Bingo! You hit the nail on the head.

I have already told my wife that if we stay here past this summer we are moving. I remember why we haven't lived in a flat since we graduated from college.

We live in a small village and in a flat. I can't justify a flat unless one is living in a City proper. In the US we live in a nice big house in a fairly nice major city. I think that we have made a little mistake. We were convinced not to get a house. I think that was a mistake. That's the last time I listen to anyone tell us where and how we want to live.

Does the OP have the option to move to a semi or fully detached house?

Brian.

Thank you for your answers.
What I would like to add, however, is that I'm not asking advice on what I have or have not to do. My conscience, I swear, is perfectly clean.
I'm only saying that I am FED UP with everything. And maybe this thread should be moved to the complaint corner.
I can't stand anymore to be kind and polite with people who live with a permanent "do not disturb" sign on their hearts.
People are so kind here. So very kind. But look at them, they don't have a crumb of fantasy or warmth. Christmas decorations were very nice indeed. And their gardens are so perfect. This is what they can do. Be clean and nice, and keep a decorous facade. So, what else? Tinguely sucks. Oh, finally I've said it! We have tons of crazy little artists living in the hills who make better works than him, but they're not so celebrated.
Swiss writers are great, I must admit, in fact they all cope with mentally hillness.
Outside Swiss is green meadows and calm lakes, inside it's Institute Benjamenta!
And now that I've done my best to behave as they wanted, and they're still not content, I can freely say that I don't care anymore, and that those absolute-silence-fanatic people have even too many rights, here. They should go and live in an hermitage, and die by themselves as they deserve to do.
Now, where's my machine gun?

I hear tap dancing is good exercise and also helps relive the symptoms of stress. Just a thought.

Take up some sort of Tai Bo, or Jazzercise, or other fitness regime in your living room!

I think that sounds like a lovely idea.

Brian.

Could it be they Italian side of you who can't handle too well the organised order here? I am with you on that... miss the chaos a bit?

With you on that - it seems to be a culture totally lacking in spontaneity and individuality. When we arrived we were informed by our Swiss neighbours that 'The Swiss go to bed at 10 pm' and, do you know what, I think they are right!!

Totally,

When I was in Istanbul, I could see houses all around having their lights open until 1-2-3 in the morning but here at 23h it's all dark!

I do not think they are so strict about the time. But if it is not exactly 22.00, you can be sure they planned it two weeks in advance.

I got really scared lately when I recognized I felt annoyed that a friend called and asked if he could stop by spontaneously... I hope "integration" is a reversible thing.

Since I came back here from Christmas holidays, yes, actually I miss home more than ever.

ha ha seek help immediately!!

Dear psychodelicate,

this is almost as reading my own story. I fully sympathize. OK, my case seem to be a bit more complicated, 'cos the mobber from below is disturbing only us, while being sweet to the rest of the neighbors.

At one point I lost my temper and started to kick back on the radiators and on the floor. Alas, other neighbors heard my "response" and complained all together to the house owner who now wants to meet us about the noise we make. Dear friend, let me tell you we have no loudspeakers in the flat, we watch movies silently, reading subtitles only, we even take shoes off before entering our apartment. We conduct quite normal daily activities. The loudest thing we ever do is flush the toiled. BTW, the neighbor bumps on the ceiling for that too. Oh, by the way, we invested into a special acoustic cork, with additional layer of sound insulation below it. It didn't help a slightest bit.

Anyhow, my wife and me found this document:

http://www.mieterverband.ch/fileadmi...W/M_W_3_05.pdf

Which we intend to study. Please note that on page 14 you can find pointers to some legal help - if we can trust the legal system at all. I don't know.

I would not recommend you to lose composure and "fight" back, as you might turn other neighbors against you.

There is a saying:

"Never fight with a swine. You'll both end up in mud, and swine has an advantage there".

Marcel Proust said something similar:

"Don't argue with a fool, the others might not tell the difference".

I hope we should really stick together and try to resolve such unfortunate cases in a legal way. I hope it is possible.


Take care.


Iron City

Oh my goodness!
I have same problems with neighbours UPSTAIRS.
My baby (2y4m) sometimes is running from one room to another at daytime.
Immediately neighbours starts bumping on floor.
Funny stuff – neighbours DOWNSTAIRS have no complaints at all, we have a good relationship.
And finally crazy neighbours sent two complaints to landlord about noise AFTER 22:00. Such event is absolutely impossible – at 21:00 baby goes to bed and we are keeping complete silence.
It seems to be a Swiss national sport – complaining with any case.
Obviously they are persuing any goals except reducing noise that does not exist.

How I can protect my family from unjust accusations?
Help!

It is possible. They lie. I mean, your neighbors lie. My neighbors do it too. Now they came up with the accusation that our dog pees on the corridors. Nonsense, it never happened. Even if my dog did pee, would I, the only tenant with a dog, be so stupid to leave the floor dirty?

Anyhow, my situation got much worse since my last post. Since I dared to respond to a Swiss by bumping back, I turned all (but one) neighbors against me. Now all of them want me and my family expelled claiming we didn't "integrate". Believe me, I watch movies silently (reading subtitles) and listen music with headphones only.

My experience tells: "Do not retaliate and move elsewhere". Their play will get dirtier and dirtier with time.

Watch telly with the subtitles? It sounds extremely excessive and you have been living on eggshells. The bumping on the ceiling / bullying you into living like this, has got to stop.

We are not privvy to the entire situation but have you tried going down there before and ask what the hell is his/her problem banging on the ceiling? I personally wouldnt tolerate such behaviour if its my normal day to day living habits. Speak to the landlord and sort this out asap. The neighbour is the one who wants to evict you - he/she has to provide evidence strong enough to do that, and not just via complaining.

Having said that, sometimes its just better to move for your sanity. Unless its an apartment to die for, it doesnt give a good vibe coming home knowing that everyone in the building is lying in wait for you to **** up.

We had a problem with downstairs neighbours years ago in Walchwil. They owned their house and we rented - the top house of 4 in a vertical terrace. They were there perhaps 12 weeks each year from Dusseldorf and complained about our shoes left outside the front door, our cats who were only being curious and coloured lights that I had installed on our terrace.

It turned out that they had lost their son - married with 2 kids - to a brain tumour and thought us insensitive. We knew nothing of their problems because their agent had not talked to us. We had a meeting in their house together with their agent and cleared the air. After that they were super neighbours.

It pays to meet and talk through differences - no guarantee it will work, but it could clarify the situation.