It's getting ugly with my neighbor, who I suspect is mentally unstableSo I've be

[cdb1204]

So I've been having a problem with the woman who lives directly accross the hall from me in an apartment complex that is by no means a ghetto.

 

Last summer I had to call security because the fire alarm was going off in her place and I could smell smoke. No one was answering the door. For all I knew she was in there dead, and she might have burned the place down. (I personally think she was drunk and passed out while cooking).

 

The fire department showed up, as well as apartment security. She emerged from the door and was completely belligerent with the people who showed up.

 

In April, she caused many disturbances out in the hall, including a near brawl with another tenant, and it got to be so bad I called the landlord and complained, and I did so anonymously.

 

Last weekend this woman confronted me at the pool. She apparently deduced I was the one who made the complaint. She got in my face. I told her I wasn't comfortable with this conversation and told her flat out to keep her distance from me.....she wouldn't.....so I left the pool.

 

To protect myself legally, and NOT because I'm a tattle-tell, I informed the landlord of what happened in a written statement.

 

I'm a tall man who weighs a little more than 200 pounds. She's a short woman.

 

I think she's mentally unstable and likely an alcoholic. If I have to defend myself against her physically, the law could easily misunderstand the situation. I want any and all documentation that I was NOT the aggressor. Police could EASILY misunderstand the situation and end up arresting me.

 

Apparently, another family here has complained about her this week also, or so my landlord tells me.

 

I saw a notice on her door a few minutes ago, presumably from the landlord, concerning my complaint.....and then I heard her come in and now she's SCREAMING mad out in the hall.

 

It's possible I might have gotten her evicted, but, knowing my landlord, it was just another warning.

 

In the 13 years I've lived on my own (I'm in my mid-30s) in several different apartments I've never once complained about another neighbor.

 

I keep asking myself when and IF my landlord is ever gonna get rid of this woman.

 

My lease won't end until January, so I'm stuck here.

 

Does anybody know anything about the law as it pertains to these situations?

 

Does the law make it difficult for a landlord to evict a tenant?

 

What should I expect from here on in?

[SpottiOtti]

Different complexes have different policies. Best thing to do would be ask the office. For example, in my complex, if a tenant gets the cops called on them more than three times they get evicted. I think it's good that you're documenting things. And next time there's a brawl or anything like that, call the cops.

[Moontiger]

Keep documenting things and completely avoid her.

 

 

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[blueidealist24]

"I'm a tall man who weighs a little more than 200 pounds. She's a short woman.

 

I think she's mentally unstable and likely an alcoholic. If I have to defend myself against her physically, the law could easily misunderstand the situation. I want any and all documentation that I was NOT the aggressor. Police could EASILY misunderstand the situation and end up arresting me."

 

That makes perfect sense, glad to hear that you're documenting things.

[Moontiger]

And, yes the eviction process can take some time. Check the laws in your state.

 

 

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[lavenderdove]

>>I keep asking myself when and IF my landlord is ever gonna get rid of this woman.

 

Depends on where you live. It can be extremely hard to evict someone. Last place I lived, the tenant had a full FIVE MONTHS before they could be evicted, and it required going to court to do so if the tenant didn't cooperate in the eviction and leave willingly.

 

My suggestion is you avoid her like the plague. If she confronts you in the hall, do not speak to her and instantly go inside your apt. and lock the door. Then turn on your cell phone and record her rantings thru the door. Do not put yourself in a position where she can allege you assaulted her. The best way to do that is avoid her entirely, and refuse to engage in a confrontation. Let her scream at you, just walk rapidly away from her into your place and slam the door. The advice from professionals on crazy people is DO NOT ENGAGE. Remember, she is not normal and probably drunk, so your best bet is to just remove yourself from her vicinity at the first sight of her. And record her rants thru doors etc. on your phone for extra legal measure. If she tries to block your access to the apt. when coming home, just turn on your heel and get in the car and leave for a while. She'll probably be back in her apt. drinking within a few minutes of your leaving and you can get into the apt. If she camps out there, so sit in your car and call the police to come see that she is blocking your access. but do not engage!

 

Most drunks don't remember half of what they do, so you just have to lay low and get out of her way. I would also plan on moving as soon as you can, or asking the landlord whether he has evicted her and if so, by what date she has to be out. That may have just been a warning he posted on her door rather than the beginning of an eviction.

[browneyedgirl36]

UGH. I totally feel for you. There is nothing worse than paying to live somewhere and having terrible neighbors. I've experienced this, and one of my terrible neighbors was the property manager! They were mainly just really noisy -- a bunch of cases of arrested development in their 30's who treated our small apartment complex like it was the Delta House (drinking, smoking, LOUD music and talking/yelling)directly under my window EVERY weekend. I complained to the one who was the property manager, and he apologized profusely, but the crap continued. Finally, I moved out, and at the time I moved out, several others did too, all because of these neighbors. I never felt unsafe there, but I lost a lot of sleep, and my apartment smelled like smoke half the time, and I've never smoked a cigarette in my life!

 

Your situation is much worse because you're in a lease. AND this woman sounds like an alcoholic -- the story about the smoke alarm scared me; she could burn the place down! I think you're doing the right thing avoiding conflict with her. You're very smart to NOT engage in any altercations with her, because yes, she could very well try to make you look like the aggressor, and since you are much bigger, and a male, it would look bad even if others have complained about her.

 

Keep documenting EVERYTHING. If you can get video/audio of one of her meltdowns, that would be helpful. Keep making complaints to the landlord, and encourage others to do the same. And, if necessary -- if she's really out of control -- call the police. One of my neighbors had quite a history with the police (he and his wife fought constantly, and they were both abusive), and apparently, they were reaching their limits with our building because they got called so much. Eventually, I think, the police will bring teh landlord/property management into it if they have to keep coming out there.

 

Keep avoiding conflict with her, too. If she approaches you, walk away. If she gets in your way, tell her you're calling the police, and do it -- have your phone handy at all times.

 

If she's got a drinking problem, she probably has little recollection of her actions the next day. I had a neighbor like this; I got into a confrontation with her (verbal only) because she was drunk and saying all sorts of terrible things about friends of mine, our landlord, his wife, etc. who were at a party our complex was having. I walked away from it -- and she took TWO full bottles of wine back to her apartment and, I would bet, finished both of them that night -- and claimed to have NO idea the next day what she said that "upset" me. Unreal. If someone is an alcoholic AND unstable on top of that -- recipe for disaster. Steer clear.

 

You might want to look into the laws regarding eviction where you live. In California, it's a pain to evict someone. A friend of mine had a fugitive from justice living next door to her, and it took MONTHS to get rid of him, even with bounty hunters showing up looking for him, police coming around all the time, and at one point, the electricity and water were shut off!

 

Keep documenting, keep talking with the property management and police if necessary -- keep building a case for getting rid of her and stay out of her way. Come January, if things haven't improved, you may want to move.

[cdb1204]

Thanks everybody!