Would you say anything?

bernyh

We live in an apt, the flat next door is directly linked to us and is rented out. We have had a lot of problems with various incosiderate neighbours in the past, the couple that have been there for a year or so have been brilliant, very quiet, no complaints..

Last week on my only day off of the week (yes I had to work six 12 hr shifts that week!) The next door neighbour were getting some work done to the apt. This involved drilling through a metal support in the windows for 5 hours of the day.... I wouldn't mind because on any other occassion I would have been able to go out, but I was waiting on an electrician myself so couldn't go anywhere. The noise was absolutely unbearable, I really couldnt hear myself think. My 4 year old was screaming and crying, my MIL came up but we could only look at each other as trying to talk was impossible. When my electrician arrived he was like WTF!! He couldn't even do the work involved because he couldn't concentrate and had to organise another day... so totally wasted day.

My issue's are I asked the workman had he explained to the Landlord what was involved and he said he had more than 3 weeks ago and that she had organised for the work to be done when the tenants were away, to avoid inconvenience to them. Not only that but I have vegetables and fruit growing on my balcony which have been ruined by the workmans dust and foam insulation from the work, which I was left to clean up, it took me more than 2 hours to clean up after him as the whole are had to be cleaned and all of my windows. I am absolutely livid that she didn't knock into us and at least give us the "heads up" that it was going to be bad and if possible we should go out for the day, I would have organised my stuff for another day...And taken my plants off of the balcony to save them as it stands I am down a fair few quid from the inconsideration!

Am I wrong to expect a bit of common courtesy.. I am seriously thinking about asking the tenents for her number!

bernyh

rolin2010 wrote: »

very terrible

it's really great for you to get your posts up by posting pointless comments I'm glad for you and look forward to seeing some more pointless comments from you in the future... maybe one day you will make moderator!! God bless ya!

The_Conductor

Normally in apartments, owners are not allowed to make any modifications which might impact on the structural integrity of the building. This would extend to any work on structural walls, windows or the exterior of the building. The owner would need the specific permission of the management company prior to drilling into metal supports for Windows etc- and if there is an issue- your first port of call is your own landlord- or if you are an owner- the management company itself.

D3PO

bernyh wrote: »

Am I wrong to expect a bit of common courtesy.. I am seriously thinking about asking the tenents for her number!

`
are you for real ? So your neighbour has been the perfect tennant no noise etc for the last year, and then when they have some work done during the day when its fair to probably assume most people are working your having a whinge ?

Clearly your should think about ending your tenancy / selling up (whichever is applicable) as clearly apartment living doesnt suit you. If you dont want noise go live in a detached house in the country.

Gosh my neighbours had bord gais making noise at 8.45 this morning. The nerve of them to go and get Gas installed into thier house. I guess i should go whinge at them when I get home from work. How dare they :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

BettePorter

so you'd ring the landlord and say what exactly ? 'you had builders doinging work for five hours on your apartment during working hours (i assume) and you didn't tell me ? your only complaint should be with the inconsiderate builder who didn't have forethought to cover his messy work or knock your door when he he realised it was drifting on to your prop. but you actually spoke to him directly yet said nothing re that ?????? if you were in the apt and heard the work being done, why not go out the and move your stuff ???

what would be the point in ringing the landlord ? the work is done is it not? it was a f**k up of a day, these things happen........it's irritating , but not enough to create a bad vibe with the neighbours.......be happy thats the only issue you ve had with them !

How Strange

AFAIK, if the work was carried out Mon - Fri, 8am - 10pm, Sat, 8am - 1pm, there is little you can do about it. I stand to be corrected on those hours but I thought all drilling or noisy works had to be finished by 10pm and 1pm on a Saturday.

I've experienced this in the past. Once I was on the dole and the house next door was being completely renovated and 8am every day the kangos would start and it was a nightmare. The same thing happened in another house when the neighbours were putting an extension on.

Perhaps it would've been a courtesy for them to warn you in advance but most people wouldn't have any idea of how noisy these kind of works will be so they probably didn't even think about it.

MistyCheese

No, I wouldn't say anything. I would just chalk this one up to an unfortunate experience.

On the street where I live there is constant DIY or building work going on. Hammering, drilling, power-sawing going on until after 8pm at times. It's a pain in the you-know-what but there's nothing you can do about it.

johndaman66

Is there a probability that your neighbour did not anticipate noise and disruption on such a scale and hence did not foresee any reason to necessitate warning the neighbours in advance. Me myself and seen as its done now also, would be inclined to leave sleeping dogs lie, and put it down to an unfortunate bad experience, especially as they have otherwise being good neighbours up to now...then again thats just my opinion!

I just don't see what the problem is. These things happen in apartments. I've had constant banging and drilling right on the wall next to my bed (inches from my head) for the last 6 weeks, all through my exams and now when I'm trying to write a thesis. It's awful but apparently I've no rights at all. I really prefer to work late at night and sleep in, and now I can't, and I'm forced out of my flat every day. If this was day in, day out, yeah, you'd have a point, but ONE day?

bernyh

hi thanks for all the replies

I see your point about it only being one day etc and I agree.

My real issue is being neighbourly. We all have to live here, unfortunately as another poster pointed out it would be ideal if we could move, but in the economy we're in at the moment we're in negative equity so selling is not an option. I just wonder how hard it is in this day and age to be concerned for the people who live around you? How hard would it have been to knock on the door and say "we're having abc done, it might be a bit annoying if you can make arrangements not to be in" I'd have been more than delighted to have changed my arrangements and made my way to the shopping centre or somewhere more attractive to me on my day off! I certainly am not saying that they shouldn't have had the work done, infact I am thinking about getting the same work done myself, but I would definately tell the neighbours what I had planned so that it had a minimal amount of disturbance to them as possible and give them the opportunity to be out on the day of the work!

I did talk to the builder regarding the mess on my balcony which he promised to clean up, but never did so I waited 2 days before cleaning it as I wasn't sure if it was finished or not and really didn't want to have to do it twice. As for moving my plants inside the damage was done before I realised that the builder was actually drillling outside, my plants are in a series of mini raised beds which are cable tied to the balcony, would have taken me a fair while to bring them inside!

I get from the responses that I should keep my mouth shut, and I accept that as that's what I had done so far (tenants are back from holiday they had a lovely time) I guess maybe I should have posted on ranting and raving as maybe that's what this was in the first place!

All I ask for is a bit of common courtesy which seems to be a manner which has been long forgotten in this country!

convert

Is it possible your neighbour called around when you weren't there?

It's relatively common in apartment blocks for people to carry out renovations without informing all of their neighbours. Happened to me a while back. The apartment on the floor below was being gutted and the noise of the drill and banging used to carry to the floor above. It's normally a different stories in houses as you actually know your neighbours (by sight, at least) to let them know. It's much more anonymous in an apartment block.

Cathmandooo

Your neighbours probably werent aware of the extent of the noise, it was their landlord who was aware?

Your neighbours did absolutely nothing wrong, they sound like model neighbours tbh, you should be happy you live beside them. I really can't understand how you can blame them.

bernyh

Cathooo wrote: »

Your neighbours probably werent aware of the extent of the noise, it was their landlord who was aware?

Your neighbours did absolutely nothing wrong, they sound like model neighbours tbh, you should be happy you live beside them. I really can't understand how you can blame them.

Sorry maybe being misunderstood here on a couple of issue's, I don't blame the tenants who are living there, they weren't even there. The issue I have is with the owner of the apartment, who btw does know us, she bought the apt about a year after we did and we used to talk in the hall or over the balcony when she lived there. She may have come to us when we weren't there, but she saw me on the balcony the night before as I was out watering the plants when I saw her meeting the builder outside so she knew we were home and still didn't say a word.

Maybe that's the problem with apartment living here, I grew up in a tenement building in Scotland, lived most of my young years in that council tenement, then we moved to a house, when I moved out I bought a flat in Scotland all the neighbours took a pride in where they lived and an interest in knowing and being reasonable with their neighbours. Even the tenants who didn't own were generally good neighbours.

It seems that in this country anyway if you live in an apartment then your neighbours couldn't give a toss, which I feel is a bit strange as you live in such a close proximity to each other it should be an ideal environment to create community and understanding, common sense should tell you to be more considerate.

pooch90

bernyh wrote: »

hi thanks for all the replies

I see your point about it only being one day etc and I agree.

My real issue is being neighbourly. We all have to live here, unfortunately as another poster pointed out it would be ideal if we could move, but in the economy we're in at the moment we're in negative equity so selling is not an option. I just wonder how hard it is in this day and age to be concerned for the people who live around you? How hard would it have been to knock on the door and say "we're having abc done, it might be a bit annoying if you can make arrangements not to be in" I'd have been more than delighted to have changed my arrangements and made my way to the shopping centre or somewhere more attractive to me on my day off! I certainly am not saying that they shouldn't have had the work done, infact I am thinking about getting the same work done myself, but I would definately tell the neighbours what I had planned so that it had a minimal amount of disturbance to them as possible and give them the opportunity to be out on the day of the work!

I did talk to the builder regarding the mess on my balcony which he promised to clean up, but never did so I waited 2 days before cleaning it as I wasn't sure if it was finished or not and really didn't want to have to do it twice. As for moving my plants inside the damage was done before I realised that the builder was actually drillling outside, my plants are in a series of mini raised beds which are cable tied to the balcony, would have taken me a fair while to bring them inside!

I get from the responses that I should keep my mouth shut, and I accept that as that's what I had done so far (tenants are back from holiday they had a lovely time) I guess maybe I should have posted on ranting and raving as maybe that's what this was in the first place!

All I ask for is a bit of common courtesy which seems to be a manner which has been long forgotten in this country!

Why not bring it up in the next Board of Management meeting and just ask for a billboard in the entrance where people can notify others when they are having work done.
Other than that, I don't see a problem as they had to do the work sometime and it's just unfortunate that they chose a time which interfered with you...

(Plus, I'd be worried about creating an atmosphere where they might move out and you'd be left with some random tenant who could make your life a misery. )

BettePorter

pooch90 wrote: »

Why not bring it up in the next Board of Management meeting and just ask for a billboard in the entrance where people can notify others when they are having work done.
)

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