IT IS the HDB version of the Everitt Road feud between neighbours.

It is a bitter, petty quarrel that has been running for eight years.

At one stage, it became so bad that even the use of an electrical portable leg massager became an issue that ended up in court.

Shortly after the year-long case was settled out of court, both parties had another face-off at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) last week.

Last Wednesday, Mr Thien Yong Chong, 50, filed a magistrate's complaint against the neighbour living directly above his second-floor unit at Tampines, Madam Chee Song Eng.

Mr Thien, a civil servant, alleged she had deliberately 'pushed the water from the window casing... onto the balcony' of his flat. The complaint was referred to the CMC.

Speaking to The New Paper two days before the session, Madam Chee, 54, a housewife, said: 'I've had enough of all the nonsense.

'I've no choice now but to record in writing some of the most ridiculous complaints.'

ABSURD

One example: Mr Thien bickered with her family members over the use of the leg massager, a Mother's Day present from her four children in May last year.

She said: 'It was totally absurd but he complained to the HDB it was too noisy.'

COMPLAINT: Noise from Madam Chee's family members using massagers	COMPLAINT: Madam Chee's granddaughter playing with drums

Mr Thien, however, told The New Paper that he is the aggrieved party. He'd never had problems with his other neighbours, or those living above him before, he said.

But Madam Chee claimed that, following Mr Thien's complaints, she tried to make peace by limiting the use of the machine.

They also placed two mats under it to minimise any possible noise.

The family claimed a check with the manufacturer indicated it had not received any similar complaints.

In September, Madam Chee said, Mr Thien stood outside their gate, glaring at her husband as he was using the machine.

Two weeks later, a scuffle allegedly broke out between Mr Thien and Madam Chee's husband over the massager.

Her husband, a taxi driver, ended up with a contusion on the left side of his face. He received two stitches and could not drive for two weeks.

As the neighbours traded insults and allegations over noise, dirty water spilled on laundry and unreasonable behaviour, it began to seem like a replay of the infamous Everitt Road saga.

The Everitt Road feud, which lasted 10 years, was between one family and seven others. It began over a parking space, then grew to include insults, videotapes of misbehaviour, and several calls to the police.

SHOUTED

Madam Chee and her family moved into the five-room HDB flat in Block 162 in 1999.

COMPLAINT: Madam Chee's son skateboarding in void deck	COMPLAINT: Madam Chee's moves chair noisily while cleaning flat

Her son, Mr Melvin Chew, now a 26-year-old trainer, said he was a junior college student and was on his way home one day, with a skateboard tucked under one arm, when he met Mr Thien.

Said Mr Chew: 'He walked up to me and shouted at me, saying I was not supposed to be skating at the void deck.'

Mr Thien then allegedly 'ordered' him to go home, not aware that Mr Chew was living in the unit above his.

Mr Chew added: 'When I tried to reason with him, he turned around and said, 'Why? Your mother don't know how to teach you?'

Unhappy with that remark, he admitted that he got into an argument with Mr Thien, till the police were called in.

Madam Chee said: 'We don't really understand why or how it started to deteriorate but since then, there has been quarrel after quarrel.'

She added that Mr Thien had been friendly and had even offered help when their unit was being renovated before they moved in.

Madam Chee claimed police officers came knocking on her door several times.

Only Madam Chee, her husband and her two youngest children - a son and a daughter - are living in the third-storey unit.

Her other two daughters are married and living on their own.

Showing us a Chinese toy drum, Madam Chee said: 'When my eldest granddaughter, who was about two years old then, was playing with it, he came up and shouted that we were being too noisy.'

There were complaints about furniture being dragged, and about their dog.

Madam Chee said: 'He complained the dog was barking incessantly and dirtying the place. To avoid trouble, I gave it away. My children were so angry they refused to talk to me for two weeks.'

However, Mr Thien, who has been living there with his wife and two sons since 1984, said: 'I'm actually the aggrieved party.

'I had no problem getting along with the previous neighbour.'

The New Paper was unable to locate the former owner as the contact number provided was no longer in use.

Mr Thien said he had approached the HDB and even the police for assistance.

But, he added: 'I've exhausted all avenues and attempts at making peace.

'Whoever lives downstairs is at a disadvantage; we cannot do anything to the one upstairs.'

Mr Thien said he had to resort to filming the family deliberately washing the windows when his laundry is put out.

'And they'd call me 'seow' (mad in Chinese) or snigger loudly from their windows when they see me washing my car,' he claimed.

After the 11/2-hour mediation session, Mr Thien told The New Paper that he wanted to move on and put everything behind him.

He said he had filed the complaint because of 'the emotional stress'.

But, he added, it would be inappropriate for him to elaborate.

'We've agreed to be good neighbours and we've promised to stop all the monkey business.'

First published by The New Paper on Dec 15, 2007.

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