What should I do?
By breepeace
@breepeace (3014)
Canada
June 4, 2009 12:31am CST
We had a giant windstorm the other night that picked up and carried away my melamine ashtray outside on my apartment balcony. I didn't think anything of it until today when my downstairs neighbour comes up and starts complaining that all my butts are landing in her flowers pots underneath.
I apologized and explained that I had lost my ashtray in the storm, and that was the likely culprit, since I never throw my cigarette butts on the ground, but 10 minutes later I hear her downstairs on her balcony complaining loudly to someone about how I keep throwing cigarette butts in her flowers pots and that she should complain to our landlord about it.
I've already explained what happened, and assured her that I don't throw them on the ground (I'm usually the one out there picking them up around the entrances and throwing them in the trash), but now she's going to complain about something I had no control over?
What do I do?
8 people like this
12 responses
@smileonstar (4007)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I used to have someone complained about something else but it sound so similar to my story. I used to live up stair (4th floors). I never throw stuff to her back yard but she complained that I did it. One day, she had her door open and then she saw some one throw trash to her back yard again and she went outside and she saw some kids on 3th floor did it. She came back to me and apologize what she did and said. I said, I would never do that and it is ok...
well, you can explain to her or tell other friends that you know in the building about it. So, then now you have other people to be your witness. try to bring all your butt inside the house so then there is no more problem about it.
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Go to your landlord BEFORE she does and explain what happened!! Do it now!! The reason I say this is so that you get your word out there first before she does so that your landlord can explain that it was an accident and to take it as such. Otherwise, if she gets there first, the landlord might take her side. So get going!! I'm a clean smoker too so I know exactly how you're feeling. If you didn't do it then why should you be blamed for it.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
4 Jun 09
You could offer to clean up the butts, but chances are if she is going to complain to the landlord it won't make a difference to her. Some people will complain regardless, so if you didn't smoke, it would be something else. But now you are aware of how these things can happen, take some precautions against it happening again. If you are a good tenant usually and there are no other complaints against you, then explaining to your landlord will probably be sufficient. Landlords are slow to evict tenants who pay their rent on time, it's costly to try to fill an empty apartment. You can't choose your neighbors, but you can limit your exposure to them and try not to get in her way over anything again, because she will see it as another reason to complain about you. Good Luck.
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Hey breepeace! I have a suggestion, although it would piss me
off alot to have to do this just to shut up a stupid annoying
neighbor who just is out to cause trouble for you! But, since
that is what she is trying to do I think the only solution is
to use an ashtray while you are out on the balcony and before
you go in for the evening take the ashtray and either dump
the butts in the toilet and flush them or throw them into the
garbage so there is no way this beotch can blame you anymore!
And if she does you can tell your landlord she is a phucking
liar because you no longer leave cigg butts on the balcony!
Believe me if you cover your "butt" you will beat her "butt"! lol
1 person likes this
@kprofgames (3089)
• United States
4 Jun 09
The saddest thing is you can't pick your neighbors. You apologized and made good what the storm did. I think this person was out of line and to be honest, a busy body if she has to tell everyone that walks. I probably would have picked them up myself, but given her entire attitude I can understand if that thought didn't accure to you.
If the landloard approaches you, just tell them the situation. In all honesty this person probably is a cronic complainer anyway - or so it seems - so this shouldn't be any big deal. Remember the person that has to speak the loudest and to EVERYONE is usually not taken seriously. Gossipy people rarely are.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Go and clean up her flower pots! Apologize again and tell her you'll see that your ashtray remains where it's supposed to from now on. When I lived in the southwest I smoked out on our back porch. Because we sometimes had strong, hot winds, I kept a wastebasket nearby with a lid on it. I put rocks in the bottom underneath the plastic liner and dumped the ashtray in it after it had completely cooled every evening--or before a windstorm hit. I rarely had butts flying away.
Whether this would work for you or not, be sure that when you go inside you secure your ashtray. Cover it with a heavy flower pot or something when you're done with it so it won't blow away.
1 person likes this
@AnnieOakley1 (5596)
• Canada
5 Jun 09
Be the first to go to your landlord and tell him that your ashtray that was on your balcony is missing and you think the storm must have taken it. Tell him you are looking for it and ask if he has seen it. Then, you may end up talking about teh b1tch downstairs.
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
8 Jun 09
It sucks you're getting into trouble for something caused by nature! Maybe you could buy one of those ashtrays with the push-down button, which lets the butts drop into the ashtray and not get out. It's a nuisance, but would stop the damn things blowing all over the place. All you can do is apologise profusely and hope this neighbour calms down and sees your point of view. Good luck!
@celticeagle (189822)
• Boise, Idaho
5 Jun 09
I would write a very nicely phrased letter to your landlord explaining what happened. You have surely had no other complaints and assure your landlord that this only happened after the storm and will not happen again. I would watch and if another storm comes up I would move my ashtray inside. Perhaps even write a formal apology letter to this other neighbor as well. Assure her it won't happen again. This is about all you can do. Hopefully she won't make a big deal out of it and this will be the end of it.
@uicbear (1900)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I don't think there is too much you can do. The only thought that came to my mind while reading your story was to maybe go and buy her a plant or some more flowers for her flower bed, and apologize again for the wind knocking your trash down on her plants. If she complains to the landlord, all you can do is tell him the truth of what happened and hope he understands. I have a feeling though, she was just venting and it will all blow over(I know, interesting choice of words).
1 person likes this
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Ask if you can clean them up for her. Don't say anything to the landlord unless she does. You don't want to look like you are causing trouble. Maybe you need to dump your butts more often if this has happened before. If this hasn't happened before ignore her. No one in their right mind is going to believe her if you clean up the butts outside and you've lived there longer than a month or so and haven't done this before. Chances are good people will think of her as a trouble maker.
