Problems with the Neighbours - Need some advice

this could get you into a lot of trouble.

We have someone down our street that puts broken glass under the bushes opposite him. If my dog ever cuts himself on it then the guy will have plenty of broken glass, a brick through every window. We try as much as we can that our dog does not pee on peoples gardens. But worse is cat owners, at least dogs are normally on a lead. What about wild animals? Badgers, foxes etc...

It seems like you really have been having a rough time of it. I have read much on the board with a similar context and have in the past experienced some of the same. I have an impressive array of one line put downs, for most situations, but unfortunatley my German language skills just aint up to it.

For my part I would say take the bull by the horns...the best form of defense, is a good offense!!!

You mentioned that your partner is in the Forces and deploying soon. This weekend the Six Nations Rugby tournament is once again upon us. Put the two together and really p%ss off the natives!!! Invite as many of your bloke's oppoos round and have a Rugby party/BBQ. Imagine the look of horror on the local's faces when your balcony is adorned with the National flags of the home nations...as long as the lion rampant, the dragon and the harp are flown slightley below the Cross of St George!! Have the telly blaring to the strains of "Swing Low..." Turn the balcony into an "alfresco" bar area, stacked with crates of English Ale from the Colonel Ghadafi, and show willing with a few slabs of "Wobbly" or Krombacher.

Then when any of the whingers knock to complain, invite them in and share in the experience of being a Brit. Remind them that England are still the current World Champs, and how lucky we are not to just rely on Footballing and F1 glory. Think of it as missionary work, bringing peace and understanding to the European Masses through the Glorious game...

RUGBY ... A GAME PLAYED BY GENTLEMEN WITH ODD SHAPED BALLS; LONG LIVE THE CULTURED VIOLENCE OF IT.

just spilled my coffee

Diluted Buttersäure is a relitivly harmless liquidy pasty stuff. It just smells awful.
The cats and dogs don't seem to like it anyway. Rat poisen is not an option, youre right, maybe I got a bit carried away there ...
Spreading broken glass is not an option either as that would physically hurt the animals. It is not the animals fault, as they are only doing what they have to. It's the owners that don't respect other peoples property and let the dogs pee whereever they want to.
I like dogs, but not when they pee all over my garden ruining my flowers and causing my fence to smell like piss all the time. There is a place for everything in this world, and a dogs toilet is definately not my garden fence !

butyric acid .. not exactly what I would call harmless, but I am all for using a good deterent. Maybe someone should market this stuff in a harmless form to spray ont fences etc. I seem to recall something called "p**s off" being sold once, maybe had some of this in it.


Me too, but only the small young ones, the older ones tend to be a bit tough.

I agree it is up to the owners, you can even teach your dog NOT to go somewhere.
The only time when you cant is he has the runs...hahaha but normally a dog can hold back.

Why don't you just use pepper? dog sniffs, sneezes, sniffs again, sneezes again, gets pissed off with all the sneezing and decides to piss somewhere else.

piece of cake.

I`m not lyeing (spelt that wrong or?)

but my nan used to spread tiger poop around the garden to get rid of the cats.

I`m not vouching for me nan though!

(bought when the circus came to town!)

Yes they bloody can.

I know Luke its terrible. But they don't seem to have much control over there kids. Bloody people!

We have little parties every so often and all the people in the building come. One thing we said we would do when we got the dog was not encourage her to bark. Well one party the down stairs kids are trying to make Maggie (our dog) bark and thinks its funny and the parents are just standing there watching, my husband tries to stop them but what can you do when its other peoples kids!. Once again Bloody people

just say to the kids 'cry' if they dont just say 'well you will if you carry on'

There you go. Its all up to the people.
People just don't respect other people any more. They let their kids tease other peoples dogs, and let their own dogs shit all over the place...

sounds a bloody nightmare, don't have any experience of this as our neighbours are fairly tolerant - but then they have to be as the opera singer below likes to practice at 0830 on a Saturday morning, and the bit on the side of the business man above is constantly clumping round in heels on the wooden floor

However, as the landlord is coming round anyway then take this opportunity to address the other issues that have arisen with the neighbours. It sounds like you are being very accommodating to others wishes and getting nothing in return.

Edit: just had a thought, you mentioned the housing dept. on the base have you asked their advice? They probably have plenty of experience in dealing with the yokels, this sort of situation seems fairly commonplace.

Yes but they are still liable for any damage their kids do. That's why they have Haftpfilchtversicherung.

yes ...probably in stilettos with bondage gear and a whip

where ?

If you can have someone from the housing office there when you meet with the Landlord. We had some problems with a Landlord at Ramstein and the housing office sorted it all out on our behalf. Once the landlord knows that they are 'flagged' as a potential problem, they usually see things your way. Especially considering you are probably paying 100% over the odds for your rent anyway and there is no way they could get that sort of money from a German renter. Most of the housing offices have a mediation service and once the Landlord knows they are involved they back off.

I have to agree with Maaph here. Nothing enrages me more than to find dog shit at the corner of our garden, when 10 m across the road is the entrance to the bloody woods! We have a house on a corner plot, and a dog of our own, but were forced to put a fence around it because other dog owners were letting their dogs use our garden as a toilet. People walking by even cut off the corner by walking over our front lawn, rather than stick to the pavement! We are responsible for the care of the pavement and grassy areas in front of our house, which does not mean picking up dog crap everytime we need to mow it!

I have tried calling the housing office and I have left a message but as yet no one has returned my call. Thank you again everyone.

We've got the same problem as our house is the last one in the village and is one of only two houses in the village to have a fully wooded, park-like garden (we're out in the middle of the marshes and the next wood must be at least 10 km away). Net result is that all the lazy dog-owners in the neighbourhood walk as far as our plot before letting Pluto loose to do his business. In the meantime the owners drink a can of beer or have a smoke or whatever, before chucking their rubbish down, where ever they happen to be standing!

So much for tidy orderly minded germans!!

Double standards.

Mapph if you don't mind me saying so that's a stupid question. Its on street parking (or was we've moved since then), there are no reserved spots, he doesn't have the right to yell at anyone who parks close to his house, he drives a massive Mercedes for gods sakes, what does he do when he goes to the store take up 3 spots so no one will park close to him. Don't I have the right to convenient parking! If I have a car load of grocery's I'm not going to park at the end of the street just cause it suits him. I don't park there just to annoy him but at the same time I won't park at the end of the street just because he doesn't want anyone parking close to his place. I have the right to convenient parking as much as he does. He is also a typical old German grouchy as hell, he also hasn't cut his lawn or trimmed the bushes around his house in years.

Regarding dog these are public areas, not peoples lawns that she goes in, I always make sure its in an out of the way area usually under trees or in the bushes, if by chance she does go on someones lawn I pick it up. Not everyone has a backyard (garden)they can use.

Also if your with the US army than you don't have to worry about things like deposits etc, the landlord is getting double the usual rate.

As I said if the neighbours complain don't answer the door or if you see them on the street just shrug your shoulders and talk English, usually that shuts them up.

Before anyone complains I'm being rude I am considerate of the neighbours. I'm trying to be more quiet for the lady below, but she has to live with some noise.

Update

Spoke to my husband last night about everything again and gave everyone’s ideas. This is what we have come up with what do you think?

Options for landlord and people over the road.

1. We can start using the back garden for the dog.
2. The people over the road put up with things the way they are
3. The people over the road pay and put up out door material around the balcony.

And due to our rental agreement stating that we can use the back garden and driveway and never been allowed by the couple downstairs, that enough is enough and we are not going to back dawn on this issue.

My husband has booked an appointment with the lawyer on base tomorrow to see where we stand and what we can do.

good for you and Hubby. If its in your contract then i would now go out of my way and use the garden etc.

thm : I take the bit about the parking back - I missed the word "from".

Sometimes with all these miserable neighbours you get the impression people in this country are only happy when they have something to grumble about!

A while back I had an invite to a party in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Helped another guest carry some extra chairs to the hosts flat. As it was on the top (6th) floor, we took the tiny lift up. As we were loading up the lift and getting in to go up, this grouchy old guy with walking sticks was making his labourious crab-like way down the stairs from his flat somewhere above. Miserable as hell, grumbling that the lift should not be used for furniture! I just ignored him, to which he responded (in german) "are you deaf". I replied "yes!" Of course he didnt see any irony. Be happy - we´re having a party!! (wont be inviting you though)

What is it with old people, especially men as they get old they seem to become such miserable old gits. Sometimes I think special camps should be set up for miserable old gits. Take them out of circulation and put them in one place where they cant put the rest of the world on a downer with their miserable I-hate-life. Or maybe a swift pill to end the misery!

I have just had a better idea, next britboard meeting in bellesparkes back garden
Barbie sausages & bacon, union jacks etc...


no i am not!!!

with Sausages, would you happen to mean "Hot DOGS " ???

[quote]What is it with old people, especially men as they get old they seem to become such miserable old gits. Sometimes I think special camps should be set up for miserable old gits. Take them out of circulation and put them in one place where they cant put the rest of the world on a downer with their miserable I-hate-life. Or maybe a swift pill to end the misery!

HHHMMMM You have been in Germany to long, this sounds like something that happened here 60 years ago

Thank you to everyone for the support I will post what happens and what the lawyer says. Hopefully he will be on our side.

Off to Good old Blighty (thank god), fill my belly with lots and lots of bacon and crumpets and ribena and everything else I can stuff in there (At the look of my belly alot). SO excited.

OK meeting here, we are having a 60s party in the spring. Better go! flight to catch

60 party great

you have a good time and forget about the stupidity of your neighbours for a while

Well thats a generalisation of course. I happen to know a 70 year old, and an 80+ year old who have real Lebensfreude, much more than many young people, not grouchy at all. Thats the way I want to be when I get to that age!

Read somewhere, think it was on BBC news website, that its reckoned that whether you become an old grouch or not when you get old depends on what you are like when you are young! The way you turn out when old merely being an exageration of your character when younger. So watch out!!

thought this was rather good and fitted in this thread...

I'm surprised the top sign didn't have to be dual language the same as the bottom on (or that would be tri-language including the canine?)