Neighbourly love

[Tiger]

We're all here because of our universal love for working with timber and the enjoyment (usually) that it brings. I now turn to the forum for ideas of what I should do next. I have a neighbour who I can't stand. My garage in which I work is approx 1 metre away from the fence that divides our properties. I find it difficult to do anything in there when he and his children are out there. They are loud to the point where it is just one constant scream fest. When they are out there kicking balls around they constantly hit the fence with a thud so I'll be trying to do something and you just hear bang, bang and bang. Often the ball will actually come over the fence and hit the garage and that is even worse, my metal garage just amplifies the sound, end result is you just want to get back inside the house. To add to this sometimes when I turn on the power tools I'll hear a stone hit the garage, it's their way of protesting against the noise I guess. I stick my head up over the fence and I say what are you doing, the father if he's there will say it's just kids having fun, boys will be boys, that sort of thing. Now the children there are aged b/w 8 and 11 and should know what is acceptable but the father maybe encouraging them with this behaviour. I have a radio in the garage but it's not loud enough to drown out the noise and the worst thing is that they are always out there on the weekend. I have tried to show tolerance but it's all getting too much for me and as the weather has improved in Melbourne lately they are out there even more than they would have been in during the colder parts of Winter. You can't choose your neighbours and I suppose many of you have had to deal with similar situations, what did you do?

[rod1949]

Yep I know the feeling. I have a neighbour who wants to party into the wee small hours keeping us awake - we just grin and bare it. So in the morning when they're sleeping I get in my shed and turn on the machinery or decide to cut the lawn or run the petrol powered chipper so I get me own back and smile.

[Tiger]

It's funny that you mention partying, my wife was saying it doesn't matter where you go you could wind up with bad neighbours such as those who like to have parties until the wee hours of the morning, I replied but how often can you have a party, once a month, maybe once every now and then. I think I'd be tempted to get the men in blue if it was after 1 pm. Still it's no joy trying to get to sleep and having to hear the thump, thump, thump of someone's cd player.

[artme]

When living in Brisbane we had a neighbour Who would get home late from work and then start to party.

Calling the police was not effective as you had to give your name and address so that they could inform the complained about person who made the complaint!! Work that one out!!!

The house was rented. We complained to the real estate agent. They did nothing! On one trip to the agency we were able to get the home numbers of the property managers, so we rang them up at all ungodly hours of the night when the partying began. Not long after the tenant moved.

[derekcohen]

Hi Tiger

I went through something similar. We had a neighbour where the parents would spend a weekend at the Casino, and the kids would party, with drunken friends, loud music and screaming. This would take place every weekend. The police were little help as the kids would turn the music down and then up again when the police cars left. Eventually the other neighbours and I wised up and contacted the council. There are noise pollution laws - noise that is reasonable and noise that is not. The rule of thumb is that it is unreasonable if it disturbs you.

To support a claim, the council need to take noise measurements. Contact them to come in and set up equipment. What db do you imagine is reached by the kids and the balls slamming into the metal garage? High enough, and the council will be forced to take action.

In the case of our neighbours, they were warned, continued partying, were fined, failed to pay the fines, and were taken to court by the council. The music stopped.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Chesand]

About five years ago we had a problem with the tenant next door holding parties until the early hours of Sunday morning (2-30am and 4-30am). On two occasions the police were called as we had warned on a previous occasion. There was much drinking, foul language and smoke that I doubt was from cigarettes.
After the last time, I wrote a letter of complaint quoting the relevant noise pollution regulations from the EPA and hand delivered it to the managing agent. I sent a copy, with a covering letter, to the owner who had told us of her new address when she let the property. I also sent a copy to the local police station and the council for their records.
The owner was most apologetic and thanked me as she was looking to get rid of the tenant anyway. She also sacked the agent for not responding to me after she had been instructed to by the owner.
A few weeks later, a letter arrived from the Council to say that an order regarding noise had been placed on the property.
Fortunately. the next tenant was no problem at all.

[wheelinround]

The "Kids being Kids" sorry not an appropriate response for kids throwing stones thats dangerous and could loose someone an eye. Kicking balls against the fence been there with neighbours at two residence. If we have asked for it to be stopped and it doesn't, if the ball comes over the fence it goes in the bin after two returns, of course with a warning first. We never just throw it back they must come ask for it.

Explain the danger of things been thrown at the shed startling you and how it could cause distraction leading to possible serious injury.

Make the kids a toy.

[chambezio]

I can sympathise. I rented half a house for some years. One night, after I had gone to bed a party started next door (gyprock dividing wall) I put up with it until the music/noise got too much. I got up knocked on the door and things went quiet.
Now we live in a rural subdivision. We have an acre and the neighbours on either side have 8 acres. The houses are about 200mtrs away. One night I was working to finish a kitchen in the shed (Self employed at that time) and didn't stop till about 3am. When I next saw the neighbour I appologised for the noise. He asked "What day was that?" Obviously there was enough distance between us that the noise dissipated. That same neighbour works every second Saturday so on the off weekend he is home he puts a selection of music on to be in the background while he does his yard work. Yes I can hear it but it doesn't bother me. One day he called me to the fence to apologise for a party he had for his 60th birthday. I told him I never heard a thing. But we do have a mutual problem with his dogs and our dogs. Ours bark at his and his bark at ours. Ours even bark at the neighbours when they walk to their cars parked in their yard. We are constantly calling ours and giving them "time out" in our screened pergola. Neither of us have found a solution but we are on good terms with each other

I think I am lucky living here because we never have a problem
The problem city people have, I think stems, from the situation where people have to live too close to others. No one has enough space.

Tiger...I wish I could give you a solution. If you were to sell up and move you may put yourself in an even worse position.

[Tiger]

Thanks for your responses, it helps to hear how others deal with these sort of situations. Derek, the noise from objects hitting the garage is pretty loud but more so it's startling and you'll be just about to make a cut when you hear BANG. Some good suggestions so I will consider them all and then decide what to do. Our property borders 4 others, 3 of the neighbours are terrific but alas one is not and creates all the problems.

[derekcohen]

Hi Tiger

It's worth the effort to check with the other neighbours whether they are inconvenienced by the noises as well. You will have a stronger case for the council if they feel the same way as you.

I must add that the first thing one should always do is try and sort things out directly with the offending neighbour. Have you talked with the father? Perhaps it is possible to sort things out amicably. Having them on side is a path forward.

That said, the neighbours I had (they sold up and moved on when the father ran up high debts gambling) were not approachable - basically told me that their children had a right to do whatever they wanted. The parents were really no better than their kids. It is only when you hit this type of wall that you go through official avenues. It helps then to be a united force with other neighbours.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Not a solution... far from it, but...

Can you whack some studs on the outside wall and clad it with some polycarb or chook wire or similar? As I said, it's not a solution per se, but at least it'd reduce the noise of those damned balls. (I know what that's like... neighbours kids used to use the side of my shed as their safety net when playing backyard cricket. )

[TermiMonster]

Hi Tiger,
I haven't got a solution, either.
As a kid, I was one of 4 boys.
Looking back, I feel sympathy for our neighbours, as we were constantly playing footy/cricket/tennis (against the wall) etc. The guy next door was a gardener and our balls regularly went over the fence. They must have damaged his vegetables, all the time.
We couldn't understand why the old ladies on the other side would confiscate our balls (or they just disappeared (the balls, that Is)).
My oldest brother was a mechanic and at about 12 or 13 (y/old) bought his first car, which he drove up and down the drive whenever it was going. (He wasn't bad, so it was going most of the time for a year or two).
Mind you, my old man would never have sided with us against the neighbours.
I know this doesn't help you much, but probably the kids are oblivious to your needs and are just doing what kids do.
Where I live now, the kid next door is into cricket. He regularly played against the fence backing onto our house. It P"""""d me off a bit, but I just thought of myself as a kid, and, hey, such is life. Now, he's grown a bit and plays in a team, not in the back yard. Yaaayyyyyy!!!
Probably, it's a passing phase. Hopefully the kids will grow and it won't be a problem. Hopefully, there are no budding mechanics amongst them. (Believe me, it could be worse, it could be us.......I have only touched on our noise making abilities)
Good luck,
TM

[TermiMonster]

what skew said is a good idea.
TM

[Tiger]

Thanks guys appreciate your suggestions, sometimes it helps to share the pain and you've been great at giving me some helpful suggestions eg Skew's idea which I wouldn't have though of but easy enough to construct. They are unreasonable neighbours an no amount of discussion is going to help. I think at least one of the children has some sort of attention disorder, he's always screaming. Other neighbours are mainly elderly, they don't like the noise but don't want any trouble, anyway we'll forge ahead and Chambezio, I have to say that I envy your setup.