A Neighborhood Horror Story

If you've ever lived next to one of these living horror stories, you'll know what it's like. It's the neighbor that seems to be totally oblivious to the rest of the street; they ignore their gardens, their property looks like a dump site, full of old appliances or broken down cars. Their dogs bark constantly and their front lawns resemble fecal minefields, especially on hot summer days when the smell drifts to your yard. Unfortunately, this horror story doesn't go away after Halloween.

Your frustration is real, as you are forced to live next to this, day after day; watching your property value dwindling away, and dreading the thought of putting your home up for sale; for fear of parading potential buyers past this nightmare. Although, this may seem like a helpless situation, there are steps you can take to deal with this.

Keep your emotions in check. It's so easy to blow this out of proportion by letting your emotions take over. Stay cool, be reasonable, and realize this is not going to resolve itself overnight.

Talk to your nasty neighbors. Nobody talks anymore! Before taking this to the next level, try talking to your neighbors; it's entirely possible they don't realize your frustration. Maybe they work late hours and don't realize the dog is barking, or are unaware that the rusty washing machine blocks your view.

If you don't feel comfortable approaching your neighbor, there a several non-profit organizations that offer mediation services to help you deal with the problem. A written letter is an alternate approach; ensure you provide a copy to another resident as proof that you have tried to deal with this person.

Time to step it up a notch. Contact your local homeowners association or look in your local government pages for bylaw enforcement; explain the situation, documenting times and dates, and what you have tried to do to resolve it. The association will probably write a warning letter and then a subsequent hearing fine letter. After a hearing, that does not require the owner's presence, the association will decide on applicable fines.

Some people don't feel comfortable identifying themselves and would prefer to send an anonymous complaint. Keep in mind that a formal complaint holds more water with a name attached to it. You may also want to provide the names of other residents who share the same annoyance with this person.

If the owner refuses to pay the fines, foreclosure action can be initiated, but understand this entire process may take months.

Seek help from other agencies. In addition to contacting the home owners association, you can also speak with any municipal agency that deals with your issues. For instance, if there are problems with an unruly or neglected pet, you can contact Animal Control to assess the problem. Some communities have an excess noise bylaw, that department may be contacted as well regarding the barking. The accumulation of garbage may pose health risks which also can be addressed.

Use court action as the last resort. Taking someone to court and suing them is expensive and should be used as a last resort.

Whatever you decide, it's likely that unless these nightmare neighbors are confronted, nothing will change. Be patient, be persistent, and document your actions every step of the way.