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It is terrifying when a neighbor is acting erratically and makes you think they may become violent.

That is what has been happening to the couple in this story for the past several months, as their upstairs neighbor is acting very weird.

The neighbor’s mother has even been working with them to try to get him the help he needs, but so far there is very little that can be done. Now, the couple is becoming frightened, and they want to know what they can do to stay safe.

This is a terrifying situation, but I’m not sure what they can really do. Read through all the details below and see if you have any ideas.

My neighbor has become increasingly fixated on my husband and me over the last two months. Police, management, and his mother are involved. What would you do?

My husband and I live in an apartment complex, and we’ve been dealing with an increasingly concerning situation involving our upstairs neighbor.

I’m looking for advice because I feel like we’re stuck waiting for something worse to happen before anyone can actually do anything.

April 27
Our neighbor left a note on our door that said:

“Sorry for all the noise the last few months. It should be done now. Here is my number if it happens again.”

Well, that is a good start. No worries so far.

The note included his name and phone number.

My husband texted him and said we hadn’t heard any noise but thanked him for letting us know.

The neighbor replied that we should let him know if anything changed.

Everything seemed normal at this point.

Now the noise is starting.

May 24
Loud impact noises started coming from upstairs.

We ignored it for a few days, but after the third day my husband texted him.

The conversation went: Husband: “There’s been a lot of stomping upstairs the last few days.”

Neighbor: “I haven’t heard anything but I’ll keep an ear out.”

They know what they heard.

Husband: “It’s coming from your apartment.”

Neighbor: “Like I said, I haven’t heard anything but I’ll keep an ear out.”

We found the response strange and contacted the leasing office. They informed us he had been issued a lease violation.

Oh, this is a big concern.

June 8
His mother came to our door and asked to speak with us.

We exchanged numbers and later spoke on the phone. She told me her son has mental health issues and said to call the police if his behavior escalated.

She also told me that he had been telling her my husband was threatening to beat him up, calling him a loser, and harassing him.

At least his mother seems to be aware of the situation.

The problem is that my husband and this neighbor had never had a conversation beyond the text messages above.

I told her that none of that had happened.

She said she suspected as much and planned to hold an intervention with his counselor.

I emailed the leasing office afterward to let them know what I had learned and received no response.

They really need to be careful.

June 16
I emailed the leasing office again.

The previous Sunday, the neighbor had been stomping upstairs and then texted my husband four laughing emojis.

We didn’t respond.

Things just keep escalating.

A few days later he texted:
“Get a life puss.”

My husband told him to stop contacting him.

The leasing office told me they were having a company-wide meeting and would discuss the situation with the property manager.

I would be getting worried.

June 17
His mother texted me asking if someone named Kendall lived with us.

I told her no and asked why.

She simply apologized for bothering me.

What is going on here?

June 18
Things escalated significantly.

At 7:38 AM I left for work. My husband was home asleep.

At approximately 9:38 AM police arrived at our apartment after receiving a report of domestic violence.

So, this neighbor called the cops on them?

My husband explained that he had been asleep all morning and that I was at work.

Officers entered the apartment, verified everything was fine, and marked it as a non-incident.

Then at approximately 3:35 PM officers returned. This time they said they had received a report of a hostage situation.

Again, my husband was home alone and nothing was happening.

The police can only do so much.

When I got home from work, we went directly to the police station and spoke with an officer. We explained the entire situation.

The officer told us that based on his interaction with the neighbor, they could not force a mental health evaluation and suggested contacting his mother.

I texted her immediately.

This neighbor is having a serious mental health crisis.

She called me and explained that she had just left the police station herself and had obtained a court order. She also told me that the night before, her son had claimed I was being held hostage in my apartment with a woman named Kendall.

I don’t know anyone named Kendall and there has never been a third person living in our apartment.

Hopefully he can get the help he clearly needs.

June 19
The neighbor was taken for a mental health evaluation around noon. He was released back home around 10 PM the same day.

June 22
The leasing office informed me that the property manager was speaking with his mother to try to find a resolution. They asked me to provide everything that had happened up to that point, which I did.

I would not feel safe in this situation.

June 30
Shortly after I got home from work, the neighbor came to my front door and began banging on it. By the time I got the dog put away and reached the door, he had left.

About ten minutes later he returned and knocked again. I looked through the peephole and told him to leave. He shook his head, got on his phone, and drove away.

It is very difficult to get someone admitted to a mental health facility without their consent.

July 1
His mother informed me she was attempting to get him court-ordered for another mental health evaluation.

July 2
He was picked up around 3 PM and was back home by that night.

This is very threatening.

July 3 (Today)
His mother contacted me and told me he had been released again. She specifically told me to call the police if he came near me. She also directed me to his TikTok account.

On the account he has posted photos of my front door, my husband’s truck, and numerous journal entries and rambling posts. In those posts he references my husband, calls him names and writes extensively about God, death, and other topics that are difficult to follow.

What a frustrating situation.

At this point, I feel like there is a clear fixation on us despite the fact that we barely know this person and have had almost no interaction with him.

His mother seems genuinely concerned.

The leasing office is aware.

Police are aware.

Yet, the only one who is actively making moves to help us is his mother.

It is impossible to know if he is dangerous, but you have to assume he is.

My question is: what would you do at this point? Would you continue documenting everything and wait? Would you push the apartment complex harder? Has anyone dealt with a situation where a neighbor became fixated on them like this?

I understand mental illness does not automatically make someone dangerous. At the same time, this has progressed from strange texts to false police reports, social media posts featuring our home and vehicles, and repeated attempts to contact us directly.

They need to have cameras up and a gun if possible.

I’m trying to figure out what options we realistically have before this escalates any further.

Of course, with the holiday, my leasing office is closed & none of these offenses are things my police station has any interest in even coming out for.

They more or less told me that once something directly dangerous or threatening happens, call them. Until then we’re out of luck.

Cop even had the nerve to end our conversation with “good luck”.

What a horrible situation to be in. They must feel so vulnerable and helpless. I hope their neighbor can get the help he needs.

Read on to see what the people in the comments on Reddit have to say about this story.

Absolutely never answer the door.

If they can afford it, this is a smart move.

This commenter had a similar issue growing up.

Getting an emergency restraining order is a good idea.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a disabled woman who confronts her neighbors about using her spot, only to have them tell her they can park where they want.

This commenter is right, I bet.

This is a scary situation, and it needs to be taken very seriously. It is unfortunate that there is so little that the police can do for them.

I am glad to see that the neighbor’s mother wants to help. Hopefully, they can get it all figured out.