Court TV Seeks Neighbors in Dispute

Here's a suggestion for you or anyone else with a terrible neighbor problem: there's a show currently casting for Court TV called Neighbors 911 - you could apply to be on it. The show will send a mediator (a former no-nonsense Green Beret) to your home to mediate the problem between you and your neighbor.

Each side of the dispute will be paid $1500 to appear on the show, and in addition one side could be awarded up to $3000 in damages. What have you got to lose? There's a good chance this can help resolve your problem. And it would beat selling your apartment!

For more information or to apply, contact LizLewisCasting@gmail.com.

Posted by: ldftgreene at September 6, 2007 5:33 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

I'm not familiar with co-ops, but can you just pay your maintenance into an escrow account, much like you would do with a rental? Then, you have the money set aside, ready to be a paid at a moment's notice when the problem is resolved to your satisfaction.

I'd also like to commend 3:38 for a thoroughly reasonable response to the running children issue. Used to live under a similiar situation...when we asked the mother and father to show some courtesy for their neighbors by reigning it in to normal hours, you think you were asking them to put their children on leashes.

Posted by: bhguy at September 6, 2007 6:03 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

hey, I like the mediator suggestion from ldft...thanks!

Posted by: boog at September 6, 2007 6:07 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

What's hilarious is these parents actually think they will be able to control their children and keep them off drugs and alcohol once their children are teenagers. Right. Never tell your kids "no" for years, then suddenly tell them "no" all the time. Yeah that's really going to work.

Anyway, don't sell yet, OP. Try at least writing the letter to the co-op board. Also considering measuring the noise. An attorney would ask you to get the noise measured first anyway. Al Fierstein. We used him to measure a neighbor's music. Here is his website:
http://www.acoustilog.com/index.html
Not cheap, but his recordings can be used in court and he does expert testimony. He also gives you a full written report you can use to present to the coop board to prove the noise is above legal limits. I think he's around $1500 for one day's recording and twice that for a full week's recording. But ask him. He's a nice guy.

We and another friend too, had to get noise measured, to get anything done about it.

Posted by: guest at September 6, 2007 6:50 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

I'm afraid to say that I am a new landlord and rented out our garden apt which we renovated by exposing beams (very low ceilings) so there is very little noise insulation. WE have two children who are so loud in the morning (after 7am) for various reasons- and believe me, I am a true believer in old fashioned discipline and try desperately to reign it in (not much you can do with a shouting 1 year old). OFten children are just loud and kind of crazy no matter what the parents' discipline philosophy is. Just very hard to live in these close quarters conditions with families. Luckily her bedroom is in the extension and we are not above it. But I fear that she is quietly having a nervous breakdown about this issue. Luckily she's too much of a mouse to say anything, and being from the suburbs, has her air conditioning on at all hours which hopefully cuts the noise (we pay her electric, alas)

Funny that someone else suggested the court tv show. I suggested that to the angry neighbor the other day re: piano playing.

Posted by: guest at September 6, 2007 8:29 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

We had the same problem in a coop on 8th Avenue. Our board did nothing, and we ended up selling. We made a lot of money, but miss the apartment we put so much work into. We did find something else though that was much better and now we all sleep soundly at night. Good luck to you.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 8:32 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

The parenting comments are hilarious...and clearly coming from non-parents.

Kids are loud. They wake up early. You can modify some of their behaviors, but not all of them.

Posted by: guest at September 8, 2007 4:14 AM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

Children can be taught consideration for others... and I am a parent.

When families live over others or below them it's the parent's responsibility to contain "park behavior" in an apartment.

If kids are that antsy they need some fresh air.

Fortunately most families are aware of this, and make for lovely neighbors... I truly feel for those who are stuck with
thoughtless parents for neighbors.

Posted by: bren at September 8, 2007 2:38 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

How about taking your kids to the park to run around? Gee what a concept taking your kids somewhere. Why do people have kids anyway? They can barely take care of themselves. It is pathetic.

Posted by: guest at September 8, 2007 2:52 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

put poop in a bag and light it on fire outside his door and then ring the bell and run.

Posted by: guest at September 8, 2007 11:09 PM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer

LOL to the dog poop. i thought about that one too! I did contact the court tv thing. thought it was a civilized way of approaching things. well the ONLY downside they thought would prevent us from doing anything is the fact that I do live in a coop and there are probably restrictions regarding filming on the premises. while it would also behoove the board to do this I don't think they would go for this. they think this is a white glove building and it's really a black hole! at this point I'm running my fan to drown out the noise a little but not sure how long I can do this (especially as the weather gets coller). but sad enough my decision to sell has been made and will do so very soon. maybe like 8:32 I'll finally get a good nites sleep!

Posted by: boog at September 9, 2007 11:05 AM in response to I can't take my neighbor any longer