One tenant damaging other tenants property

[LMcGinnis]

Washington state.

My Neighbors below me have caused problems since the day they moved in. Their child has a habit of damaging the property. Which was obnoxious but not a big deal because it wasnt mine. Recently it he has desided to start damaging the vehicles outside of their apartment which includes mine. They have been asked to control their child and it has now gotten to the point where I had to file a police report because they were actually caught in the act and caused major damage to one of my vehicles.

I have now been told by the manager of the property that the owner isnt going to evict them even tho she was planning on it this month because she is selling the property and wants the apartments full when she does so.

Is there any kind of action I can take on the owner of the property because she is refusing to take proper action against the tenants who are now letting thier children damage other tenants property? Is there a way that I can hold the owners responsible for the damage because they know about the problem and choose to do nothing about it?

First, if you have a police report showing which child damaged your property, sue the parents. They are responsible for the actions of their children. File a small claims court suit and get paid to repair your car.

Second, write a letter to the owner of the other property to make him aware of what is going on. (Yes, you and I know he knows, but you want to put it in writing to prove later to a court that he does.) Send him a letter telling him that these tenants are disturbing you, damaging your property, and are interferring with your quiet enjoyment of your premises. Ask him to take immediate action to stop this. Send it by certified mail, return receipt requested, and keep a copy. If he fails to stop it or take action against the tenants and the behavior continues, you can sue him too for maintaining a nuisance.

You can also check for local statutes on nuisances. Many cities now have nuisance laws. So many police calls to an address and they place is cited as a nuisance and the residents/owner is fined. Check for these in your area.

Additionally, think about calling your local city councilman/woman. They are elected officials and are usually very open to listening to your complaints. They can have stepped up police patrols in the area, and can alert them to possible trouble in that area. These people often are very chummy with other city officials, so they have musch more pull than you or I do.