Not sure Bogleheads is the best forum for this topic, but I am hoping there are some of you with experience in a similar situation that could provide some insight.
My wife bought our home in 2018. It’s a house we love in a historic neighborhood near downtown in a small city. We live in a college town and the neighborhood is a mix of student housing and single family, but the neighborhood is generally considered one of the most desirable in town with home prices typically in the $400-800K range.
I will try to make a long story short:
The home next door is owned by an elderly woman in very poor health (mental and physical). The home was left to her in a trust set up by her mother that lived there. When my wife first moved in, the owner lived there with her youngest, twenty-something son. They were odd, but quiet and friendly enough. Around 2020, the eldest son moved into the home and house guests started showing up. No one in the home is employed, and seemingly their only income comes from the trust.
The problems have escalated over the past few years. The eldest son is basically operating a boarding house for the homeless and unemployed of our city. Meth and heroine use are common (we learned this from the police). There have been two drug raids in the past couple years, but they are selling for their own supply and are not big dealers, nor are they making meth as far as we know. The mother and both sons have been arrested and done jail time for drug possession. We experience constant traffic to the house by foot and car all hours of the day and night. There is trash, shopping carts, etc. all around the property. Presently, the mother and younger son have moved out and the eldest son is living there with a number of other people that come and go overtime. We might see a dozen different people coming in and out of the house in 24 hours. Always new people and new cars, always unsavory.
Our interventions thus far include calling the police almost weekly for noise disturbances, suspected drug activity, or random people milling about, locked out or looking for this house. We have direct contact with a Captain and detective at the city police department. We have had multiple meetings with the local zoning department and they admit there are zoning violations but insist their hands are tied. I am sure the police have been at the home over 100 times in last 5 years. The police and city government are well aware of the situation, and while sympathetic and responsive to our calls, they cannot offer much resolution. We have had discussions with other neighbors about the problem, who are also sympathetic and bothered by the activity, but we see the brunt of it with our house being five feet from their driveway, especially the night time activity. We have installed security cameras and last weekend I put up a motion-sensing flood light that faces their side door, where guests frequent (the brightest I could find!).
After years of collaboration with the police and local government, we have given up hope that they will solve the problem. We have finally accepted that any resolution is up to us. As I see it, these are our remaining options:
1) File a civil nuisance suit against the owner. We know from the deed that the trust was dissolved last fall. She received the home and $100K. We could potentially file a joint suit with other neighbors. Pros – 1) we potentially force them to sell the home to cover the penalties or 2) force the owner to realize that the current situation isn’t working and she should sell the home. Cons – 1) expensive legal fees and 2) a suit such as this may only bring $10-20K in damages with potential that things go on as usual after the fact.
2) Buy and rehab the home. Another neighbor and my parents have both shown interest. My wife and I made a commercial real estate purchase this year and cannot buy it personally. Pros – 1) renovate the home and establish a rent or sale price that is appropriate for the neighborhood and that unemployed drug users would not be able to afford. Cons – 1) we would manage the rehab project if my parents purchased it; 2) if it is a rental, we would effectively manage the property for some minimal fee.
3) Sell and move to another home. Pros – 1) it is the easiest solution and 2) we have a lot of equity in our house with $65K left on the mortgage, so I am not as concerned about high interest rates, 3) our mental health would greatly improve. Cons – 1) we lose a home we love, 2) it’s not a great buyer’s market now, 3) the current neighbor situation will make it difficult (maybe very difficult) to sell our home.
I like the idea of my parents purchasing the home and developing a rental or flipping the house, keeping our home, and bettering the neighborhood. My best thought is to hire a realtor to anonymously approach the homeowner with a cash offer based on the potential rents or sale price and renovation costs.
We are feeling desperate and this is a constant stressor on our lives. We also have a 6 month old baby, which has magnified the problems and concerns about safety.
Any thoughts on how we should proceed? Any other ideas?
My wife bought our home in 2018. It’s a house we love in a historic neighborhood near downtown in a small city. We live in a college town and the neighborhood is a mix of student housing and single family, but the neighborhood is generally considered one of the most desirable in town with home prices typically in the $400-800K range.
I will try to make a long story short:
The home next door is owned by an elderly woman in very poor health (mental and physical). The home was left to her in a trust set up by her mother that lived there. When my wife first moved in, the owner lived there with her youngest, twenty-something son. They were odd, but quiet and friendly enough. Around 2020, the eldest son moved into the home and house guests started showing up. No one in the home is employed, and seemingly their only income comes from the trust.
The problems have escalated over the past few years. The eldest son is basically operating a boarding house for the homeless and unemployed of our city. Meth and heroine use are common (we learned this from the police). There have been two drug raids in the past couple years, but they are selling for their own supply and are not big dealers, nor are they making meth as far as we know. The mother and both sons have been arrested and done jail time for drug possession. We experience constant traffic to the house by foot and car all hours of the day and night. There is trash, shopping carts, etc. all around the property. Presently, the mother and younger son have moved out and the eldest son is living there with a number of other people that come and go overtime. We might see a dozen different people coming in and out of the house in 24 hours. Always new people and new cars, always unsavory.
Our interventions thus far include calling the police almost weekly for noise disturbances, suspected drug activity, or random people milling about, locked out or looking for this house. We have direct contact with a Captain and detective at the city police department. We have had multiple meetings with the local zoning department and they admit there are zoning violations but insist their hands are tied. I am sure the police have been at the home over 100 times in last 5 years. The police and city government are well aware of the situation, and while sympathetic and responsive to our calls, they cannot offer much resolution. We have had discussions with other neighbors about the problem, who are also sympathetic and bothered by the activity, but we see the brunt of it with our house being five feet from their driveway, especially the night time activity. We have installed security cameras and last weekend I put up a motion-sensing flood light that faces their side door, where guests frequent (the brightest I could find!).
After years of collaboration with the police and local government, we have given up hope that they will solve the problem. We have finally accepted that any resolution is up to us. As I see it, these are our remaining options:
1) File a civil nuisance suit against the owner. We know from the deed that the trust was dissolved last fall. She received the home and $100K. We could potentially file a joint suit with other neighbors. Pros – 1) we potentially force them to sell the home to cover the penalties or 2) force the owner to realize that the current situation isn’t working and she should sell the home. Cons – 1) expensive legal fees and 2) a suit such as this may only bring $10-20K in damages with potential that things go on as usual after the fact.
2) Buy and rehab the home. Another neighbor and my parents have both shown interest. My wife and I made a commercial real estate purchase this year and cannot buy it personally. Pros – 1) renovate the home and establish a rent or sale price that is appropriate for the neighborhood and that unemployed drug users would not be able to afford. Cons – 1) we would manage the rehab project if my parents purchased it; 2) if it is a rental, we would effectively manage the property for some minimal fee.
3) Sell and move to another home. Pros – 1) it is the easiest solution and 2) we have a lot of equity in our house with $65K left on the mortgage, so I am not as concerned about high interest rates, 3) our mental health would greatly improve. Cons – 1) we lose a home we love, 2) it’s not a great buyer’s market now, 3) the current neighbor situation will make it difficult (maybe very difficult) to sell our home.
I like the idea of my parents purchasing the home and developing a rental or flipping the house, keeping our home, and bettering the neighborhood. My best thought is to hire a realtor to anonymously approach the homeowner with a cash offer based on the potential rents or sale price and renovation costs.
We are feeling desperate and this is a constant stressor on our lives. We also have a 6 month old baby, which has magnified the problems and concerns about safety.
Any thoughts on how we should proceed? Any other ideas?
Statistics: Posted by vanuber — Sat Jan 20, 2024 3:49 pm — Replies 28 — Views 2108