Tonight when I got home, my roommate waved a letter in my face that we just received from the management company. Apparently a complaint was filed against us because we were making noise during the quiet hours of 10 PM to 6 AM (which was actually phrased in the letter as 6 AM to 10 PM, which if read literally means we can't make any noise during the day, which I suppose is something I could argue if I make noise at 11 PM and someone complains again. But you said no noise during the day. I figured 10 PM to 6 AM was noisy time).
I just have to laugh. A complaint against me? I am so the opposite of party girl, it's not even funny. And my roommate and I are NEVER home. We come home to sleep and that's about it. 9/10 of the time there isn't even anyone in this apartment to make any noise.
But guess what the complaint was about? For running our washer and dryer after 10 PM.
What?!
I'm sorry, but if I can sleep with the washing machine running in the hall closet right outside my bedroom, then the upstairs and downstairs neighbors can suck it up.
And since when is it a crime to do laundry? And since when did laundry noise become so prohibitive that it disrupted quiet hours? I swear she must have laid down on the floor and pressed her ear to the carpet to determine that the washing machine was even going.
I have two beefs about this:
First of all, I leave my house at around 6 AM every morning. I get home a little before 10 PM. When EXACTLY am I supposed to do laundry now? Sundays I guess, but I'll have to seriously plan for that, which sort of negates the joys of having an in-home washer and dryer.
Second, and this is the main one really, why did this person have to go to the management company? They couldn't be a human being and come downstairs/upstairs (probably downstairs. We think we know who it is) and TALK to us? If the neighbor had just knocked on our door and asked if we could please not do laundry after 10 PM because it was keeping her up, I probably would have said something along the lines of, "Oh! I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I will be more conscientious in the future." But no. She had to get the management company involved. It's just bizarre. And it ticks me off.
I so want to start a load of laundry tomorrow morning at 6 AM on the dot just for spite.
7 comments:
I'm not trying to stick up for the neighbor or anything but it is true that sometimes, while it might not be loud in your apartment, the water clanging through pipes that run through their apartment might be a lot noisier, if that makes sense. I've lived places where that was the case. But obviously complaining to management is really lame (and they couldn't have even just left you a note if they were not bold enough to come knock?).
G, you're right, that's what one of my co-workers pointed out too. What bugs me the most is that they went to the management and didn't even try to say anything to us. Also, I just have to say that the latest the washer would have ever been going is 10:45 because I am tired when I get home and may throw a load in, and not get it to the dryer before I go to sleep. It's not like I was doing laundry at 3 AM.
Elizabeth, the same co-worker as above suggested doing laundry and playing thrash metal at 6 AM.
Are you kidding me?
It's one of the hardest things, the dealing with other human noise in apartments. When we moved into our current place, our upstairs neighbor came down the first morning we were here and told my husband he could hear him snoring at night and it kept his wife up.
My husband apologized profusely, and granted the guy didn't go to the management, but I was like "what's he supposed to do? Sleep holding his breath?"
Yeah, Paul does snore. But not very loudly. I know this because my father and brother snore very loudly.
Anyway, the neighbor ended up moving the following month into a house. Some people just aren't meant to live in apartments.
Personally I'd go to the neighbor and, very sweetly, explain your work situation. Then let her know that you basically can run the machine at night or before you leave in the morning.
Me? I worked in a dorm for 5 years. I can sleep through most anything that doesn't involve lots of screaming (and even then I've been known to fall back to sleep very fast when it's been determined to be pleasure rather than pain). People have to vacuum, wash clothes, run blenders and all that.
I'm sorry your neighbor can't deal. I guess I should be glad our former neighbor went to us rather than our landlady!
Oh...that is the lamest thing I've heard. I want to go talk to those people myself! You should go to their house with the letter, explain your situation, and ask them when your allowed to do your laundry. I bet they'd feel sheepish!
Jennifer, that's true about them not being able to reach me. However, I think I've done laundry after 10 PM all of two or three times. They could have left a note. It's just annoying to me that they couldn't just talk to me, as their neighbor after all.
Frankly, if it is the person we think it is, I don't think this has anything at all to do with noise, but is just about us breaking the rule. My roommate has had a run in or two with this lady before for obscure rule infractions.
Ezpy, I've lived above some serious partiers and you just kind of deal with that stuff when you live in an apartment.
Anon, the problem is, I'm not positive who actually filed the complaint. We think we know, but it's all anonymous.
Kelly, your comment about the anonymous neighbors has inspired me to set up my own blog and never post as anon again.
UH, ha! That didn't even occur to me as I wrote to an Anon that I was criticizing the neighbor for being anonymous. Two different venues. I'd be happy to talk to the person, but I have no idea who they are.
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