Rasmusen Family

More Complaints!

Posted by Amber , Monday, August 25, 2008 Monday, August 25, 2008

As I told everyone before, our neighbors below us complained only two days after we moved in about the 'loud banging' coming from us. Well... I thought I would update everyone on that situation.

Ben and I thought everything was fine, so we went about our business as usual while we encouraged Noah not to run and fall during the evening hours. At the beginning of August, however, we received a note on our door from our neighbors below explaining that the banging was so loud it was shaking the photos on their walls! She also said that "she hopes we can continue to have a good relationship", but also explained (though not in her words)that if things didn't change it was going to become sour. Well great! Here we go... I was worried at this point because not only was Noah loud enough, Tom and Rachel got here that day... bringing with them two more children! So I wrote her a note back telling her that I understood her frustrations, and that we are trying to keep Noah's noise at a minimum. I also asked her to understand that Noah is only 1 and likes to run, jump, climb and fall. I told her we would try extra hard in the evenings to take the bulky toys away so they wouldn't fall and would do my best to keep Noah from running and falling. That was the end of that... or so we thought!

About two weeks later, we received another letter. Not from our neighbors, but from the complex we live in. The letter states that there was a complaint about noise "loud crying" coming from our unit between the hours of 4-8 p.m. They explained that they consider this type of noise "acceptable daily noise" but that we should consider closing our door and windows in respect for others during these times. (How are we supposed to do that when it is hotter than hot and the utility bill is $350 without running the air conditioner?) They also said that they told the complainers to close their door and windows to block it out for themselves. We are allowed "acceptable daily noise" everyday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Noah is only awake from 8-8 with a 2-3 hour nap during the day, so we fall right into those acceptable hours. So we think "ok, we will try to not let the crying annoy them". That was the end of that... or so we thought!

Only a few days after that, someone from our realtor's office calls Ben. (A little back story... our neighbor from below works in the same building as our realtor, so it is super easy to complain.) The lady on the phone told Ben that they are received almost daily complaints from our neighbors below about the "loud banding" again. They are upset because after dinner they like to watch a movie and they can't hear the movie because of the noise. So that lady was asking Ben what was going on. Ben said listen... we have tried and tried to help the situation. We take loud toys away, we don't let them run or jump in the evenings, we try to get out of the house in the evenings, all so that we can give them a rest. We can't control when our child cries or falls or screams in excitement. The lady said she understood and that she is sorry they are complaining all the time. There is no chance for eviction because we aren't doing anything wrong. She is glad to hear we are trying our best and is prepared to tell the lady to drop it. So hopefully that is that!

I am willing to tell our realtor that if our neighbors want us gone bad enough, we will break our lease at their expense! Then they won't have to deal with us and we won't have to worry about letting our child be a child anymore. I am done with apartment living!! There is no way this little man could make you that upset! Right?


Alright, I am done venting! Next post I will try and make a little less bummerish.