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Image: The Straits Times.
You may have heard about this story, where residents at a Yishun Housing Board flat said they are at their wits' end after being harassed by a neighbour for over a year, with one family going as far as to build a "wall" barbed with cacti on the common corridor for protection. The Lee family, who live in an four-room corner unit and were the ones who erected the metre-high barrier made of scrap materials, with a latched gate, said that it was a last resort for them after having had to deal with the difficult neighbour since last December. They come home nearly every day to find an oil-like substance reeking of urine splashed across their door and along the corridor. Balls of toilet paper and used sanitary pads have also been found outside their flat and on their bicycle chained outside. The culprit, they said, lives on the floor below them with her daughter.
If you have nasty neighbours yourself, this is what you can do.
Image: Pixabay.
Resolving disputes between neighbours
Feuding neighbours who cannot resolve their issues on their own or with the help of grassroots leaders can approach the Community Mediation Centre, which aims to resolve disputes without litigation.
Examples of disputes include complaints of excessive noise, smell or smoke, littering at or in the vicinity of the complainant's place of residence, and trespassing. But there is little the authorities can do if the neighbours do not want to make up or even turn up for mediation.
If mediation does not solve the problem, parties can file a claim with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals. The tribunals, which are given powers to resolve disputes between neighbours under the Community Disputes Resolution Act passed in 2015, can order the payment of damages up to $20,000. It can also order a neighbour to stop an action or to apologise.
Supporting evidence, such as photographs, video and audio recordings and police reports, can be brought before the tribunal. If the neighbour refuses to comply with the court order, further legal steps may be taken.
Adapted from The Straits Times.