What to do about a bad neighbour? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Devils'Advocate · 10-09-2012, 05:26 PM

First let me say that I am in Ottawa - I don't know if the city bylaws differ between here and Calgary.

One of my employees is in a bad situation. Her neighbour moved out of town and is renting the old house to a family of 5. Mother. Father. Three boys: 17, 15, 12. My employee has 2 kids, both around 10.

Thus far:
- House has been egged 3 times
- Fence between properties was damaged
- Music is blaring from right after school until 10pm
- 17 and 15 year olds have been seen smoking pot and drinking in their back yard
- The 12 year old has been bullying my employee's kids

She talked to the parents and they claim their kids would never do this stuff... She has tried calling the cops, but they said that unless there is some proof that the kids did the egging and broke the fence, there is nothing that they can do. As for the noise complaint, if it's before 10pm, again, nothing they can do. My employee has said she comes to work to get away from the stress. She hates going home now. She has put her house up for sale, but even the salesperson has said that they will have to show the home during school hours since nobody is going to buy the place with the music blaring. Her kids don't want to change schools, so they are looking to move elsewhere in the same area... But really, what kind of place is this where good people have to take a financial loss to move away from bad neighbours?

I suggested that they ask their councilperson for help. She is scared of pushing this... When the police visited the neighbour in the past, the kids threatened to beat up my employee's kids to teach the family not to get the cops involved. Again, no way to prove they said anything. Anyone experience anything like this in the past?

AC · 10-09-2012, 05:28 PM

I think the answer is obvious.

ken0042 · 10-09-2012, 05:29 PM

Can she talk to the landlord? I know with the rentals on my street; I have made a point of getting to know the landlords and saying "let me know if you need anything."

Devils'Advocate · 10-09-2012, 06:07 PM

Well, that is a question that she had:
(1) She didn't know the neighbour who lived there before... it was a quiet couple that didn't socialize with them. So she doesn't know the name. Can you find out who the owner of a home is at city hall?
(2) Even if she got the name and contacted the couple, is there anything they are liable for? Maybe, if the monthly rent keeps coming in, they just don't care about the situation.

AvsJerk · 10-09-2012, 06:53 PM

I hate my neighbors and have often thought of renting out my house to people like this. Do you think you could get contact info for your employees neighbors...perhaps they would like to move to Colorado?

vektor · 10-09-2012, 07:06 PM

1. do not do anything whatsoever to provoke them, payback or self-imposed justice nullifies any legal stance
2. collect evidence
3. talk to the other neighbors in the area
4. find the representative in the constituency and have him/her drop by. Most representatives are reasonable human beings and if they are aware of a family drastically decreasing the living standards of their neighbors they should help.

seek out help and get others in on the cause, some might say "oh she's just whiney" or whatever but ignore that. If someone's quality of life is being destroyed by negligent parents and disrespectful, loud and violent kids there are legal grounds to make it stop. As far as the kids getting beat up I suggest bringing in as many as the neighbors/third parties as possible to make it seem like the co-worker you are trying to help isn't the actionable one. I've dealt with a similar situation and know how bad it can actually effect your quality of life, it starts to consume you to the point you become miserable. The people that ignored her initial claims (parents/cops) probably did so because they are lazy, she should not have to move. Best case is to get some form of bylaw enforcement and make it seem like it came from somebody else because I know people pretty well and if they find out your co-worker did it they will seek vengeance in the form of harassment and property damages.

flamesfever · 10-09-2012, 07:45 PM

Sounds like the neighbours from hell. If it was me, I'd be seeking legal advice. She should document everything that infringes on her right to the quiet enjoyment of her property. I would also suggest having a man represent her concerns...preferably someone big and mean looking.

habernac · 10-09-2012, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamesfever

Sounds like the neighbours from hell. If it was me, I'd be seeking legal advice. She should document everything that infringes on her right to the quiet enjoyment of her property. I would also suggest having a man represent her concerns...preferably someone big and mean looking.

Yakbutter · 10-09-2012, 07:55 PM

[QUOTE=Devils'Advocate;3890734]First let me say that I am in Ottawa - I don't know if the city bylaws differ between here and Calgary.

Thus far:
- House has been egged 3 times
- Fence between properties was damaged
- Music is blaring from right after school until 10pm
- 17 and 15 year olds have been seen smoking pot and drinking in their back yard
- The 12 year old has been bullying my employee's kids

QUOTE]

1) Forget the eggs, not much you can do
2) Shared fence, tell them to fix it
3) people are allowed to play music, ask them to turn it down
4) people can do whatever they want in their yard if it doesnt affect anyone
5) how hard can it be to handle a 12 year "bully"

MelBridgeman · 10-09-2012, 07:56 PM

underage drinking and pot smoking?

1. get a camera
2. call child services
3. no camera? call child services

Devils'Advocate · 10-09-2012, 07:57 PM

The issue she has is that the neighbourhood is:

Parkland Parkland Parkland Parkland Parkland Parkland
--------------------------------------------------------------- Picket Fence
(Person A) (Bad Neighbour) (Employee's House)
Road Road Road Road Road
----------------------------------------------------------------- Chain link Fence
Industrial area Industrial area Industrial Area

So if someone puts in a complaint, it's going to be one of two people. My neighbour has spoken with Person A and they have the exact same concerns and is also contemplating moving. I was told that the last time she called the cops due to vandalism *BOTH* houses got egged that night. So she feels guilty now that Person A has to clean the eggs off her house because my employee phoned the police.

It's also that the bad neighbours recognize vulnerable neighbours. Person A is an elderly woman living on her own. My employee's husband is working in the oil business in Saskatchewan and flies back on weekends, so during the week she's basically alone with the kids. Just how bully's pick on the weak kids in school. They see someone they can get away with torturing and they will....

bradster57 · 10-09-2012, 08:02 PM

In Calgary you can technically make a noise complaint in the daytime (between 7am and 10pm) if it is louder than 65 decibels. At night it is anything louder than 50 decibels.

Huntingwhale · 10-09-2012, 08:05 PM

Poop on their lawn.

Devils'Advocate · 10-09-2012, 08:11 PM

Here, during the day, it is based upon what can be heard in the second dwelling. Though I'm not sure how you can isolate it. How can you tell that the gangster rap music is at 45 decibels inside my employee's home vs the noise coming from traffic going down the road?

So (a) we're not sure how to measure the sound and (b) she's concerned that the noise complaint will just provoke the neighbours into more vandalism or harm to her or her kids.

habernac · 10-09-2012, 08:25 PM

She is truly between a rock and a hard place. Photographic evidence may work. No idea how you'd measure the noise. Short of an eviction by the owner of the house, I don't know how she could take care of this problem.

4X4 · 10-09-2012, 08:28 PM

Wait it out and sell the house in the winter.

Allos · 10-09-2012, 08:34 PM

Install surveillance camera and catch their act? Will that help?

ken0042 · 10-09-2012, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

So (a) we're not sure how to measure the sound

There's an app for that.

Seriously, I use an app called Decibel 10th.

mrvee · 10-09-2012, 08:40 PM

Tell her to by me a 2 way ticket..money back guarantee.

topfiverecords · 10-09-2012, 09:23 PM

Pull title on the property to find out the owners of the home.
In Alberta you need the info from Land Titles. A title search can be done at any registry office, or online. I use SPIN2 online and can get an Alberta properties title for $10. Ontario probably has a similar service.