very angry!

irnbru_2

lukemed1 wrote:

got home yesterday and was greeted with a letter from the management company who run the block of flats we live in saying that they've had a couple of complaints about noise levels coming from our flat and subsequently telling us to keep the noise down

Ask them for the dates and times the noise level occurred. Usually, all flats would be lettered advising about noise complaints - happened to my block in regards of rubbish placed under the starewell.

You could also contact your local environmental health office and ask them for advice.

It's up to the EHO to decide if your noisy - not your neighbours.

ianian99

bobsa1 wrote:

I deal with Asbo's quite a lot at work and the OP would really have to be going some to get an asbo on noise.

Asbo's are not there for the general run of the mill stuff that we all have to put up with in society, eg. a bit of noise now and then, someone revving their motorbike for a couple of hours on one occassion during the summer. Asbo's are for repeated and usually extreme behaviour.

I do think people have become less tolerant and I think someone could have approached Lukemed1 to point out the problem, but hey they didn't.

If lukemed really does think he isn't noisy it could be to do with sound insulation, often a problem in 1970's props and conversions.

I would be irritated if I was the OP but put it down to experience.

I only get involved in asbo's from a local authority landlord point of view so I find it hard to believe an asbo could enforce a sale of a lease.

I never said that they could be forced to sell lease but they can evict and selling would be the only option apart from renting.

Tia91

As an EHO I can tell you that it is unlikely that you would be able to be evicted, however it would be best to check your lease conditions. I deal with Noise on a daily basis. One of the ways we would advise people to try to solve issues before they come to us is to talk to the person that they believe is causing a problem, as more often than not they do not realise they are upsetting some people. One way this could be done if people are worried about doing this is by some form of mediation. Perhaps your neighbour thought this would be a good way of doing it. Noise levels are not helped by people installing wooden flooring in blocks of flats. EHO will deal with complaints and they will look to see if the noise can be heard in the complainants property and if it is excessive and unreasonable. They should notify you of the complaint but do not have to reveal the complainants details, although it is often obvious who it is.

meanmachine_2

Yes, once this stupid fashion for nasty laminate flooring is over, then a lot of noise problems will be magically solved.

I think people don't realise / care that hard floors create all sorts of problems for people below, above, at the sides etc.

Still, we wouldn't want to be found dead with non-trendy carpets, would we? Perish the thought.

I wonder if the OP is living in a new-ish build built during the 90s. I believe sound insulation laws have tightened up recently, but back in the 90s there was little to protect neighbours from each other.

I'd never live in a block of flats that wasn't at least 50 years old for that very reason.

j-baby-scotland

Here's a link to a Glasgow guy evicted from his bought flat....

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/939336251.html?did=939336251&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Dec+9%2C+2005&author=CHRIS+MUSSON&pub=Evening+Times&desc=Rowdy+neighbour+given+new+3-month+ban+from+own+flat+Glasgow+wins+first+extended+closure+order+over+GBP80%2C000+home

Quite extreme, but the fact that he owned his home was neither here nor there.

I actually battered my floor with a large Johnson's Baby Powder last night in frustration at my downstairs neighbour (old tenement flat) & his 'hard techno' tripe.
I sleep, along with my just turned two year old right above... at least it was only the talc container & not the hammer I've often thought of going & getting.

Course it's give & take, I hear him, no doubt as clearly as he hear's me, while under- taking ablutions, putting it politely. That's liveable, but double bass heavy techno at extreme volume & times ain't.

Maybe some folk don't realise just how much their neighbours can hear, as someone said, they perhaps are too wrapped up in their, perceived, own space.

lukemed1

thanks guys for all your replys, iv'e drafted a letter to my management company, what do you think?


16 April 2006

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Dear

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I write to you acknowledgeing receipt of your letter dated 12th April 2006 and thankyou for bringing this matter to my attention. The points made in your letter have been noted and taken on board however, we were unaware that we were causing concern to our neighbours and are now acting more courteously with regards to other people. May I also bring to your attention the poor state of sound insulation between the flats which is also leading us to be disturbed by noise from our neighbours so, I feel we cannot be fully blamed for this for example the lady living beneath us regulary has loud music on which can be heard word for word but we make compromises due to living in such close proximity.Also doors can be heard opening and closing even bathroom light cords are heard every time they’re switched on! Which brings me back to the state of the sound insulation for we cannot and should not have to put a stop to enjoing our flats and playing music and even staying up late! For to feel the need to walk around on eggshells all the time impedes on the standard of living and I feel it’s quite intrusive to be told to quiet down when we limit the amount of noise we make anyway! Also may I add that if neighbours are so disturbed by our “noise levels” why don’t they contact the environmental health on my recommendation to carry out tests to decide if we’re being too noisy? I’m sure their test would conclude that we’re not at all.



Also I feel it’s a funny world we live in when people feel the need to communicate through others rather than directly, a simple knock on the door would’ve been quite sufficient



Yours sincerely,

Ian_W

Personally luke I'd leave out the last para. Might make you feel better but IMO detracts what is otherwise a non-sour grapes, very measured and totally reasonable response.

BTW you do realise who will end up paying for any improvements to the sound insulation, dont you?

lukemed1

probably yes!!!! LOL

Poppy9

My OH asked next door not to hammer drill after 8pm at night but he couldn't see what the problem was. Some people just don't realise or care how much noise they are making. Our next door neighbours (we live in 1950's semis) have removed all carpets throughout the house and have bare floorboards. Kids running about constantly, doors banging, TV & Radio booming, plinky plonky piano practice at 6.30am. Father DIY fanatic so constantly drilling, sanding, hammering. We had an EH officer visit our home for another reason and he could hear next door telly loud and clear and told us its not acceptable. We did think about making a formal complaint but wanted to stay on goodish terms with neighbours. This ended however when she next door wrote a letter to us arguing about boundaries even though the fence post and wire from the 1950's is still there. Stupid mare. Now I just bang the wall for them to shut up.

Doozergirl

lukemed1 wrote:

I write to you acknowledging receipt of your letter dated 12th April 2006 and to thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. The points made in your letter have been noted and taken on board. We were totally unaware that we were causing concern to our neighbours and are now acting more courteously with regards to other people.

It is unfortunate that the sound insulation between the flats is so poor, as it is also leading us to be disturbed by noise from our neighbours. I feel we cannot be fully blamed for this. For example, the lady living beneath us regulary has loud music on which can be heard word for word, doors can be heard opening and closing and even bathroom light cords are heard every time they’re switched on! We have make compromises due to living in such close proximity and whilst we will endeavour to be more quiet in future, I feel this should be pointed out to the person that has complained.

It’s a funny world we live in when people feel the need to communicate through others when a simple knock on the door would have been quite sufficient.

Yours

I hope you don't, I shifted it around a bit You started to go off one one bit - you can't ask someone to talk to your face and complain to environmental health about you in the same letter. Just be dignified

Hope you don't mind