Have you ever been bullied by your neighbour? A friend recently posted this question on Facebook and reminded me of all my neighbours from hell in my previous life as a tenant.

I had to silently acknowledge that indeed some of these neighbours were bullies.

We all know the neighbour who thrives in those terribly managed sectional title abodes. They let their visitors invade your parking bay, or park in your yard.

They throw marathon parties flouting all the rules because, frankly, they just don't care. The way some of them act you would think they are bipolar. They are just itching for a fight.

I lived next to a group of three neighbours once, who took turns hosting get-togethers at each other's houses. Instead of having the usual rowdiness during month-end, they would cause a ruckus for three to four weeks, making a noise beyond the acceptable times.

One of their boozing friends was a member of the body corporate and bullied anyone who complained about the noise.

This emboldened her friends to act as if they had diplomatic immunity and could get away with breaking the rules of the complex.

Having had enough of the bullying, I came up with a plan to record their activities using cellphones. My two accomplices and I presented the evidence of one of their rowdy parties to the rest of the members on the body corporate.

We already had a Facebook page for residents and told the meeting we would upload the videos on the page if proper action was not taken. Thankfully, that was the end of their harassment because two of the three neighbours swiftly moved out of the complex.

In another instance, I was sandwiched bizarrely by two neighbours who kept exotic animals, violating the rules of the complex.

The one neighbour kept a colourful monitor, a few snakes and several dogs and cats. Don't ask me how those animals coexisted in a four-roomed house.

After several nightmares, my chance to complain presented itself when he invited a bunch of kids to his house, including my son, for a tour of his zoo. I promptly complained and I am not sure if the body corporate revealed my identity to him, but soon I saw him smoking next to my yard with the monitor on his shoulder, looking at me in a threatening manner.

He started to develop the habit of "accidentally" emptying his ashtray in my yard. His gate was always locked, and the fact he had three boerbuls prevented me from confronting him.

My neighbour on the other side started a business, selling tarantulas.

My son's love for animals landed him in their living room, as he was once again invited to go on a crash course on how to take care of a tarantula by the "nice uncle next door".

I reported him as well. Following that he started playing rock music loud enough to raise the roof.

When I knocked on his door after two weeks of hell, he opened up before I could finish rapping on it to tell me he was "moving out of this awful place".

Have you ever had an aspirant motorcar mechanic as your neighbour? Yes, the one who secretly runs a business fixing people's cars and motor bikes in his garage?

He's the kind who revs the cars and bikes for hours on end and makes a noise with his cutting torch all day.

Even though they know the rules, these neighbours don't see the need to abide by them. They resort to bullying and scare tactics to silence us.

Rise against these bullies, I say!

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