I think if you explain the situation to the property managers as you have here, you should be fine. Let them know that you haven't exercised at all in the past couple weeks and so you couldn't be the one making the noise.

This reminds me of a similar story. My sister used to work for Subway. One day they received a complaint about my sister from a lady that frequented the restraunt. I forget the details of the complaint, but either way my sister had to start being careful. However, the lady kept making an issue of it despite whatever my sister tryed to do to be nice. However, one day my sister's boss came up to her and asked her if she had worked at all the last week. To which my sister replied "No, I've been out of town." Her boss said thats what he thought but just wanted to make sure. Apparently the lady had made another complaint while my sister was out of town. At that point her boss realized that the lady was making crap up trying to get my sister in trouble, so he started ignoring any complaints the lady wrote.

If you explain your situation, the property manager might come to a similar conclusion. Here's to hoping.

Okay...here's what you'll want to do.

1) Don't take it out on the manager. He/she is doing their job. (Just have to say that, 'cuz 95% of the time, it's the truth with this stuff) They're responsible for upholding the rules of the community. However, the rules may not be as vague as you say...thus the following advice...

2) When you talk with the manager, ask for the following: the dates on which the complaints that triggered the violation letters, a clear definition of what is considered unreasonable, and information regarding how to send a letter along to the Board (i.e. whether it has to be a letter, or if it can be via e-mail). The first is so that you'll be ready to rebut things in your letter, the second so that you know exactly what the rules state (if the manager just says "use your common sense", your response should be "I have been trying to do so, but apparently what I feel is reasonable and what the governing documents feel is reasonable must differ. Otherwise, I wouldn't be getting these letters. I'd just like to be certain that, if I am truly in violation, I have a solid guideline to follow for the future."), and the third for...

3) Write a letter (e-mail may be fine, whatever the community manager says) that outlines your side of the story. Include your receipts for the slippers as well as a copy of the gym membership paperwork. If you have a timeline of when you've spoken with the neighbor(s) who are complaining, even better. I'm going to guess you haven't, just because it's not something that you think of right off. This is okay. Start one. Keep track of EVERY TIME you or your girlfriend talk with the neighbor, including the day and time it occured, and what the topic of discussion was (as long as it's about this issue). If you think it's more than one neighbor, keep track for that as well.

4) Next Board meeting, go to the meeting. You should have the opportunity to speak to the Board, and during this time, talk with them, explain that you're trying to ensure that you're following the association's rules, and that you're coming to speak to them to explain why you feel that you're doing so to the best of your ability. Don't say the rules are muddy, don't say that the Board is singling you out, and don't blame the neighbor. Really. Just state that you've gotten the notice, that you feel that you've done everything in your ability to follow the rules, and that you feel that the additional notices were in error, because of the steps you've taken.

I hate to play Devil's Advocate, but you need to move. Yes, the case might get thrown out, but there will be another one, and one after that. Your neighbors aren't going to move, they're going to die. Then they'll be replaced with the next batch of grumpy old men and women. I wouldn't want that ongoing hassle. Obviously, I'm not suggesting taking a financial loss, but I don't think you're going to find peace in your current residence.

Oddly enough, I had the same problem about 10 years ago. I moved into a new apartment complex and just happened to get a unit that was over an older lady.

After a couple of weeks, she began accosting me as I left for work to complain about all the "stomping about" I was doing. I was a bit puzzled, since all I was doing was your typical moving about your home routine. She even said I should seek medical help for my "heavy walking."

I did what you did and tried to walk softly, take off my shoes, etc., but she still complained. She even began to bang on her ceiling every time I got up from my couch to go to the bathroom or grab a snack from the fridge.

Then I started to get official noise complaints from the apartment's management office. After the second letter, I went in and tried to explain that I wasn't doing anything wrong. That seemed to work for a while, but then the complaints started again.

Luckily for me, my downstairs neighbor was kinda the crazy cat lady type, so I decided to fight fire with fire. She was a clean freak who would vacuum at odd times (like three in the morning). Everytime she did that I'd make a big stink at the management office. Either the old lady got the message or the management office got tired of taking complaints from both of us. Either way the letters stopped.

In your case, you might need to worry about the arbitrary ruling of the condo association. You mentioned you were the only younger couple there, so the internal politics of the association/management office might work against you. You might also want to think about video / audio taping yourself or getting a noise meter so you have some official record to prove that you're not doing any wrong. That or show the old git who's boss and push her down the stairs.

Great advise so far.

I've got nothing practical to add other than some sympathy.

The worst part of your situation is that it seems as though your downstairs neighbor is manipulating you pretty badly, passive-aggressive style. Even though you're genuinely attempting to appease her, her lack of responsiveness to your efforts leave you walking on eggshells in your own castle. That's simply not fair.

Good luck, man.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Unfortunately, moving out now is just not an option. We spent an assload of time painting and setting up this apartment, and we just don't have the time to take care of the hassles of another sale, purchase, and home setup. Eventually, maybe, but its just not realistic right now.

A lot of other good options, though - Rubb, unfortunately our board meetings don't really give you a chance to privately speak to the board - it's more of a public airing of grievances (We went to one, and unsurprisingly my downstairs neighbor also had a laundry list of complaints against the building).

Crashed - a very interesting suggestion. I'm not sure exactly who I would bring building plans to though, and I'm worried that such an e-mail might only antagonize the very people I'm trying to ingratiate. If a nicer approach doesn't work, though, it'd be more than interested in knowing more about pursuing such a course.

We're not the only young people in the building, but we're outnumbered about 5 to 1. Sigh. Next time I'll know better before moving into a retirement home.

Unfortunately, I live in a dorm.
I hear thumping bass(My bed moves because it touches the wall) from my neighbors till midnight some days. I locked them out of the shared bathroom on a consistent basis till they stopped.

My suggestion would have to be to try and explain the situation to the manager. If he/she doesn't have sympathy for the situation and at least partially take your side, move.
It may be a hassle now, but freedom is good.

How about subleasing the unit and going and getting your own apartment in a decent building? Would the rent you're able to get be close to the mortgage?

Even assuming the condo was built defectively, unless Canadian law is radically different from Minnesota law (99% of the time it isn't), you can't sue the condo association for defective construction. You may be able to stand in the shoes of the association and sue the people that built the condo, if it's a relatively new complex (10 years in Minnesota), depending on what your bylaws say. Maybe you can sue the association for failing to properly supervise the construction or something, but you would need a pretty special set of contractual circumstances and I really don't think such a suit would go anywhere.

If the association takes action against you, then you can sue them, but since they're your neighbors, you're pretty much giving up any chance of getting along with your neighbors anytime soon. You might also be able to name the downstairs neighbor in such a lawsuit under a theory of tortious interference with contract or something. But really, if you're strapped for cash as it is, a lawsuit is just more money down the drain. It might be worth it to make the relatively small investment of filing the suit just to see if the association will back down (no one likes to be in a lawsuit).

As an aside, it could also be that the old lady is delusional. I once represented an old lady who was sure that the neighbor boy was smashing her birdcage, only it turned out there was no neighbor boy and no birdcage. And no fees.

edit: rubbed's advice is really good.

I had an identical situation in a condo I used to own. I received noise complaints from when I was out of town, etc, from the elderly lady that lived next door. Sadly, to fight it, you will be paying both sides lawyers, yours, and your share of the condo assn's. In the end, I moved out.

Advice: 2 can play at this game. Act surly and angry toward her every time you see her, but don't raise your voice. Do not spare the profanity. Tell her to stay the hell away from you and leave you the hell alone. Complain about her constantly to your condo association, and demand that they do the same complaint procedure to her. Complain that she is harassing you with foolish and idiotic complaints, and insist on a formal complaint about that too, complete with the same final notice. Knowing old people, she is probably shadowing/spying on you to some extent; see if you can catch her at it and then complain again. You should make her as uncomfortable as she is making you. Feel free to BANG on her door and tell her to shut the hell up cause you can hear her. I am pretty sure that you can be as rude and insulting verbally as you want to.

You can use your apartment as you see fit, particularly during the day. Check your condo assn bylaws for specific restrictions. If they restrict "unreasonable" noise, that is the same as the standard in the municipal law; usually there are hourly restrictions, such that during the day, you can run a bandsaw in your apartment if you want without worry of legal complaints, but it obviously isn't ok at night. There is a real "reasonableness" standard, and it is reasonable that you could both walk around in your apartment and work out in your apartment. Perhaps also ask a police officer you might know about noise standards and such.... But the real problem is that the condo assn doesn't have to obey any laws themselves, and can simply levy fines.

Maybe a cease and desist letter from an attorney to both the old lady and the association demanding that 1) she stop the harassing complaints, and 2) that the condo assn cease recognizing the harassing complaints as valid.

Sadly, this might be all you really can do, and it probably won't be successful, at least not immediately. Keep us updated!

I had the same problem in a triplex I lived in. Except I was there first, and the older lady was warned that the house was in a college neighborhood. I am not one to "party" but I do work at night. She complained about me [walking up the stairs] when I came home at night....out on my own porch, talking in a normal voice on the phone when I got home from work...and general loud noise, which wasn't happening at any sort of late hour. The landlord told her that I wasn't violating any kind of noise laws simply by playing music, at a normal tone, around 8 or so in the evening.

It sounds like you have gone out of your way to accommodate a pesky neighbor. If it's during the day, I don't think workout music would qualify as above a reasonable level. If your property manager takes her side, I would check and make sure you are actually violating some sort of noise laws.

Depending on how old your neighbor is, I might reccommend a siege mentality. Judging by how crotchity this woman sounds, it can't be long til she croaks. Unless she's one of those that live on hate alone.

Some places are just built sh*tty. I lived in an apartment box-plex where I could hear upstairs wandering/fighting/everythingelse, conversations from next door, and anything going on in the hallway. And most of the time I lived there, the place was under construction. What a hell hole. The next place was bigger, and my livingroom was above my bedroom, so loud movies had sound that didn't really effect anyone. Now this place is a townhouse style squashed between others, but the construction is amazing. I can't hear a thing from the neighboring units and in a year of loud music, loud movies (incl 6.1 speakers and big subwoofer), Guitar Hero and Rock Band, we've only had one complaint due to my deaf roommate's slightly-after-10pm guitar hero playing.

I think part of the lesson is how to judge a place you're looking at for solid construction and potential for sound-bleed. I can't say I really know how to judge it. This place I knocked on the walls and couldn't hear the echo from 2 units down so I was pretty happy. Not to derail, but what can you look for and test for in floors and walls to help figure out before you write that deposit check if you'll have to tip toe in your own home?

A very nice guy who moved next door to us lasted around half a year due to the old lady downstairs complaining about noise all the time. Which was entirely groundless - the guy wore slippers and used headphones for all audio needs - we never heard a whisper from his place, compared to the old couple who lived there before him. I'd say don't give in to the miserable human elements. Make your case in a calm manner to the manager.

At least in Finland you can borrow a decibel metering tool from the city; you're entitled to having your noise level metered before anyone can make formal complaints. But really, I'm positive that the lady is just a hateful soul who's decided that you two are leaving the place. No manner of reasoning is going to work: you've already gone way out of your way to accommodate her. Better solve it with the management.