The police may knock on your door unexpectedly, and it’s the same story. They have received another complaint, and you are again left wondering why? The neighbor keeps calling the cops on me for no legitimate reason. Your neighbor’s behavior could get on your nerves, and you wonder why they are forever calling the police station.
You can find neighbours arguing. Should I call police or ignore it? If you live in apartments, can you find out who called the police on you can be challenging? Police won’t tell you, so you may need to do your own detective work. In our guide, you can learn some practical tips on dealing with this.
By the end, you’ll know enough about how to diffuse any situation, such as my neighbor keeps calling the cops on me for noise or another reason. You’ll also see it could be worth having friendly expert advice from a law firm as a last resort in case you need to file a civil lawsuit or have a cease-and-desist letter sent to your neighbor if you find out who it is. (Learn How To Find Out Who Called Animal Control On You)
What Constitutes Harassment From a Neighbor and How Can I Stop It?
Have you been having issues with your neighbor? If so, you are not alone; around 15% of people experience neighbor harassment.
For a start, you need to be aware of what precisely qualifies as that harassment to act against it or any other form of unpleasant behavior.
Neighbor Harassment Laws
If you feel like your neighbor is harassing you, act.
The law is on your side, so trust the authorities who can protect you from the abuser.
Neighbor harassment laws protect persons from every form of offensive, insulting, or annoying behavior.
You or a victim of your family might petition for your neighbor to be punished for their inappropriate behavior.
The consequences usually include the following:
- Restraining order
- Court-ordered injunction
Check the neighbor harassment laws in your state and local area, or engage a lawyer versed with these restrictions for specifics on how a perpetrator is dealt with in your case.
What Constitutes Harassment From a Neighbor
Neighbor harassment can be disturbing, and you should act, although what does being harassed mean?
Any attack on your property, you, or a family member requires action.
As a paying tenant, you have the right to live peacefully without bothering neighbors.
Act if you notice any of your neighbors breaking your lease’s terms.
When a stranger’s lifestyle differs from yours, sharing a wall might be challenging. Your neighbor may take long baths late at night or have other unpleasant habits that disrupt your life.
When it happens, talk to your neighbor. Tell them what worries you and ask them to change their behavior.
If the person keeps doing what bothers you, they’re doing it on purpose and can be harassment.
Types of Neighbor Harassment in Buildings
People face varying neighbor harassment, so it’s handy to know the most common examples:
Noise
An annoying neighbor may ruin your life. Your neighbor’s noise can be bothersome during quiet hours set by your lease or city laws.
Property Damage
Sharing a wall with a neighbor means everything that happens in their apartment affects you. An overflowing sink in the apartment above can harm yours. If this happens regularly and your neighbor refuses to fix the problem, it might be considered harassment. (Read Is There Section 8 Housing In My Neighborhood)
Harassing Phone Calls
Tenants in the same building can exchange numbers to discuss common-area issues, although if the wrong neighbor gets your number, they may bother you.
Theft, vandalism, assault, child abuse, drug use or selling, and domestic violence are a few examples of actions that fall within the level of criminal behavior. State laws usually govern these situations, and you or other neighbors calling the police are justified.
Even picking your neighbor’s flowers could result in theft charges if pushed to the extreme.
You won’t need to investigate if your neighbor physically assaults you or a member of your family or if you notice someone living in your neighbor’s home is a victim of domestic violence.
You need to contact the police immediately because they are clear-cut offenses.
Neighbor Keeps Calling Police: What To Do?
Here’s more information on how to deal with police calling neighbors.
Frequent problem: neighbors calling. Search for “my neighbor keeps calling the police,” and you’ll find endless forum posts from others with a similar problem.
Usually, noise complaints are the top reason, and many argue the noise wasn’t loud enough. However, if any noise bothers a neighbor, they can report you.
Others were reported for simple stuff like having a guest stay over or how the person looks.
How do you cope with someone who can’t look at you without being bothered? It’s obvious they won’t rest until you are troubled, ashamed, or out of the way?
Here are some ways you can try and solve the problem.
1. Talk To Your Neighbor
If your neighbor is continually calling the police, talk to them.
- Go to their house and speak to them.
- Start by apologizing, even if you’re unsure what you did to prompt them to call the police.
- This calms their nerves because they were planning to argue with you.
- Ask your neighbor what you did wrong.
- If your neighbor explains, apologize, and try to understand.
- Avoid anything that causes a further argument and leave your neighbors by reaching a compromise.
2. Talk To The Police
When the police come to your house, talk to them to find out why your neighbor phoned.
The police report what the issues are and what you can do to repair the problem and fix your neighbor’s issues. (Learn How Do I Keep My Neighbors Leaves Out Of My Yard)
3. Record Interactions
This is the greatest thing to do if your neighbor keeps calling the police on you.
- You should keep track of your interactions with your neighbor in case they sue you for harassment if you confront them.
- You can record phone calls or install security cameras.
- This prevents your neighbor from accusing you of harassment. If so, give enough evidence to the police to back up your side.
4. Understand The Problem
- Your neighbor next door called the police because you’re doing something wrong; rectify it.
- Arguing with neighbors isn’t an intelligent way to address problems, so talk it out as adults to solve them.
- You must be the bigger man or face trouble and lawsuits for the same reported problem.
5. Move out
If you have had enough of neighbor calling the police, move. Moving out is better than being stressed by someone for life.
Can You Sue A Neighbor For Calling The Police For No Reason?
You can sue anyone, even without cause. Can you win the lawsuit?
Not suing your neighbor for calling you may be the best solution.
If talking and all the steps listed don’t help, you may need to call the authorities.
You will need to include papers or recordings to support your complaint.
Explain to authorities what you’ve done to avoid war with your neighbor. You can ask for help from friends, good neighbors, and your landlord.
Ask authorities if specific neighbor complaints are needed. Then, if a neighbor harasses you, you can sue.
Do Police Say Who Called Them?
Reverse the roles. “I called the police on my neighbors” Do they know who made the call? If you made the call, then don’t worry, as your neighbor won’t know you made the call.
Police officers won’t disclose names and say, “We’ve received a complaint.”
Sometimes neighbors may find you called the police on them. Either the police told them, or someone else did.
It’s good if your neighbor won’t do more than talk, but harassment is conceivable.
If you called the police on a hot-tempered neighbor, they could take offense and get physical. So, if you’re worried, call the police.
How To Get a Neighbor To Stop Harassing Me?
If a neighbor is harassing you, whether you’re the one being called on or the one reporting, there are steps you may take to stop it.
Communicate: Talk it out with other neighbors who you have issues with.
Get Landlord to Help: In an apartment, and you have proof of harassment, you can talk to your landlord. Your landlord could force evict because of unpleasant behavior and be a witness to the harassment should you end up in court.
Seek Mediation: When talking doesn’t help, consult mediation experts before getting the police involved and taking legal action. (Read Is It Illegal To Put Something In A Mailbox)
When I Have No Choice But Call the Cops?
Consider your landlord, neighborhood organization, building management, or door attendant, if any, as local support networks first.
Each has a part in ensuring the building or community remains secure.
Alternatively, the Sanitation Department or Animal Control may be more suited to handle your complaint (if, for instance, you suspect your neighbor is disposing of waste dangerously) (if you believe your neighbor is harboring dangerous pets).
Even within police forces, different numbers (mobile contact number) from their emergency 911 lines are occasionally available to call for specific situations, such as reporting local narcotics activity rather than loud music.
If someone is unclear about the appropriate agency to speak with, they can phone one of the dedicated helplines in many bigger cities instead of dialing 911.
Self-help does not always work to settle a neighbor dispute.
Call your local police if you feel threatened physically—your neighbor has a violent history.
Or do it after all other self-help options have failed and your neighbor is breaching the law, even if it’s merely a misdemeanor.
In the context of a neighbor, the following offenses are frequent:
- Playing loud music or making noise over what’s allowed under local ordinances for that time of day
- Trespassing in your yard and property
- Causing damage to your belongings or in your yard
If your neighbor commits a misdemeanor, the state may file criminal charges and a legal claim against them.
Remember that you may have a separate civil claim against your neighbor, not a criminal one, and you may seek damages in small claims court if you were injured to cause monetary compensation.
Conclusion
What will happen if you call the police? Officers will arrive in your neighborhood and launch an investigation while stopping by your neighbors’ homes to gather more information.
You might be required to submit a report or testify in court, especially if a crime leads to a lawsuit.
The officers might demand an end to the inappropriate behavior, write a citation, or even initiate an arrest.
