This Ain't Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

"...I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you..."


On Saturday, we moved to a new home. In preparing to leave Hawaii and relocate to Colorado, the first step has been to sell our condo. Because of it's convenient location, we decided to stay on in the complex and rent a smaller unit not far from the one we just sold.

The move has been somewhat stressful as we figure out how to cram all our stuff into about 200 less square feet. Coupled with the fact that the unit's enclosed garage sustained a fire a couple of months ago and has not yet been repaired, leaves us living over it's charred remains and a lanai railing that has a near through and through burn. The garage will be repaired, the unit itself is very well maintained, clean, bug-free and quieter than the one we left behind.

Due to the fire, we have lost the use of the garage for parking. Our property manager told us we would be assigned a guest parking stall on a temporary basis until the garage repairs are completed. Dan noted that the stairs leading up to our unit would serve as a good parking spot for his motorcycle, leaving us with no need for a guest stall, since I could use the tandem parking outside of the garage. He brought his bike over on Saturday and parked it under the stairs. We noted there is no house rule forbidding what he did.

Within about 45 minutes, a security officer approached Dan to advise him he was being cited for parking his motorcycle under the stairs. A neighbor had called in to complain. We had no idea who it was as we don't know anyone who lives in this phase.

Since Dan was busy retrieving belongings, he left on another run and I went down to retrieve the citation from Bo (the security officer). It was an annoyance as I had better things to do with my time. Apparently my neighbor did not.

Unable to contain himself, the neighbor walked past, approached Dan's bike, looked it over than walked over to where Bo and I were. He seemed to either not realize or not care who I was. He asked Bo if he'd cited the motorcycle, at which time I snapped the citation open and held it up and said "yes he did and thanks so much for reporting us."

Lord, that led to an abusive tirade from this guy, whom I should mention is on TWO boards for this complex. He was rude, condescending and nasty - probably out looking for trouble as it seems he delights in patrolling all areas of the complex, looking for and reporting infractions. What a sad little man.

The incident escalated into a very heated exchange with him telling me I could not live in the apartment and I was not to use the guest parking stalls for my vehicle, but rather should park in the burned out garage (of the unit I wasn't supposed to be renting ... yes, it makes as much sense to me as it does to you!)

He refused to cite which house rule we were breaking, belligerently telling me if I had read the rules, I would know. There is NO house rule regarding the parking of motorcycles under the stairs. Further he stated that people like me turn the place into something that looks like trailer park trash.

After more than an hour of unpleasantries and a visit by the police, the incident ended. The sum total being: flared tempers, discord and the final resolution being that the bike remains parked under the stairs.

If this resident had approached us in a reasonable and respectful manner, and tried to be helpful in educating us about the house rules (although as stated earlier, he was referring to a nonexistent rule), the whole matter likely would have been resolved in a calm and friendly manner. Rather than feel his position on the board affords him the right to be disrespectful and condescending, he could have chosen to behave in a civil and neighborly fashion.

Believe it or not, this man had my complete sympathy up until the day he abused me. His garage adjoins ours and was also burned in the fire, resulting in the loss of a good deal of household goods he'd stored in the garage while his unit was being repaired from flood damage. The true irony of all this was the BoD amended the house rules to include a new one in which all residents were required to carry home owner's insurance. This member of 2 governing boards broke that rule and never bothered to obtain insurance. I find this incomprehensible in view of the fact that he goes around being a Rule Nazi with everyone else.

I'm a firm believer in the Universe taking care of things and people in it's own way. I also believe what goes around comes around. Makes me wonder WHAT kind of karmic debt he racked up that his punishment was a flood and a fire. WHEW!! Mind boggling.