Problem with other tenants chlidren

Hi All

I am posting this from Nelspruit South Africa. Me and my mother has lived in the same flat for 12 years, the landlord is also living in one, in the other 2 flats - next to us and above us lives people with each 3 children, not one of them is going to school, the peolpe above us has 2 boys ages 10 and 12.

Our contract states that we are responsible for the garden under and in front of our widows. I also have art work in the garden that i am getting ready for an exibition. The problem is that these childern from day 1 has destroyed the garden, we had to move our plants, they are breaking the art work i have in the garden. We have tried to talk to the parents, but the only response we are getting is that they pay rent, and that the chlidern can do what they want.

We opend a case of intimidation and property damage, but it's not going anywere, and now it is wors than before, the childern will come up to our widows and shout at us and peep through our windows. What can we do about this? We have written letters to the agency, we've been to see our attorney, and I have taken photos, these people were given warnings by the agency and attorney, but still they don't evict them. And we have to live in fear of them and their parents. Please help us

[OHlandlord]

OK, a couple ideas...

Why aren't these children attending school? Isn't school mandatory there? If it is, call the school authorities and tell them about these children. If children were not attending school in the US, they would contact the parents and force them to send them to school. If they didn't come, a truant officer would visit the family and pick up the kids for school. If it continued, unless the parents filled out forms to home-school the kids, charges could be filed against the parents. Getting the children enrolled in school would take up some of their free time and give them something useful to do.

Could you put up a fence around the part of the yard or garden you are responsible for? This might protect the art work and plants from the children and keep them away from the windows. If children continued to be purposefully destructive in the US, we could file a case against the parents and force them to pay for the damage. Could you file against the parents for damages?

One other idea, we used to have a neighborhood cat that would come to the window and meow, looking in all the time. This bothered my pet, so we decided to discourage the cat from coming to the window. We kept a spray bottle of water by the chair. Whenever the cat would come, he'd get squirted in the face. He quickly learned not to come to the window. A little water would not hurt or harm the children in any way, but it might discourage them from peeping in the windows all the time or shouting in them.

One last thing, write a lettter to the agency and detail what these children are doing and that they are not attending school. State that you are unable to keep the yard or garden maintained if these children are allowed to continue. If they do not take action against the parents, you can no longer maintain this area. (Maybe this will force them to take action.)

If nothing else works, you may have to move. (Sorry.)

useful advice!!