Effective Ways To Deal With an Annoying Neighbor
If you have the wrong neighbors, even the nicest house in the quietest neighborhood may become a bad dream. Even the most peaceful person might reach their breaking point when confronted with an unpleasant neighbor. Knowing the most effective ways to deal with an annoying neighbor will hopefully rid you of this nightmare.
Check the Rules
Before you say anything, you may want to check online to see whether they violate local laws. There may also be city and county links on your state’s website. It would also help to double-check the regulations imposed by any condo or HOA to which you belong. What you find out may guide you on what to do next. Having the court’s ordinances on your side gives you the advantage, so it’s good to know when you have it.
Catch Me Outside
If a relationship isn’t working out with a significant other, the most popular way to end things is to do it in a public setting. Doing so privately could lead to emotional outbursts that most likely wouldn’t happen with dozens of onlookers. Similarly, confronting your neighbor should take place on the sidewalk or property line.
Ideally, being out in public will keep tensions low and potential disagreements at a safe volume. After all, no one wants to be the neighbors with a kerfuffle on the sidewalk. That shame is tough to shake off.
Don’t Be Accusatory
As angry as you might be at your neighbor, don’t accuse them of things. If they rev their engine at 6:00 a.m. on their way to work, you shouldn’t come out guns blazing and call them every four-letter word in the book.
Instead, approach them calmly and collectively and explain your side of things. If they are still defiant, try to find a compromise that makes both sides happy. Ask them to leave their driveway without going full throttle, or you can direct them to where they can fix their noisy exhaust. Both of you should be able to find a solution without coming to blows.
Get Outside Help
Unfortunately, having a level head and being reasonable may not work if they refuse to compromise. If that’s the case, you might have to call in reinforcements.
Calling a mediator to sort this out is the least combustible way of handling this problem. However, you may have no choice but to call the police or file a formal complaint in court. You should exhaust all effort before turning to this option since it should be the last resort.
In a perfect world, these effective ways to deal with an annoying neighbor work 100 percent of the time. Sadly, the reality is some of these folks are beyond reproach. But the least you can do is try and settle things like a civilized human being.
