If you don't live here, don't swim here
June 15, 2015 11:42 AM Subscribe
Looking for advice on how to handle large groups of non-residents using the amenities at our apartment complex.
My boyfriend and I, both mid-20s, moved into a rental apartment about two months ago. We've been pleased with everything so far... except for the pool. The apartment community is gated, but there is a small parking lot outside the gate, right by the leasing office. The entrance to the pool is next to the office. There are nice lounge chairs, several tables with umbrellas, and two gas grills along with a well-maintained pool.
Every weekend since the pool opened in early May, there have been many groups of people having cookouts and parties outside. On Saturday, we counted 60 people, all there for a party for a Little League team! Sunday brought a 40-person birthday party and a separate 15-person group. They play loud music, use the grills, take up all of the parking in front of the office, and bring children who run, scream, splash, etc.
To give an idea of how we are affected, we are in a 3rd floor apartment that overlooks the pool. I can hear most of what's happening out there when I'm inside the apartment. When we go to the pool, it's impossible to read a book or relax in the pool without being splashed or hit with a ball/frisbee/pool noodle.
We are confident that most of these people do not live in our complex. We think that one of the first get-togethers was initiated by a resident, but that people who attended have spread the word about the free pool and grill access. Also, per the lease, residents are only allowed 2 guests per unit, and the attendance at these parties is so high that I doubt there's compliance with that.
Things we have tried:
-Using a fan for white noise inside - helps a little, though it makes me irrationally angry that it's necessary. Doesn't help when we want to sit on the balcony or go to the pool.
-Talking to staff - We have spoken to people in the office twice. One woman was very understanding and told us she would be happy to escort people out if she's working. A complication is that these groups often show up 15-30 minutes after the office closes. The other woman was unhelpful and just said, "It's very difficult to police the pool." We spoke to her during business hours when she could have easily walked outside and asked people to leave.
Things we've thought about but haven't tried:
-Asking people to leave ourselves - It doesn't seem to be the same groups of people, so we would have to do this constantly. We'd also prefer to avoid direct confrontation.
-Calling the police - This seems extreme, and I'm having trouble justifying it. On one hand, these people are trespassing. And being disruptive. And using amenities they aren't paying for. On the other hand, these kids are clearly enjoying themselves and may not have access to another pool. Feel free to convince me that it isn't overreacting to call the police.
-Suggesting solutions to the staff - We've thought about wristbands, a security guard, and card access to the pool. We would love more ideas.
-Contacting corporate - The complex is managed by a large company. We've thought about escalating to them, but I don't think we've exhausted all options quite yet.
We don't want to put up with this all summer, especially when we're paying extra for a unit with a pool view! What would you do?
My boyfriend and I, both mid-20s, moved into a rental apartment about two months ago. We've been pleased with everything so far... except for the pool. The apartment community is gated, but there is a small parking lot outside the gate, right by the leasing office. The entrance to the pool is next to the office. There are nice lounge chairs, several tables with umbrellas, and two gas grills along with a well-maintained pool.
Every weekend since the pool opened in early May, there have been many groups of people having cookouts and parties outside. On Saturday, we counted 60 people, all there for a party for a Little League team! Sunday brought a 40-person birthday party and a separate 15-person group. They play loud music, use the grills, take up all of the parking in front of the office, and bring children who run, scream, splash, etc.
To give an idea of how we are affected, we are in a 3rd floor apartment that overlooks the pool. I can hear most of what's happening out there when I'm inside the apartment. When we go to the pool, it's impossible to read a book or relax in the pool without being splashed or hit with a ball/frisbee/pool noodle.
We are confident that most of these people do not live in our complex. We think that one of the first get-togethers was initiated by a resident, but that people who attended have spread the word about the free pool and grill access. Also, per the lease, residents are only allowed 2 guests per unit, and the attendance at these parties is so high that I doubt there's compliance with that.
Things we have tried:
-Using a fan for white noise inside - helps a little, though it makes me irrationally angry that it's necessary. Doesn't help when we want to sit on the balcony or go to the pool.
-Talking to staff - We have spoken to people in the office twice. One woman was very understanding and told us she would be happy to escort people out if she's working. A complication is that these groups often show up 15-30 minutes after the office closes. The other woman was unhelpful and just said, "It's very difficult to police the pool." We spoke to her during business hours when she could have easily walked outside and asked people to leave.
Things we've thought about but haven't tried:
-Asking people to leave ourselves - It doesn't seem to be the same groups of people, so we would have to do this constantly. We'd also prefer to avoid direct confrontation.
-Calling the police - This seems extreme, and I'm having trouble justifying it. On one hand, these people are trespassing. And being disruptive. And using amenities they aren't paying for. On the other hand, these kids are clearly enjoying themselves and may not have access to another pool. Feel free to convince me that it isn't overreacting to call the police.
-Suggesting solutions to the staff - We've thought about wristbands, a security guard, and card access to the pool. We would love more ideas.
-Contacting corporate - The complex is managed by a large company. We've thought about escalating to them, but I don't think we've exhausted all options quite yet.
We don't want to put up with this all summer, especially when we're paying extra for a unit with a pool view! What would you do?
I would point out to the office/managing folks the liability that arises from univited guests using a pool (drowning?) a grill (fire?) and noise (fights?).
Then, if that did not work, I would tell the management office you will be calling the police. Give it a few days, then start calling the police.
posted by AugustWest at 11:45 AM on June 15, 2015 [23 favorites]
Then, if that did not work, I would tell the management office you will be calling the police. Give it a few days, then start calling the police.
posted by AugustWest at 11:45 AM on June 15, 2015 [23 favorites]
Best answer: Contact the corporate offices.
posted by Julnyes at 11:46 AM on June 15, 2015 [40 favorites]
posted by Julnyes at 11:46 AM on June 15, 2015 [40 favorites]
Woah, please do not call the police.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:46 AM on June 15, 2015 [96 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:46 AM on June 15, 2015 [96 favorites]
Best answer: Or contact corporate. There's a huge liability issue with letting random people, especially children, use the pool.
posted by zennie at 11:47 AM on June 15, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by zennie at 11:47 AM on June 15, 2015 [17 favorites]
Get management to put up signs reminding people of the rules and and that say things like "NO NON-RESIDENTS PERMITTED". Get management to drop a flyer in everyone's mailbox saying the same thing. It's a little passive-aggressive, but ultimately everyone has to agree to play by the rules.
posted by GuyZero at 11:48 AM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 11:48 AM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Best answer: I would say that your first bet should be to tell the management that you feel you're not getting what you are paying for, and also mention the liability issues. Ask what they are planning to do to rectify it.
If it is noisy past quiet hours, you could also call the police as a noise complaint.
posted by corb at 11:49 AM on June 15, 2015 [14 favorites]
If it is noisy past quiet hours, you could also call the police as a noise complaint.
posted by corb at 11:49 AM on June 15, 2015 [14 favorites]
Do you have 24 hour maintenance or an emergency maintenance call line? I'd call them, afterall they are the staff and are likely responsible for the pool maintenance and safety, especially after hours.
I'd also see if I could take video or photos. That way they may be able to identify the actual residents that are being a problem, plus they can really see the scope and problem of how many people are there.
posted by Crystalinne at 11:49 AM on June 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'd also see if I could take video or photos. That way they may be able to identify the actual residents that are being a problem, plus they can really see the scope and problem of how many people are there.
posted by Crystalinne at 11:49 AM on June 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Definitely contact corporate. They need to figure out a way to secure the pool- this could involve a gate that only residents can open, printed and enforced rules about guests and/or paid security.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:49 AM on June 15, 2015 [12 favorites]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:49 AM on June 15, 2015 [12 favorites]
Is access to the pool controlled? If nothing else, if this is in the US, I think there legally has to be a fence with a gate. Who's opening the gate for these party-goers? Those are the people you need to talk to.
posted by KathrynT at 11:50 AM on June 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by KathrynT at 11:50 AM on June 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: The corporate office is the next place you should escalate. Not sure why you would consider it the last resort. I'd certainly go to them before calling dudes with uniforms and guns (who might only care about trespassing if it's reported by the property owner).
posted by grouse at 11:50 AM on June 15, 2015 [29 favorites]
posted by grouse at 11:50 AM on June 15, 2015 [29 favorites]
This is a situation for the apartment manager/owner/whoever is responsible for the building. Its way outside the responsibility area for hourly employees working the desk, and will only go bad for them, so of course they ignore it.
Other people might have signed different leases, with different or no guest limits.
On preview someone is suggesting contacting maintenance? If you want to change how your complex is being run, talk to the people running it, not their employees.
posted by hermanubis at 11:51 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Other people might have signed different leases, with different or no guest limits.
On preview someone is suggesting contacting maintenance? If you want to change how your complex is being run, talk to the people running it, not their employees.
posted by hermanubis at 11:51 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
For those saying there should be a solution where residents can only open a gate, that's how our apartment complex is. You have a keychip that you scan at the gate, but it's really easy for someone to just hold open or prop open a gate. I'm assuming there's at least 1 resident that's inviting these people.
posted by Crystalinne at 11:52 AM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by Crystalinne at 11:52 AM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Also, is there any possibility that there's a way to reserve / pay for large group access for the pool? I know there are apartment complexes where, say, you can bring 2 guests per resident or whatever, but if you want to have a pool party, you can reserve the time slot with the office and pay $200 or whatever and bring up to however many people. That may be what's going on here.
posted by KathrynT at 11:59 AM on June 15, 2015 [13 favorites]
posted by KathrynT at 11:59 AM on June 15, 2015 [13 favorites]
Yeah, the first person you should talk to is the manager of your local office. Random employees there aren't going to fix your issue. Then corporate.
posted by grouse at 11:59 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by grouse at 11:59 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Management might be willing to do something about it in order to avoid the bad publicity of police coming in and SWAT-teaming a party. Remind them of the public embarrassment that can come with assuming that things will take care of themselves.
posted by rikschell at 12:01 PM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by rikschell at 12:01 PM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Contacting corporate - The complex is managed by a large company. We've thought about escalating to them, but I don't think we've exhausted all options quite yet.
Do it.
Polite but firmly worded letter to the higher-ups in corporate, possibly cc'd to whoever is the top person/manager on site, with dates, times, and nature of incidents (also, include not just the parties, but the interactions with office staff and the responses they've given), specifically referencing the policies, etc. Having some photographic or video record of how ridiculous this is would be useful.
Also, wording like "We have contacted legal counsel based on loss of reasonable enjoyment [or whatever the landlord-tenant stuff in your jurisdiction calls it] of our rental unit," can sometimes move your letter along through the right people.
Whether or not you have or will talk to a lawyer is a moot point - but it gets action more quickly from corporate offices.
You're not annoyed that someone is breaking the two guests per resident policy by having, say, four friends out there - it's someone or a few people using this as a de facto party space for epic bashes, something that's prohibited by their lease.
I'd only call the cops if there was a fight or something going down, or if you were directly threatened by partygoers.
It also stands to reason that there are other people in the complex who are equally annoyed. Any chance you can get in touch with some of them and coordinate contact with corporate?
But yeah, not your job to confront personally. That's what management is for.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:03 PM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Do it.
Polite but firmly worded letter to the higher-ups in corporate, possibly cc'd to whoever is the top person/manager on site, with dates, times, and nature of incidents (also, include not just the parties, but the interactions with office staff and the responses they've given), specifically referencing the policies, etc. Having some photographic or video record of how ridiculous this is would be useful.
Also, wording like "We have contacted legal counsel based on loss of reasonable enjoyment [or whatever the landlord-tenant stuff in your jurisdiction calls it] of our rental unit," can sometimes move your letter along through the right people.
Whether or not you have or will talk to a lawyer is a moot point - but it gets action more quickly from corporate offices.
You're not annoyed that someone is breaking the two guests per resident policy by having, say, four friends out there - it's someone or a few people using this as a de facto party space for epic bashes, something that's prohibited by their lease.
I'd only call the cops if there was a fight or something going down, or if you were directly threatened by partygoers.
It also stands to reason that there are other people in the complex who are equally annoyed. Any chance you can get in touch with some of them and coordinate contact with corporate?
But yeah, not your job to confront personally. That's what management is for.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:03 PM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Absolutely call corporate. As noted above, they will not, as in positively no way, want non-residents using the facilities because of the various liability issues. I suspect they'll fix the problem pretty quickly. Really no need to use any scare tactics reminding them of potential for embarrassment, etc.; believe me, this is one they'll want to fix pronto without being urged.
posted by holborne at 12:04 PM on June 15, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by holborne at 12:04 PM on June 15, 2015 [8 favorites]
I don't think you need to call the police or confront these people yourself with the exception of people splashing you or hitting you with balls. "Hey stop that" the first time. "What apartment are you in?" the second time, etc. Corporate is the way to go if you have spoken to the office manager and not seen any results. Orthogonal threats like lawsuits from injured people or police SWAT teams are not likely to be taken seriously. It is bothering you and is in violation of (their part of) your lease. No need to pontificate on how and why and hypothetical situations. It's not your job to tell the office how to do their job and enforce their rules.
However, noise inside your apartment during the day is not likely to go away even if all of the unallowed guests do. Residents and their allowed guests will continue to use the pool and will not be quiet.
posted by soelo at 12:09 PM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
However, noise inside your apartment during the day is not likely to go away even if all of the unallowed guests do. Residents and their allowed guests will continue to use the pool and will not be quiet.
posted by soelo at 12:09 PM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Call corporate, and if they need some nudging, ask them if their insurance covers uninvited guests.
posted by benbenson at 12:23 PM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by benbenson at 12:23 PM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Two gas grills? I agree with KathrynT that there is a sign-up sheet somewhere for tenant parties (although why the office workers would not be aware of it, I don't know). Because if it is random outside groups , they are awfully lucky to get a conveniently free grill each time their impromptu party happens.
Have you asked the other tenants? Because it appears to be a long-established custom. You can't be the only one who is bothered by this.
I wonder what would happen if you and another couple staged your own little cookouts just before peak party arrival. (I'm sure you have a good feel for the timing of these things by now.)
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:28 PM on June 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
Have you asked the other tenants? Because it appears to be a long-established custom. You can't be the only one who is bothered by this.
I wonder what would happen if you and another couple staged your own little cookouts just before peak party arrival. (I'm sure you have a good feel for the timing of these things by now.)
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:28 PM on June 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
We think that one of the first get-togethers was initiated by a resident, but that people who attended have spread the word about the free pool and grill access.
Unless your apartment complex is new, what makes you think that this just started happening? I would agree that these parties are probably all organized by residents (or maybe friends/family of residents) and there is probably some kind of sign-up system. You don't have a 40 or 60 person party with kids without ensuring that the space is free.
posted by acidic at 12:35 PM on June 15, 2015 [6 favorites]
Unless your apartment complex is new, what makes you think that this just started happening? I would agree that these parties are probably all organized by residents (or maybe friends/family of residents) and there is probably some kind of sign-up system. You don't have a 40 or 60 person party with kids without ensuring that the space is free.
posted by acidic at 12:35 PM on June 15, 2015 [6 favorites]
If you're paying extra for a "pool view" and they represented the pool as for residents only during the leasing process, you can just ask them to please move you to a unit in a different area further away from the pool on their dime since they misrepresented the benefit.
posted by juniperesque at 12:52 PM on June 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by juniperesque at 12:52 PM on June 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
I'm amazed that Management is letting this go on, especially within view of the office! Are they being willfully blind to the situation?
Umpteenthing Call Corporate. If I lived in that complex, I would be furious.
posted by BostonTerrier at 1:06 PM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Umpteenthing Call Corporate. If I lived in that complex, I would be furious.
posted by BostonTerrier at 1:06 PM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
If this is anything like the complexes I grew up in, there's definitely an option to reserve a slot for a party. This wouldn't necessarily be restricted to office hours either. I agree that you should call corporate first, before anything, and absolutely not the cops at all unless actual laws are being broken.
Be prepared for Corporate to tell you that these are reserved parties, though, and figure out what you're going to do if that's the case.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:23 PM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Be prepared for Corporate to tell you that these are reserved parties, though, and figure out what you're going to do if that's the case.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:23 PM on June 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
It wouldn't hurt to mention this in a review for Yelp or Apartments.com. Large companies check their reviews.
posted by jgirl at 4:17 PM on June 15, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 4:17 PM on June 15, 2015 [6 favorites]
Agree with those saying that there will be some residents there and they are abusing the guest limit rule. It seems much less likely a random group of people would turn up on a regular basis. Going to the corporate office seems the best option.
That said, I don't think calling the police is necessarily overreacting. My complex (not run by a management company) has a pool and we sometimes get local kids using it (they climb the fence) and we are told to call the police (on advice by our local police) because they are trespassing and more importantly it's a huge safety risk. Plus it's awkward and intimidating to be a resident going down and telling a bunch of strange kids to go away than it is for the police. And the police would rather give the live kids a stern lecture than pull dead ones out of the pool later.
posted by kitten magic at 5:14 PM on June 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
That said, I don't think calling the police is necessarily overreacting. My complex (not run by a management company) has a pool and we sometimes get local kids using it (they climb the fence) and we are told to call the police (on advice by our local police) because they are trespassing and more importantly it's a huge safety risk. Plus it's awkward and intimidating to be a resident going down and telling a bunch of strange kids to go away than it is for the police. And the police would rather give the live kids a stern lecture than pull dead ones out of the pool later.
posted by kitten magic at 5:14 PM on June 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
It sounds like this is the way that everyone has been doing things for some time and now you, the new residents, want everything to change to accommodate your preferences? You should have done your research, talked with other residents, visited during different days/times, etc. before deciding to move there.
Nthing that there is either some sort of established party reservations system you are unaware of or that management misled you as to the nature of the community and should allow you to move to a different apartment. In both cases, your next step should be contacting corporate to find out what the actual rules and policies are and what your recourse is.
Feel free to convince me that it isn't overreacting to call the police.
It is totally overreacting to call the police. IMO there is nothing you described that would make it worth the risk of calling men with guns and an occupational predisposition to sociopathy to come hassle my neighbors and their friends. I would research the history of your local police department with regards to police brutality and think long and hard about whether you could live with the worst case consequences of your actions before you seriously consider the police as a moral option here.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:06 PM on June 15, 2015 [10 favorites]
Nthing that there is either some sort of established party reservations system you are unaware of or that management misled you as to the nature of the community and should allow you to move to a different apartment. In both cases, your next step should be contacting corporate to find out what the actual rules and policies are and what your recourse is.
Feel free to convince me that it isn't overreacting to call the police.
It is totally overreacting to call the police. IMO there is nothing you described that would make it worth the risk of calling men with guns and an occupational predisposition to sociopathy to come hassle my neighbors and their friends. I would research the history of your local police department with regards to police brutality and think long and hard about whether you could live with the worst case consequences of your actions before you seriously consider the police as a moral option here.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:06 PM on June 15, 2015 [10 favorites]
I don't understand how you could consider calling the police to a pool party a good idea in light of recent news.
Do you have a life guard on duty? If not, you're talking about a situation which is potentially quite dangerous for children. Approaching it from this angle will probably be most productive when talking to corporate, which is what you should be doing.
posted by Deathalicious at 4:35 AM on June 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
Do you have a life guard on duty? If not, you're talking about a situation which is potentially quite dangerous for children. Approaching it from this angle will probably be most productive when talking to corporate, which is what you should be doing.
posted by Deathalicious at 4:35 AM on June 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
This is an issue to take up with your landlords, not the people at the pool parties, especially if you don't want your neighbours to hate you (there is a high chance that they are used to it, and regard this as just an amenity of the building/neighbourhood).
posted by Elysum at 4:47 AM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Elysum at 4:47 AM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Please do not call the police. That would be a massive overreaction.
Call corporate. Probably they will tell you about a sign-up sheet or online reservation portal. If they do not, follow mandolin conspiracy's excellent advice.
posted by AmandaA at 7:18 AM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Call corporate. Probably they will tell you about a sign-up sheet or online reservation portal. If they do not, follow mandolin conspiracy's excellent advice.
posted by AmandaA at 7:18 AM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I want to stress that just because the parties are large doesn't mean that they are pre-planned with a reservation system. You can check that pretty easily by one phone call to management or checking the website. If I wanted to, right now, I could arrange to have a 40 person party waiting for me when I got home. It's a simple matter of seeing the grills are open and calling all your friends. And honestly, me fifteen years ago, pre-kids, would totally have done that and ignored the two guest only rule as ridiculous.
posted by corb at 10:09 AM on June 16, 2015
posted by corb at 10:09 AM on June 16, 2015
Do not call the police! That is how incidents like Mckinney escalate into national issues. You want avoid confrontation but you have no problem authorizing a more agressive entity to do it on your behalf?
It's possible that these people have the right to be there, maybe other tenants paid for a party? But if you don't talk to anyone and just make assumptions you'll never know. Plus do you really want the police scaring little kids.
That said, I think corporate is the appropriate action. Talk to your landlord again, ask then what their policies are and if that doesn't work call corporate. Also try talking to your neighbors, and get their take on it. It's summer so it's possible that people are inviting others for pool parties.
posted by CosmicSeeker42 at 11:49 AM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's possible that these people have the right to be there, maybe other tenants paid for a party? But if you don't talk to anyone and just make assumptions you'll never know. Plus do you really want the police scaring little kids.
That said, I think corporate is the appropriate action. Talk to your landlord again, ask then what their policies are and if that doesn't work call corporate. Also try talking to your neighbors, and get their take on it. It's summer so it's possible that people are inviting others for pool parties.
posted by CosmicSeeker42 at 11:49 AM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
IMO there is nothing you described that would make it worth the risk of calling men with guns and an occupational predisposition to sociopathy to come hassle my neighbors and their friends. I would research the history of your local police department with regards to police brutality and think long and hard about whether you could live with the worst case consequences of your actions before you seriously consider the police as a moral option here.
Reading this makes me very sad (and scared) for those for whom this is an issue. It is the absolute opposite of my experiences with police in Australia and the UK and I cannot fathom having to consider calling the police as something where I might have to live with negative consequences.
It's not clear where the OP lives but if this is the advice in the USA and the OP lives there then yikes, I'll defer to people who are more experienced and please read my previous comment as belonging to someone who was raised to 'ask the police for help, the police are your friends' (and has never had reason alter that mindset).
posted by kitten magic at 4:46 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Reading this makes me very sad (and scared) for those for whom this is an issue. It is the absolute opposite of my experiences with police in Australia and the UK and I cannot fathom having to consider calling the police as something where I might have to live with negative consequences.
It's not clear where the OP lives but if this is the advice in the USA and the OP lives there then yikes, I'll defer to people who are more experienced and please read my previous comment as belonging to someone who was raised to 'ask the police for help, the police are your friends' (and has never had reason alter that mindset).
posted by kitten magic at 4:46 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Just nthing the concern about calling the police. I wanted to also make clear that the link AmandaA posted above is to a story on the recent events in McKinney, Texas that are referred to directly and indirectly in a number of the comments above. I would strongly recommend watching the (horrifying) video to anyone wondering why calling the police on a pool party might be a bad idea.
I would ask for a manager at the office or call corporate. I think you should try to bargain for a free move to a unit far from the pool. Even if you succeed in implementing stricter pool visitor controls, I feel sure there will still be both pool parties and noise you will likely find disruptive.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 6:57 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I would ask for a manager at the office or call corporate. I think you should try to bargain for a free move to a unit far from the pool. Even if you succeed in implementing stricter pool visitor controls, I feel sure there will still be both pool parties and noise you will likely find disruptive.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 6:57 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! Especially for confirming that calling the police about parties would not be wise or helpful. That was my instinct. Seems like corporate is the way to go.
Earlier this week, I sent an email to the office recapping everything that has happened, including our previous contact with staff members.
I asked three things:
-Is there a reservation system for parties? (Just to make sure I didn't completely miss that)
-What is the timeline for a new system to be put place such as a gate with card access only?
-If a new system would take more than a week, please remind residents about pool rules
I haven't gotten a response via email, which is frustrating, but yesterday they put laminated signs on the gates to the pool. They say that the pool is only for residents and guests, 2 per apartment. We will find out this weekend if it helps, but it's a start! If it continues to be a problem, I will contact the regional office for the management company.
I really don't think there's a reservation system for parties. I'm pretty sure the staff members would have told us the first two times we complained. I also think we would have been informed of that when we signed our lease in April. I will stop in the office to confirm verbally.
I focused on the big parties in my initial question, but we also have people who play music and shout late at night (e.g., 11:30 PM last Monday night). I can call the police for a noise complaint, right?
posted by fluffymag at 5:51 AM on June 19, 2015
Earlier this week, I sent an email to the office recapping everything that has happened, including our previous contact with staff members.
I asked three things:
-Is there a reservation system for parties? (Just to make sure I didn't completely miss that)
-What is the timeline for a new system to be put place such as a gate with card access only?
-If a new system would take more than a week, please remind residents about pool rules
I haven't gotten a response via email, which is frustrating, but yesterday they put laminated signs on the gates to the pool. They say that the pool is only for residents and guests, 2 per apartment. We will find out this weekend if it helps, but it's a start! If it continues to be a problem, I will contact the regional office for the management company.
I really don't think there's a reservation system for parties. I'm pretty sure the staff members would have told us the first two times we complained. I also think we would have been informed of that when we signed our lease in April. I will stop in the office to confirm verbally.
I focused on the big parties in my initial question, but we also have people who play music and shout late at night (e.g., 11:30 PM last Monday night). I can call the police for a noise complaint, right?
posted by fluffymag at 5:51 AM on June 19, 2015
Look, I totally sympathize with your complaints, but you are ONE PERSON trying to change the culture of an entire complex of happy neighbors. Unless there's some quiet contingent of neighbors who feel the same way you do, why should management side with you and face the ire of everyone else? Have you befriended any of your neighbors or figured out if any of them are annoyed too? Or asked anyone to keep it down? Unless you feel as if you are in danger it's pretty unfair to escalate complaints immediately without giving your neighbors a chance to rectify the situation (this is more in reference to the loud music on a weeknight, not a kids party). And it sounds like you're just making general complaints to management, without specific names. What are they supposed to do? It's not their job to be onsite 24 hours a day keeping the peace.
It may just be that you are not a good fit for your complex so you should start crafting your complaints to find a way to break your lease.
posted by acidic at 2:40 PM on June 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
It may just be that you are not a good fit for your complex so you should start crafting your complaints to find a way to break your lease.
posted by acidic at 2:40 PM on June 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's much more appropriate for messages enforcing neighborliness to come from management than from fellow neighbors. That actually is part of management's job. You have a right to live in relative peace, and that includes not having your tires slashed because you wrecked your neighbor's funtimes.
If people are being noisy, that would be another area management could address generally. I was being a grump in my first comment in this thread (would not have actually gone straight to the police), but ultimately enforcement of noise ordinances is something it's appropriate to ask police to do. There are some ifs: If you don't have building security to call, if you don't know who's being loud so you can report it to management, and if it happens more than once or is excessive.
posted by zennie at 8:07 PM on June 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
If people are being noisy, that would be another area management could address generally. I was being a grump in my first comment in this thread (would not have actually gone straight to the police), but ultimately enforcement of noise ordinances is something it's appropriate to ask police to do. There are some ifs: If you don't have building security to call, if you don't know who's being loud so you can report it to management, and if it happens more than once or is excessive.
posted by zennie at 8:07 PM on June 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by zennie at 11:44 AM on June 15, 2015 [4 favorites]