Pothead neighbors

torneen

I am looking for advice on dealing with some pothead neighbors of mine.  They light up every single day and the smell consumes my house.  I really don't care if other people want to get high... but when my house smells like pot, I get really really pissed off.  Especially as I am 26 weeks pregnant! 

I asked a friend with the local PD and she said I can call them if I know exactly which unit the smoke is coming from.  But unfortunatley I do not.  So I guess I will have to do a little spying around the complex when I smell it to find out which unit it is for sure. 

I tried the HOA office, but they said they really can't do anything.  Which baffles me.  But they are lame anyway.  I didn't really expect much from them. 

Has anyone dealt with this, or a situation like it, before?

joshandpanda

I have not dealt with this, and I am sorry that you have to... 

Upon starting to read I though, why dont you just call the police, but then reading that you have talked to someone, and their response... seems legit...

Like you said, you having to do some spy work is what I would do.. I would talk to any neighbors that you are friends with/trust about if they smell it as well. and kind of work together in weeding out who it could be... (haha... just noticed the pun there lol) 

Expecting girl 3

I am 35 weeks and have dealt with this for years. Luckily none of us have gotten a contact high. I think it's just the smell, not the actual smoke that we get. I smell cigarettes all the time too. I have all the ceiling fans and doors open to ventilate, but it's true, not much u can do unless I know exactly who it is, and can call at the perfect moment they would get caught. The smell is usually in our bathroom which is in the center of our building, so there are 4 different apartments and an upstairs hallway so it's nearly impossible. I just ignore it. 

mrs+harlow

My husband is in law enforcement so what your police officer friend has advised is true...the cops just can't go busting in everyone's apartment because someone is smelling marijuana. They have to have " due cause" and obtain a search warrant to even enter the domicile.

Also, be aware that freedom of information laws will normally allow your neighbor to know who called the cops on them. I don't know if that would be a concern you would have or not.

I would first put a "notice" ( typed not handwritten)  near the mailboxes or some other area that all the tenants go to...explaining that the marijuana smell is drifting into other apartments and the neighbors have decided that they would prefer this be solved without a higher authority /without anyone getting in trouble...so if the pot smokers can either ventilate or utilize their drugs elsewhere it would be greatly appreciated. Sign it " Your Other Neighbors"  so they think it is a collective effort. That should be enough to freak them out to either stop or do something to make sure the smell doesn't exit their apartment,.

joshandpanda

mrs+harlow:

I would first put a "notice" ( typed not handwritten)  near the mailboxes or some other area that all the tenants go to...explaining that the marijuana smell is drifting into other apartments and the neighbors have decided that they would prefer this be solved without a higher authority /without anyone getting in trouble...so if the pot smokers can either ventilate or utilize their drugs elsewhere it would be greatly appreciated. Sign it " Your Other Neighbors"  so they think it is a collective effort. That should be enough to freak them out to either stop or do something to make sure the smell doesn't exit their apartment,.

I think this is a good idea! 

torneen

That is actually a pretty great idea.  I had a similar thought too.  I think I will do that.  Just post flyers in the common laundry rooms letting them know that their pot smell has been noticed by neighbors and that it is not appreciated.  Hopefully that will put a non-dramatic end to this. 

My friend with the PD said I can make an annonymous complaint as long as I know the unit number.  But I feel like this would be a waste of their time and I hate using law enforcement for petty issues.  I was hoping the HOA would send them a warning letter or something... but they are useless. 

I really like the flyer idea.  I think this may be effective.  If not, then I may have to resort to calling the police. 

 Thank you so much!! 

mrs+harlow

torneen:

That is actually a pretty great idea.  I had a similar thought too.  I think I will do that.  Just post flyers in the common laundry rooms letting them know that their pot smell has been noticed by neighbors and that it is not appreciated.  Hopefully that will put a non-dramatic end to this. 

My friend with the PD said I can make an annonymous complaint as long as I know the unit number.  But I feel like this would be a waste of their time and I hate using law enforcement for petty issues.  I was hoping the HOA would send them a warning letter or something... but they are useless. 

I really like the flyer idea.  I think this may be effective.  If not, then I may have to resort to calling the police. 

 Thank you so much!! 

 

The only way you can really enter an " anonymous" complaint is to go to a pay phone. The Freedom of Information Act will allow  the person to be able to inquire who made the complaint or where the complaint originated if it was entered as " anonymous". It is very hard for LE to get around this law even with the 9 exceptions to it.....especially if someone is claiming you have unfairly reported them to law enforcement ( then that opens a whole can of civil matters).

surprise3rd

torneen:

That is actually a pretty great idea.  I had a similar thought too.  I think I will do that.  Just post flyers in the common laundry rooms letting them know that their pot smell has been noticed by neighbors and that it is not appreciated.  Hopefully that will put a non-dramatic end to this. 

My friend with the PD said I can make an annonymous complaint as long as I know the unit number.  But I feel like this would be a waste of their time and I hate using law enforcement for petty issues.  I was hoping the HOA would send them a warning letter or something... but they are useless. 

I really like the flyer idea.  I think this may be effective.  If not, then I may have to resort to calling the police. 

 Thank you so much!! 

I would do the flyer, generally the pot heads of the world mean no harm and don't want any issues with law enforcement.  They will certainly find a way to squench the stench once they realize it is bothering their neighbors.  That stinks though to have to deal with it.  Good Luck.

catmtl

I doubt an anonymous flyer is going to deter them. If they want to smoke in their own place they will do it.

APendola

mrs+harlow:

I would first put a "notice" ( typed not handwritten)  near the mailboxes or some other area that all the tenants go to...explaining that the marijuana smell is drifting into other apartments and the neighbors have decided that they would prefer this be solved without a higher authority /without anyone getting in trouble...so if the pot smokers can either ventilate or utilize their drugs elsewhere it would be greatly appreciated. Sign it " Your Other Neighbors"  so they think it is a collective effort. That should be enough to freak them out to either stop or do something to make sure the smell doesn't exit their apartment,.

I think this is a good first step and may scare the people a bit into taking a walk when when they feel the need to light up.

Are you a renter or is this a condo?  If you are a renter, you may want to talk to your landlord or property manager.  They could send out the notice and try to find out who is doing it etc.

Littlecroissants

Definitely put a flyer up politely explaining the situation. I doubt they mean any harm, and they probably aren't aware that it's causing a nuisance. 

chicagocubsfan23

torneen:

That is actually a pretty great idea.  I had a similar thought too.  I think I will do that.  Just post flyers in the common laundry rooms letting them know that their pot smell has been noticed by neighbors and that it is not appreciated.  Hopefully that will put a non-dramatic end to this. 

My friend with the PD said I can make an annonymous complaint as long as I know the unit number.  But I feel like this would be a waste of their time and I hate using law enforcement for petty issues.  I was hoping the HOA would send them a warning letter or something... but they are useless. 

I really like the flyer idea.  I think this may be effective.  If not, then I may have to resort to calling the police. 

 Thank you so much!! 

Our neighbor across the street would have their friends over and they would hotbox right there on the street in front of our house. I called the cops on them. I don't feel like I was wasting the cop's time on a "petty" issue as smoking marijuana is illegal. I don't care if they want to do it in their own home, but I don't want them to be out there some day and my toddler son ask me what they're doing.

ipookie8

My brother & uncle are cops...In my area we have K9 units for drug sniffing. If you call the non-emergency line and tell them that you have strong marijuana smell going into your apartment from another unit and to bring the drug sniffing dogs, the dogs will be able to indicate a door and that gives the police enough probable-cause to enter the unit and issue citations. Even if there are no K9 drug units in your area, the officer's own sense of smell gives him probably cause to enter a unit if he believes marijuana is being smoked inside.
After so many calls (if the people don't stop) I would contact the health/safety department for your county and report consistent smoke into your unit and your landlord can get in trouble for keeping tenants who are smoking illegally and at least there will be a paper trail (their ticketing) from the cops that supports your claims.

Personally, I would contact my landlord first and tell him that you want them to post something from management regarding the smoking. If they do not do so in a timely fashion, I'd do it myself... I would type a letter and post it on the main entrance in large font and bold letters stating that the next time you smell marijuana/cigarettes etc drifting into your unit, legal action will be taken. Sign, your friendly neighbor.

As far as I'm concerned, people who want to break the law can do so as long as it doesn't affect me or my family.

dreambig527

Actually, I know quite a few people who used to smoke pot- some still do now and then.

Just judging by the people I know, I really think as long as you're really nice and polite about it in your note, that would probably do the trick.  I would NOT threaten to call the authorities because, they will just see that as a threat and might just make it worse to piss you off.  They also normally know the laws around this stuff quite well, so if you basically point out that you don't know who it is- they probably know you can't all the cops (which is why if they view it as s threat, they might just make it worse)

I would just very very nicely say that the smell gets into other apartments, and you'd appreciate if they ventilate a little more to try to stop the smell. Honestly, most people I know are pretty respectful of those of us that choose not to, and I don't think you'll have any problems as long as you're respectful as well.

Hope that helps!

mrs+harlow

ipookie8:

My brother & uncle are cops...In my area we have K9 units for drug sniffing. If you call the non-emergency line and tell them that you have strong marijuana smell going into your apartment from another unit and to bring the drug sniffing dogs, the dogs will be able to indicate a door and that gives the police enough probable-cause to enter the unit and issue citations. Even if there are no K9 drug units in your area, the officer's own sense of smell gives him probably cause to enter a unit if he believes marijuana is being smoked inside.
After so many calls (if the people don't stop) I would contact the health/safety department for your county and report consistent smoke into your unit and your landlord can get in trouble for keeping tenants who are smoking illegally and at least there will be a paper trail (their ticketing) from the cops that supports your claims.

Personally, I would contact my landlord first and tell him that you want them to post something from management regarding the smoking. If they do not do so in a timely fashion, I'd do it myself... I would type a letter and post it on the main entrance in large font and bold letters stating that the next time you smell marijuana/cigarettes etc drifting into your unit, legal action will be taken. Sign, your friendly neighbor.

As far as I'm concerned, people who want to break the law can do so as long as it doesn't affect me or my family.

LOL....cops cannot use K-9 to enter a domicle because they smell pot smoke - even if the dog indicates something outside the apartment,  And what police department calls out K9 because they smell pot?  Do you know the lawsuit that would ensue if they were wrong? And they still need a court order from a judge because you can deny access to LE without a court order search warrant. Honestly, I don't know where you guys live...but the NYPD would do some serious eye-rolling here....and would tell you unless you know exactly who is smoking the marijuana they can't do anything and you need to take it up with the landlord as a civil matter. 

 

OP- try the letter/ flyer post ..,be nice...be cool about it and don't threaten. My guess is you will see a much better result than with threats, law enforcement and legal action.  

torneen

Thanks everyone!  I am going to try the flyers.  I wrote up a friendly statement today that just basically says "we can all smell it and we don't want to" but without being threatening in any way.  If they want to do it inside their house with the windows and doors shut.. fine.  But they need to keep it contained or find a way to get high without the smoke.  Beyond that, I could care less what they do. 

If they continue after the flyers, I will insist that the HOA do something about it.  Maybe they can post a warning to the neighborhood about illegal activities or something.   We are home-owners, but I believe these people are renters.  So maybe the HOA can contact the owner of the unit. 

 Thanks again!!