I moved into an older apartment building, that has 8 apartments. I'm guessing it was built somewhere in the 40's or 50's. It's the kind that still have the old disconnected gas pipes through the walls where they once would have had a gas light on each floor. Anyway, I live in an apartment with another apartment below me and and 2 above mine, on my side of the building. The man above me is a musician. I didn't know this before moving in. Within a few short weeks of living here I met him. He was sitting on the stoop with the handy man chatting when I approached the stoop I introduced myself to him. He displayed a blanc look on his face. I told him I love music and I can hear him clearly while he practices. I even asked where he plays out, and he responded Brooklyn. i suggested that if he lets me know when he is playing, that I would go to see his show. The handyman chimed into the conversation and I learned he had a large band. I offered information about my relatives who play instruments and they built a sound proof room so they didn't disturb others in their house. I suggested (very politely and within the conversation contents) that he might want to consider soundproofing too. He didn't acknowledge me, however the sound proofing idea was being discussed by both of them when I entered the building and politely wished they have a good day. I believe all went well since they continued the conversation on sound proofing. After several weeks of listening to loud foot tapping over me and musical instruments being played and usually the same notes over and over again and again, I realized that their practice time, grew a little more each day as time went on . When I first moves in I was working then lost my job. so I am here day after day and became aware that they were not only living upstairs but using the apartment as a sound/music studio. They have drums. clarinet, and other horns that I am not able to distinguish the names, but go from high pitches to extremely low pitches. They practice and practice continually tapping their feet to the tempo. As they play faster and louder they tap harder into the floor to the point that pieces of ceiling fall onto my floor. when they hook up the horns to amplifiers and other musical equipment it electrifies the sounds and vibrates through the ceiling, shaking the ceiling fan and lights, the water pipes and the radiators and windows and everything else in the apartment. I swear the floor vibrates too, even though the music is coming through the ceiling above me. if i had a job and money I would quietly move, but immediately, Unfortunately I can't afford it at this time. I have found myself yelling up to them and asking them to please stop tapping their feet on the floor because the ceiling is falling and everything is vibrating. I have to ask several times and then they stop usually by adding several stops on the floor. It reminds me of what a child would do when they are rebelling. But these aren't children. I put up with this thinking the chain of command was the handyman to the landlord which is what the handyman I moved told me when I moved in and I had no reason not to believe him. But it has been over 2 years and nothing has been done. The reason I waited was although I pay my rent but occasionally I get behind about 5-10 days. But I believed the landlord was getting the information from the handyman, after all he is now the superintendent of this building. Yet It has gotten worse since I first moved in. It was him and one other, now she lives with him. i believe their are others as well living there from time to time and they all play instruments together. I lost my cool and yelled up to the ceiling one day a few weeks ago when they played from about 2pm until after 11pm. I am sorry for being so wordy here but I wanted to give you as much of a picture as posible. Is there anything I can do, just short of moving? Thank You

I was worried about that before we moved into this apt., because I had been living in a house. So before we moved in I used the bug bomb; roach motel and put out rat poison. This place had new carpeting; new kitchen flooring and was freshly painted and professionally cleaned. I didn't ever get any bugs in the traps or laying down with their little feet up in the air. I take my garbage out every nite; don't leave dirty dishes in the sink, or cookies out. Yet other people in this building complain about bugs. But I went into somebody's kitchen and they had a paper bag for the trash (no can) and it was overflowing with shrimp shells at 10am. They complained the bugs were terrible. I guess bugs know where to go for dinner. Talley is right about the bed bugs, the Wall Street Journal said even the fanciest hotels have that problem.

Many many things are done without permits within the city of Philadelphia, and to my knowledge it never comes back on anyone at the time of sale. The house I bought had an un-permitted bathroom that was completely new (which I removed), and an existing bath and kitchen renovation which were un-permitted (Bathroom replaced, kitchen to be replaced). When I was getting inspections for new plumbing work for an entirely new bathroom in the basement and when I had permits for the roof, I asked the inspector if most people got permits for remodels of existing baths and kitchens and she said No, most people don't, and they aren't so worried about kitchens and baths that are replacing existing, they are more worried about people making structural changes without permits, which apparently happens a lot, too. It's a fairly lax system compared to many locales. To be honest I have not gotten permits for every single thing I've done. but all my work is done by people who do More than required to meet code, not less.

Let me get this straight. You built a living space with no permits, are storing cars and trailers illegally, and now the public servant who is simply doing the job we're paying him to do is being a "dick"? I lived in Oakland county for a decade. Had a neighbor run electric and a hose out to his mother-in-law's 5th wheel parked in the driveway in a neighborhood of $400,000.00 homes. I couldn't get inspection to do a damn thing. Too bad this inspector didn't work for Orion township in 2011. Throw yourself to the mercy of the bureaucrats. Comply with the law. Pay for your mistakes. Don't whine and name-call. Thanks.