Q&A for How to Deal With Bad Neighbours

Call the non-emergency police number and ask the police to help.

Not only can you tell them, you should. If this person already has a record, they have a right to know that they could potentially be in danger.

Have you approached your neighbors about this yet? That would be the first logical step. If they are uncooperative, you may want to consider involving the police, if the harassment is bad enough. Document and video any bullying so you have the evidence on hand if needed.

If the garden is your property and not communal property, tell them next time you see them in your garden you're reporting them for trespassing, and then do so. If it's a shared garden/gate, they have every right to go in and out whenever they please.

Assault with a deadly weapon is considered a serious offense. If you have a witness to the event, make sure to have that witness's statement documented. If no one saw this attack by vehicle, it's a case of "he said, she said." However, most law enforcement agencies takes such a case seriously and will have a talk with your neighbor.

If you're being threatened, call the police and file a report.

Document problem behavior and confront your landlord regarding your issues. See if there is a tenant's association that can help mediate the problem. Call the police if your neighbors are threatening or you are afraid for your safety.

Call 911 and inform the police of the situation, document the threats and take video of these people, and buy a security system.

Stay away and leave them alone. If the situation demands a confrontation, call the police and let them take care of it.

Tell your landlord about the threats. He/she should not stand for a new tenant being harassed. If the landlord doesn't help, then you consider somewhere else - since an unhelpful landlord can be a whole new problem.

Inform your/her landlord. If that does not help, notify your local police department.

You may have to call dog control to get their dogs removed and call town hall for the appropriate department to deal with the condition of their yard.

Have a word with the landlord, and document what is happening. Consider involving a lawyer, who could serve a noise abatement order if your neighbors will not listen to your "last chance" mediation on this matter.

If you're worried someone is spying on you, buy an infrared camera for the outside of your home. Make sure the resolution is high enough to capture the suspect's face, and mount it where it can't be reached.

Stay inside your house with all the doors locked, and if they approach your house with the rifle in their hands, call 911 or your local police.

If they're just unfriendly, leave them alone. Some people are just shy or don't like a lot of human contact.

Talk to them first. Ask them to ask their kids to stop kicking footballs at your house. If you've already done that, or if it doesn't work, call the police. Tell them there is a noise disturbance and your property is being damaged by the footballs.

Knock on their door and tell them that you are generally okay with the parties but are bothered by the cigarette butts and beer cans in your yard. Ask them to tell their daughter to please clean up after herself. If it continues to happen, threaten to call the police.

Knock on his door and apologize for whatever made him call animal control in the first place. Then ask him that if there are any further problems in the future, that he talks to you before calling them, so you can sort out the problem yourself.

Talk to them about the issue. If that doesn't work, contact the police in your city.

Talk to the parents first. Keep the conversation calm and rational, and provide whatever evidence you have proving that their child did these things. If they refuse to do anything about the situation (have their child apologize, offer to fix your property, etc.), go to the police the next time it happens.

When you can't have a civil and polite discussion with a neighbor, you need to understand that talking one-on-one isn't working. Enlist some help. I suggest you contact your local City Hall and ask about mediation services. Typically, most cities offer free mediation. If the dispute is serious enough, hire an attorney. Rudeness and use of profanity is just another form of bullying and needs to be dealt with accordingly.

Have you let them know their noise is keeping you awake nights? That would be the first step: a friendly conversation. If their response is defensive or negative response, contact their landlord (if renters) or the police (if homeowners). Continue to contact the police if the problem recurs.

Talk to them first, if you feel you can, or ask for help if you are too anxious or fed up with their actions. See if your local municipality has mediation sessions for neighbors, as this can be a great neutral way to bring you all together and keep things calm. It also depends on what the problems are, as some things are regulated and can be controlled, like too much noise or leaving garbage everywhere, while other things are harder to deal with, like peeping through curtains or painting their front door hideous colors.

It's up to your spouse to make it clear he/she is not interested. If your spouse makes that clear (or is for some reason unable to speak up), you can let the neighbor know (gently, at first) that his or her comments are making you and your spouse uncomfortable.

Just give a smile or wave, because that will leave your neighbor with a good impression of you.

Inform your/their landlord. If that does not help, notify your local police department.

No, as that will land you in legal trouble. If building a fence isn't financially feasible, you can place "no trespassing" signs and report further incidents to law enforcement. Let the police know you've already spoken to the neighbor about this and placed signs, but the behavior continues.

You could talk to them during daylight hours, saying something like, “Excuse me, Mr. Arthur, would you please close the door a little quieter if it is very late or very early? I would appreciate it very much.”

Not exactly. If you have a bad neighbor, the best thing to do is to discuss it in person. Yes, it might be scary, but would you rather spend the rest of your life dealing with the same problem(s)?