Joan,

No slight perceived or felt by me.  Took your statement as valid and
elaborated.  You gave me the opportunity to flesh out my previous response
to Vince; express my simmering irritation about the war in Yugoslavia and my
ongoing debate with our Federal government.

Was, however, concerned about my "tone,"--whether too "flippant" or "broad."
Wanted to post for info's sake, given the hour declined a rewrite.

There's more that frustrates me these days.  Sometimes when I'm trying to be
humorous I'm also expressing some level of pain or discord.  I don't usually
do a good job at keeping things separate or giving fair warning.

Hope I provided you, Vince, and others with some useful stuff.

Steve M.


Date:    Thu, 29 Apr 1999 06:55:53 -0500
From:    joan m wallyn <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Intro and advice request...

Stephen -- Sorry for any percieved slight, I really didn't know most of
what you put in this post and am happy to learn it.  I really didn't
think there was much recourse in dealing with rude neighbors, and I
really have been blessed with great neighbors.  Last night I got home
late from work and was REALLY fatigued (I can always tell  by the
severity of the muscle twitches and pain), and my neighbors had already
brought the trash to the curb for me.  JMW

On Thu, 29 Apr 1999 05:39:37 -0400 "I. STEPHEN MARGOLIS"
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
>Joan,
>
>I used to do this stuff for a living, investigate discrimination
>complaints,
>primarily housing, for the Feds.  Being a modest guy I wouldn't claim
>any
>expertise in this or any other matter of being human.  And I've been
>"retired" for about 12 years now.  So my opinions are worth, let's
>say, the
>paper they're being written on?
>
>Sure you can file against your neighbors.  And the managers and owners
>of
>the apartment complex too.  You can file against God, if the
>government's
>big enough to claim jurisdiction.  Ours may think it is.
>
>Vince has a "management" issue.  From his description Vince also may
>have an
>actual handicapped discrimination complaint.  (The "may" reflects my
>lingering "bureaucratic" mindset. I'm ever intrigued that people
>"grouse"
>about their "rights," yet rarely exercise them or even know they have
>legal
>recourse.)  Since he's already notified management, he can ask them
>what
>they've done to ameliorate the problem.  He could "gently" let them
>know
>that he's "thinking" about filing a discrimination complaint against
>his
>neighbors.  That gives management "wiggle" room and incentive to
>"notify"
>his neighbors, since he's not yet charging management.  Sometimes
>these
>disputes fester because management won't properly notify their tenants
>and
>even-handedly enforce the lease.
>
>Mag and Bobby furthered my implications that apartment and
>neighborhood
>coexistence is usually live and let live.  When neighbors get in your
>face
>then more challenges of life begin.  There's all kinds of coping and
>survival strategies.
>
>I wanted Vince to consider that running from the problem wasn't
>necessarily
>the best or only solution, to be aware that he had contractual and
>other
>legal recourse.  I also suggested that he should simply ignore his
>neighbor's attitudes and behaviors unless they become too obtrusive.
>
>Steve M.
>