'Rotten neighbors' exposed on Web

Trouble in the neighborhood? Now there’s a place you can go to become part of a whole new community where there’s people just like you speaking out about bad neighbors. It’s called www.rottenneighbor.com. And it was created by a San Diego man who’s had some rotten experiences of his own.

“We noticed from the very first day a pretty bad disgusting smell coming from an apartment and it turns out to be their cooking,” said Brant Walker, the creator.

So ‘Rotten Neighbor’ was born just three months ago. The site allows you to pinpoint neighbors on a map and tell the world just how they get on your nerves – in whatever words you chose. But Walker says it’s not just about tearing down the people who live around you.

“People that are looking for homes or renting I think this will be an amazing tool for them to use.”

Even if you're not in the market to buy or rent a home, some say rottenneighbor.com can still be useful. People can talk about their neighbors without actually confronting them.

“It lets you get out frustrations without actually physically doing something to your neighbor,” said Jessica Mcardle of Rochester. “You have people going around egging houses, and this is pretty harmless I think.

But Walker admits, some people aren’t pleased with the site that’s already received millions of hits.

“There's also people worried about what if they list someone as a bad neighbor in their neighborhood - it might hurt the value of their home,” he said.

And then there’s the issue of liability.

“It sounds like people are getting negative impressions of other people and venting in a way that's too public,” said Donna Proietti of Rochester.

Walker says he’s got it covered.  He cannot be held liable for what other people say on his Web site based on a law passed in 1996. In addition, if someone writes something that’s offensive, it can be red flagged and taken off. Walker’s ultimate hope is for neighbors to work out their problems using the site and its future mediation tool.

"If you're complaining about someone's dog, you're going to be able to send a postcard through the mail about something general about how they're dog's pooping on their lawn.”

Who is in charge of the mediation process has yet to be determined.