Neighborly Animosity, Part 2

Yeah, I wasn't expecting a part 2 either.

There was a knock on my door the other day. Had I realized it was my neighbor, I wouldn't have answered. Alas, I did answer. And my neighbor had another problem. And of course, none of the other people in my building were home. Let me take a minute to tell you that we actually have a front door that opens to the outside and has glass in it, so you can see inside. The other 3 flats in my building share a front door. Thus if someone comes to their front door, they don't have to answer. They also don't have the privilege of having windows on the ground floor. Windows that pesky neighbors walk up to. GRR. I am convinced my fellow building-sharers are just not answering the door for this pesky neighbor. So, once again, I was the next best thing.

Her problem? Now that we don't have a pipe hooked up to our rain gutters, water from the snow covered gutters is dripping down the front of the building. And let me emphasize DRIPPING for you...we are not talking about a waterfall here. And as this water is dripping, some of it is coming over to the front of her house. The problem? Well, if this continues to happen, the water will seep though her walls. WHAT? This is Aberdeen. It rains 3/4 of the year. If water doesn't seep through your walls then, I think you are fine. Whatever though.

About this time, Ian walks out and has the privilege of meeting our neighbor. We are now both trying to explain to her than (1) we don't own our flat (2) we are moving (3) we don't really care. She then explains to us that she likes getting things done by threatening people. No joke. She really said this. As you may recall, last time she threatened to sue.

Anyway, we finally got her to leave. And she has now erected something to keep the water off the front of her house. A sled.


I actually think this is making things worse. Before the water just fell to the ground. Now it bounces off the sled and on to the building. Given that it is still is just dripping, I don't think it really matters. Something about this whole situation makes me happy that I am moving.

Neighborly Animosity

I remember the days, back when I thought neighbors were nice people. The people who loaned you an egg, kept a spare key to your house and watched out for you.

Not anymore.

In fact, I don't know if it has ever been this way in my adult life. I have never had good relationships with my neighbors...maybe its me?!? There was the incident last year with the lady above us yelling at me when I was 9 months pregnant. But she has since become quite chummy with us...it helped that we shoveled a path thru the snow to her front door all the time last winter...and that we have an adorable little child that she likes to play with.

Today a delivery man came to my door and asked to drop of a package for my next door neighbor. The neighbor who I had the privilege of meeting last week. Anyway, because of what went down last week, I flat out refused to accept her package. I am pretty sure the delivery man thought I was crazy, but I just don't want to see that woman again.

Let me tell you what happened. It was all over a drain pipe that came loose on the front of our building.


We noticed it when we got home late last Tuesday night. Our neighbor above us (an owner) was out of town. But the girl who lives in the top flat (also an owner) was home, so we texted her.

By the next morning, I had forgot all about the pipe. Connor and I were enjoying our morning when I hear a banging on the front door...like serious banging. Before I could get to the door, the person had moved to the living room window and was now banging on the window. I open the door that there was a very angry woman at the door. She pushed me out of the way and said, "Let me in before that pipe falls on me and kills me!" At this point, I should let you know that even though the pipe was high in the air, it is just plastic, not metal or anything. She then proceeded to let me know she is a lawyer and is going to sue me if the pipe fell on her property. I kept trying to tell her that an owner was taking care of the issue and I wasn't an owner, but she wasn't listening. She was being rude, yelling at me and threatening me. Anyway, to make a long story a little less long, both her and I called my landlord. She threatened them, I did not threaten them. Within 30 minutes, someone was out to take down the pipe. While it was being removed, she was standing outside saying rude things. ARGH!

And that is the story of why I REFUSE to accept any package for my neighbor. Seriously. She is not very neighborly at all...so neither am I! Way to turn the other cheek, I know.