Karen Tries To Ban All Noise, Light, And Smoke, Police Call Her Delusional As Tenant Loses It

Nobody likes to have noisy neighbors. Living in an apartment building where there’s a tap dancer upstairs, a crying baby next door and a DJ downstairs is a recipe for insomnia and anger. So most of us try to be courteous and keep our noise levels down, especially at night.

But one man quickly learned that no matter how quiet he was, his neighbor was always going to have something to complain about. Below, you’ll find a story that this renter recently posted on Reddit detailing the harassment he’s received over the past few years, as well as a conversation between the author and Bored Panda.

This man was warned before moving in that his new neighbor was notorious for making complaints

Elderly woman peering through blinds, representing crazy neighbor in a legal conflict scenario.

Image credits: EyeEm / freepik (not the actual photo)

But he could have never anticipated how much harassment he would receive from her

Text about a neighbor suing a man again over a loud voice, focusing on a rental move and previous legal issues.

Text about a person’s nice new house, mentioning a notorious neighbor known for contacting the council.

Text about a parking fine on a car windshield related to neighbor dispute.

Text excerpt about a neighbor dispute and parking fines related to overhanging a driveway.

Text image discussing a neighbor dispute over parking and council involvement.

Text about a shared driveway barely fitting two cars, highlighting parking issues in a townhouse area; related to crazy neighbor.

Crazy neighbor issue: Trailer parked across two spaces, causing conflict between neighbors.

Text describing a rusted, registered trailer with flat tires, confirmed by neighbors to have been on the street for 25 years.

Neighbor dispute over parking and trailer registration on busy street.

Text excerpt about a neighbor issue involving a work light pointing into her backyard.

Letter from local council about a neighbor's light pollution complaint.

Text of a council's letter assuring a man about a neighbor's complaint, advising it can be ignored if his statement is true.

Text explaining neighbor's complaints about real estate and landlord instructions.

A person wrapped in a blanket, talking on the phone about a legal fight with a neighbor.

Image credits: sedrik2007 / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Text about a neighbor reporting someone for having visitors, related to a lawsuit situation.

Crazy neighbor sends lawn and bin updates via email.

Text conversation about neighbor dispute, heated argument over loud voice, nuisance complaint.

Text describing a legal dispute with a neighbor over noise, smoke, and light.

Text about neighbor conflict with over 160 noise complaints filed in 10 months for playing car radio on Sundays.

Text describes neighbor dispute involving noise complaints about playing guitar on a porch.

Legal conflict text expressing no police interaction despite 160 complaints, highlighting a neighbor dispute.

Text about a winter night incident involving a fire pit, related to a crazy neighbor suing again.

Text image showing lawsuit complaint about a bonfire on front grass, blaming smoke damage to curtains.

Text detailing a neighbor dispute over cigarette smoke, mentioning court action and claims of damage.

Text of mediation demand regarding noise after 7pm, related to neighbor suing dispute.

Text excerpt displaying a man discussing mediation and neighbor's demands.

Text detailing a dispute with a neighbor over noise complaints and shared living space responsibilities. Keywords: crazy neighbor.

Text detailing a lawsuit settlement with a neighbor, agreeing to drop the case and limit noise after 10pm.

Text exchange illustrating a neighbor dispute over noise between separate houses.

Text about neighbor harassment over noise complaints.

Image credits: zinkevych / freepik (not the actual photo)

Text reveals issues with a neighbor, mentioning calls to the cops and blocking the neighbor's number.

Text recounting a night with police shining torches in a yard, related to a crazy neighbor suing again.

Text from a noise complaint incident highlighting a police visit and neighborhood dispute.

Text describing a frustrated person while a neighbor screams at police.

Police officer in uniform gesturing outdoors concerning a neighbor dispute lawsuit.

Image credits: Kindel Media / pexels (not the actual photo)

Text from a dispute featuring a neighbor conflict and litigation actions.

Text about a recurring lawsuit with a determined stand against a neighbor.

Text excerpt about a lawsuit over a noisy Uno game with neighbors.

Image credits: Splicer201

“I will often sit outside at a friend’s house and feel paranoid, wondering why their neighbors are not yelling at them”

Friends enjoying an evening outdoors, gathered around a guitar player, with warm lighting creating a cozy atmosphere.

Image credits: standret / freepik (not the actual photo)

To find out more about this situation, we got in touch with Reddit user Splicer201, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. First, the author noted that the lawsuit is still ongoing.

“We are currently in the ‘discovery stage’ upon which each party must exchange what information they have that relates to the case,” he shared. “My neighbor has submitted over 130 documents including voice recordings, videos and pictures. One recording goes for 8 hours.”

“She (and her 20-something year old son, who is also on the lawsuit) have effectively recorded every conversation I have ever had since the week I moved in,” the OP continued. “I have also received all the emails she has sent to my real estate, one of which is a 6-page rant about how renters are bad for the community.”

But it turns out that this is far from the first time this woman has had an issue with someone in the neighborhood. “She picks fights with ALL her neighbors,” Splicer201 says. “The people who live on the other side have also been harassed by her in the same manner. And in the emails to the real estate, she claims that she is thinking of taking legal action against the people behind her as well. I’m not aware if she has sued anyone else other then me.”

Next, we asked the author if he’s ever considered moving due to this drama. “I have thought of moving, and may do so still. However, there are several factors keeping me here. One being I have a large dog (Alaskan Malamute), so I need a yard. This limits me to houses instead of apartments or units.”

“The house I live in currently is in a good spot, close to the CBD, work, and the airport, and the rent is quite a bit cheaper (landlord keeps it low because of her),” he continued. “Also, my city (and country for that matter) is in a bit of a rental crisis, which makes finding places to live very difficult.”

Thankfully, he said he enjoyed the replies to his post, though. “Helps reinforce that she is crazy, because all the law suit stuff makes me question my actions,” Splicer201 shared. “I will often sit outside at a friend’s house and feel paranoid, wondering why their neighbors are not yelling at them.”

Finally, the OP added that A Current Affair recently published a story on his situation that you can find right here.

Disputes between neighbors are extremely common

Two neighbors arguing over a fence in a heated dispute, showcasing neighborhood conflict and tension.

Image credits: korrawinj / freepik (not the actual photo)

Depending on where you live, you might be best friends with the couple next door, or you might not be able to name a single person who lives in your neighborhood. And according to a recent survey from Top Rail Fence, 65% of Americans admit that they actually hide from their neighbors to avoid interactions from time to time.    

This might include pretending you didn’t notice them, staying inside when you see them outside, acting like you’re not home when they call or ring the doorbell, wearing headphones while outside and pretending to be talking on the phone. Gen Zers are the most likely to hide out from neighbors, but every generation is guilty of it.

When it comes to issues that arise between neighbors, noise complaints are actually the most common. Aside from noise, parking disputes also appear quite often, as well as complaints about pets and children, property line disputes, trash disposal complaints and disagreements over the cost of shared amenities.

But in the end, the survey found that the majority of people, 60% to be exact, say that they would rather just put up a fence than have no neighbors whatsoever. So we have to learn to live with them!

If you’re struggling with a noisy neighbor, your rights in terms of how you can respond vary depending on where you live. In the United States, if you have a homeowner’s association in your area, you might want to take it up with them first. Meanwhile, others might simply resort to calling the police.  

If conflicts can’t be resolved cordially, it might be necessary to take legal action

Judge in a courtroom with participants during a legal proceeding involving a dispute with a neighbor.

Image credits: Anna Tolipova / freepik (not the actual photo)

This story happens to take place in Australia. And according to Cinzia Donald, a partner with Perth’s Lavan Lawyers, “Everyone has the right to use and enjoy their property without that right being materially and unreasonably being interfered with,” she told ABC RN’s Law Report.

But Donald recommends that neighbors attempt to resolve issues on their own first, without escalating a dispute to court. Often, if both parties are reasonable, a simple and honest conversation can do the trick. But if it doesn’t, the lawyer notes that residents can typically call their local shire or council. They can send someone in to measure the noise and see if it’s actually violating noise regulations.

But if alerting the neighbors of their excessive noise still doesn’t help, it might be time to contact a lawyer. If you’re going to go that route, though, it’s important to be sure that you actually have a legitimate case.

“For someone to succeed in a legal claim to prevent noise interference, they need to prove that the noise has had a material and unreasonable impact on them and their lifestyle,” Donald shared. “They are also required to demonstrate the steps they have taken to try and limit the impact of the noise.” 

In this particular story, it sounds like the cops rolled their eyes every time a complaint was made because they knew there was no real noise pollution taking place, so it’s unlikely that this woman would ever have a successful case. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to be the victim of her harassment.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments down below, pandas. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring disputes between neighbors right here.

Readers were appalled by the neighbor’s behavior, and many encouraged the man to fight back

Comment questioning at what point a lawsuit becomes harassment.

Comment discussing lawsuit advice against a neighbor, mentioning police reports and legal costs.

Discussion about a neighbor lawsuit, suggesting counteractions involving local noise ordinances and code enforcement.

Comment on neighbor suing again, advice to counter sue and suggestions for making it difficult for her.

Comment on legal advice about handling a vexatious litigant neighbor situation.

Text from a forum advising on dealing with a vexatious neighbor lawsuit.

Comment suggesting a restraining order, related to a neighbor suing conflict.

Comment advising legal action against a neighbor's harassment.

Comment suggesting tactics for dealing with a crazy neighbor lawsuit situation.

Comment on neighbor dispute involving adult protective services suggestion.

Reddit comment giving advice on dealing with a crazy neighbor lawsuit by documenting noise evidence.

Text from a discussion on trailer regulations and parking issues with neighbor.

Comment discussing neighbor dispute, suggesting cameras to document false claims and possible restraining order for harassment.

Comment discussing strategy against crazy neighbor lawsuit, emphasizing offensive approach.

Comment about harassment and legal vehicle parking limits in neighbor dispute.

Comment about a legal dispute with a crazy neighbor suggesting counter suing for harassment and damages.

Comment suggesting media involvement in a neighbor's lawsuit situation.

Reddit comment discussing trailer law, neighbor dispute, and legal advice.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a neighbor dispute with humorous advice.

Text exchange about a crazy neighbor lawsuit, discussing taking legal action and fighting back.

Text discusses a litigous neighbor suing a man repeatedly, causing distress.

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!