One of my first ever posts here goes.
So I have been living on my own for about half a year now, renting the basement of an apartment. I have an upstairs senior neighbor who rents the apartment above me. I’ve interacted with him a few times since moving in, and he seems to be a decent guy. We’ve gotten along fine, and I’ve even borrowed and returned several tools to repair things in my apartment since this is my first time renting a place.
The first incident happened when I Doordashed some Taco Bell after work. I was playing some games on my pc when I got the notification that it was delivered and couldn’t grab it immediately. So I hurried and finished up my game and went outside to grab it, and it wasn’t on either of our doorsteps. So I go back inside and message him, "Hey, did you pick up my food?" No response till a minute later, and I hear movement upstairs, so I open my door, and he drops my order down about five feet onto my steps. Before I could say anything, he went back inside, and I set my order down on the floor inside, and a few minutes later, I realized my Baja Blast had seeped into my tile floor. It was sticky for a few months after that.
The second incident was a few days ago. One of my partners sent me their old GPU for my PC, and shipped it. It arrived, and he did the same thing, opened the door, and tossed it on my doorstep, same as before. Thankfully, the GPU wasn’t damaged, so no harm there.
So those were the first two. The newest incident was just today. I ordered a body pillow from Amazon to try and help with my sleep since I sleep on my side. It gets delivered while I’m at work. So I get home and message him, "Hey, did you get a package with my name on it?" I walked outside, saw the package, and walked back inside and messaged him, "Never mind, I got it, thank you." He responds with, "I’m not touching anything with your name on it." Fair enough, I can’t blame him for that, so I reply, "Thank you, I’ll know it’ll be on your doorstep." He lastly responded with, "Just because you have something delivered to our address doesn’t mean it’s my responsibility. I won’t try to help you again."
So I’m sitting here now just thinking about it. Is it really that much to ask for him to grab a package that’s already on his doorstep and just hand it off to me, and not throw/toss it on my doorstep?
Edit: I have never asked him to hand-deliver my packages. I have merely asked him if A: He got my package by mistake, B: If he did then could he put it on his doorstep, and C: to hold onto it till I could knock on his door. I’m not asking him to deliver it on a silver platter.
>It was sticky for a few months after that.
Mops exist, ya know.
ESH
He shouldn’t just drop your shit down from the top.
Also, I don’t think you should expect him to pick it up and bring it down to you. His not touching anything with your name on it seems fair enough. You can walk up there an get it.
Put some clear signage up so delivery drivers know which unit is which. They’ll still occasionally fuck it up, but that’s where the “if it’s not mine, I’ll leave it out and you can get it yourself” comes back into play.
INFO: Do you share the same doorstep? Why does he need to pick up your stuff at all?
Yta
You can ask someone nicely beforehand to just take it in if you’re at work or something, but all these delivery services have apps on when they’re getting there. It’s on you. Especially if you’re just playing a video game
Seriously. Your food gets delivered ditch the video game and get it.
YMBAH I hate to side with the old grumpy guy, but why can’t you get up and get your packages yourself? Why are you texting him to get up and check and deliver to you from his door?
Do you not have access? To his door? Where they are delivered?
I would be annoyed if you text me to get your food delivery on my door step
If you could get up and get it yourself.
You might be the asshole, depending on your ability to get your deliveries.
He took the food before I could grab it. Usually I do but he grabbed it before I even could.
You’re not the asshole
Then in that case!
You get upset when he takes something in. You get upset when he doesn’t take something in. He can’t win for losin with you!
It seems YOU’RE the problem neighbor. He is not responsible for anything on his porch that doesn’t have his name on it.
YTA
YTA. Not his job.
“So I hurried and finished up my game and went outside to grab it, and it wasn’t on either of our doorsteps. So I go back inside and message him.” Why would you do that instead of knocking on his door? It would have saved your meal. You expect him to walk downstairs?
Why did the neighbor take his food to begin with? Maybe I’m overlooking something here
He never answers his door. I have to text him just to get a hold of him.
Your title seems wrong, since you did not at any point in your story ask your neighbor to grab the packages. They were delivered and then you asked whether he had them. Not the same thing. If you had asked beforehand if he would be willing to accept /safekeep stuff for you, his mood where this topic is concerned might in fact have been different!
I think part of the problem here is the lack of tone of voice in messaging. Your “Hey, did you pick up my food?” might have come across as an accusation, as if you think he took it with the intention of keeping it, which perhaps pissed him off as he probably only brought it inside so that it is not lying around outside and attracting critters etc.
It would have been better if you had actually gone to his door and asked him (in a friendly tone) whether perhaps the DoorDash delivered your food to his place. He could then have handed it over to you there, without feeling as if you expect him to bring it to you.
I think you came across as a bit rude in general, and as if you expect it to be his responsibility that stuff on your doorstep does not get lost/stolen, but his reaction of tossing the stuff at you is also a bit of an overreaction.
Sooner or later something for him will arrive at your doorstep when he is not there, and you’ll take it in to keep it safe, and then you can take it to him once he is home and reset the entire “neighbors and packages” relationship. Until then, take measures to have full responsibility for your own packages.
>I realized my Baja Blast had seeped into my tile floor. It was sticky for a few months after that.
Excuse me, what? That… that’s not how tile works… A carpet sticky for long after, maybe, but tile?!?