Their kids throw raucous, hang-from-the-chandelier parties. And you're worried that sooner or later someone may get hurt.

If the party starts to get out of control, call the house. Say who you are and why you're calling, and ask if their parents know what's going on. "Of course they'll say yes," says etiquette expert Peggy Post, author of Emily Post's Etiquette (HarperCollins, $26, www.amazon.com). Warn the kids that if things don't calm down, you'll have to call the police.

If your first call doesn't get results but you're still reluctant to bring in the law, phone some of your neighbors. A few neighbors calling the house may be enough to get the results you want. "This also helps dilute responsibility." says Cora Jordan, an attorney and mediator in Oxford, Mississippi, and the author of Neighbor Law (Nolo, $18, www.amazon.com). If the cops end up being called, the kids won't be able to focus all the blame (and future egg throwing) on any one neighbor.

If, despite your calls, the situation is getting out of hand, it's time to call the police. You have no legal obligation, just a moral one — especially if alcohol is involved and you fear drunk driving.

Talk to the parents when they return. Don't blame them for what their kids did — just tell them what happened and that you were concerned (and that you'd want to know if it had been your children and your house). If they haven't already put the pieces together (empty keg, cigarette butts in the flowerpots, a guy named Scooby asleep in the bathtub), they'll probably be thankful for the information.