HOW TO HANDLE THAT CRAZY NEIGHBOR

We've all heard horror stories of insane neighbors making life hell for others. There are even TV shows that focus on bad neighbors.  While the extreme cases are the ones that make the news, it's also very common to have minor disagreements with those who live closest to you. 

Maybe the guy next door likes to make roof repairs at 6:00am or blows leaves out of his yard and into yours. Maybe the neighbors don't like it when you have fifty of your best friends over and blast music late at night. 

If you're confronted by an angry neighbor, or if you happen to be the one who's annoyed, try not to let your emotions get the best of you. Instead, stay level headed and attempt to work through the disagreement. 

It's also a good idea to talk through your differences in person, face-to-face. Emails and texts aren't the best options for resolving disputes because you don't see facial expressions or hear the other person's tone of voice. So, stick to eyeball-to-eyeball communication whenever possible. 

But before you talk, listen. Aim to understand your neighbor's perspective. You may learn something that changes your understanding of the situation. 

Try to come up with a solution both of you can accept. If that doesn't work, or if your neighbor is just really unhinged, you need to consider other options. 

Document everything. Write down the details, including dates and times, of incidents involving your neighbors. If you can, take photos or videos to show the problems. One good option, if you can afford it, is to install security cameras that record activity on your property.

Call police, if necessary. If you feel harassed or threatened, or your property vandalized, call police. If you feel as if your neighbor means to do you harm, make sure an incident report is filed. 

Ask an attorney for other options. If your neighbor seems fixated on causing problems or damaging your property, consider talking with an attorney. Depending on the situation, the severity of the bad behavior and how often it happens, you may have the option to take legal action.