and will send an anonymous note. something such as… please check your rental property. so if anyof you property owners are the lucky one... my apologies!out of curiosity, though it also lists "Fiduciary Information"...what is that all about? Edited March 7, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 When the children misbehave, quietly tell them you're going to kill them in their sleep. That generally shuts them up. If they complain to their parents, deny everything. Worked in Victorian times... edit: Love the title of this thread! Perhaps you could have set it up as a poll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 (edited) out of curiosity, though it also lists "Fiduciary Information"...what is that all about?i think it just has to do with who or what has been authorized to handle money matters for the account - tax preparers, trust funds maybe Edited March 7, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted March 7, 2006 Author Share Posted March 7, 2006 (edited) When the children misbehave, quietly tell them you're going to kill them in their sleep. That generally shuts them up. If they complain to their parents, deny everything.Worked in Victorian times... edit: Love the title of this thread! Perhaps you could have set it up as a poll. you know, if i can hear them through the window... then they can hear me. i have wondered if the kiddos have ever heard me exclaim "not nice things" about them... after all of the things i've heard the mother yell at them i think they're pretty hardened by now. at first i thought the simplest thing would be to mention something to her but there's really no tactful way to say, "um, when you yell at your kids and they're rolling around in the driveway under my window in hysterics it’s loud, oh and could you not hang your socks in my burgular bars over there?" the other problem is i have never seen her outside --- maybe that's why she yells so much. Edited March 8, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 so i was starting to wonder what i would do if nothing nextdoor changed... send another letter, etc.yet, i wake up this morning to horrible noise of somethinghuge scraping against the house. i am happy to announcethat by late this morning all of the trash is gone -- the stoves, washers, coffee tables, shopping carts and even the dirt back there was raked clean of kitchen trash -- every piece! although the noise level is the same, i have to thank you for the HCAD resource -- my windows are free of obstruction and debris! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 (edited) although the noise level is the same, i have to thank you for the HCAD resource -- my windows are free of obstruction and debris! RANT! ok, so it's not enough. i am happy to have the sunlight back in my windows but i am tired of sitting here working on the computer and hearing the screaming. the children (3 of them) just scream (aagaaagggahhhh!) until their mother screams -- what do you want!!???!?! or BE QUIET!!! or "get it yourself you little... since all you do is... and i am... i am so tired of you!!!" it just goes on and on. it's depressing and as the weather gets warmer the fellas sit out until dawn drinking, talking work and throwing cans against my wall. in the morning, after the guys leave there the ice chests being emptied and the angry yells of the mother having to clean it all (cleaning inside though, no luck here). thank good that is only on the weekends. the truck in the driveway is blaring music but it is too early to call and complain yes? the main fella there wanders out in the night singing loudly and honks the horn --- i would find it funny if it weren't happening to me. anyhow the yelling, loud music and sheer noise is driving me batsh!t. its not decibel worthy of a ticket, it's just constant. no kidding. god forbid i have company and it seems as if i am living to the soundtrack of a drunken daycare. sometimes i listen to a CD really loud but it doesn't help my work environment and i don't want to anger my neighbors by being loud too. what can i do?!??!? meone suggested putting a sign in the window... but what would it say? please don't scream near my window? please don't yell, talk. i know what i'd like to say and it's not appropriate. the trash is building up again so i am thinking another letter to the landlord will work later for that but the last thing i want is retaliation of any sort these folks are certainly not above that. i kept hoping they would move soon as everything there seems too chaotic to last. oh yes, to answer a previous question. in my 4plex my upstairs neighbor is gone 80% of the time, the other unit is vacant and the farthest unit has an awesome working mom with a nice quiet kiddo. Edited April 6, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm can empathize with your situation as I've had to deal with similar issues at times, but not so drastic and constant.....wow. the truck in the driveway is blaring music but it is too earlyto call and complain yes? No, the City noise ordinance states any noise that can be heard from a distance of 50 feet is illegal, not counting machinery, lawn mowers etc. no matter what time of day or night. Call and call and call. After awhile HPD gets the address in their memory banks and they will take care of them. I've seen it work. Everyone fears retaliation so I would recommend acting as non-chalant as you can so, even if they suspect, they won't be certain. If they do do something, with all of the police calls to their house, they would be the most likely suspects. I don't know of anything you can do about the indoor screaming, except buy some quality earplugs.the trash is building up again so i am thinking another letter to thelandlord will work later for that but the last thing i want is retaliation of any sort these folks are certainly not above that. i kept hoping they would move soon as everything there seems too chaotic to last. I would keep sending letters to the landlord, if that's what worked last time. Also, there might be City ordinances in violation like 1) appliances, building materials, trash. junk etc. visible from the street, which excludes the backyard for the most part, unless it can be seen from the street behind their place. 2) The backyard does come into play ordinance-wise if there are items there that could harbor rodents etc.Both of these situations are dealt with via 311. I've found the City to be fairly helpful in these matters but lately they've had slow response. HPD handles a lot of the ordinance complaints and they've been overworked lately, I've heard. Don't think you're becoming some old grouch. This city is full of this kind of stuff and the respectful citizens can't let the lower vibrations dominate. Look at it as forcing them to learn to behave, since their parents apparently didn't, and furthering their spiritual evolution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
77017 Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 i rent a lower unit in a fourplex. i like my apartment and it is quiet save a sometimes amorous upstairs neighbor. there is a duplex next door about 9ft from my outside wall and its drive buts up directly to it. there are new neighbors there now ad they are loud but not loud enough to call the police. basically there are 5 children who throw tantrums constantly the mother screams at them and tells them to go outside. they throw one outside and she screams at them come in. their windows are usually open so i can hear everything as if it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm can empathize with your situation as I've had to deal with similar issues at times, but not so drastic and constant.....wow. No, the City noise ordinance states any noise that can be heard from a distance of 50 feet is illegal, not counting machinery, lawn mowers etc. no matter what time of day or night. Call and call and call. although they are about 10ft from me, i will see how loud some of it is at 50ft. a bunch of furniture appeared in theyard during the night so i guess i'll send another landlord note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Don't think you're becoming some old grouch. This city is full of this kind of stuff and the respectful citizens can't let the lower vibrations dominate. Look at it as forcing them to learn to behave, since their parents apparently didn't, and furthering their spiritual evolution. Or, maybe you're becoming an old grouch, like danax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Or, maybe you're becoming an old grouch, like danax. OK. I know you're just kidding Red, or are you just a tad grouchy yourself today? A grouch is someone who dwells in negativity, and that's definitely not me. Yeah, wish I could just move to the Heights were I wouldn't have to really deal with things like that. Then I might be wondering why people in other situations get all worked up about such things. The key is to be able to be at peace but, when forced into engagement, to fight. I'd much rather not have to be engaged. Or maybe we should just let it be. I've tried that and what happens is it usually gets worse . Density in the wrong hands can be hell. Just wondering, in the courtroom, are Prosecutors looked at as the grouches because they are usually defending the law, while the Defenders are the compassionate ones? Thank God we have both sides so some kind of balance is achieved, right? The same dynamics work in many neighborhoods. Let one side get too much power and the whole system goes to hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Or, maybe you're becoming an old grouch, like danax. Hey, being an old grouch is a prerequisite for becoming a moderator! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Hey, being an old grouch is a prerequisite for becoming a moderator! How come I'm not a mod, then? I'm getting old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I'm getting old. ...getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Yeah, the problem with us Mid Century Mods is that our plumbing gives out, and it makes us grumpy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 what can i do?!??!?just put in my 30 day notice. it only got worse and i feel sorry for my landlord.since every room borders them and it's windows have a view of the neighbor's--- landscape not to mention the noise --- any prospective renter will be turned off, i'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 just put in my 30 day notice. it only got worse and i feel sorry for my landlord.since every room borders them and it's windows have a view of the neighbor's--- landscape not to mention the noise --- any prospective renter will be turned off, i'm sure.sorry to hear it has come to that, but you did put up a worthy fight...when it comes to homes (especially rentals) it is a toss of the dice - i hope your next place works out better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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