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Topic: A rant about my downstairs neighbors
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| Unemployed-gal | Posted – 1/23/2008 11:01:14 AM | show profile OK, so here's the deal: I hate my downstairs neighbors, in a nutshell. I live in a building with five units: myself and my roommate on the top floor, two studios on the second floor, and a family with two small children on the first (there's also an unfinished apartment in the basement). The whole building used to be a farmhouse back when Brooklyn's residents were primarily cows and horses and things. It's a cool place. Anyways, it's the family on the first floor that's giving me the headache. I understand the fact that they live in a tiny apartment and need to keep their strollers outside in the hall (it's a family of two kids, but there are four strollers). They apparently have permission from the landlord for this. But then they leave those strollers all over the place where the other four residents of the building have to trip over them. I knocked on the door one day to ask the mother if she could perhaps organize the strollers in the hallway, and she fairly snapped at me that since I don't have children, I couldn't possibly understand her situation. Whoah. It's obviously not about having children or not, it's about leaving your stuff where everyone can trip over it. Then, there's the question of the cardboard boxes they leave out in the hallway. Instead of breaking them down and putting them out near the trach cans (a distance of about 15 feet), they leave them lying right near the stairs--where the rest of us have to trip over them. More serious than a nuisance is the fact that this is a FIRE HAZARD. Anyways, so I've tried putting the boxes in front of their door, but lo and behold, this morning they were back in their old place. I've tried complaining to the landlord about this, but I haven't gotten any coherent response form her. Anyways, just another Wednesday morning rant! |
| UGoGirl | Posted – 1/23/2008 11:30:38 AM | show profile They sound very inconsiderate, even with the stresses of two small children they should be able to offer at least a minimal amount of courtesy to their neighbors. You should be thankful you're not right above them though, probably the noise would drive you batty. |
| jr_designer | Posted – 1/23/2008 12:02:02 PM | show profile Do you happen to talk to the people on the second floor? If they feel the same way you do, then they should say something to the landlord as well. Maybe if he/she realizes that it's a problem for everyone in the building, and not just one person, he/she will take action. Like you said, it's not only a annoyance but a fire hazard. Two children doesn't give you the authority to not be inconsiderate of others! If worse comes to worse and the hallway is getting unmanageable and your landlord isn't taking action, maybe you should take pictures of the hallway and look into contacting the Department of Buildings and filing a complaint (although I'm not sure if that's exactly the right agency to follow this type of complaint, you may want to double check me on that one) for at least the fire hazard. Good luck!! |
| df | Posted – 1/23/2008 1:04:44 PM | show profile ask friendly a few more times and then call anonymously your local Brooklyn DOB asking for your presinct fire marshal and call the 'fire hazard' in with him. if you can't find the info, co to a commun ity meeting and ask your alliance officer who to contact for a local fire hazard education lol. Changes things quickly. make sure not to call from your home phone or cell, the landlord will get a hefty fine and then take it out on you, if he/she finds out who dunnit. the fire marshal is also a good weapon for over partying neighbors. or loud illegal event space in your area. ha. maximum occupancy applies to apartment parties too... And before all the people who live in other parts of the world which are not totally cramped on top of each other send me hate mail, sometimes the only way you can get piece in this city is to defame a neighbor, because simply moving is out of the question. especially if you do the right thing, why should the a-hole win? |
| pholiday | Posted – 1/23/2008 1:25:03 PM | show profile ahhh ... city living I find it a blessing when all of my neighbors are either sweet or anonymous. However, living in a city, that's not usually the case. Today I was woken up at 8 a.m. by hammering right on the other side of the wall where my head was resting. Sucks ... but I think that is what you sign up for. At least your neighbors aren't scumbags who are infesting the building with roaches and rats. Or dopers who have freaks in and out at all hours. All I am saying is that while I commiserate, it could be so much worse. I say suck it up and be inconvenienced by the strollers or be polite and ask her to fold them up - if the boxes bother you so much break em down and take them to the trash. I have lived in places in New York that didn't even have proper locks on the windows. Count your blessings. |
| keltoi2 | Posted – 1/23/2008 1:48:52 PM | show profile If you have to move the strollers and boxes every day just to get out the door, move them in front of the offenders' door so they can experience the same inconvenience as you. |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 1/23/2008 2:13:20 PM | show profile Ummm...trip over the strollers, breaking one, and then fake a broken knee cap. That's what I would do... |
| jjones | Posted – 1/23/2008 5:31:06 PM | show profile Yeah, I used to have a neighbor She would leave her shopping cart in the middle of the hallway, long after she had unloaded it, thus putting an obstruction between the elevator and most of the apartments on the floor. It certainly wasn't the end of the world, but I used to roll it right up to her door, right into the doorway and leave it there, as a "polite" hint. She was one of those people who is so self-involved that she didn't get it. In fact, this upset her a great deal. I'd suggest you do something like this. Or, if that's not enough, right a very nice, very polite note explaining your point of view on the matter and slip it under their door. It's always good to discuss these things politely before you get to the point of fuming and saying something that could create resentment and perhaps more inconvenience. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 1/23/2008 9:59:41 PM | show profile The box thing could be an effort to recycle. A lot of people use the boxes others no longer use -- just a thought. Parents with small children can feel overwhelmed - especially in small spaces. It's possible (if irrational) that their claiming of the hallway space is an effort to recapture the idea of a yard (I know that sounds weird.) and more room for their kids, on a subconscious level. Her comments that you couldn't possibly understand her situation makes it seem to me that she is indeed feeling overwhelmed and underresourced. Parenting little ones is hard enough, but overwhelmed and underresourced can make it much worse. That said, clearly, parents of young kids need to purpose to be responsible neighbors and good citizens. |
| Brena | Posted – 1/27/2008 8:53:10 AM | show profile Before one of my neighbors moved out, he called the building inspector on the landlord for nearly every infraction (they hated each other). On one occasion, the building inspector came out and stated the anything "stored" in the hallway, especially blocking a walkway, was an infraction (fire hazard). At the time, someone had stored a bicycle and a grocery cart there. The inspector wrote the landowner up and made him remove them, even though the items belonged to the tenants. The inspector also stated that he would be back to check. Now I have a new neighbor who has her friends ringing our doorbell to let them in. I suspect that one of them is a drug dealer because he says, "I'm delivering laundry for apartment so-and-so." Everyday? I'm trying to avoid confronting my neighbor, stating that I am willing to be her "doorman" as long as we can negotiate a price per hour. If we can't negotiate a price for my services, then I quit! |
| Printingman | Posted – 1/27/2008 9:18:24 AM | show profile | email poster If the only reason you so greatly dislike your neighbors is because thy eave baby strollers in the hallway, then you are a troubled person. When I first saw the tile of this thread I was expecting late night partying, drug dealing, prostitution etc. You must be the perfect neighbor |
| voracious reader | Posted – 1/27/2008 12:48:20 PM | show profile Printingman I respectfully disagree with you referring to Unemployed Gal as "troubled." There are building codes that prohibit putting things in hallways for a reason and that has to do with public safety. Just try running to safety in a fire when you can't see in front of you and then you will know why these codes exist. If I was looking to rent an apartment and saw debris in the hallways, that to me would be a "red flag." I would wonder what other code violations existed in the building. A landlord has a fiduciary responsibility to all their tenants and that implies athat the landlord is aware of the building codes. Ignoring Unemployed Gal's concerns could make this landlord liable if an incident occurred. Unemployed Gal has every right to be concerned, just like you might be concerned for the reasons you mentioned. They are all equally important. |
| worldofnatasha | Posted – 1/27/2008 2:33:11 PM | show profile the neighbor sounds awful, if you asked her and she hasn't done anything about it. I say you should roll those strollers out to the dumpster. or the front side walk, where someone can steal them. I bet if she has to buy brand new strollers, she'd be a lot more careful about where she leaves them... |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 1/27/2008 2:41:38 PM | show profile Her neighbors are idiots... Strollers are expensive. My BFF just bought one for $750. Personally, I wouldn't leave my prized $250 Uggs (I know they are ugly) outside in the hallway...why would anyone leave a stroller? I think someone should steal it to teach them a lesson. If you don't, these parents are gonna raise the kind of kids that leave their big ugly toys all over the front lawn, eventually to become stollen. Teach the parents a lesson so their kids don't have to learn it for them. |
| nellie bly | Posted – 1/27/2008 4:00:17 PM | show profile I recall walking by a pediatrician's office in the West Village and seeing what struck me then as an uncommon sight: a whole lotta fancy strollers chained to the wrought iron fence like bicycles. The office was on the 1st floor but the doc obviously didnt allow any strollers inside. Possibly insurance co. rules? |
| Iron Eagle | Posted – 1/27/2008 4:36:56 PM | show profile Don't you have a gun? |
| nandy | Posted – 1/27/2008 8:41:12 PM | show profile Hoo-boy, this reminds me of my days in Manhattan with two kids under six. Thankfully, our apartment was large enough that I could bring our stroller inside. Hey, every stroller that I've owned folded down to SOME extent. I suggest learn where the collapse lever is, and fold the offending stroller up and put them against their door. Unless they live at a"deadend" of the hall, they really should NOT be blocking it in any way. |
| worldofnatasha | Posted – 1/27/2008 9:34:01 PM | show profile this might sound like I'm joking but I'm not -- what about putting your trashbag in her stroller? -- not anything drippy or messy that would ruin them, but just something that shows her if she's going to inconvenience you, you're going to inconvenience her. I bet the third time she has to deal with your recycled newspapers and empty pizza boxes, she'd get the hint... |
| nellie bly | Posted – 1/27/2008 10:08:36 PM | show profile why does a family with 2 kids need 4 strollers? are some of the strollers broken and theyre keeping them for parts or something? |
| astrahook | Posted – 1/27/2008 10:09:02 PM | show profile get over it or move out of the city |
| wineaux | Posted – 1/28/2008 9:41:54 AM | show profile I really don't get why they can't just fold the stroller down. I think you should tell them to fold it down and it is inconveniencing your whole building. When my children were of stroller age and I visited my friends in the city, I lugged the strollers into their flats or folded them up and stowed them in a corner, if I was told it was o.k. to leave it in the lobby. It's such a safety hazard that the buidling owner should care if someone trips over it, or if the boxes block the doorway. I'd get a copy of the fire code and highlight the part about leaving doorways unblocked. People can really be clueless. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 1/28/2008 1:20:15 PM | show profile some of you are horrible Steal a kid's stroller to teach their parents a lesson? Put a bag of trash in their child's stroller? Get a grip! If the strollers are in your way and there's room by their door, it takes about 5 seconds to move them. And if the boxes are out for a long time, you could just put them by the trash yourself. Again, 30 seconds, and a lot of daily resentment gone. I used to live downstairs from a pimp. When his neighbor complained about noise once, she got her tires slashed. What you're dealing with is annoying, but let's not get carried away. Tiny apartment, 2 young kids, probably over-stressed parents. Try to be kind. |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 1/28/2008 1:45:11 PM | show profile rhino writer, having kids does not give them a free pass to be inconsiderate. There are plenty of parents who manage to take out their own trash and be considerate of their neighbors. I pretty much have three jobs and three dogs to take out multiple times per day- does that give me an excuse to be rude to neighbors and leave my poop bags in the hallway because I'm so stressed and busy? I think not. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 1/28/2008 1:51:02 PM | show profile It doesn't give them a free pass. But putting trash in their strollers is not an answer either. A little compassion can be helpful all around. |
| astrahook | Posted – 1/28/2008 5:04:28 PM | show profile I just kind of get the feeling the stroller are there and the fact they are within site pisses you off. highly doubtful there is a stroller blockade preventing you from going about your buisness. as the previous poster said, if thats the worst of your problems maybe you should reevaluate city living and all it entails |
