For those of you wondering what people with lavish houses do with all the space: Howard County police say a Columbia mansion -- a 4,600-square-foot spread -- was being rented out for a Halloween party this weekend that drew more than 100 people, possibly much more.

They're clear on the "more than 100" part, because that's how many people were still there when officers arrived in response to 911 calls about gunfire. A 19-year-old was killed and a 22-year-old was badly injured.

Police think the house was also rented out for a party that took place in June.

The Sun's Annie Linskey reminded me that several years ago, a big Anne Arundel County house was the site of a non-fatal shooting while rented out to two NFL players. Neighbors complained that the place was being used as an unauthorized nightclub even before that point.

Do you live near homes that are frequently used for parties, with or without cover charges?

(Photograph of the Columbia house by Algerina Perna / Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Jamie Smith Hopkins at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Neighborhood and neighbors
        

Recently, some of you offered advice to fellow Wonk reader Mr. Baltimore about his neighbor dilemma. He likes his next-door neighbor and doesn't want to damage the relationship, but he's getting tired of frequent renovation noise.

Here's a bigger problem for your collective smarts, posed by "no name":

My mom's neighbors are the craziest folk you'd never want to meet. They've robbed her home, left dog feces on her front door knob, shot at the cameras outside her home, shot at the guy installing for the second time the cameras outside her home, they use her outside water spicot and have caused her paveway to rot, they park their cars in her drive, they've threatened her life and have falsely accused her of things she hasn't done.

While in court, they lied while under oath and made her look as if she were some old, crazed woman in need of psychiatric care. If it were me, I know i would have committed suicide a while ago. I don't know how she puts up with it. They've even repeatedly slit her tires and had their children dump trash into her back porch and then, call the sanitation department on her. She's called the police. She's hired a lawyer, but still these insane neighbors seem to be winning.

Where's the justice?

Any suggestions? What can a law-abiding person do, short of move?

Posted by Jamie Smith Hopkins at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Neighborhood and neighbors
        

I have been attached to a wonderful neighbor for 13 years. She is very nice. However, her and her husband have been renovating their house for five years. First a closet, then a kitchen, then the basement, and finally a bathroom. Sometimes they will stop for a month or two, but sure enough it starts back up and continues for months on end. They have never gotten a permit for any of the work, or perhaps they would know that they could only work until 7 pm at night, sometimes they hammer up until 10 pm. I have never said anything to them because it behooves me that they could honestly bang on their house for five years and not once think about the fact that they are attached on both sides. Plus we have a good relationship so I never wanted to rock the boat. But here we are, entering my sixth Ravens season and they have their saw in the back yard ready to cut some wood this weekend. What do you do? What do you say?

Recommendations, anyone? If you've been through something similar, what did you do?

Posted by Jamie Smith Hopkins at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Neighborhood and neighbors
        

We've probably all had bad neighbors at one point or another. Noisy, rude, messy, scary ... Wonk reader M, on a post about code enforcement, noted that a neighbor "puts his trash out on the street whenever he wants, no can, only a big trash bag," which brings the truly uninvited sort of neighbors -- rats.

Hopefully we've all had good neighbors, too. Friendly, helpful, fun. I sure miss the friendly, helpful and fun family who lived near us for years, sharing hellos, advice and baby items.

Then there's the absence of neighbors -- empty homes in between renters, up for sale or foreclosed. They can be perfectly fine or a malignant tumor on a street. Eighty percent of U.S. city mayors, managers and code enforcers said in a recent survey (sponsored by a municipal software company) that citizen complaints related to foreclosures have gone up in the last year. Top beefs: unkempt yards and property damage.

What kind of neighbors do you have?

Posted by Jamie Smith Hopkins at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Neighborhood and neighbors