NotMinus

What should I do?

I have been having problems with my neighbors. We live in a suburbs just outside of a mid-sized town where all the houses were built agianst code to close together (their is about 20 feet between walls and my bedroom is directly across from their car port) We own our house and have lived here for more then 10 years now. The renters next door have been their for a couple of years and we haven't had any problem with them until now. They have been making sound complaints, some, are justified and I have always responded by turning down the volume and even encouraging them to contact me if they do have a problem. I took the time to listen to my speakers, stand out side and found a volume level that was still enjoyable for me and not loud enough to distrub my neighbor in my opinion. The series of complaints are as follows : (starting with the first complaint as day one)

Day 1 - 5:00pm on a friday, I get home and throw in Blackalious - Blazing Arrow that I had just purchased. My windows are open and I am listening to it loudly, the neighbor came walking by and asked if I could turn it down since it was bothering her. I felt her complaint was justified and agreed to turn down the volume.

Day 14ish - I am putting down a snap together hard wood floor in my room, I have been trying to get it done after work usually between 6pm-9pm for a couple of days now. The floor is in and I just need to hammer in the trim strip before moving my furniture back in. The next day the building inspector stops by and tell us he received a complaint that their was hammering late at night. We have done some renovation without permits but the building inspector either didn't notice or decided to not make a big deal out of it but it could have caused a serious headahce. He apoligized for stoping by but told us they have to look into all complaints.

Day 28ish - I am listen to my music Saturday night around 9:00 and am not thinking much of it and the neighbor complains, I felt his complaint may be justified and turned it down and asked him to contact me if he had a problem with it in the future.

Nearly a month passes - no problems

Day 60ish (today) - I wake up around 8am and take a shower, I put a record in with the bass off and the volume down, around 9:30 after breakfast with everyone awake I go back to what I consider a reasonable volume, not loud, not quite, nothing that could disturb the neighbors. He shows up around 10:00 and asks me to turn the bass down, I told him I was suprised it was disturbing him (as I generally was) and told him fair enough and despite having a stack of albums from a freinds I wanted to work though didn't listen to anything until about 5:00pm when I played a little full spectrum warrior and then went back to listening to an album, this whole time my family members are home, about 15-20feet away in another room and find no problems at all with it. After dinner I go back to listening to an album and then play Full Spectrum Warrior, the game does have gun fire but agian, their are people I live with only seperated by a closed door who have no problems with the volume.

At around 8:30pm a police car shows up

The officer spoke to my mother and she asked if he wanted to speak to me but he declined, he told us that he felt the complaint was un-merrited as he went next door and spoke to the neighbors as I was playing my video game.


Now, I have been totally complacant anytime a complaint was made. I encouraged him to let me know, until this morning I felt his complaints were justified. Now, in both these situations people were here home, and doing things in the other room without being disterbed by my speakers. I have been really moderating how loud and when I listen to my stereo and thought things had been fine as it has been atleast a month since any complaints were made, while I was playing Full Spectrum Warrior I was even below the mark I made on the dial for acceptable listening volume and kept the base 1/2ed because I didn't want to get another complaint after this morning. I also ensure all my windows are shut tight to limit sound escaping.

Their are some decisions to make about what to do next. I think this is more a power / control issue then one with any merit. One of our neighbors had similar problems with them about dogs barking where they regularly made complaints and phoned the police but she moved away about the time these compliants started. I feel furious that I have been moderating what I do in my home and tip toeing around these people just to have more of their bullshit forced on me. My family agrees that the last two complaints are un-warrented and so did the police officer who arrived tonight.

It seems like the more I moderate my listening habits the more unacceptable it become. Although I don't like someone telling me what to do in my own space, previously I could see that it was bothering them and I really have made an effort to deal with this in a suitable manor trying to keep it from developing into what it has become now. I want to send a clear message that I hear their complaints and will comply as long as it is merrited.

(a) If I do nothing but continue to listen to my music the same the complaints will probaly keep coming and I expect they will continue to contact the police now instead of me.

(b) If I write a letter both stating that I hear their complaints, I have been submitting to their requests but it is unacceptable to try and continue these disputes when the sitution has been improving and I will be forced to file for criminal harassment if it continues. I feel that I will atleast make them draw a line and inspire them to question if they should file a complaint.

(c) Or, I can file a dispute for criminal harassment. I have looked it up and according to my local laws I have the right to based on their actions. I won't need a lawyer and it is just a series of forums to file out to have the case heard infront of the judge. Another option would be to file for criminal harassment but drop the charges before the court date, it would communicate the point quite clearly.

Has anyone else here been on the receiving end of sound complaints? How did you resolve the problem? Was it an on-going problem?

phredgreen

i would do a few things that will increase the sound-deadening properties of your wall. put up rugs or other materials in front of the walls, place your subwoofer on cinderblocks, and use headphones whenever possible. let them know that you're willing to be reasonable, but if they continue to press this issue after you've shown good faith in doing what you can to stem the probem, then smack their punk asses around with the harrassment suit. be completely polite and open to what they're saying, but don't let them walk all over you.

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The_wall

I'd say Phedgreen has some pretty good advice

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Cynthetiq

You should also get a DB meter and just see how much they can truly hear, if it's just muffled sounds during reasonable hours (before 9pm) well that's part of living within a community.

but at least check with and without the sound deadening so that you can show a quantifiable method of changes.

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NotMinus

I agree. We have decided to write a letter to the land lord of their property instead of the neighbors themselves. Hopefull he will communicate to them not to cause any more trouble and this way it does not escelate with police involvment.

Prince

In my experience, it isn't always a question of how loud the music is, but whether the other person enjoys it or not.

Sometimes during the summer our neighbours like to play some music outside as they have their bbq. They play it relatively loud, and during daytime, and it's good ol' P-Funk and stuff like that, so being a music lover and a fan of George Clinton, I don't mind at all, but enjoy it quite a bit. Now, if they were playing Sepultura or Korn or Tool or some sort of noisy heavy metal stuff, I'd be complaining loudly. In fact, they could tone it down quite a bit, and even so I might find it offensive and loud even if it wasn't, simply because I cannot stand listening to that sort of music.

Sounds to me like they might simply not dig the sort of music you listen to, and are generally being dickwads about it. I don't really recommend filing any suits unless absolutely necessary, simply because I think people are too sue-happy as is.

If you do go to court, it might be beneficial to have it in writing that a police officer has been dispatched to look into one of their complaints and found it to be without merrit.

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NotMinus

Yes. I would like to keep it out of court. I am looking in to buying a DB meter today and the police will keep it on file that they found the noise to be without merit. I have calmed down since yesterday but my father and mother I think are more enraged then me.

absorbentishe

Apperently you, or someone in your household did something to piss them off, and they are acting like children about it. Use the above mentioned advice, and hopefully all will be well. You certainly don't want to take it to court if you can help it.

AngelicVampire

Personally I work within resaonable hours, the following is what I would suggest is acceptable:

Very loud music: 10am-4pm (when most people are out)
Loud Music: 4pm-8pm
Quieter Loud Music: 8-10pm
Quiet Music: 10pm-9am
Quieter Lound Music 9am-10am

Basically keep it down when people should be sleeping, after 10pm its really unfair to play loud music, however during the day it should be possible to play loud to fairly loud music without being harassed.

hannukah harry

to go with getting the DB meter (i dno't think you should bother with sound dampening, except the bass on cinder blocks), find out what the local sound ordinances are, levels and times. they may give an exact levelor they may be more vague. find out what the DB levels are coming from your room with teh stereo set at certain levels and mark those. if you can, try to get that you've done all this recorded and verified.

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choskins

Find out the ordinance, if any. Follow it.
Practice reasonable sound deadening practices. (Nothing that costs you money)
Communicate only with the Landlord.
Forget about a harassment suit; it won't fly and will serve to waste your time and money, while creating a permanent enemy.
If nothing else works, and you have tried everything you can within reason, then f@ck them. Some people are never happy.

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LewisCouch

Having dealt with this situation first hand from both perspectives, I would suggest that you contact your local police department, and inquire about neighborhood mediation. If all parties agree, a third, objective mediator attempts to resolve the issue. If your neighbors are willing to be reasonable, this will probably work. The best part is, it's a win-win situation for you. If they agree to mediation, then all parties are bound by whatever the mediator deems appropriate. If they do not participate, it just makes them appear to be vindictive or troublesome, should they continue to complain. Good luck.

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