can I keep telling my neighbour to lower the TV volume?

Battleaxe44

You can buy the soundproofing by the sheet, it is similar to dry wall sheets. Good excuse for redecorating your rooms on that party wall.

Oh we also packed under and around our bath with insulation. Extra advantage to this, the water in bath stays warmer longer...just to make sure neighbours can't hera our bath running. Before we soundproofed the house, we used to hear next's door jacuzzi type bath being used...never offered to share it with us...

System

FBaby wrote: »

Well that I can understand, it is just that a colleague of mine just told me a few months ago that her father in law (who leaves away) wasn't found dead until 2 days after his death when his son visited. He had died in front of the TV and neighbours said they were very sorry, they assumed he was ok because they heard the TV (not their fault).

Yes it can easily happen but short of having him live in our house is the best we can do. He has two sisters who visit him periodically but I am assuming i'd know if there was something wrong before they would.

Funny story... he doesn't happen to be very organised, although ive never been in his house (hubby has) One time we heard him yell and there was a bang. Hubby raced round to see what was wrong. Apparently he had fallen over s pile of paperwork he was sorting through whilst watching the football. The yell was when England won. The bang was when he went crashing to the floor. The bad language was something we'd never heard before though.:D

He was fine.:)

cybervic

Thanks for all the different opinions. I was really upset last night when her TV was loud again, had trouble sleeping as the scene of her fierce look and nasty words when I knocked on her door kept playing in my mind. Maybe my post was a bit emotional, sorry for causing a stir.

We've moved into a very solid-build flat 2 month ago. We don't hear any other noise at all apart from her TV. Her TV starts between 7.40-8.30am in the morning for couple of hours, on and off in the afternoon, then all the way from 5-6pm to almost midnight EVERYDAY.

My partner and I both work from home, and it's just extremely difficult to concentrate. We've tried ear plug, but it doesn't stop the bass-like vibration sound, it makes my ear ache after wearing it for many hours too.

We had written her 2 letters after knowing she is 90 from porter. Each time she turned down the volume for 2 days, and it went up again as if nothing had happened.

This is the letter we sent her

Letter 1




Letter 2


She rang us after receiving the 2nd letter, said TV is her only connection to the outside world. We felt very sorry and guilty that we might be taking her pleasure away. I then went and do some research, and was going to lend her my wireless headphone for her to try. Before we were supposed to meet her, we bumped into her when she was waiting for her daughter to pick her up, spoken to her daughter briefly and realised the old lady has already got a good wireless headphone already. (her daughter knows the problem.)

We didn't have any chance to talk about TV problem after spending 4 hours with her. She bossed us around arranging some plants and doors positions for her, kept asking us to have more Champaign and see more photo whenever we tried to steer the conversation to TV problem. We left feeling defeated yet sorry for her and thought we'd have to wait few more days and come back again.

After receiving nasty response from her when knocking on her door, we then gave her the 3rd letter, which she has completely ignore it and plays the TV as usual, if not louder.



Now to the present, we now know her hearing problem isn't really that bad, she CAN hear her TV at a level that doesn't bother us. She just likes to have it loud because she enjoy it that way. She knows her options but wouldn't take it.
According to her next door neighbour, her husband was a well connected barrister and she is used to buying peopler off or get a solicitor to get rid of person she doesn't like. She is so rich that a fine or confiscation might not work, and she will use her age as a weapon to get whatever she want.

Maybe I shouldn't use the word 'WAR', I am not an aggressive person and I can never be one. I am thinking to knock on her door and ask her nicely to return me my enjoyment of my home (with the most pretentious smile) everytime when TV is loud. I am just so afraid that no law can help and it'll take forever to sort this out.

j.e.j.

cybervic wrote: »

After receiving nasty response from her when knocking on her door, we then gave her the 3rd letter, which she has completely ignore it and plays the TV as usual, if not louder.

...

Now to the present, we now know her hearing problem isn't really that bad, she CAN hear her TV at a level that doesn't bother us. She just likes to have it loud because she enjoy it that way. She knows her options but wouldn't take it.

Oh dear. You've got her back up now, and the problem's getting worse. It might also be attention-seeking, especially if she doesn't really have much company day to day.

As the sound is coming from below, not from a neighbour either side, I'm not sure how effective sound-proofing would be, but it might be worth a try?

Another thought, are there any other neighbours who are being affected by the noise of the TV who you could talk to about the problem?

Rev

cloudy11 wrote: »

I am really sorry you have awful neighbours. I have had lots of awful neighbours in the past (the joys of living in flats!), including people being raided by the police for drugs, so I know how soul destroying it can be.

However, just because other neighbours can be worse, why should the OP have to put up with a neighbour acting selfishly in a completely different way? Selfish is selfish and it's not on that it should just be accepted because she is old.

I would also totally agree with others that just because someone is 90 doesn't mean they are a nice, pleasant elderly neighbour. Horrendous young neighbours or horrible young people have to grow up- and they will often still be selfish neighbours or horrible people at 90.

But she's not being selfish is she. She's hard of hearing and has her TV up loud enough to compensate for that.

A blind person in the street waving a white stick around and accidentally hitting a few people isn't being selfish or out of order are they? They're just trying to get from a to b with their disability. OP's neighbour isn't doing it to annoy anyone. She is just trying to watch TV.

sassyblue

cybervic wrote: »

According to her next door neighbour, her husband was a well connected barrister and she is used to buying peopler off or get a solicitor to get rid of person she doesn't like. She is so rich that a fine or confiscation might not work, and she will use her age as a weapon to get whatever she want.

Maybe I shouldn't use the word 'WAR', I am not an aggressive person and I can never be one. I am thinking to knock on her door and ask her nicely to return me my enjoyment of my home (with the most pretentious smile) everytime when TV is loud. I am just so afraid that no law can help and it'll take forever to sort this out.

So if they're telling the truth other people may have been in your situation before?

Could you approach her daughter again for advice or help??

Is soundproofing an option??

It sounds like you have been reasonable with those letters

sassyblue

Rev wrote: »

But she's not being selfish is she. She's hard of hearing and has her TV up loud enough to compensate for that.

.

If her actions are impacting on the lives of others in a detrimental way and she refuses all options to sort the problem, then yes she is being selfish.

aileth

From those letters, I think you've been more than reasonable, OP. I'd advise getting advice from the council and also post exactly what you just have here: http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?17-NFH-What-s-your-story

They are brilliant. Good luck.

System

Yes I think you've been more than reasonable by sending those letters. I cant see as though further communication with her is going to be much use now you've got her back up though.

cybervic

j.e.j. wrote: »

Oh dear. You've got her back up now, and the problem's getting worse. It might also be attention-seeking, especially if she doesn't really have much company day to day.

As the sound is coming from below, not from a neighbour either side, I'm not sure how effective sound-proofing would be, but it might be worth a try?

Another thought, are there any other neighbours who are being affected by the noise of the TV who you could talk to about the problem?

We live in a one bedroom flat above her. She has bought 2 flats connected up into a big 3 bedroom flat. Half of our flat is actually right above her bedroom, where she had her TV set up very high up because she lies on her bed and watch TV there. Her next door neighbour and her daughter has asked her if she could watch her TV in lounge, but she listens to no one apparently. They are also troubled by her TV but they can off set the sound by turning the TV loud, or escape to the bedroom if that fails. They don't work from home so they don't suffer as much as we do.

I am not sure how lonely she is, she goes out to play Bridge couple of time a week and her daughter and grand daughter takes her regularly too. I've asked neighbour to pass my number to her daughter but they told me it won't work as she listens to no one.

I am worried that council might not be able to help if she really listens to no one and not afraid of fine.