Two families in a Santa Monica apartment building had a simmering feud for years. It started when the upstairs tenants, the Smiths, complained about the occupants of the downstairs apartment parking in the Smiths’ spot. The downstairs tenants, the Johnsons, complained about late-night footsteps and television noise in the Smiths’ apartment.

Many neighbor disputes revolve around parking, common-area use, animals, smoking, and noise. These types of conflicts often can be resolved without outside intervention, if the parties commit to communicating openly and treating each other fairly. Neighbors may not even be aware that their behavior is bothering anyone. Politely communicating with a neighbor about a potential problem may be all it takes to address the issue and keep it from escalating into a long-running dispute. If that fails, contacting the landlord (or the neighbor’s landlord if they live at a separate property) may solve the problem.

However, if communication fails, there are resources for residents who are having problems with neighbors:

• For emergencies (immediate threats to life, health, or safety) call 911.
• For non-emergency police services, call 310-458-8491.
• For complaints about violations of Municipal, Building, Zoning, or Health and Safety Codes, call 310-458-4984.
• For complaints about pets, call 310-458-8594.

In the case of the Smiths and the Johnsons, the City Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division let them know about mediation options...

Read More: http://smdp.com/your-column-here-tenant-v-tenant-disputes/164040