Bad Neighbours

My roommate and I have been living in a particular apartment for almost two years, and had several different people directly upstairs from us.  These latest tenants were just fine for the first few months, when it was just two girls up there who kept human hours and walked like cats.  But then a boyfriend joined them over a year ago, and it’s not been the same since then.

At first, it was nothing big, just heavy steps every now and then; or there would occasionally be an argument between them.  No big deal; but then odd things started happening.  The stomping steps became a regular thing, and loud voices were more common.  My roommate and I try to keep our conversations at a normal speaking level until the city noise ordinance kicks in from 10 PM to 6 AM.  But it seems the folks upstairs have no concept of that particular ordinance… and we think it may be intentional.

Allow me to explain.  We have experimented on numerous theories regarding their noise, specifically focusing on the possibility that they hear when we’re home, and do it then.  A few months ago, he and I got home a bit late (about 11:45 PM).  Before we even got to the building, we agreed on silent entry just to test the theory.  We opened and closed the door quietly (some WD40 may be in order), saying nothing, and going about nightly things as silently as we could manage.  There was not a sound form upstairs.  After nearly an hour and a half, I coughed and shut my bedroom door without any attempt at stealth.  Not five minutes passed before we heard someone upstairs stomp across the apartment and back, followed almost immediately by loud talking.  Hmmm………

More behaviours started to appear during the last few months.  We noticed garbage that had apparently been dumped off the balcony overhead, as well as increased noise through all hours of the night (they seem to be nocturnal).  Most notably was the last two weeks, when almost every night from about 1-5 AM there have been video game sounds and a loud, droning voice interspersed with the muffled sounds of gunshots and explosions.  We’ve pieced together that someone up there must be playing on Xbox Live with a microphone.  My roommate reported this yesterday afternoon, and they told us that this is nowhere near the first complaint they’ve received about these tenants, and that they have been informed that their lease will not be renewed if they continue to cause trouble for other tenants.

This morning, around 2 AM, our doorbell rang; I answered, and found it to be a pizza delivery.  Neither my roommate nor I orders takeout (we always go to the place and order in person, if at all), and so we told the girl truthfully that we didn’t order anything, and sent her confusedly on her way.  After I shut the door, we both looked at each other and had the same thought.  He and I find it interesting that this happened the very night after they were threatened by management.  To be fair, we have no proof that it was them trying to crank us, but the circumstantial evidence is quite suspect.  After all, once could be nothing, twice could be coincidence, but thrice usually means something is amiss.

Sadly, simply improving their behaviour probably never crossed their minds…

Even so, if this happens again, it will be reported to management, and I will go to every takeout place in the area with my ID and proof of address, and inform them that any delivery to our address is most likely fraudulent.  If there is a third instance, I will confront them directly (with the delivery person in tow, if possible), letting them know that I am aware of their standing with the management, and threatening that I will see to it they are evicted, and then forcing them to pay for the order.  Even if it’s an empty threat, I want them to know how pissed off we are at their antics.  I can be as spiteful and vindictive as most women (my coworkers have taught me how), and I do not tolerate such childish crap from supposed adults.

This is right along with my earlier post about how nasty people are to those they deem “beneath them”.

Perhaps I’m being too hard-hearted.  Maybe I should instead try to win them over with suggestions for products that suit them.

Update as of 2/8:
 This morning, someone from the office stopped by our place to inform us that the people upstairs have, in light of the many complaints received about them, been issued an eviction notice.  I know I shouldn't be happy about someone being forced out of their place of residence, but I can't help but feel a sense of lifted burden.