A mom writes in concerned about being evicted unfairly. Her neighbor below her has been harassing her and her fiancé over the noise that their 18-month-old makes.
The Mamas Uncut community member writes:
“I need advice. I’m afraid of being evicted wrongfully. I live in a two-bedroom apartment with my fiancé and baby girl, who is 18 months. We just moved on Dec 6th. Our downstairs neighbor is horrid… the first day we arrived her was late (3 am, we just had gotta back from the airport) and we get a knock at our door about the noise.
This time I understand, it was late! The next day he bothers us 3 times… And my man wasn’t home; he was at work, and I was watching tv as my baby played. He comes banging very abruptly, and I didn’t answer, it scared me. He then went to my fiancé’s work and asked to complain of noise, and then he called my fiancé’s store and asked why I didn’t answer the door.
Mind you, every complaint is before 6 pm. It isn’t late, and no, he isn’t on an opposite schedule. We went to the apartment office about it, and a few days after, he shows up to my fiancé’s working telling him it’s on basically…. and now he’s calling the police, over my daughter being a baby and just playing. She mostly plays in the living room, not bedrooms, just to be safe. She goes to bed at 8:30, ok every day. I’m so afraid we’ll end on the streets. Is he going to the office to report to us, I guess?“
– Mamas Uncut Community Member
Community Advice For The Mom Worried About Being Wrongfully Evicted
The community responds to the call for help from this mom in need. You can check out more in the link embedded below.
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Advice Summary
The community has some very good advice for our worried mom. Notice some of their advice below:
“You need to file harassment charges and possibly a restraining order. He shouldn’t be going to your fiance’s place of work that is way inappropriate.“
“I’m not sure what state you live in but every county has its own laws etc. I have had the worst next-door neighbor turn his tv off asking to hear us when there is no noise the noise you make in a building amplifies. go to your manager shes the one that helped me this is what they deal with every day she will explain to them do not try to solve issues by yourself they can actually get evicted for that. at least in my county, they will. Record it, report it, and start calling the police on them.”
“That is straight-up harassment and I’d have your fiancé tell him that if he comes banging on the door multiple times a day and continues to show up at his workplace to cause issues he will get harassment charges filed. I’d also go to the apartment office and talk to whoever is in charge and advise them of dates and times and specific things he says. Write it down, record it on your phone, etc. keep tabs on him. That way you have proof in court what’s going on and you can fight the charges on him plus the apartment complex if they try to evict you. If at all possible ask your management if you can change apartments for the same price you pay now in an effort to “keep the peace”. That also shows you have tried everything on your end to rectify the situation. Make sure to add how he makes you feel every time he bangs on the door and how you’re worried he may cause damage. If he went to the trouble of driving to your fiancé’s workplace to issue a threat of physical violence then he needs put under control by police or at least on their radar. Next time he shows up at the door yelling and carrying on call the police and start making a point to file a complaint of harassment.”
“I would talk to the complex about possibly getting moved to another unit, even if they don’t evict you I don’t think his bothering you will end. So for your own sanity maybe tell them, complex manager, what is going on and ask to be switched to a new unit once it becomes available.”
Final Thoughts
Reading this question today took me back sixteen years. We lived in an apartment above a woman that was always calling the police on our two-year-old. He literally weighed a little over 20 lbs. We even bought a carpet to help alleviate the noise but nothing was good enough for her. Eventually, the Manager moved her to another apartment. The police are not going to do anything to you, but they will to someone that is harassing you. Definitely report it to your apartment complex manager, and if need be you can even report it to the police. As for worrying about being evicted, I would record every incident so that you have everything documented, but I can’t imagine that you would be the one at risk of being evicted.
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