Sunday, February 28, 2010

Apartment Living

WARNING - this is ENTIRELY a vent session.



When we moved to Wyoming we decided it would be wise to move into an apartment. We don't know how long we will live here and real estate out here is ridiculously expensive so we settled for the top floor of a three level complex. As most apartment complex's go we can hear pretty much everything the people next to us and below us are doing. We can hear their screaming children, their loud TV, their doors open and close, their bathroom fans, and can even hear when they slide their chairs out from the kitchen table. Knowing that we live in an apartment we have just faced the fact that this is part of apartment living. We have never complained or felt put out by this. Last week we got new downstairs neighbors, a very young married couple (probably 19ish) and their 2 year old boy. I went and introduced myself, trying to be a nice neighbor. Two days later, at noon we got a knock at our door, it was the downstairs neighbor lady. She came upstairs to complain that our music was too loud and that they could hardly hear their own TV. Devin was home and apologized and turned the music down. Our music however was hardly loud at all, I was in the next room and could not even hear it to begin with and once it was turned down I could not even hear it in the same room. I that they were being ridiculous, but in hopes of being neighborly decided that we would keep the music barely audible. We unplugged our surround sound even so that we did not get future complaints. This made movie watching not nearly as enjoyable, but we wanted to be courteous. This morning, not even 5 days later they came back up to complain. When they knocked on the door I could not even believe it. It was Sunday morning and Devin and I were both standing at the stove cooking breakfast. There was no music on, no dog barking, nothing. We were seriously just standing there making crepes hardly talking because we were still a little groggy. What was their complaint this time? They can hear us walking around our apartment. Seriously, what do they expect? Of course we are going to walk around our apartment. I swear that next time that their kid is screaming for hours on end, I am going to walk down their and tell them to keep their kid quiet because I can't hear my own TV over their kid. This is ridiculous, I tried to be nice but no more. They are far louder than we are guaranteed, especially since they have a screaming kid. I hope that they don't keep this up, because since we are above them we could really make their lives miserable. Think: Jumping up and down above their kids room at midnight. We don't want to be that way, but if this continues I may have to stoop to their level.

Any suggestions as to how I can get around my apartment without walking?

11 comments:

Brittney said...

Ugh. I hate living in apartments. We're doing the same thing. We had a new neighbor come over their first weekend here and complain about our sub. (please note that this was 9:00 on a friday night). So, we unplugged it and haven't used it since. They, however, now play their music loud, at midnight and after, on week nights. We've complained a couple times. (normally, we would just look past it and get over it, we only complained because they did that one time). Can you say hypocrite??! I REALLY dislike them. Ours was on a weekend, you play yours way late at night on school/work nights! UGH! It drives me nuts. we live in the bottom floor, so we do hear our neighbors walking around, but, that's part of apartment living! They need to understand that. It happens. DEAL WITH IT! I hate neighbors that complain. It's so frustrating. You should be able to walk around your own apartment! Come on!

Sorry, I vented back. :) Hope everything works out!

Heather and Preston said...

So sorry. Gotta love sharing walls with other people. I would jump up and down every once and while just to let them know how loud you can really be :). Next time we see you guys I will tell you the story about my Logan apartment. It is not appropriate for the blog :)

Shelayna said...

If I were you I'd be really rude for a week by being loud! I wouldnt answer the door when they come to complain. Then after the week they will come over and try to complain again. This time answer the door and tell them you will try to keep it down. After that I bet they wont complain again! When I lived in an apartment like that our neighbors would blast spice girls music til 3 in the morning... we beat them at their own game by pounding on walls banging pans etc.. and it was the only way we solved the problem. Good Luck!

Callen and Kellie said...

We had the EXACT same problem in Dallas. It still makes me sick to my stomach to hear pounding on the floor or ceiling. As for suggestions, I have none. Our neighbor said we walked like elephants when I was honestly tip toeing wherever we went. It was awful. One day we had some company over (Callen's aunt, cousins, grandma and great grandma). They kept pounding on the ceiling everytime someone moved half an inch. I didn't know what to do. They finally got so mad they turned their rap music up as high as they could and left their house. Our apartment was shaking, it was so loud. So I called the cops. That whole summer was awful. I'm so sorry.

Khinna said...

I would recommend wearing mop ends on your feet. No, not really. When we lived in our duplex in CA, we had a young couple next to us with a young child. I expected their child to be crazy, because, "Hey, I had a toddler too." What I didn't like though was that they let their child stay up super late (past midnight), I could hear her yelling (using expletives) at her child all day, more arguments in the evening at her husband. First, It made me realize and very grateful, my husband and I never argue like that. I don't know how I would forgive myself, if I using screaming the things she was. I'm glad things didn't get out of hand though (as with your situation), but I'm sure we will run into those problems in the near future. As we plan on moving to a metropolis city, and apartment living will be a must.

Ryan and Crystal said...

oh my goodness!! Don't you hate this!!! We have only had one time when our neighbor came by and told Ryan to turn down the music it pissed off Ryan so bad. It makes you want to retaliate. I seriously would go down and complain when their kid is being loud. Or start jumping up and down when they are trying to have a little one on one time. Good luck!!!

Life as Linds said...

This made me angry! It is unfair! You are paying just as much as they are for the apartment, therefore you shouldn't have to change your lifestyle for these crummy people. You were there first. Maybe when things are all calmed down you could have a little sit down with the neighbors and discuss this. Maybe discuss what times would be the best time for you guys to rock out? Kind of like a schedule. This is highly ridiculous but I felt as if I should pass along some advice and that is all I have at the moment. If that does not work, then I would plug the surround sound back in and lay the speakers on the floor and crank it. That is highly dramatic and childish but it would get the point across.

Best of luck, I understand I was not helpful at all! I hope it improves though!

Alexsis said...

Kels, I know exactly how you feel! Same boat with the real estate in Wyoming! What a joke. Luckily, our downstairs neighbor is very deaf and doesn't go out much. Our neighbor who shares a side wall is a widow who loves us because we go talk to her once a week and "hang out" and our upstairs neighbor is a new--but good friend. We lucked out in that department. I'm just waiting for someone to blow up on me or Steve on day. If you have to live in WY--move to Casper!

Brooke S. said...

Oh Kels - that's the worst. Some day when we all have houses we'll look back and smile at these moments...but not today perhaps.

Right now the "management" is checking the emergency intercom system in our apartment and it's like we've been on the other end of a butt dial for about 40 minutes.

Apartments are awesome.

Jamie Nicole said...

I cannot believe what sensitive ears your neighbors have. Are they freakin serious?? Oh I would be fuming if I were you. Way to be nice though. Good luck!!!

Carlie said...

I totally understand as you know we have neighbors on both sides of us and seriously one week they both started vacuuming at MIDNIGHT need I say more?