Funny situation

Okay I live in a small town and own a few properties and run a workshop. One of my properties is a duplex with a big yard and I supply it to employees of mine.

Next door there is a lady who is a casual friend so knows that we own the property and recently I employed a bloke with some dogs that by council law is allowed.

So the day he moved in I get a message questioning me about the dogs and if they were dangerious through facebook I asked her to talk to the bloke and left it at that.

So along comes a weekend and I get a message late on a saturday arvo that I ignored as I was going to a party.

few weeks later I get a really frustrated message about how the dogs are barking all the time she ask for the contact number for the new employee and when he was going to be home I didn't have his number but told her he would be home after 5.

Now this morning I get a message along the lines of "and had another **** night sleep"

my question is am I wrong in thinking this isn't my problem??
 
I can't see how it's OPs problem.

He owns the house - but that's the extent of it. He can't directly control the tenants actions. They need to sort it out themselves.

Cheers

Jamie
 
I am of the opinion that it is not my fault. but was interested if anyone has had the same issue before.

it would be no different if the tenant cooked bad smelling food every night would that be my fault to sort out?

I think the open dialogue the neighbor has with me is the problem.

I just had a chat to my employee and he say that he has spoken to the neighbor a few times and they have not mentioned the dogs barking.
 
Okay I live in a small town and own a few properties and run a workshop. One of my properties is a duplex with a big yard and I supply it to employees of mine.

Next door there is a lady who is a casual friend so knows that we own the property and recently I employed a bloke with some dogs that by council law is allowed.

So the day he moved in I get a message questioning me about the dogs and if they were dangerious through facebook I asked her to talk to the bloke and left it at that.

So along comes a weekend and I get a message late on a saturday arvo that I ignored as I was going to a party.

few weeks later I get a really frustrated message about how the dogs are barking all the time she ask for the contact number for the new employee and when he was going to be home I didn't have his number but told her he would be home after 5.

Now this morning I get a message along the lines of "and had another **** night sleep"

my question is am I wrong in thinking this isn't my problem??
LOL.

How amazing that a mechanic (who are mostly skanky bogans with mostly attack dogs as pets :rolleyes:), has an out of control dog/s that bark and annoy the neighbors....

I've (thankfully) got a mechanic who isn't any of that - he is the minority.

Before the neighbors hand over the issue to the Council (which will end in tears for your boy and his mutt), I would recommend you get in his ear and suggest he gets one of those anti-barking collars. They do work.
 
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Quite often dogs behave differently when their owner is not home but if they are home and approachable, then perhaps the neighbour should ask politely can they be quietened down a bit.

If they bark continuously then it could be a council matter, it is in NSW, she could contact the council and lodge a complaint.

Maybe they are barking at the crocs roaming the streets :eek:
 
Quite often dogs behave differently when their owner is not home but if they are home and approachable, then perhaps the neighbour should ask politely can they be quietened down a bit.

If they bark continuously then it could be a council matter, it is in NSW, she could contact the council and lodge a complaint.

Maybe they are barking at the crocs roaming the streets :eek:
Very true; seen this a number of times over the years.

One of our neighbors acquired some dogs early last year. Nice dogs too.

They barked every time the owners went out...put out into a run built specially for them.

The neighbor immediately next door started to get upset about the constant barking whenever they went out, so he eventually went and complained to them (nicely), and nothing happened.

He went in again and warned them he would to take it to the Council to handle.

They put the collars on and problem disappeared.
 
Were I the neighbour and my sleep was disrupted I would be using my best endeavours at problem transference by making it the landlord's problem if the tenant was unresponsive.
 
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, but I think you need to address this if you want to avoid a nuisance suit.

Your property is the source of a nuisance to your neighbour.

Under the residential tenancies law, you have the power - under s 184 of the Act - to issue a breach notice to your tenant for causing nuisance to your neighbour.

Under the common law, you have an obligation to prevent your property being a nuisance, so you should issue the breach notice (and follow ups if necessary) to prompt your tenant to do something about it.
 
Bypassing all the law BS, be the decent enough person and do the right thing and talk with both your neighbour and employee instead of trying to deflect blame.

pinkboy
 
Have done both pinkboy just wondering what peoples opinions are as I don't feel I need to be involved people need to grow up and deal with situations themselves not try and force me to "Sort it out" just because I am an easy target and they have contact with me already.

Our society is creating a world of whingers who complain first before trying to sort a problem out like civilized people.

Just saying if it was me I would rock up to there house more than once ask them if they could make there dogs stop barking and if that didn't work I would perhaps contact the landlord/property manager to give them the opportunity to sort if that didn't work than complain to the council.
 
You have guts renting out your property to one of your own employee's i'll give you that!!

Yeah it is very strictly controlled we have signed contracts basically that says we withhold any last pays until a final inspection on the house/unit has been done it has worked all right so far.
 
Yeah it is very strictly controlled we have signed contracts basically that says we withhold any last pays until a final inspection on the house/unit has been done it has worked all right so far.
Does his rent come straight out of his wages before he gets them? That'd be ideal.
 
Does his rent come straight out of his wages before he gets them? That'd be ideal.

I do this for a number of staff myself.

I charge the lower end of the market rate, give 2x rent free weeks per year (week before Easter and Week before Christmas), and just inspect once a year.

I take rent out of net wages every week.

I only do this for a loyal long term employee and my Visa boys.


pinkboy
 
Okay I live in a small town and own a few properties and run a workshop. One of my properties is a duplex with a big yard and I supply it to employees of mine.

Next door there is a lady who is a casual friend so knows that we own the property and recently I employed a bloke with some dogs that by council law is allowed.

So the day he moved in I get a message questioning me about the dogs and if they were dangerious through facebook I asked her to talk to the bloke and left it at that.

So along comes a weekend and I get a message late on a saturday arvo that I ignored as I was going to a party.

few weeks later I get a really frustrated message about how the dogs are barking all the time she ask for the contact number for the new employee and when he was going to be home I didn't have his number but told her he would be home after 5.

Now this morning I get a message along the lines of "and had another **** night sleep"

my question is am I wrong in thinking this isn't my problem??
Hi OP,

I was in a similar situation a while ago.
The neighbor should attempt to speak to the tenant directly as this can really help, how else are they meant to know their dog is causing the neighbor a problem?
However if this does not work then the neighbor needs to complain to the local council, not you.

Once the council has been notified they then verify the dog barking by parking near the property and literally listening for the bark.
Council then issue a notice to the owner of the property (yourself) then you pass it on to your tenant to rectify the situation.
I believe that the council has to verify the complaint and issue a notice to the owner of the property three times before an order to remove the dog from the property is sent out, but different councils may have different rules/procedures for this... Any letter that do get sent will be addressed to the owner of the property.

Hope this helps.
 
Neighbor Relations

If you had a property manager then I expect you would get them to deal with the issue? and this this case you are acting as the Property manager - maybe the property managers could advise what they would do.

Consider also in the future when you may need something from the neighbor that a good relationship is going to make that easier.

Speaking from experience its not a good idea to have the neighbor go to council as you may find it becomes the first action in the future when they have any concern whether legitimate or not.

We also had the issue with barking dogs and first advice was written notice from council - the barking collars did help.
Then we had an issue raised with Pool compliance.(no real issue)
Then we had an issue raised with Planning permit (was an issue)
Then VCAT. (was withdrawn)
Consider this was all without any direct contact from the neighbor themselves.
 
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