Nightmares every single night...sigh :(
User
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (57)
User
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
Nightmare neighbors and landlord...
Comments (5)What a horror story! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. First, there is one thing they may have legal grounds for, and that is restricting how much your boyfriend can be at the apartment. Check your lease. Many leases have a clause about visitors and how long they can stay. If your lease has such a clause, then you do have to limit the number of days per month your BF is there. Or you can have him added to the lease. However, unless there is language in the lease that specifically states that guests must be accompanied at all times, he should be able to stay in your apartment without you. So you really need to read your lease carefully. And google "Maryland landlord tenant law" to find out more about the laws where you live. In most states, state law trumps the lease. So even if there is a clause in the lease, if state law says otherwise, you don't have to follow that clause. So know the lease and know the laws, so you know what your rights are. Then start to document every single little thing that happens. Every interaction with the downstairs neighbors--every time they yell at you and what they say, every time they pound on their ceiling, everything that you can clearly trace to them (so not the disappearing laundry supplies, for example). And document every interaction you have with the office. Whenever they call with another neighbor complaint, make sure they tell you the exact day and time that the supposed noise occurred, so you can write this down. Also, if you can prove that the apartment was empty at that time, put the proof down. I'd go so far as to copy a time card from work, or have a toll receipt or a receipt for a cup of coffee, a copy of your work schedule. Anything that can prove the apartment was empty. Do you have a designated parking spot and can this be seen from your apartment? If so, get a small video camera and point it out the window. Then maybe you can capture the person writing on your car on camera. Call the local police on their non-emergency phone number and tell them that you have neighbors who are screaming obscenities at you as you enter and leave your apartment. You also suspect they are writing on your car and stealing your things from the common laundry room. You are afraid they might escalate from there. What should you do to protect yourself? Write down what they tell you. Take notes for two weeks. During those two weeks, obey the rules to the letter--boyfriend only over when you are there, tip toeing around, being as quiet as possible. Then request a meeting with the highest ranking management person you can find. Bring all your documentation and proof. Tell Management that you are tired of being harassed. And use that word--harassed. You have been contacted X times by the neighbors and Y times by management in 2 weeks and it has to stop. List everything you have done to reduce the noise coming from your apartment. Point out that it is above and beyond what the lease requires. You are not going to listen to the neighbors or management about noise issues again, unless there has been an actual violation of the lease. You will now be calling the police if the neighbors scream at you again. You are tired of being harassed like this. Since management hasn't been able to do anything, you are being forced to take the next step. You have consulted a lawyer about the continued harassment from both management and the neighbors. You do not wish to proceed to legal methods, but given the seriousness of their actions towards you, that is the next logical step. Point out that you are not in violation of any of the clauses in the lease. You are willing to add additional noise reduction to your apartment, if you are told of specific things that would definitely (not "might") help your neighbors. You are willing to be a good neighbor and a good tenant. But you are not willing to be harassed on a daily basis where you live. I think these people are taking advantage of the fact that you are a young single woman in her 20s. You have probably been very accommodating and polite, so they think they can walk all over you. I think it's time to stop re-acting to them and become more pro-active. As long as you aren't violating the lease, you should be standing up for yourself. Oh, and buy a chain door guard and use it whenever you are in your apartment. That will stop the management from entering while you are in there. Can't stop them from coming in when you aren't there, but at least they won't be able to surprise you when you are sleeping or showering....See MoreBorrowers Caught in Foreclosure Nightmare
Comments (35)A large part of the problem has arien frm the 'electronic recording' of note. Instead of actually shuffling paper, an electronic database is used to 'record' ownership of the notes. This was done to speed yup sale of the notes, and avoid the recording fees jurisdictions require to actually record the ownership of the note at the court house. There have been hints of problems dating back a couple years. Dutsche Bank created a shell company to securitize notes and issue bonds backed by the notes. They then wanted to save even more money and rolled the shell company into Dutsche Bank. When they then tried to foreclose on some defaulted notes, the court required them to prove they actually owned the notes. All they had was ownership of the bonds, the notes were still in the name of the dissolved shell company. It would be like you purchasing a Fannie Bond, and then claiming the right to foreclose a note 'included' in the bond. You own a bond from Fannie, NOT the underlying notes. Fannie owns the notes, and they are the one who must foreclose. The electronic recording database is a private company, set up just to make buying and selling of the notes faster and less expensive. Some courts have allowed the company status as the 'owner' of the notes, others have taken issue. For may years the whole thing was handled on paper. Each seller added a transfer of the note ownership to the paper file, and then had the new ownership recorded at the appropriate court. This 'hampered' the secondary market, so the recording database was created. At least some of the title insurance companies have had some heartburn with the lack of public record. Only the actual owner of a note can release the note (or someone they directly designate like a settlement company for sales). With ownership of the note not clearly and publicly recorded, how is anyone to judge if the release on full payment is valid? Just as with a quit claim deed, you can only convey your actual interest in a property. A quit claim for the Empire State building I might give you conveys nothing, since I have no interest in the Empire State building. In the name of faster they have managed to cause clouds on titles that may take some time to unwind, and in the meantime owners who have defaulted will escape foreclosure until the courts are satisfied with clear ownership of the notes (and not simply a bond backed by the note)....See MoreNightmare! Received cabinets, found Lowe's used wrong measurement
Comments (74)First, wamot, I'm sorry you're having to go through this. It's the nightmare we all have while planning and going thru a reno. I'm mostly putting this here for others who might find this thread down the line. I know that the GCs and KDs at each store are unique and that becomes part of the puzzle that we have to untangle as we make our decisions. We first went to Lowe's and had them measure (paid) and do a design. There were some things they wanted to do that we thought were excessive (possibly in the wake of the violations that lucille posted) and I felt that the 'designer' was more of a sales person. I think he might have been handing things off to another designer to do. I never once saw him in the design software. We REALLY liked the GC and tried to make it work because we wanted to work with him. But we decided to check out HD. A friend had HD do their kitchen last year, so they also had the recommendation thing going for them. We had measurements from Lowe's, but we had HD come out to measure to protect ourselves ($49 in the midst of this was a bargain, even though we'd already had to eat $91 for Lowe's to measure). The hard part for us was every step with HD took two times longer. There wasn't such a tight arrangement between GC and store. We had to wait longer at each step, and as such, while I was hoping our cabinets would be here next week or so but we're looking about another month out past that. The big reason I'm posting this here is that we were told the GC would come to measure and his wife did. I was not here, MIL was here and remarked what a thorough job she did and how impressed she was. The measurements went from GCs wife to KD. She tweaked the rough design we had based on my measurements to what the GC provided. She was off in four places. FOUR! So that led to a whole round of 'How are you putting that there, that won't fit?' because I knew pretty much all the measurements by heart. I remeasured most things, confirming my measurements with Lowes' measurements. We tweaked the plan for the 3rd or so time and the GC revisited to confirm everything was good. I'm pretty sure THAT's the point that they're responsible up to. After that, I did some switching of things. I did things like move to a 36x33 Susan to gain 3" more in trash pullout to get two cans and make a base and wall into a tall to create a transition from an area that will have a backsplash (interior wall) to an area that will have masonry behind it (exterior wall). Since no floor measurements will change, I should be good. My KD at HD is very good, but she let me know she was a little intimidated by me (and often regrets giving me an old spec book). And more related to the OP's issue, as I was deciding whether to make the jump to HD from Lowe's, I did some reading. I wish I could remember what I googled, but I read that if you want your kitchen done on time, don't use Lowe's. But if you want to save some money in the end, do. They're known for delaying things for many reasons (misordering, not organizing installs well) BUT the flip side is that there are non-performance clauses in their contracts and so you often get $ off per day for each day certain things are delayed. I'd look things over and see if you can find anything like what I'm remembering. I was concerned with Lowe's because they wanted us to pay for everything (all materials and all labor) up front and when I balked that I watched too much People's Court to pay contracting things up front...they have no incentive to finish, I was told there were non-performace clauses (just as I'd read on the internet). Whatever I googled, I also came across a forum with current and former Lowe's employee's posting about changes to the structure of the way they work with outside contractors etc. It was all very interesting. Good luck. If you end up doing away with the fillers, make sure that at least you don't get charged for what will become 'extra pieces you don't need'....See MoreLiving Room Layout Nightmare
Comments (66)Nice improvement. That's the very thing I would have suggested for the bay window. Have you ever tried the bedroom rug in this room? I think I like it better, and since it has no fringe, it might hold up to family traffic a bit better. However, it may be quite a bit smaller, but the center medallion would be a beautiful floor focal here. I do like leggy chairs to sit entirely on or off rugs. Did you ever try centering the rug with the bay and then floating the sofa to face the windows with a traffic path behind it? I think that would still leave room by the single window for the play area. You might also float the sofa directly out from that smaller window and put the chairs at the entry end, thereby blocking a bit of the play area from the view of the entry and social area. I preferred the hutch with art above instead of the books. Wonder if it could be hung above the chair rail on the opposite wall; sort of out of direct view from the entry and living area. If you moved the base into the living wall where your family portrait is, the space between the living and dining areas could be a nice play area. Lower the portrait to 5" above the hutch base. Would the two large gray framed pieces work right and left of the bay window, centered 5' above the floor? Hope you'll keep tweaking1...See MoreUser
4 years agoUser
4 years agoUser
4 years agoUser
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoUser
4 years agoUser
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoArapaho-Rd
4 years agoBluebell66
4 years ago
Related Stories
FEEL-GOOD HOMEIs Your Bedroom Designed for a Good Night’s Sleep?
Find out how the right nightstands, bedding, rugs, TV and storage can help you get more restful slumber
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOMEThe Pros and Cons of Making Your Bed Every Day
Houzz readers around the world share their preferences, while sleep and housekeeping experts weigh in with advice
Full StoryORGANIZING10 Principles of Organizing That Work in Every Room
Use these ideas to make it easier to find and put away your things
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESSingle Design Moves That Make the Whole Bedroom
Take your sleeping space from standard to extraordinary in one fell swoop
Full StoryMOVINGYour First Home: Beautiful Basics and Multitaskers for Every Room
Here’s what to choose and what to avoid when outfitting a new house
Full StoryKITCHEN STORAGEKitchen Storage Hacks to Make Use of Every Space
Cupboards full? Try these kitchen ideas for working more valuable storage into your cooking space
Full StoryLIFEOh Yeah, There’s a Snake in the House
A Houzz contributor lives through her worst nightmare and comes out the other side with lessons learned and new footwear
Full StoryBASEMENTSDesign Workshop: Is It Time to Let Basements Become Extinct?
Costly and often unnecessary, basements may become obsolete — if they aren’t already. Here are responses to every reason to keep them around
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPING7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Bedroom
Create a sanctuary where you can relax and dream without the nightmare of lurking messes
Full StoryHOUZZ TV FAVORITESHouzz TV: A New England Farmhouse Explodes With Color
Creativity and color burst from every corner in this unique 18th-century Massachusetts home for an artist and her family
Full StorySponsored
RNmomof2 zone 5