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You can’t choose your family, and unfortunately, the chances of being able to choose your neighbours is close zero too — unless you are planning to spy on them to find out what kind of people they are before you buy your new home. But what if you’ve already purchased it? Even if you have chosen a peaceful part of the city to live in, it doesn’t make any difference. You can come across annoying (or just completely different) people anywhere; they don’t prefer hectic or calm areas. Usually they will bother you with loud music, dogs, or cars occupying your parking space. And if you don’t do anything to stop it, you are very likely to end up as distressed and confused as Jim Carrey in the movie Me, Myself & Irene. But that is not what you want, is it? I guess you haven’t paid a large sum of money only to be bothered by somebody who disrespects your rights. I’d like to take you now on a trip and show you some useful tips that could help you do the first step. One more thing: don’t forget your courage! Facing your neighbours The first thing to remember is that things won’t change until you speak up. And I’m sure that two sensible people can find a solution, provided neither of them is an alien. Communication is the substance of every relationship, so you should try to use this powerful weapon in such situations. A good piece of advice is not to attack the other person like a rabid dog. Instead, act and speak in a constructive manner, because accusing other people has never been a solution. Besides, your neighbours may not be doing the things you consider annoying on purpose. To avoid finding yourself in such a situation, you should try to improve your relationships right from the beginning. Again, communication is a powerful tool, so don’t underestimate it. Chatting with your neighbours every time you meet them instead of only saying hello and ignoring them is the simplest thing you can do, and it really pays off. When you add sincerity and willingness to compromise, your relationships will flourish. It’s as simple as that. But what if your neighbours don’t match this ideal picture? Looking for allies As a Vancouver Realtor I'm familiar with a similar scenario. I get in touch and negotiate with many people, and unfortunately, not all of them are willing to compromise; sometimes it’s even like talking to a brick wall. If you find yourself in such situation, starting to look for people who could give you a hand is the best thing you can do. There are often more victims affected by your neighbours' behaviour, so it shouldn’t be difficult. This situation is more common in a condo, although you can encounter it as a house owner too. If you don’t manage to find anyone, don’t give up; there are also various online forums like Neighbours From Hell and Annoying Neighbors offering plenty of experiences and solutions you should consider before resorting to heavier weapons. Hiring a mediator Taking your problem to court can be a nuisance, and most people try out all possibilities before deciding to take this final step. One more piece of advice that could save you time and money is to hire a professional to find a solution. A mediator looks at the problem from both perspectives and then arranges a meeting. Statistics show that 85 per cent of cases are settled this way and the client doesn’t need to take the issue to court. This service is sometimes offered for free (by some condo boards or volunteers), but if you decide to ask for help from a special organization, for instance the ADR Institute of Canada, you could pay up to $3,000 for a full-day session. Last resort So we are at the very end of our options, and your likelihood of seeing justice served is diminishing. The bad news is that if your relationship with your neighbour has been far from ideal, from now on it will be even worse. Besides, lawsuits aren’t cheap at all. Should your claim be higher than $25,000, you’ll also need a lawyer. If you lose, you should prepare to pay all the expenses (your own, your neighbour’s, and the damages). Well, as you can see, dealing with a bad neighbour is not at all pleasant, but with enough patience and the right approach, you can achieve what you want. And remember: the tactics you decide to use are very subjective, and it depends on every single case.
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