I will feel like an a$$hole if I make a complaint but I'm not sure what else I can do...
My neighbors for the past several years have not been the easiest to live with. They are noisy and fill the shared alcove in front of our doors with racks of shoes, boxes, and suitcases that are an issue if I am leaving home with a sports bag (i.e. at least twice per week). I have avoided confrontation because I have felt sympathy for them.
Our flats are small, but face the race course, and are priced accordingly. SB and I love the view so we choke down the cost of rent compared to the tininess of the flat. The neighbors have a smaller flat, but I imagine that the rent is not reduced greatly. I'm pretty sure that they couldn't afford the rent by themselves. I often see him by a truck receiving carts full of cardboard in the morning while I walk the dogs, and I don't imagine that managing cardboard collection pays well. I have seen her reselling open suitcases of used clothing on a street corner. I don't think she is rolling in mad cash either. They have several bunk beds in their living room and I'm fairly certain from the constant comings and goings that they rent out the bunks to tourists and live-out domestic workers.
I hate stumbling over the rows of suitcases outside of my door. There are often foul smells coming from the boxes and other items in the hall. They have a friend who sells supposedly organic fruits and vegetables on another street corner and she often leaves her boxes in the hallway overnight. Two weeks ago I discovered a small cockroach strolling across the floor and had a small meltdown.
Aside from knocking on their door on three occasions, I have never made a complaint. Once I had to knock when the mess actually blocked my ability to enter my home, and the other two times were when some items in their pile smelled so foul that they fouled up the air in my flat. Other neighbors have complained and the management response has been to post warnings on our doors, to no avail. My next door neighbors simply ignore the warnings. I cringe whenever I see a warning on my door because I wonder if the other neighbors actually think that some of the mess is mine. I have thought of filing a complaint due to fire safety issues but I would feel like a jerk if I harmed their ability to earn a living wage by forcing the removal of the suitcases. I just don't know what else to do.
My neighbors for the past several years have not been the easiest to live with. They are noisy and fill the shared alcove in front of our doors with racks of shoes, boxes, and suitcases that are an issue if I am leaving home with a sports bag (i.e. at least twice per week). I have avoided confrontation because I have felt sympathy for them.
Our flats are small, but face the race course, and are priced accordingly. SB and I love the view so we choke down the cost of rent compared to the tininess of the flat. The neighbors have a smaller flat, but I imagine that the rent is not reduced greatly. I'm pretty sure that they couldn't afford the rent by themselves. I often see him by a truck receiving carts full of cardboard in the morning while I walk the dogs, and I don't imagine that managing cardboard collection pays well. I have seen her reselling open suitcases of used clothing on a street corner. I don't think she is rolling in mad cash either. They have several bunk beds in their living room and I'm fairly certain from the constant comings and goings that they rent out the bunks to tourists and live-out domestic workers.
I hate stumbling over the rows of suitcases outside of my door. There are often foul smells coming from the boxes and other items in the hall. They have a friend who sells supposedly organic fruits and vegetables on another street corner and she often leaves her boxes in the hallway overnight. Two weeks ago I discovered a small cockroach strolling across the floor and had a small meltdown.
Aside from knocking on their door on three occasions, I have never made a complaint. Once I had to knock when the mess actually blocked my ability to enter my home, and the other two times were when some items in their pile smelled so foul that they fouled up the air in my flat. Other neighbors have complained and the management response has been to post warnings on our doors, to no avail. My next door neighbors simply ignore the warnings. I cringe whenever I see a warning on my door because I wonder if the other neighbors actually think that some of the mess is mine. I have thought of filing a complaint due to fire safety issues but I would feel like a jerk if I harmed their ability to earn a living wage by forcing the removal of the suitcases. I just don't know what else to do.
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