Your perspective...

[gemi_babe]

Hello (me again... )

Two houses up is a rental. And it has just been rented out to 2 young guys.
I'm fine with that and I am fine with the house warming they threw on the weekend. I'm fine with the odd empty can in the back yard. Testing the waters there I feel. You know, see if she will do anything about our litter in her yard.

What I am not cool with is the need to go from 0km's to 80km's the minute they turn into our street just to go 80m's or so. And vice versa as they leave their driveway. And as it was on the weekend, full of alcohol !! What is it with boys and cars?

Being in a small town, we have no police station. Our Police station is Bridgetown, some 20km's away, so these boys know their are no cops around the corner to RBT them.

I have a soon to be 5yr old son and he loves the racing cars. He has been to 2 V8 supercar meets at Wanneroo and when he hears these cars screaming up our street, it does 2 things. First one is, it startles him. And secondly he wants to go see what they are doing. Yes we had the lot the other night. Burnouts, Dounuts, your typical young lads party. I refuse to let him out the front now, which annoys me because it is the only dry bit for him to play when its raining. Arggh!

So guys, what do you suggest I do?
Go talk to them? If so, what to say, HOW to say it?
Will I be wasting my time?
I can't call the police as I am one in four houses on our street. One house is vacant and the other, well he was at the party also and he isn't the quietest driver with his loud commodore :mad:

Advice muchly appreciated.
Gemi

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

Not an easy one... Try explaining your situation to them.

Do you know who they rent through?
Try approaching the rental agents.

Do you own your house or are you renting?
If you are renting, try complaining to your landlord,
maybe they can do something for you.

Do you know their family?
Try ringing their mother(s).

Do you know where they work?
Try ringing their boss(es).

These last too options work in small towns.

If the above fail, try ringing the police to see if they can recommend anything.

After that, if it was me, I'd get really nasty & turn on the dirty tricks department.
Start with pay back, mow their footpath for them when you know that
they've had a big night.... tell them that you are just being neighbourly.
Find out their name & phone number & post adverts for all sorts of "stuff",
legal or otherwise, all over town using their name, address, & phone number....
Run adverts for garage sales for them every weekend for a month.
If they haven't got the hint & moved out, try crime stoppers... :eek:
Hint, the coppers pay more attention to drug parties than hoon parties.

How am I doing?
Do you have the idea yet?

[kiwigeo]

Hi Gemi,

Can sympathize with your situation having lived in a few places where neighbours have pushed the limits of being neighbourly.

My suggestions in order of preference:

1. make a personal visit and explain that you have kids and that youre worried that one day there'll be an accident that could ruin the rest of their lives (not to mention yours). If you want to try some devious tactics rock up to their front door with a gift...toughies often dont know to handle kindness. Emphasise the point that you dont want to have to take it up with the authorities but leave them with the impression that you wont leave the issue alone if they choose to ignore you.
2. try approaching parents if you can find them and then onto the landlord....in most states he/she is legally bound to do something if the quality of life of neighbours is being impacted by tenants behaviour. Employers might be an option but not alot of companies care what their employees get up to outside work hours. You might try getting some backup from equally concerned neighbours. The local council might have some options for you too.
If youre in a small town then check out if the guys belong to the local footy club...if so then try approaching the head coach.
3. If all the above is having no results then youre going to have to raise the issue with the police. Phone them up and explain your concerns with a log of dates and times and activities. Try and follow up with a personal visit. A long way to drive I know but my experience has been that police are less likely to ignore you if you make a complaint in person.

Best of luck...Martin

[kiwigeo]

Go talk to them? If so, what to say, HOW to say it?

WHAT to say? How about something like this:

"Hi there guys. Thats a really nice looking V8 youve got there (always start with a positive before you get into the negatives)"

(stunned silence from toughies but general thinking is you can't be all bad because youre saying nice things about their pride and joy.....)

Add in some idle banter about cars and ask them about there jobs (useful if you try approaching their employers. Talk about footy (find out the clubs name).

Start talking about your son (have him there with you..toughies less likely to give cheek and ignore you in presence of a kid). Mention that he loves fast cars and hed love to have a look under the bonnet of the car. Move on and mention that he's a bit sad at the moment because he cant go outside because he might get hurt by the fast cars from up the street.

This is the point where you'll find out if the ploy is going to work or not. if they tell you to f..... off then youll know its time to move on to plan B (see earlier posting).

HOW to say it? Be calm but direct and dont get angry or confrontational. The first priority is to try and establish common ground and empathy with these people and then make them aware that youre not happy with the situation and what they can do do alleviate your concerns.

Other thoughts:

Watch the body language.....try and do the talking with everyone sitting down...not with you standing and them sitting (people feel threatened by strangers talking down to them).

If youre a bit shy and scared (not likely with nickname like "gemi-babe") take a friend along with you.

[Zed]

2 teenage di@kheads shouldn't be too hard to handle - tell them to stop or you'll call the cops.

place a formal complaint with the real estate agent - if you've done this after they've only beein in the house for a couple of weeks the agent will work it out real quick - im sure the owner doesnt want his house trashed either.... log indiscretions in a book accurately

have you got some adult male mates that can "speak" on your behalf ????

let the cops know whats happening too - they'll be interested regardless if they have a station in the vacinity or not.

[Christopha]

Fast cars aint so fast on flat tyres and they don't run real well when their fuel has unfortunate additives and even if they do it's difficult to drive when your windscreen has a large star crack right in front of the steering wheel and as for night driving with broken headlights......

[simon c]

Let's hang on a bit, they are two boys who (giving them the benefit of the doubt) probably have no idea that they are causing a nuisance. Lets not assume that because they have parties and drive cars that they are a couple of drug induced criminals hell bent on causing mayhem.

If you go in heavy handed with dirty tricks and formal complaints and threats about cops then you will probably make a big deal out of it. This is how neighbour feuds come about.

Talk to them first, make it a low key conversation.

If it comes to no good (ie if they really are a couple of drug induced crims) then you are perfectly justified in taking the next step, which should be a formal approach to the police/ council/ landlord etc.

[gemi_babe]

How would you like to be approached if you were them? Have any of you rented with mates as teenagers??

As a parent now, I have some responsibility and wont go around doing some of the things Christopha mentioned, but thanks. I remember when I was 17, my b'f at the time did things like that.

Yeah Kiwigeo, I'm not the shy girl next door, but I'm no hussy either.

I will take a few coldies over one afternoon and explain the situation with their cars. I don't want to go complaining to authorities just yet. Have to give them a go. I remember I was 18 once and it was real hard to rent a place. They have to be given a chance to gain trust.

I will also ask them that if they must go fast, to make sure they crash into my car and write it off??? hahahahah jk

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day,

See, you knew the answer all along, all you needed was some ‘reassuring’ (?!)
that it was the right thing to do to start with.

[Christopha]

Can I take the tonge out of my cheek yet????
Just leave the poor little buggers to settle in and down in their new place, have a beer with 'em and be positive with 'em. I have two sons who are probably similar except they are dirt poor uni students who can't afford cars but who insist on a housewarming party every time they change the sheets (once every 6 months!) but who make it very plain that no parent types will EVER be invited..... but they have understanding neighbours who tolerate a fair bit and are their friends because they can possibly remember back to their teens/early twenties.

[Wayne Davy]

gemi_babe,

I think you are definitely on the right track re have a talk and beers BUT, if that does not get the desired results and you have to go to further lenghts.

May I suggest using a Video Camera to film their escapades in the Cars on the public road. If this tape is presented to the local boys in blue, I'm sure they would be quite interested.

Up here in QLD, a little while back, some (stupid) young fellas thought it might be a great idea to take their big Motor Bikes out on some backroads (hills/blind corners/the works) and see how fast they could go. Also, what kind of tricks they could do while going very, very fast (i.e. standing on the seat, monos, etc.). Now, the bright sparks VIDEO THEMSELVES doing this!!! And the tape found it's way to the local Cop shop somehow - results was some very, very sad/poor/bikeless fellas as the Cops had no trouble finding them considering the licence plates where very evident not to mention their faces/bike models/etc.

Just a thought.

[gemi_babe]

I have to appoligise to all that replied. The party must of been a going away party, cause these guys have not been back. They were there only a week.

It is really strange because the owners were there a week before the party, cleaning the place up and a 'for rent' sign went up in the corner store.

I have taken all suggestions on board, IF this type of things ends up happening again.

I'm sorry. I feel like I have mislead you all.

Kylie

[kiwigeo]

I have to appoligise to all that replied. The party must of been a going away party, cause these guys have not been back. They were there only a week.

It is really strange because the owners were there a week before the party, cleaning the place up and a 'for rent' sign went up in the corner store.

I have taken all suggestions on board, IF this type of things ends up happening again.

I'm sorry. I feel like I have mislead you all.

Kylie

Not feeling the slightest bit misled here...just happy to hear the story has come to a happy conclusion.

You might want to make a note of the phone number on the "for rent" notice in case you need to contact the landlord in the future.

Cheers

Martin

[vsquizz]

Hang on Kylie, you could end up like us. We thought the Gods had smiled when Homeswest kicked out the drug dealing ***** up the end of the street. Guess what, we went out of the frying pan into the fire with their new tenant. Its a really nice street otherwise, and the local coppers must like it cause they are always here.

No nasties implied on Homeswest tenants, we are just having a bad run. They are selling the place shortly so I wonder we are in for next:eek: .

It always pays to have a good relationship with neighbours if you can.

Cheers

[Cliff Rogers]

It's a plot squizz..... it works like this.....
Own a house in a good street, rent it out to a series of "nightmare" tenants...
The real estate price of that street will start to fall. :eek:
As the other owners in the street start to sell off, buy them out &
put in more "nightmare" tenants until more owners sell off (to you) at a lower price.
Now here's the sting, get rid of the "nightmare" tenants &
install a much higher class of tenant.
Wait for the real estate price to recover & then, cash in.