Bad Neighbor

FirstComradeStalin

In my apartment building we have a small gated parking lot that has three sliding overlapping gates that are locked individually by a regular lock (a big one with a key). Basically when you pull in, you have to get out, unlock the gate, slide it open, drive in, close the gate, then lock it again. My neighbor only locks his gate when leaving about half the time, though he closes the gate all the way every time. I talked to the landlord, I talked to the guy (who denies it), I even confronted him once when he was driving off right in front of me with it still unlocked. Still at least once a day it's left unlocked.

I live in a pretty low-income neighborhood in a very high-crime city, so I don't like taking any risks. What can I do to get this guy to lock his gate? I talked to the landlord, who has talked to him, but it doesn't seem like much is working. Just in case, what can I do to document the fact he's not locking the gate? Could I just take timestamped photos on my phone? Each gate covers 4 spots and he only parks in 2 (someone else parks in the other 2 while I'm parked behind the adjacent gate) but it's obviously this one guy who doesn't care about locking the gate. How can I prove it's him? What's even the possible motive behind closing the gate all the way but not locking it, isn't he right there anyway? I want something recorded in case of an incident, that's not like weird and obsessive right? Am I becoming an old man?

tinwhiskers

Just so I'm reading this right: It doesn't effect your car in any way? Then let it slide. You've talked to the land lord. Which is frankly more than I would have even bothered to do.

iRevert

It does affect his car, the one lock controls all the stalls so by leaving it unlocked someone could access any vehicle.

see317

Is there any reasonable way you could set up a closed circuit camera and actually record the parking structure? If you have him on tape leaving it unlocked, it'd be harder for him to deny. Plus, if someone does get in and damage your car, you've got it on tape for the police/insurance reports.
Maybe talk to the other neighbors who rely on the same guy locking the gate? If enough of you talk to him about it, he might get his act together. Or he might be a passive aggressive ass and stop locking it altogether.

If that fails, is there any way you could talk to your landlord about getting a different parking spot where the other users remember to lock up?

FirstComradeStalin

It's a contiguous parking lot at the ground level of our building- if you get through one gate, you can get to any car/the open door into the building.

I was considering recording the guy, I could even do it from my bedroom window since it's sitting right over the gate. Setting up a CC camera might be a bit more effort than I care to expend, but I get the idea. I might just try to get by taking photographs instead.

Sir Carcass

I would just start documenting every time you find the gate unlocked and give maybe a weekly summary to your landlord. I wouldn't worry too much about catching the guy in the act, just tell the landlord you're pretty sure it's him and let him know the gate is being left unlocked X times per week. That should hopefully be enough for him to talk to the tenants and maybe start watching this guy himself (his responsibility, not yours). If the landlord doesn't seem to care or do anything, find whoever is above him and let him know the property is being left unsecured.

zepherin

Make sure taking hidden pictures of the guys isn't against the law before doing it.

Also is the landlord the owner or an employee of a larger firm? How occupied is the apartment complex?
Would your landlord be willing to replace the gate with one that automatically locks? They aren't too expensive.

DevoutlyApathetic

Being "Gate locking Vigilante!" isn't going to endear you to anybody and won't fix anything.

Does your lease mention secured parking as something that is included? If it does get what documentation you have together then talk with the landlord how they aren't providing it and this negligence leaves them open to liability if something were to happen. Make this their problem.

You have no leverage over your fellow tenant that you haven't already used.

tarnok

DevoutlyApathetic wrote: »

You have no leverage over your fellow tenant that you haven't already used.

I think this is the big problem. It's a shitty situation for you but there isn't anything further you can do directly to change things. Trying to get the landlord to lean on him is really the only remaining viable option but that may have negative repercussions if your neighbor is vindictive.

FirstComradeStalin

Yeah I spoke to the landlord and he's gonna give him a legal notice. Yes, the lease says secured parking so I've already made clear it's a big legal liability. Also, I'm taking photos every time I find it unlocked.

Darkewolfe

Your main thing is to just be prepared to sue your landlord if your car has something happen to it when the gate is unsecured, since he'll have been negligent in providing the secure parking.

As part of that, you can certainly start taking note of all the times you've found the gate unlocked, and any written correspondence you sent the landlord asking him to address the issue. (Make sure you have at least one piece of written correspondence.)

Past that, just let it drop in terms of communicating with everyone else about it. The motivation you've provided is that your landlord will have been negligent if something happens to your car. Past that, you'll just piss everyone off by being gate vigilante.

Julius

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Your main thing is to just be prepared to sue your landlord if your car has something happen to it when the gate is unsecured, since he'll have been negligent in providing the secure parking.

As part of that, you can certainly start taking note of all the times you've found the gate unlocked, and any written correspondence you sent the landlord asking him to address the issue. (Make sure you have at least one piece of written correspondence.)

Past that, just let it drop in terms of communicating with everyone else about it. The motivation you've provided is that your landlord will have been negligent if something happens to your car. Past that, you'll just piss everyone off by being gate vigilante.

I agree. Take the photos and send them to your landlord so that he may be able to use them but also keep copies of everything yourself so that you can prove stuff. Once you've done that the responsibility is your landlord's so all you can do is hope it gets solved quickly.

Karrmer

Couldn't this also be used as grounds for you to break your lease as the landlord isn't providing what the lease stipulates that he will? If so I'd consider getting out of there and into a low crime area, IMO living in places like that is generally always a bad idea