J.H. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
I purchased the condo I currently live in 5 months ago. I live in the bottom unit and have 2 units above me. The woman who lives above me has complained that we are slamming the front door. She has taken to slamming on the floor when we close the front door. The issue for us is we are just closing the door and have never slammed it. We have now added cushioning and we almost never close the front door unless we are leaving the condo with no one in it or going to sleep. At this point, we feel like we are being harassed by our upstairs neighbor especially since she is deliberately pounding on the floor. I have documented every instance, encounter and phone call. What next steps should we take?
Mister Condo replies:
J.H., it sounds as though you and your upstairs neighbor have hit a rough patch. Ideally, everyone will play nice and respect each other’s peaceable enjoyment of the condominium. However, there is a significant percentage of the population who never learned and don’t practice good manners. When these folks live in tight living places like condominiums, chaos and unpleasantness typically ensue. You say you have documented every instance, encounter, and phone call. What are you doing with that information? You should complain to the Board about any rules violations. Harassment has a legal definition that is not typically addressed by your condo association. Instead, lawsuits and even police action may be called for. Talk to an attorney if you feel you are being harassed and get the legal advice to see if you can sue your neighbor if that is what you wish. Keep in mind, anything that you do will escalate this poor behavior from your neighbor. If it were me, I would try to extend an olive branch to see if this disagreement can be settled. Otherwise, I might consider moving. There is no reason to subject yourself to a bad neighbor. Sorry this isn’t working out. All the best!