edmos1

We live in suburbia, bought our house a little over a year ago. Most of the houses here are owner occupied, but there are a few renters on the cul de sac.
One of the renters is a less than desireable neighbor. They live in a 4 bed room house, and for awhile they had quite a few people living there, including living in the garages.
We suspect one of the people that live there as having broken into one of the other neighbors houses in the past.
We called the building inspector, which caused the people to move out of the garage. Todays exploit is one of their cars drove over the neighbors lawn tearing it up quite bad. Since that neighbor does not live there it is difficult to contact them, however the neighborhood is getting fed up with them.

To further complicate the matter the Owner is currently in default on the house, and is not receptive to any overtures by the rest of the neighbors.

I know that if the house goes into forclosure, the problem might rectify itself, but in the mean time does any one have any good ideas on how to encourage the neighbors to seek a different place to live? This is California, so renters have a lot of rights.

cyrnel

Get together with owner neighbors, make a pre-forclosure offer on the house, evict the tennants, and flip it.

Seriously.

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thingstodo

Gosh, I'd love to hear a good answer for this one. The only one I can think of is move!! That's not a very good option - or perhaps it is?

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keyshawn

If you have a homeowners group/association (some residential developments have them to enforce strict maintnance codes and petty things like no political signs on your lawns) for your development, check them out and ask them for help.

Otherwise, check out to see if your county or city has any resources available for mediation or tenant/neighbor relations (a google search brought up http://www.landlordtenantinfo.org/ and http://www.hcd.ca.gov/

(Some landlords may be willing to mediate before court although it sounds like in this case, they don't care, even if you hand them a subpoena).

At the same time, don't forget to be nice and considerate to the neighbors, not only because it's the right thing to do, they may interpret you and your neighbors' behavior as trying to get them evicted because of prejudice and discrimination
(and in today's america, even take you to court because of that)

Good luck with it and let us know how it goes.

Catcha back on the flipside,
keyshawn

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noodle

I'll definitely keep an eye on this one, let us know what happens. I'm a renter in a historic section of my town. I'm right near the "cultural area" of my part of town. My neighbors are mostly couples who've bought the older homes and actually mow their lawns, put the recycle bins out and keep their garbage cans behind the house. My place is half of the bottom part of a 1920s house. I love it. My neighbors upstairs are awesome and quiet. The jerks that live on the other side of the wall play music late, have ahem... a "business" running into the late nights that involves people pulling up on the street, beeping the horn, someone running out to the car and then back in. Every hour at least once. I'd turn them in but my sense of self-preservation is holding me back at this point. I just moved in and they'd know it was me. But, it's awful how they bring in horrible traffic to the neighborhood, throw boiled peanut shells everywhere, and junk up the place. *sigh* Sorry to 'jack your thread, I just am curious as to how to get rid of people, too.

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ratbastid

That's an excellent suggestion on many fronts.

Rodney

The real issue is the landlord, not the neighbors. He doesn't care who he rents to, or how they behave. And so he's rented to rowdy tenants who are causing you problems.

I don't remember the name, but here in California it's possible to get all the neighbors together and sue to have the property declared a public nuisance/safety hazard, something like that. Because the landlord is responsible, he has to rectify the situation, or else. If your local police has a community relations office (most of them do, somewhere), call and ask about this.

Marvelous Marv

But get the owner to show you their lease first. If it isn't month-to-month, you could have problems evicting them.

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Willravel

There is another route. Have you ever been somewhat confrontational with someone? Ever been cut off and shout your head off? Ever told someone to stop smoking around kids? Yes? Well, then you might be able to go knock on the door and give them the, "You will stop." statement. No threats, just posturing and a very serious look. Bring some other neighbors. If you appear united, you might just scare them into submission. If that doesn't work, I can come over.

I realize it's not the most mature and peaceful way to get things done, but consider it from their perspective. They view you as pesky, nosey neighbors who won't shut up. If you change their idea of you, make them take you seriously, you have a better chance of preventing problems like the lawn inncodent.

edmos1

thanks for all the advice,
the problem has self rectified, the mother is having 2 new grandchildren (the 3rd and 4th in the last year) so they need more room. We did notify the police regarding the car, (it appears the stearing is jacked up broken tie rod, or steering as both wheels are pointed in different directions)
The bad neighbors moved this weekend, and the police towed the car.

as far the the pre-forclosure, we have investigated, but do the the bubble bursting, or the more correct term slight correction, the loan is upside down, house is worth $ x, but the loan is worth $x + 10%. I am still going to go to the foreclosure auction ( I went to the first one but auction was postponed)

As far a HOA we do not have one, but we do have CCR, which forced the previous landlord to have the lawn mowed, and broken down cars moved out of the driveway.

Fredweena, your local police dept probably has a tip line or something like that, if there is illegal activity going on that might be a start. Also if you have CCR or neighborhood association, littering, "junking up the place" might be in voilation, and you could force the land lord to do something. Otherwise the loud music could be cited by the police....

Unfortunatly the landlord purchased the house in Nov 2005, in Dec 2005 the house was in default, unsure why the new owner would cause a foreclosure based on their actions, but it does not look like they are very involved landlords.

I do hope it goes to foreclosure auction, and either gets purchased by an investor that will flip it, or goes to bank owned real estate, so I would have the opportunity to purchase ( I do not have cash to purchase at auction, but could get financing to flip it myself)

Rodney

How can you have CC&Rs (Convenants, Something, and Restrictions) without an HOA? CC&Rs need to be attached to some kind of homeowner's association in a particular development.

edmos1

CCR *(Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions) are rules and standards. They can be no working on on your car in the driveway etc. Some of ours are trashcans can only be out the night before trash day, and the day of trash day, a clean maintained front yard. We have the ability (set in the CCR) to sue for violations of CCR.
A HOA is set up and must be paid into. I have friends that are in HOA communities and the group goes around weekly to site violations (think this is a bit extreme) but also have a more formilized escalation process (I probably would not sue my neighbor for leaving their garbage can out one to many dayss) A HOA is able to impose fines outside of the court system.
I do not think you can have a HOA without CCR.

Angel_037

My fiance and I bought a rowhome. First time I ever lived in one and last time as well. In case someone don't know what a rowhome is, it is homes connected together but cement walls between them. My neighbor's on one side are the worse neighbor's I ever came across. I would rather go back to apartment living then be next to them. Constant blasting of music, throwing there trash on street or in our yards. Let's there trash sit out in back for weeks on end piling up.
My fiance and I got fed up with it that we finally contacted the landlord as well as the county and it worked a bit. There actually putting there garbage out but now there putting it out ever 2 weeks. The landlord gave them specific instructions on what he wants done and they have not complied to them as of yet. We are hoping the landlord will come around to see. They have over 7 people living there in which there are only 2 rooms. There constantly climbing over the fence to cut through our yard instead of going through there own gate in there back yard.
I finally went out and had to ask them over 4 times to lower there music in which the have been good about that so far except when the one tenant comes home, he has to have everyone else wake up or hear him.
I do plan on writing there landlord again and have him come see for himself what trash is there. (That includes the people).
I am just frustrated and cant take much more of cleaning up after them. thanks for reading.

Bill O'Rights

Since man first walked into a cave, and thought; "Hmmm...this would be a good place to hang out.", there have been bad neighbors. Thing is, back then, when your neighbor kept you up half the night with his constant loud drumming, and he lowered your cave value due his mastadon bone littered front lawn, you could go over there and beat him to death with a club.

Sometimes...civilization looses something.

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Angel_037

My fiance and I just bought our house in March, 2006. We are selling to move to North Carolina into a single home. I feel bad for anyone that buys the house. Unfortunately, I did not come to the walk through with my fiance. He did it and obviously was naive to the neighbors yard and all. We have called the county, wrote the landlord 5 times and called the police. Nothing seems to get through to them. They dont know we wrote landord or called county on them though.
Their yard looks like a garbage dump, there loud music vibrates our home. They blast their music like everyone in neighborhood has to hear it with them. No respect or self respect.
I needed to vent. Wish there was a way of getting rid of them being they rent. I am thinking of calling there landlord but not sure of what to say or do. I just hope that when people come to do the walk through and try to sell it, the neighbors wont be idiots.
Well, thank you for reading and have a good weekend. Kim

Deltona Couple

Do you have your own stereo? Find the local classical music station and blast classical music until 2 am.... They might get the picture. lol.

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shakran

Ain't that the truth. I've got some neighbors right now that could use a good sound beating

vonniscott

We have a worse issue with a neighbor who is abusing pain meds and probably bipolar. He is obsessed with us, hates us, threatens us and has gotten to the point of scarey! We bought here 5 months ago and we are putting it on the market tommorrow. We can't have any quality of life because of him. Can't let the kids ride their bikes, we keep the alarm on all the time, it's not fair! Does anyone know if we can sue him? I wish he would drop off of the face of the Earth. This is not a rational person but a complete nutbag whose life is consumed with making us miserable! Help!!!

kxc

I know what you mean by 'bad neighbors'. I have lived in my house for 10 years. Last year the two next to me rather than talk to me went to the board and said that my leaves were bringing down the look in the neighborhood. Not sure how they came to the conclusion that all those leaves came from my property since other folks have trees in their yards. They said nasty stuff about me. I had noticed they set their trash out by the curb soon after the last pick up which means i have to look at it for the next 7 days. So, I complained to the board about that, and they became very vocal and started harrassing me. In the meantime the board has done nothing, except in my opinion make the situation worse. So, now I have to resort to getting a surveillance system since the two next to me are throwing trash all over my property.

Marlon's Mom

Bad neighbors... ugh.

I'm happy to say the only crappy neighbor I've ever had lived beneath me, in a nice condo building next to an 8-lane freeway. Guy dragged me before the HOA because my two 8-week old kittens were "giving my wife migraines! You're ruining the quiet enjoyment of my home!"

Heh. The HOA board told the guy he should consider moving to a single-family dwelling.

Then he went after the people living below him - the guy on the first floor did a lot of BBQ-ing, and he wanted the board to restrict BBQ hours on patios to between 4 and 6 p.m. only.

The HOA board told him to stuff it. Then they asked me to be a board member. All complaints from Downstairs Dickwad ceased. *snort*


As for how to deal with people for whom reasonable compromise is not a part of their reality (and who really need a good swift kick inna junk), I highly recommend any book by George Hayduke.