The Karnataka High Court said that disputes concerning garbage, parking, noise, or the use of common areas may understandably cause inconvenience and frustration. (Representational image)

The Karnataka High Court has advised residents in apartment complexes to resolve disputes amicably, stating that “unlike many other relationships, a neighbour is not ordinarily someone whom one can simply choose to replace”.

“Neighbours occupy a distinctive place in the daily lives of individuals and families. The houses and flats remain in their respective locations, and, unless one of the households moves elsewhere, the same neighbours are likely to encounter one another day after day,” Justice Suraj Govindaraj said on October 5, while refusing to quash cross-complaints filed by two neighbours in an apartment complex who had got into a physical assault over allegations about throwing garbage in the common area.

“The question as to who initiated the altercation, the precise role played by each individual, the…