I smoke on my patio..i even bought a smokeless ashtray because of my neighbor..she still complained..i said do u want me to smoke in my apartment so it can go right up in your apt..this woman is miserable..some people u cant please..EVER..now I know why shes been divorced a few times..lol..mind u she can be VERY loud especially at night

This project/posting was 8 months ago, so I am sure it's probably finished by now.

Perhaps Rosa could tell us all how she made out.

Rosa, we await to hear from you.

Sorry for the lack of updates about this project.

Eventually, my contractor was able to comply with the normal working hours. In spite of this, the neighbors kept complaining. Ironically, they never complained when I was around but would only (for lack of a better word) bully the workers when the contractor wasn't around.

For my next-door neighbor, what worked was me talking to the association president. I mentioned that I was already complying with the work schedule and that the noise generated was the kind normally generated by construction work. I even pointed out that the work was being done in a location that was farthest from that particular neighbor so unless he was being overly sensitive, there was nothing else I could do about it. I believe the association president called that particular neighbor and he stopped complaining after that.

The neighbor who lived behind me (who was also complaining) pretty much did the same thing: would complain when I wasn't around, but didn't mention anything when I was in the vicinity. I called that particular neighbor and, surprisingly, it was the housekeeper who was complaining. When I discussed with the housekeeper what her issues were, it turned out she just felt offended I didn't inform her previously of the work to be done. They never complained after that.

There was another neighbor who complained about the paint fumes (when they were spray painting cabinet doors) and the smell. The contractor had put up tarps in the area where they were painting and other neighbors who were closer didn't complain about it. I couldn't even smell the alleged fumes myself when I was in another part of the house. I told him that there was nothing I can do about the smell if it carried onto his property (the wind was beyond my control!) and that what was needed to minimize the smell had already been done.

Yes, the project has been finally completed. I don't think I want to do any repairs in the future - this one was too traumatizing. BTW - I don't know if I had disclosed this previously, but I live in a third world country where the rules regarding these things aren't as strict as they are in the United States. Most of the time, there aren't even any rules!

Lastly - my next door neighbor (the one who incessantly complained about the noise) had his roof replaced over the long weekend (over here). Now, there's a rule that no work can be done on holidays and sundays so technically, he shouldn't have had work done. Since he's the association treasurer, apparently he felt he can bend the rules when they work in his favor. I chose not to complain but made a mental note that next time I get more work done at home, his own violation can be easily raised as an issue against him.

Wow...glad you're finished!!! It's no fun dealing with jerks...and your neighbor is a giant one.

Thanks for up-dating us. We always wonder what happened. Enjoy your reno.

I realize I'm late to this discussion. As a homeowner who is suffering through a noisy house remodel next door, I'd say that trying to maintain a good relationship with the neighbor is in both his and your interests. Ignore the "pros" who told you to blow off the neighbor and even punish him by working right up to the last minute of the ordinance time. Contractors have no investment in getting along with the neighbors who are impacted by their work. You, on the other hand, have to live next door to them once the work is done. And try to place yourself in the neighbor's place (which could well happen to you anytime). Home is where one hopes to be able to be able to relax. Construction noise that goes on 12+ hours a day for months on end makes that impossible. You benefit from improving your house and thus are willing to put up with the noise. The neighbors, however, gain nothing tangible from your house improvement and lose much quality of life during this time. Noise ordinances in public areas are always written to benefit contractors and developers, and there is an assumption that residents have to just bite it. When a neighbor has the temerity to complain, contractors and owners like you think they're being completely unreasonable. Contractors do have an obligation under most ordinances to take steps to limit the impact of their noise with barrierss or restricting noisiest activities to a limited time of day, but rarely do so unless pushed by neighbors or police. You can help yourself by advising the neighbors of times when particularly noisy activities will occur, asking the contractors to restrict their noisiest activities to "business" hours (8:00-6:00), and acknowledging their concerns. I hope your remodel turned out well.

eb if you read the comments, work is done.

Most important thing to remember: home improvements benefit everyone, including your neighbors. Never hesitate to remind them of this. Also remind them that when they had their own renovations done, which were a tremendous inconvenience to yourself, you did not say a thing and were completely patient, even though the neighbors never bothered to consult or warn you about what was going on. You might also throw in the fact that there was a town hearing on the matter, which was very transparently announced, including an official memo mailed to each neighbor, which described the intended work and that the day of the very well publicized hearing would have been the time to voice any concerns. Provided the work is being done only on weekdays between 8am & 5pm, and excess garbage is cleaned up, that should do it.

Hey guys. I am a student living in my first apartment. I spend a lot of time studying (sometimes at odd hours.) I took a break Friday to talk to my gf for a few hours to the early morning. Then after hanging up with her, I start receiving loud knocks (banging) at my door. I never threw a party in my apartment ever. And usually hardly make any noise. I was excited after studying for a week to finally talk to my girlfriend. I was skeptial who could be banging on my door but I assumed it was my "downstairs" neighbor. I didn’t answer the door. Question, if there is a crazy neighbor that is banging on your door because talking to your girlfriend inside your apartment on the phone (with the windows shut) then comes to your door complaining should you just tell them what they are doing is harassment, and if they don’t go away you will call the police? Thank you.

So you didn't say what he/she was complaining about - I assume he couldn't hear your conversation, but maybe there was something else he wasn't happy about.

Might be a good idea to talk with them - along with the landlord, to see what the problem is. And if you did do something that bothered the enjoyment of his/her apartment, apologize and move on. Seems that there is a lot of unknowns here. You assumed in was the downstairs neighbor.

I have run into the same dilemma. I have been redoing my bathroom on my own for months as the only time I have on the weekend and evenings. The association rule is no noise after 10. I used to try until 8 and got complaints. Now I limit it to Sundays until 3 and today I got a complaint about the noise. I even asked what time are they not around so as not to bother them and I got the respond "Well hurry up and wrap it up, already

We're dealing with a similar narcisstic architect neighbour who is building a horrific monolith - construction is from 6:45 am to 7:30 pm. This is the third summer of whining saws, contractors yelling and swearing at 6:45 am, dust and massive disruption. Horrendous neighbour who won't listen to any of the 60 families in close proximity.