Unless you’re living in complete isolation, you’re going to have neighbors. Most neighbors are pleasant acquaintances, and some can end up being very close friends. However, some end up giving you a headache and a half. Here are five ways to deal with horrible neighbors.
Try Reasoning with Them
It’s so obvious that you might not even consider it, but reasoning could be the solution you needed all along. It might turn out that the issue between you and your neighbors was more of a matter of miscommunication than maliciousness. Ask them if you can schedule a meeting where the two of you can address any recent difficulties you’ve been having.
Get a Facilitator Involved
Are you and your neighbor involved in a local homeowners’ association? If so, having them act as a middleman can be an immense help. With a facilitator, both sides can air their grievances while a solution is arranged. This works well if you have an HOA.
Give them the Cold Shoulder
Knowing that their actions are annoying you could be giving a sort of perverse pleasure to your horrible neighbors. If you don’t respond to them, they’re not going to know what to do. This might make them more frustrated, but the longer you persist, the sooner they’re going to realize that they don’t have anything left to throw at you.
Get Authorities Involved
Some bad neighbors are just rude, but others can be dangerous. If your neighbors are reckless in a way that could cause serious harm to you and/or your family, you want to get the authorities involved. Before you do so, make sure you give your neighbors a proper warning to cease their behavior at once.
Defend Yourself
Your neighbor’s negligence can go beyond annoyance and enter dangerous ground. Being a bad neighbor can be as much about what doesn’t do as what they do. For instance, if you’re bitten or attacked by your neighbor’s dog because they weren’t probably restraining them, you deserve to be taken care of. Hire a personal injury attorney and file a legal grievance against your neighbor.
Horrible neighbors can try to get your goat because they love drama or because they deliberately don’t care about considering the feelings of others. As a neighbor, you don’t have to succumb to their tendencies. Instead, you can rise above them by dealing with them in a mature and professional manner. By following these tips, you will have solutions to your neighbor problems.