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28-year-old tenant faces relentless noise and parking disputes with upstairs neighbor, finds strength to advocate for herself despite constant stress: ‘I can’t keep living like this’

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  • A stressed woman holds her head, clearly overwhelmed by frustration and noise.
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  • Throw away account because I am at my breaking point. I (28F) need advice to vent, roughly a year and a half ago a new neighbor (I dont know his age but he is probably towards 56M) moved into the apartment above me (duplex), and for the first year he wasn't to bad, he'd occasionally steal our parking spot and play the occasional loud TV show/movie.
  • In November/December last year it got worse, he installed a bass system and would crank his TV.
  • Same with the parking he'd start parking in our spot more (He has x2 spots, and only x2 cars but both his - are in a line.
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  • Its on the lease who gets what spot. He is not willing to drive forward and let me park behind his car on his two spots.) He has now taken to parking exclusively in the last spots on both his and my parking spots, so we can no longer park.
  • My insurance requires us to be in my driveway/parking spot. I have constantly asked him to lower the volume / get out of the parking spot.
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  • He just would scream and swear at me. I have spoken to the landlords and it went from "He's old and can't change" to when I pointed out my legal rights to "They are working on it but it takes time".
  • I have been documenting everything mutinously from every single peak of noise to vibrations/ photographing him within my parking spot.
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  • His Bass system got removed from the premises from the Landlord last week because he would weaponize it to spite me.
  • An empty row of parking spaces lined up against a plain brick wall.
  • In response he now cranks his TV up incredibly loudly. So I can basically listen to his entire TV.
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  • I cannot enjoy any peace and quiet in my apartment. I have PTSD and the second he comes home I get panic attacks because I know he is going to start up soon.
  • Yesterday he would not let me connect my heating to the generator when we had a power outage in -14c weather // 45km winds, while he had his entire apartment hooked up and was blasting his tv.
  • Landlord is worried he wont find a new tenant even though we live in a prime location, but has threatened him with legal warnings / eviction.
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  • Currently doesn't want to go through with it but I am at my breaking point. My landlord is entirely fed up with the situation due to the neighbors behavior and my complaints.
  • Attempting to now talk to him results in him screaming at me to "f off" repeatedly until I do go.
  • I cannot afford to move / don't know anyone I can move in with, I have animals so it makes finding a new place harder.
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  • jenandspaz I hate when landlords are just as much a problem in these situations as the neighbor. Spineless.
  • A tired woman gazes out the window, lost in thought and emotional exhaustion.
  • Confident_State_3949 Don't back down and be vigilant, people in the world have grown very cold hearted! It only takes a few seconds for things to escalate! Depending on how nice your place is right now, maybe eventually moving on your own terms is a better strategy. Back in the day, if neighbors were loud and disrespectful, the police would handle it right away! Now depending on the state, police really can't do anything!
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  • fjzappa If you're talking to a lawyer, ask about setting up an escrow account. You have a dispute with your landlord because you cannot live in peace. Set up an escrow account and pay your rent into that. Your landlord can't get the money until the issue is resolved. Neither can you, because you paid your rent. IANAL, but I've seen it done. They can't evict you for non-payment because you paid. They can't get the money because you can't live in peace.
  • Bitchface-Deluxe Call the cops on the noise and get him towed out of your spots.
  • Confident_State_3949 All I can tell you is that your neighbor knows he can get away with his antics to a point. I say keep pressing your landlord and try to document times of incidents. I have had issues with several neighbors for about 4 years with noise pollution and hearing screaming/yelling through the walls due to substance ab e. I reported it to the landlord and even the police and they just keep saying there's not much they can do without evidence. I tried recording some of the incidents
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  • mamabear-50 Can you have his vehicle towed from your spot? That is usually a very effective detriment.
  • sockruhtese Call a tow company and have his car towed everytime he parks in your space.
  • Legal-Western5580 Old, my a. He's younger than me, he can well move his cars. Honestly, I would just keep escalating to a landlord. Document every instance of it happening and take a picture each time. Eventually the squeaky wheel will get the grease, be that wheel.
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  • YJ92boudicca Keep documenting and telling the landlord. Not much else to do besides move

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