Woman makes close to 100 calls to police in 20 years over neighbour's early morning showers

Disturbed by the sounds of her neighbour showering in the wee hours of the morning, a Choa Chu Kang resident stated that she has made close to 100 calls to the police in the course of over 20 years.

The 52-year-old housewife, surnamed Chen, told Shin Min Daily News in a report on Nov 6 that the noise from her neighbour upstairs had been a nightly disturbance for the many years she and her husband have stayed there and it's disrupting the couple's sleep.

"My husband works as a warehouse assistant, and he has to leave the house at 5am every day. If he doesn't sleep well at night, it will affect his work," said Chen, sharing that the loud noises of gushing water often continue for more than an hour.

Other than the noises caused by flowing water, Chen also reported hearing chairs being dragged around at night and doors slamming shut. She has also heard sounds of a ball being kicked around and someone skipping rope.

Each time she lodges a complaint, Chen observed that the situation would improve, but only for a short period of time.

Chen also indicated that during a time where there were no noises coming from the unit for months, she had also taken the additional step to inform the authorities.

While Chen shared that she does not wish to interfere in her neighbours' lives, she only hoped that they would refrain from showering during the wee hours of the morning.

When approached by the Chinese evening daily, the neighbour staying in the unit above Chen's declined to give a response.

Chen added that she followed recommendations by the authorities to change the orientation of her bedroom and close the toilet door at night, but that didn't solve the problem.

One neighbour told Shin Min Daily News that they've not encountered similar issues, but stated that as noise travels up and down, neighbours living in the corresponding units would be most affected by such disturbances.

Another neighbour stated that he sometimes hears noises coming from the unit in question, but they didn't bother him as the noise would stop after a while. 

The Housing Development Board recommends that in cases of dispute between neighbours, parties involved should take the initiative to negotiate face-to-face or contact each other through their grassroots leaders.

According to their website, if negotiations fall through, then both parties can approach trained personnel at the Community Mediation Centre for help in reaching a consensus.

If mediation proves unsuccessful, then the last resort would be to approach the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal to file a claim against the other party.

candicecai@asiaone.com