Being a jackass today.

[RYCeT]

I guess today is a bad day to me. When I went to my friend's house this morning. I tried to park my car and the right front tire goes on top of the sidewalk. When I tried to back it up, the sidewalk collapse

and my car stucks in the hole

. There's no damage to the car, only some scratches under the front bumper when the tow truck tried to get it out. It's not really bad actually, however the unlucky part is that sidewalk was in front of my friend's neighbour who's got bad blood going on since she moved in a year ago. I've told about this neighbour in head-fi. This neighbour is an old lady (60-65 yo IMO) To give some background these are what going on prior to what happen today.

Before my friend moved in, this neighbour called the police and firetrucks (3 police cars, 1 firetrucks and 1 paramedics came) because apparently she doesn't like my friend to paint and furnish the wood flooring inside my friend's house. She complaint about the odour. Mind you, that furnishing and painting was only for 3-4 days

When she moved in, this neighbour complain again, apparently the truck and the moving process gives too much noise.

My friends is a single parent and she gives birth to her son on march. She got a dog who goes potty on her fenced backyard. This neighbour complaint to the municipal about the dog's poop and got my friend ticket because of it, even if this neighbour knew my friends just give birth and need to take care her baby more and clean the dog poops every 3 days.

Believe me, even the police is getting tired of this old lady complaint.

So this morning when my car stuck, I called the tow truck to get my car out. After that I called 911 to get a police report on this incident. During my call to the police, this old lady came out of her house. She starts it with cursing and lots of bad words, since I'm the one who's apparently got my car stuck in the sidewalk, I tried to be patient and I told her that I'm CALLING the police right now to get this straightened up. This is what I said to her:
"Mam, I'm calling the police now, I will take care of this incident."
This is her reply:
"What do you mean you're going to take care of this, you think you got money to fix this. You and your friend only make trouble in this neighbourhood."
Already being upset to see my car stuck and since I'm not trying to run away from the troubles and tried to be responsible. My temper goes to the roof hearing this old lady replied. She's lucky that I'm still able to keep it to myself and told her, "I've got nothing to talk to you, wait for the police and deal with them yourself."
When the police came, I told them exactly what happen. They made a report and tell me to report it to my car's insurance policy and told her to report it to her homeowner's policy. I reported it to my auto insurance policy and told them to investigate this matter thoroughfully since it seems strange to me for my car (honda civic) manage to get a sidewalk collapse with one tire only. I'm not the person who tried to run from responsibility. I'm the one with initiative to call the police and report it to solve this mess but since she is being an ass than I think she better work hard and deal w/ my insurance to get it fixed. I guess that's what insurance is for, to deal w/ difficult people. If she didn't give me attitude this morning, I probably tried to fix it w/ contractors and not get the insurance involved and get it done within 1-2 weeks. The way it is right now, I wonder how long will it take to be done.

Right now I felt sorry for my friend, dragging her to this mess w/ her neighbour and not fix it sooner, but since I've reported to the insurance, there's nothing I can do than just wait and let my insurance company solve it for me. Damn, what a day, I need to chill now.

 

[shplorgh]

That does seem pretty strange for the sidewalk to just collapse like that...

But the neighbor's behavior is just completely inexcusable, reading things like these makes me feel lucky to have such great neighbors like I do. She should really watch it...

 

[D-EJ915]

Dang dude, that's some half-assed sidewalk.

As for that lady, wow, she's incredibly rude.

 

[utep10]

From your explanation, I think the title of the thread does not apply. You've taken responsibility for this. Maybe you mean your parking ability

.

I feel badly for your friend. Neighbors like that can be a real pain in the a**.

 

[RYCeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by utep10 From your explanation, I think the title of the thread does not apply. You've taken responsibility for this. Maybe you mean your parking ability . I feel badly for your friend. Neighbors like that can be a real pain in the a**.

I don't know man, right now I don't feel good of what I did this morning. All this time I always tried to be a responsible guy, letting my insurance to take care of this for me when I can take care of it sooner w/ calling contractors and get it done is just not good for me. But like I said, I've got the insurance involved so there's nothing I can do, and I definately do NOT want to deal w/ that old lady. At least w/ insurance taking care of it, I'm off the hook for the quality of repair.

 

[warubozu]

Wow, what a rotten day you've had. Sorry to hear you had to put up with such a grouchy neighbor who does nothing but to add insults to the pain. It isn't easy to back down and stay cool especially with a neighbor who has an attitude like that.

 

[rsaavedra]

Sorry to hear about this troubles you had. And that neighbor! It's almost unbelievable some people are really so absurdly hard to deal with. Hoping that neighbor leaves, or that your friend might find a better place and nicer neighbors, and might consider moving. Must be terrible to have a baby being a single parent, and living next to a non-helping-hand, non-kind person.

 

[tkam]

It never ceases to amaze me at how many inconsiderate and completely stupid some people can be and unfortunately your friends neighbor seems to be one of them.

 

[MrSlacker]

I feel your pain man. We live in an apartment and next door neighbors would always knock on our wall because we were "too loud"..... When they did it at 1 in the afternoon, my mom got so pissed that she just hit the wall VERY hard... after that they never knocked again.

 

[gshan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker I feel your pain man. We live in an apartment and next door neighbors would always knock on our wall because we were "too loud"..... When they did it at 1 in the afternoon, my mom got so pissed that she just hit the wall VERY hard... after that they never knocked again.

God I hate inconsiderate neighbors. The lady that lives upstairs walks around like she's stomping her feet or in high heels most of the day. She's a very small woman. A 6' 7" guy used to live up there, and we couldn't even tell he was there.

When I get a new place, it'll be top floor - and if it's a single house the walls better be good. (it's hard to find a house with space between others in SF).

 

[Kirosia]

That lady was unnecessarily rude, I doubt you spend your days goin' round destroying sidewalks. She seems to be one of those old codgers who has nothing else to do but complain about crap. That woman is being a wanker both to you guys and the local authorities. (whose time she's constantly wasting)

And honestly, you weren't being a j-hole at all. Even if you went off on her butt verbally, I still wouldn't have counted it against ya.

 

[sumone]

sidewalk collapse???

 

[archosman]

She may or may not have a case. Years ago I remeber that from the street the city can go 6 to 10 feet in if they want to. This is in case they have to rip up the street to repair a water/gas/electrical main. They're supposed to return it back to it's original state as well.

Way back in the late 70s Tulsa was one of the first markets to get cable. I seem to remember that it was only 30-40 channels. There were no cable-ready tvs back then folks. Anyway they came into our yard about 15 feet in to put in the cable line for the neighborhood. When they were finished they did a piss-poor job of restoring our front yard and wall. About a month later a salesman from Tulsa cable came by (yes... in the old days there wasn't much telemarketing!) and told my dad how great this new cable was and would he be interested in subscribing. My dad basically told him "No. And I'm going to tell everyone in the neighborhood not to subscribe either." When the salesman asked why he told him "You people never repaired the front driveway and wall properly. It's a mess and all I have to do is tell the neighborhood to look at this mess that's been in front of the house for a month." By this time their repairs had literally started falling apart.

Well guess what happened the next day?

There was an entire team of construction workers who came out, tore down the old wall and part of the driveway, and they fixed it perfectly. For nothing! Probably not a typical story in this day and age, but they really busted butt to restore our front yard.

Granted I don't know what your local laws are, but in our case the city can actually come into your yard from the street if there is due cause. Check it out.

 

[D-EJ915]

In Virginia (or at least norfolk and virginia beach) they like...can do stuff to the first 3ft or so of your yard without your permission, but you still "own" it technically...

 

[RYCeT]

Update:

Guess what guys, the sidewalk hasn't been repaired yet by my insurance. I just called my insurance today and they told me that currently they're waiting for Philadelphia public authority to repair the sidewalk and send them the bill. The annoying neighbour demand my friend to repair eventhough she knew that my insurance is taking care of it. She is an idiot. Actually she can make it faster by filing a claim to her homeowner's insurance and ask her insurance to bill mine.

My friend is also got another warning for her dog's poop. This is after my friend clean it daily at 7.00 pm. Of course there will always be dog poop if you inspect it in the afternoon. My friend is furious because of it and she's going to meet w/ the inspector to complain. There's also some neighbours in her block who put dog in the rear yard and got some dog poops inside their yard, yet the only one who got a notice is my friend and her mistake is having an annoying old lady as her neighbour.

She also got a warning because she put her broken dryer outside on her fenced backyard. Does the public authority can issue a warning for a broken dryer which put outside the house but still inside the fenced backyard?
What choice does my friend have to get her annoying shut her mouth? Can she challenge the warning issued by the inspector? Can she do anything to stop her neighbour bothering her?