Recently had to move back to my apartment cause I broke up with my bf. To start MOVING IS IMPOSSIBLE for many reasons, please don’t even ask.
Was hoping for a fresh start with the psychopaths who live below me. I did everything possible to gaslight myself into thinking it was all just a big misunderstanding and that there was hope to repair our relations.
Basically the first day, I had ptsd from before. I tried my hardest to tip toe the entire day, and to never walk quickly so that I don’t bother them (dress despite hearing them stomping and walking aggressively).
The entire time I am on edge because every time I make the smallest noise they counterattack it, doesn’t matter if it’s an accident or once per day. So basically my body and mind is always in a state of fight or flight, bracing itself constantly for a reaction.
Even then, I had to listen to them being noisy af. At one point I tried to turn on my tv on THE LOWEST VOLUME and it wasn’t in response to anything they did. They immediately but some vibrating device on and it kept buzzing it sounded like a drill but it was just a ceiling vibrator and I recorded it. They stopped since then I think they realized it’s too obvious or they could only use the plausible deniability to confuse it with some dude that was renovating for 5 minutes.
After 3 days have passed of living here, I’m realizing there seems to be no winning.
Basically their rules are, that they can make as much noise as they want, but if I make the tiniest noise I will be punished.
Not only that, but they also attack unprovoked. I feel like they are genuinely trying their absolute hardest to get a reaction out of me, it’s like their hobby or something. The third day I put my earplugs in, and even when I was COMPLETELY SILENT LYING ON THE COUCH FOR HOURS, they started escalating and they dropped a really heavy object to the point where the whole apartment building vibrated. They also hammer all day at random times including quiet hours but they do it really quietly, to the point where it’s legal. Like its enough to drive you literally insane.
They also randomly aggressively stomp and they also do stuff to imitate me. Like if I read something funny and laugh (im not obnoxious) right after they will slam stuff or stomp aggressively. Keep in mind I literally laughed once not like I’ve been annoying them 24/7.
Now everyone will try to gaslight me but there’s a lot more that proves they are doing it on purpose, and I’m NOT delusional or imagining things.
Is there actually nothing I can do? Like I don’t even think sueing them would help cause they’re not gonna move out.
I just don’t get why they’re doing it. I’m also worried about them framing me. I feel like most people in the apartment have already turned against me cause I’m the only foreigner who speaks with an accent here.
For example, once I tried going to different floors to see where the sound was coming from, and 2 different people complained immediately and reported me saying I’m “creepy” and “invading their space” and need to stop immediately or they’ll call the cops (I was a 26 year old girl at the time)…
They immediately threatened they would have a meeting with me and the property manager and the other 2 people to have a “talk” with me
I just don’t know wtf to do anymore and I don’t understand why I’m the target of everything
Had this problem at one point with upstairs neighbors who outside of making noise also did other insane shit such as trying to use my ground floor patio as a staging area for furniture they intended to winch up to their 2nd story condo without any consent from myself or the building management because apparently trying to winch a 200 LB armoire over a flimsy railing and denying someone else access to their patio was somehow easier in their minds than riding an elevator with it 1 floor upwards.
Record it, every time it happens and note the date and the time. And then every time it happens, send the documentation to your board/building manager pursuant to whatever noise bylaws you have. Eventually, someone will agree it is an annoyance and then they will get warned, and then when they don’t stop, they will get fined.
In my case it did take a fucking year, but because fines at my condo double per infraction, so eventually they were essentially evicted by proxy because the fines were likely into the tens of thousands and they couldn’t afford to continue living there the way they were.
The last of the many arguments I heard from them through the ceiling was when they were trying to move out, and between the two of them they couldn’t seem to manage carrying a bed frame down their hallway 10 feet without scraping the fucking shit out of their walls and started accusing each other over whose fault it was.
Lastly, look into “Mighty plugs ear plugs”. They are the best ones I have ever found, and gave me some respite from the noise. If you feel as though you can’t when you sleep because you won’t hear the alarm, go look for alarm clocks made for deaf persons that have a vibrating mattress pad. Great combination, you can sleep completely deaf but still wake up on time.