WAR BETWEEN NEIGHBORS | M6 | Zone Interdite

Insults, threats, noise and odor pollution, theft… According to a survey by the UFC-Que choisir association, more than one French person in two is in conflict with their neighbors. These tense situations have been exacerbated by the health crisis (20% more disputes since Covid, according to AXA), inflation and social unrest.
While the grounds for dispute are often trivial, some situations can quickly become a living hell, or even worse… Because in addition to multiplying, these neighborhood conflicts are also increasingly violent. On May 27, for example, a 21-year-old man was hit and run over by a car driven by his neighbor, with whom he was in conflict. A few days later, in Finistère, a 71-year-old man, who didn’t want his neighbor to clear a plot of land because he was going to lose greenery, shot the whole family and killed an 11-year-old girl.

Before such tragedies occur, the best way to resolve a dispute when dialogue has broken down is often to take the matter to court. But is it really worth it? Apart from its cost, such a procedure can take several months, even years. And it’s unlikely to ease tensions…
To relieve court congestion, there are alternatives. For all disputes under 5,000 euros, it is now compulsory to first go through a mediator or conciliator. These “peacemakers”, whether private individuals or professionals, strive to ease tensions and defuse conflicts.
For several months, we’ll be following the day-to-day lives of neighbors who are tearing each other apart, as well as the struggles of those who do everything in their power to prevent these conflicts ending up in court.