Apartment living usually requires a little patience for other people’s routines.

So when a tenant’s quick 7:30 a.m. coffee grinding annoyed her night-shift neighbor enough to spark notes, complaints, and wall-banging, the tension kept building instead of settling.

Before long, the tenant decided if he hated mornings so much, she could make them start even sooner.

Keep reading for the full story.

I started practicing opera at 6 AM because my neighbor complained about my “noisy” coffee grinder

I (28F) have lived in my apartment for about 2 years now.

Every morning, I grind fresh coffee beans around 7:30 a.m. before work—it takes maybe 30 seconds, tops.

Never had a single complaint until the new guy moved in next door 4 months ago.

This guy was not the nicest neighbor ever.

This dude (probably mid-40s) works nights, apparently, but instead of talking to me like a normal person, he started leaving passive-aggressive notes under my door.

First it was, “Some people are trying to sleep.” Then, “The coffee grinder is excessive.”

Soon, he decided he needed to get the landlord involved.

Finally, last month, he escalated to filing a formal noise complaint with the landlord.

The landlord laughed it off since 7:30 a.m. is well within reasonable hours, but Prince Charming next door didn’t stop there.

Then came the outright aggression.

He started banging on the walls whenever I used any kitchen appliance.

Blender? Bang bang. Microwave beeping? Bang bang bang.

So I decided if he wants to play the noise game, I’ll play.

Turns out I took opera lessons in college and still remember most of the vocals.

She decided she would be even louder just to make him angry!

Now I practice scales and arias every morning at 6 a.m. sharp—completely legal, as quiet hours end at 6 in our building.

The best part? When he came pounding on my door last week, screaming about the singing, I innocently told him I’m “pursuing my passion” and that “music is meant to be shared.”

So this time, the landlord wasn’t near as sympathetic with his complaints.

He tried filing another complaint, but the landlord told him that practicing music during daytime hours is perfectly acceptable.

I’ve been doing this for 3 weeks now.

This morning, I started learning Wagner. Those pieces are really long.

Petty? Absolutely. But hey, at least my vocal range is improving.

This revenge is both petty and productive!

What did Reddit think?

Thin walls may just be to blame in this case.

This commenter worries her pettiness may have escalated an already aggressive situation.

Why not let nature join in on the fun?

The landlord definitely needs to be made aware of this guy’s aggression.

He banged on the walls, so she just sang through them.

Turns out petty comes with perfect pitch.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.