Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer Joe Kollin covers homeowner assocation and condominium issues. Drop him some e-mail. While he can't answer individual questions directly, he will use the most interesting questions in future columns. When upstairs neighbors forget, life becomes miserable for those downstairs.
Tile floors are the chief culprit.
Although cork padding can be installed between tile and the floor, most associations don't require it and most owners don't want the expense of buying it. But problems exist even in apartments with carpeting. After moving into her ground-floor Coconut Creek unit recently, a retiree noticed that everytime her upstairs neighbor walked, she heard footsteps. After two months, the downstairs resident approached the upstairs neighbor. Then I told her I heard her walking back and forth.