My Condo Neighbors Mistakenly Believe They Are Living In A House

[Reaper]

So, last night at 1:15 am our condo neighbors start playing their music loud enough to wake up my wife and I. The head of our bed is against the wall shared with their living room. Even though this has happened before I give them a few minutes grace in the event that they have suffered temporary ######ation and might come to their senses.

At 1:30 am I decide that I've had enough, get dressed, and put on my shoes, coat, gloves & toque. Since our condo complex has no common hallways I am forced to go outside in -35 C weather to go knock on their door. I come to their door and I can clearly hear Avril Lavigne playing (what self respecting guy plays Avril Lavigne at near deafening levels in the middle of the night?) when I bang on their door.

When the door opens, I look at the guy and say "Are you kidding me? It's 1:30 in the morning!" with the thought he would obviously "get it." He replies "We hear doors swinging off the hinges..." and trails off (probably because of the fuming look I'm giving him. I tell him "I don't care, turn it down." He agrees to and I hear him passive-aggressively mumble "######" in an annoyed fashion as he closes the door.

As I'm trying to get back to sleep both my wife and I notice that after he turned the music down it has started to creep back up so at 2 am I go and pound on his door again. When he opens it, I say "It's 2 o'clock in the morning. I have to get up for work in two and a half hours." He replies "I'll shut it down" and I go back to my place.

My wife tells me that after I fell back asleep the guy's roommate came home and they turned the music back on to levels audible in our apartment. So, she didn't get any sleep for the rest of the night and feels like garbage today.

What do you guys think I should do? My thought is that I should register a complaint with the condo board and let things take their course.

If it happens again tonight I'm just going to call the police and let them sort it out.

/rant

[Got Miikka?]

There's only one thing you CAN do.

Kick his ass. (If someone else doesn't do it for you - Avril Lavigne, for realz??)

[BlackArcher101]

Find out when he sleeps (hopefully during the day), borrow someones powerful subwoofer and play some very low deep bass with annoying pulsations that drives him insane enough to move out.

[ken0042]

One of the reasons I don't like condos- had enough of it when I lived in apartments.

Anyways, my suggestion is to give him one more chance; but this time talk to him during the day when nobody is tired/angry/drunk. Don't use words like "Turn that down" but instead try "Can we come to an understanding?"

Failing that go to the condo board. 3 chances are more than enough IMO.

[rubecube]

Arson.

[CaptainCrunch]

Take a pound of C4, cut it into 5 pieces, and mold each piece around a copper funnel. Attach them to the wall facing his condo with the bottom of the funnel secured to the wall. press detonators into the C4, and wire them together in a star shaped pattern. Attach to a detonator and get behind your couch or your bed. When he turns up the music, hit the detonator switch and blow a large hole in his wall showering him and his roomates with molten copper, and wall material moving at the speed of sound.

Step through the hole, stand over their bodies and yell at the top of your voice. "Sorry, I had the stereo on too loud there"

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Find out when he sleeps (hopefully during the day), borrow someones powerful subwoofer and play some very low deep bass with annoying pulsations that drives him insane enough to move out.

Nawwww that just starts wars....find out his phone number and call him from a blocked number at stupid hours like 4:30 when you wake up every day for a few weeks. Just stop at a misc. pay phone on your way to work and keep phoning until he picks up!

Or just get some buddies to beat him up while they sing Avril

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Are they renting? They sound young, and probably not that experienced in renting if that's the case.

1st call the property manager. They get the job of enforcing the bylaws. The bylaws will outline how infractions are to be dealt with. Basically, the owner of the condo gets fined, and will continue to get fined if the infractions continue. If you're going to hound anyone, the property manager is it. That's the long term solution.

Not sure what you can do in the meantime, other that what you're doing. Do the police still come out for noise complaints? Maybe talk to the neighbor on the other side (and above / below) to get more complaints in to the property manager.

[Reaper]

Captain's idea is currently in the lead.

[bradster57]

I'm a really easy going guy but the noise when I'm trying to sleep makes me go crazy. I'm in an apartment- I can deal with neighbors making noise in the day and I have some tolerance if it is late on a weekend. But on a random Monday night?

I know its a little extreme, but if it was me I'd consider moving into a house.

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Take a pound of C4, cut it into 5 pieces, and mold each piece around a copper funnel. Attach them to the wall facing his condo with the bottom of the funnel secured to the wall. press detonators into the C4, and wire them together in a star shaped pattern. Attach to a detonator and get behind your couch or your bed. When he turns up the music, hit the detonator switch and blow a large hole in his wall showering him and his roomates with molten copper, and wall material moving at the speed of sound.

Step through the hole, stand over their bodies and yell at the top of your voice. "Sorry, I had the stereo on too loud there"

har! You come up with beauties now and then Capn...now and then!

[RougeUnderoos]

Having been something of a bad neighbour myself on occasion, a little bit of shame and guilt can't hurt. At night he's drunk and probably just thinks you're a grouch. If you approach him in the daytime and say "man, please, can you guys keep it down at night? I gotta go to work", you'll get further than you would with threats and reports and late-night doorpounding.

If he thinks you are a good guy he might actually care about not waking you up.

All that being said, I can't really relate to a guy that would be rocking the Avril Lavigne, so that approach might not work for you. It worked for an old neighbour of mine though.

[Rhettzky]

Condo board's the best bet. Check you by-laws and see if there is anything regarding noise complaints. Chances are the board has a three strike system in place.

If not then I agree with Captains idea. Only come through the wall dressed as a clown.

[troutman]

Grown men listening to Avril Lavigne?

A public humiliation campaign should fix their wagon.

[habernac]

I remember the look of horror on my neighbours face when I moved in, carrying a pair of Wharfdales into the house. He told me he'd just gotten rid of lousy, noisy neighbours. I let him know he had nothing to worry about.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Take a pound of C4, cut it into 5 pieces, and mold each piece around a copper funnel. Attach them to the wall facing his condo with the bottom of the funnel secured to the wall. press detonators into the C4, and wire them together in a star shaped pattern. Attach to a detonator and get behind your couch or your bed. When he turns up the music, hit the detonator switch and blow a large hole in his wall showering him and his roomates with molten copper, and wall material moving at the speed of sound.

Step through the hole, stand over their bodies and yell at the top of your voice. "Walk this way!!!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AKaV911uJA

[jschick88]

This is a great thread b/c I have the same kind of problem. I live in a duplex and buddy next to me loves to crank his surround sound up while watching movies. Sometimes 11, 12 at night. Most of the time it is around 5 to 10 at night. It is so bad that the bass drowns out my tv. Some cases it rumbles my walls and pictures start shaking. I have come so close to knocking on his door. I have numerous times pounded on the wall and he does nothing. So what I have done is when he is enjoying his peace and quiet, I put my 2 home stereo speakers up against the wall, turn on some Armin Van Buuren, turn up the bass and let it rip!!! The last time I did that was about 3 weeks ago. Since then, not one peep from him, haha

[Locke]

Invest in outrageous audio equipment of your own and rock out to the worst music in history.

I suggest some ABBA, but if you're really trying to get rid of them in a manner befitting the description of "Cruel and Unusual" or "Conscience Shattering Torture" then:

-Crank the volume all the way up
-Leave the house

and let them have a dose of 24/7 Soulja Boy.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by bradster57

I know its a little extreme, but if it was me I'd consider moving into a house.

I know people thing of this as a "condo" only thing but houses have just as many issues, though different ones, with neighbors too. New houses are wedged in there so tight similar noise issues also arise. Just check out the "bylaw" thread for a good example of dealing with problem neighbors.

[worth]

I'd say trying to talk to them during the day or evening when no one is trying to sleep is probably the first step to take. Try to come to some compromise and explain that your bed is right against the wall and you have to get up real early for work and it makes for a miserable day. Maybe they'll get the picture, maybe not. May as well try the nice way first.

If that doesn't work you have two options. Move your bed to a wall that isn't against theirs, and then maybe you can get sleep. Or go to the condo board, or escalate it yourself.