I recently got a phone call from a good friend of mine.
This friend, let’s call her Sara, was in a predicament.
Sara had worked hard her whole life, and had bought her first apartment, which in todays economy as a single person, was an amazing achievement.
Sara had a fur baby called Fluff. Now Fluff was used to being around people all the time, so when Sara and Fluff moved into the apartment, Fluff found herself alone on the days Sara had to work.
Fluff was not happy. And unfortunately, nor were Sara’s neighbours.
About a week after moving in, Sara received a call from her Strata. Strata had said they had received serious complaints about Fluff, and that the neighbour was threatening to go to the police.
Now Sara was both upset and confused. She had no idea that Fluff had been barking her little lungs out while she was at work. And the last thing she wanted to do was get on the bad side of neighbours who she had not even met yet. And the thought of the police banging on her door was just a bit much.
The worst part was, Sara had no idea who made the complaint. She could not go and chat to them, nor apologise for fluffs barking. She could not reassure them that now aware, she was seeking professional help for her fur baby’s anxiety.
She could not tell them that she was leaving home earlier each day to drop fluff off at family and friends homes, so fluff would not annoy the neighbours.
And on the flip side, the neighbour had no idea about sara predicament. About how hard she had worked to get to where she was. About what a wonderful fur baby fluff was, and how Sara was doing everything in her power to help the transition.
The worst part of this scenario, was that because of the initial poor communication, both parties found themselves in a situation where neither of their needs had been communicated, and no resolution was able to be reached.
For neighbourhood disputes where communication has broken down, mediation is not only highly recommended by Councils and Legal Centres alike, but it is an effective way for parties not only to communicate with each other and work together in resolving the issue, but also to rebuild the severed relationship. Working together to rebuild and maintain the relationship is essential for the long-term wellbeing of the clients, especially if they intend on remaining in the apartment blocks as neighbours for the years to come.
And that’s what we are all about at Round Table Resolutions.
Not just short term band-aid solutions, but long term resolutions that empower clients with communication skills to be able to maintain comfortable working relationships with each other!
If you have received complaints about your beloved ball of fluff, and now are avoiding the neighbours at all costs, contact us! Or if the sound of your neighbour’s pooch is driving you barking mad (sorry had to do it!) Contact us!
At Round Table Resolutions we will work with you both to ensure that you are able to communicate with each other in order to reach a long-term resolution that you both feel comfortable with and continue a respectful neighbourly relationship in the future!
