My wife, Sue, and I have been fortunate over the last few years. We've had good neighbors!
Bob next door has every type of hand and power tool imaginable, and will even use them for you, if you need him to (a great guy to know - yes?). The lady down the block has lived here in our South Edgebrook Neighborhood here in Chicago since 1952. She's getting up there in years - but she still keeps an eye on everthing that happens up and down our street.
There have been times, however, when we have not been so lucky. Growing up in an old courtyard apartment building in Chicago's West Rogers Park Neighborhood, we could here every word as the couple downstairs would argue with each other - often, nightly!
Tenants in one of my investment properties often complain about the guy upstairs playing his brand-new, 64" widescreen HDTV too loud, with bass from his sub-woofer waking them up at 1:30 each morning.
And what about the guy a couple of doors down who thinks his back yard is a car repair shop - for un-driveable 1960's vintage Dodges and Chevys?
Well here in the Chicago area, some suburbs have set up procedures for resolution of Neighbor-to-Neighbor disputes (in the City of Chicago, however, city-sponsored options are fewer, however).
Northwest Chicago Suburban Des Plaines IL starts with the Alternate Dispute Resolution Process. This old fashioned process involves the police coming over, and separately, then together, talking to disputing neighbors to attempt to find mutual common ground. The threat of going to court if neighbors can't work things out "like grown ups" looms heavy as an incentive here!
Over 50 Suburban Chicago Towns and Municipalities, and several of the unincorporated areas, are members of the Northwest Municipal Conference. They provide, sometimes for a fee, professional, independent mediation services through the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago. Agreement is written, and potentially enforceable in court, if it later needs to be.
Mark Fowler, Executive Director of the NWMC, says the key is to keep talking - calmly - to resolve inter-neighbor disputes. "If they can't do that, then they should contact their municipality and see if there's some services that they may be able to provide. If it's an ordinance violation, it's pretty clear-cut what's allowed and what isn't. But if it's a dispute over behavior, there are options available."
There's even a new website, RottenNeighbor.com, where neighbors can comment, good or bad, about those who live next door. Indeed, you may be able to research your nearby neighbors before you move in! (This site offers links to the national database of sex offenders as well, for an added measure of security).
Of course, we all subscribe to the "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" philosophy. Sometimes, as we all know, however, this doesn't work!
See our post today @ BlogChicagoHomes.com for more info, as well as a link to William Hageman's story in last Sunday's Chicago Tribune.
DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
Sounds like a wonderful process. Other communities really need to have such a program.
I've had my share of nutty neighbors, too. This sounds like a good program.
Great post!! I'm checking out my neighborhood on rottenneighborhood.com right now. My next door neighbor is just clueless and oblivious - I'm not sure that qualifies as a rotten neighbor though.
That rottenneighbor.com link is great -- funny! Of course it seems like every house I move to is right across from the messiest house on the block. Does that make mine look better?