A 70-year-old resident is thinking about selling his flat after experiencing ongoing disturbances from his neighbor, who washes the floor up to 10 times daily with a homemade mixture and makes noise at night that affects his sleep.
Mr. Wang, who lives at Block 206 Marsiling Drive, told Shin Min Daily News that he didn’t notice any problems when viewing the property before moving in five years ago.
The issues began after he moved in and got worse over time. Initially, his neighbor, who is also in his 70s, was friendly and would greet him in the corridor.
“After his wife passed away two years ago, he started accusing me of ‘casting spells’,” Mr. Wang said.
According to Mr. Wang, his neighbor washes the floor up to 10 times daily and strikes a Buddhist bowl every night, creating a persistent noise problem.
“He strikes the Buddhist bowl for about five minutes in the middle of the night. I’ve called the police several times, but nothing can be done. Complaints to the authorities have also been useless. His son who lives with him doesn’t step in,” Mr. Wang added.
The neighbor reportedly uses water mixed with chemicals, including vinegar, for floor washing. This creates a bad smell throughout the floor and has damaged the concrete surface from years of exposure to the acidic mixture.
Mr. Wang said authorities arranged mediation last year, but his neighbor refused to attend.
“I’ve been so troubled that after the five-year minimum occupation period, I started looking for buyers through an agent. Four groups of potential buyers have visited, but after seeing the uncle’s behavior, they never followed up,” he explained.
He originally wanted to leave the flat for his descendants but now feels he must sell it, even though the property’s value has likely decreased due to the situation.
Mr. Wen, 78, the neighbor in question, admitted that he washes the floor daily because he feels the area is “unclean” and has negative energy.
He explained that his homemade mixture contains vinegar and star anise. Mr. Wen claims he is only “warding off evil spirits” and has no intention of disturbing his neighbors.
