Neighborly disputes are universal, even for high-powered Hollywood writer-directors. Quentin Tarantino and True Blood maestro Alan Ball got into a tiff involving Ball’s allegedly loud exotic birds. Tarantino said the birds’ “blood-curdling screams” impeded his ability to work at home, and Ball promised to build a sound-proof aviary and keep the birds inside until construction was finished. Apparently, at some point after the agreement, the birds were still repeatedly left outside for several hours, and Tarantino sued.

The New York Times reports the suit led to a settlement, which is nowhere near as exciting as it would have been had a bird, Ball and Tarantino engaged in a tense Mexican standoff while a Spaghetti Western score swelled in the background.

What’s the most bitter dispute you’ve been involved in with a neighbor, and how did you settle things?

Guard Dog to the Stars (Legally Speaking) [The New York Times via The Hollywood Reporter]

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