Noisy Neighbour...help!!

sunshine_1988

Hello

When we brought our house 2 years ago, the previous owner had to declare on the forms that there had been trouble between himself and the neighbour, apparently there was war of sound systems (!) which one day resulted in a Police Officer attending the scene. We were told the neighbour had since moved out and the new occupiers were fine.

Once we moved in we found that the current occupiers at the time were the girlfriend and friend of the owner of the property, who was serving in the army. He occasionally came back around Christmas etc and my partner even spoke to him about cutting his hedge for him and sorting out a fence panel, he seemed a really nice guy actually.

He came back about 4 months ago and played his music really loud to the point where we could hear every word which was being sung, my partner went round and he was really apologetic and turned it down right away.

He went back to his job, he came back about 4 weeks ago - there was an almighty row between him and his girlfriend and he was taken away by the Police, she has since moved out.
Since then, on and off, the music has been really loud. About 3 weeks ago my partner went round and again, he was really apologetic, he actually came into our house and listened in the lounge and agreed to turn it down, he said he was really embarassed.

Thing is, its not really much better, there are times when its lovely and quiet, but at times it is really loud! My partner doesnt want to go round again incase he gets a bit agressive or something, which I do understand. I keep hoping that he just does not realise how loud it is....but I really dont see how he can think that it is reasonable!!

Does anyone have any suggestions at all? Im 23 weeks pregnant and if it continues when the baby is here then I will just go round myself :mad:

Also - any idea how long he will be here for?! He told my partner he is on leave from the army. I dont know what will happen to his house when/if he goes back....I'm hoping he sells it!!!!!!!!!!:rotfl:

Any suggestions welcome x:rotfl:

victory

No idea how long he will be there you mean how much army leave he has? He could have got out:eek:

The noise police say to record all noises to make a diary of events type thing but it seems like it is at night before 11pm? Not saying you should have to put up with it but there are rules about noise until 11pm, he seems to have been fairly open and apologetic up until now, maybe not a visit this time but a note through his door?

sunshine_1988

Thanks, yes I mean how much leave he has from the army...well when my partner went round the last time, about 3 weeks ago, he said he was on leave. But I'm thinking now that maybe hes quit or something after his big row with his girlfriend and the Police :eek:

Last night it was on until about 11 ish. At times its been until about 12:30am. During the day we are both at work until 5:30 so I dont mind, but the walls are quite thin here and I dont want to hear every word that Pink is singing :rotfl:

A note may work, I keep hoping we get a piece of his post so we have an excuse to go round and subtly ask when he is going back haha.

Catty212

As above record it all in a diary, dates, times, length of issue etc then contact Environmental Health Dept of your local council.

Noise complaints aren't a criminal matter therefore they can't enforce it. They will attend after 2300 and ask them to turn the musi down, but they can't do much else, unless obviously he kicks off with your hubby and causes a breah of the peace then that's a different story.

prosaver

when you get up at 5 am play the radio real loud and when he complains ..do what he does and stand in his front room and be real sorry and say you didnt know, like all the rubbish he says

make_me_wise

Could this neighbour of yours be a bit deaf and have no idea how loud the music is. Seems odd to me that when you went round to complain he came into your lounge to hear how loud it was. Surely if it were loud in your house it would be even louder in his.

He seems like an okay kind of person. If he didn't get cross with your hubby going round previously I doubt he would go off on one with a pregnant woman. Dont know many men who would risk a possible hormonal meltdown by refusing to be co-operative .

Kay_Peel

At the moment your neighbour is cooperative, accommodating, civil and apologetic. He turns the noise down when you ask him to. I fear that once you start bringing in the 'heavy guns' of police and environmental health, those good relations are at risk of breaking down and your neighbour may not be so pleasant as before.

Your best bet is to work out a 'signal' with him, to alert him to the fact that the noise is unbearable. I suggest either 'three rings' on his mobile or a text.

Let's face it - some people have been made deaf by noise pollution. When I was working nights, it used to drive me to distraction the way that tradesmen would put on a radio at full blast in their van while they themselves were working on a building/road 100 yards away. Many's the time Mrs Angry (moi) was to be seen in her dressing gown and slippers switching off radios through open van windows. It always amazes me, when I interview people in their own homes, how they have to shout to make themselves heard over the TV and I have to ask them to turn the !!!!!!!' thing down or turn it off for gawd's sake. My ears are ringing when I leave.

Good luck in keeping on good terms while finding a solution.

BitterAndTwisted

NO NOTES! I can almost guarantee that it will not have the desired effect and could possibly make things worse.

If he's disturbing you, you need to pop round and tell him that it's too loud and is therefore not acceptable. If he keeps it up despite your requests get onto the anti-social behaviour peeps at the Local Authority. You'll almost definitely need to keep a diary so you might as well start keeping one now.

VfM4meplse

Kay_Peel wrote: »

Your best bet is to work out a 'signal' with him, to alert him to the fact that the noise is unbearable. I suggest either 'three rings' on his mobile or a text.

A good post but the neighbour may have trouble hearing the mobile phone ring / a text alert if the music is that loud?

Kay_Peel

VfM4meplse wrote: »

A good post but the neighbour may have trouble hearing the mobile phone ring / a text alert if the music is that loud?

True! :rotfl::rotfl:

OP have you thought of getting him some earphones for Xmas?

cepheus

At least he seemed to be apologetic, the neighbours played this trick with me and when he came round to listen, his partner turned the music off completely, so they had no intention of being reasonable. Of course your neighbour may be playing a still more subtle game.

Unfortunately, I am in the situation of your previous owner having reported the neighbours, so I will be unable to sell the house now. It should be the perpetrators who pay not the victims.

In your case if two sets of people have complained, it should be possible for the council to take action against them. Unfortunately they still have to catch them at it, and with the noise on and off all the time this is difficult.

Another thought, your Doctor may be able to write a letter to the environmental health dept. They are supposed to act when it is causing a nuisance to residents (such as a health problem) there is no acceptable sound level, if depends upon the circumstances.

I feel very sorry for you, let me know how you get on.