Equipment To Capture Noise\Vibrations From Neighbours?

JustJinny

I don't know if this is the right forum.... but I have a problem, that I don't know what to do about.

My neighbours are not nice people. They have made threats, and screamed at me in the street, because not just I, but others, objected to their Plans to build a large prayer centre extension on their house, and other invasive builds on their land. They already have illegal extensions, and rent out to many families, while living in the property themselves.

The noise from the property is awful. Door slams, go well into the small hours. Shift workers knocking on the front room window too, around 3am often disturb us. General banging and extensive scraping of furniture on wooden floors, followed by laughter, is a daily occurance. On religious holidays they fire fireworks directly at our property for extended amount of time, causing damage, and showering and damaging Cars all around, with hot firework debris (Police were called - 3rd yr in a row - but decided not to act due to religion!), in 2019, they caused the death of 4 Hedgehogs in a nesting box, by the fence, by kicking the fence, and throwing fireworks at the nest box. This goes on for days, every hour, from 5pm to 5am, with large public display fireworks in a small garden.
They use their Cars to deliberately block our front of the house so I can't get my Mobility Scooter in or out, or my Dementia Ridden Mother's wheelchair in or out, meaning we miss appointments for her, and on it goes.

2 years ago, another Neighbour rang, at 6am, and told me they were in my garden! They removed a fence (theirs), but dug up my garden where my pet cemetary was, and dug up bones. On a rubbish pile, was a broken skeleton of my cat, when I queried it with him, he rammed a shovel through it's Skull and sai. "what cat?" and laughed. They stole and got rid of the Gravestones along th fenceline, and then moved the fence over by a foot. They haven't responded to any legal requests to move the fenceline back, only stating that they don't have to, and it's up to them as we should have sold them the land when they first asked! ...... Anyway, you get the idea. Not nice people!

For 4 years now, they have an electric Piano against the Party Wall. There Teenage son plays it for hours... he's had little improvement ... he plays short loops of basic tunes, repeatedly. His record is an incredible 6hrs straight of yankee doodle dandy, but only the first 30 seconds, at various pitches, volumes, and speeds. Or the first 38 seconds of Tubular Bells at different pitches and speeds. Its like torture! More often than not now, he plays in spells, of up to 2hrs, then resorts to crashing the keys for 10 minutes, before there is a break. This can start at 6am, and can finish anywhere up to 2am.

In between that, he is kicking a ball up against the shared wall, or the Piano, slamming doors, dragging chairs, or banging the floors, or shrieking "Ma-Maaaa!", louder and louder until the multiple occupants laugh. The banging is such that if I put a cup of water, in the furthest side of my own house, it ripples with the their banging and door slamming! I'm getting fed up.

Since November, when they announced they were removing the Chimmney Breast on the Party Wall, that the Piano is currently against, so they can move the Piano into the space of the Chimney Breast (I'm dreading it!), and their aggression and tactics have triggered my Mother so badly, its left her in Hospital ever since, we have been unable to deal with the Party Wall Agreement. Therefore, they have upped their noise and behaviours. Council are no help.

Since November, every day, anytime between 10:14am (when more people arrive), and 11:25am their are 2 people that repeatedly, with intervals to recharge themselves, pummel a surface rapidly, until they run out of steam. The noise and vibrations are ridiculous! Then they go out for a while, and it starts again from 6:20pm, and depending on how much fun they are having, can go on to around 9:40pm. This on top of everything else!


So, my question is... as the Council have not been helpful over 4yrs of logged complaints, mediation is not an option either, The Council this morning, suggested I record and capture vibration readings myself! Anyone know what is the best equipment for capturing vibrations\vibration readings?

I have recording equipment, as I used to be a ASMR-artist on YouTube, but their abuse is so unpredictable, that they ended that career for me.

Any advice?

bertiewhite

JustJinny wrote: »

So, my question is... as the Council have not been helpful over 4yrs of logged complaints, mediation is not an option either, The Council this morning, suggested I record and capture vibration readings myself! Anyone know what is the best equipment for capturing vibrations\vibration readings?

I don't know your council policy but when I had reason to make a noise complaint, my council said the first step was to keep a diary so that they could ascertain if the noise was a nuisance. When they confirmed it was a nuisance (as it was regular and at unsociable hours) they then said THEY would have to provide me with noise monitoring equipment to measure the decibel levels and time of day etc. The reason they provided it was to ensure that the conditions were specific and the results could be measured against a common baseline.

Shaun_of_the_Dead

bertiewhite wrote: »

I don't know your council policy but when I had reason to make a noise complaint, my council said the first step was to keep a diary so that they could ascertain if the noise was a nuisance. When they confirmed it was a nuisance (as it was regular and at unsociable hours) they then said THEY would have to provide me with noise monitoring equipment to measure the decibel levels and time of day etc. The reason they provided it was to ensure that the conditions were specific and the results could be measured against a common baseline.

That sounds pretty standard practice, keep a diary then wait in the queue for some monitoring equipment.

TheCyclingProgrammer

I’m impressed. This is one of the best made up stories I’ve read on here. Well done OP. The extension for a “prayer centre” was a nice touch. It kept me entertained right until the very end.

twopenny

Yes, I had to keep a diary for a year! It made the situation for me worse because I had to note everything they did, when, what time. This meant that I could never switch off and I suffered for it years on, never being able to switch off from noises.
It did the trick and I got 7yrs of peace before it all kicked off again but at personal damage to me.

The problem is the number of people, there is always someone on site to give annoyance.
Any chance you can do something to keep the peace long enough to sell?
There was a guy online (yes I did a lot of research) who used a speaker that sent vibrations that couldn't be heard but could annoy. It's not legal to do this though. However it did the trick.

RelievedSheff

Just move.

They will not leave you alone.

coffeehound

RelievedSheff wrote: »

Just move.

They will not leave you alone.

No doubt exactly what the neighbour wants as wants to buy the house, but you are probably right

searchlight123

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I’m impressed. This is one of the best made up stories I’ve read on here. Well done OP. The extension for a “prayer centre” was a nice touch. It kept me entertained right until the very end.

why would you even write this? you have no evidence that this is not happening and hopefully you or i will not live thru the kind of nightmare being described here. i am assuming it is a true account and it must be horrendous.

elsien

Are the council not taking enforcement action about their illegal extension?

What does your solicitor say about the fence and party wall issues? They would have more idea than random people on here.

(Although the CP post also seemed plausible, to be fair.)

JustJinny

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I’m impressed. This is one of the best made up stories I’ve read on here. Well done OP. The extension for a “prayer centre” was a nice touch. It kept me entertained right until the very end.

I only wish that it was made up. It is literally a living nightmare.

JustJinny

elsien wrote: »

Are the council not taking enforcement action about their illegal extension?

What does your solicitor say about the fence and party wall issues? They would have more idea than random people on here.

(Although the CP post also seemed plausible, to be fair.)

Sadly the illegal Extension was up 4yrs, in spite of complaints when it was being built from 6 Neighbours, and after that, it was deemed out of time. It was initially approved as "Storage". 3 weeks after completition, it started being converted into a self contained flat, which is currently rented out to a lovely couple who say their lives are hell there, from all the noise, but they can't afford anywhere else.

The Solicitor,and 2 Surveyors (ours & theirs!), said they should move the fence, but they refuse. Then we can take them to Court, but it may cost in Legal Fees, up to £50,000 - and the Solicitor asked if is it worth it for a few feet of land, when both Parents have no money, and are in their late 70's, with my Mother needing around the clock care when she's home, due to her Lewy Body Dementia. The Solicitor said, in my area, a lot of people, like them, encroach on vulnerable people's land, as they know they can get away with it, due to costs.

If we sold up, as my Parents didn't maintain the house, its worth next to nothing. We currently couldn't even afford to get another 3 bed property, in North Wales, for example. They've never lived anywhere else, and have been here together, for over 50yrs. We've never had any Neighbour trouble, until they arrived, and in particular, the last 5yrs, since we objected to the 6ft double storey build on the back of the house, to straddle the Boundary Line, which was to be used as a Prayer Centre and "Pooja" location.

They sadly have lifetime planning granted, for a build at the bottom of the garden (where they moved the fence over), to be a "Storage and playroom" but it has on the plans a shower and toilet area, and a small utilities area. So we know what that's for... but it won't be for what they've implied. They want it straddling the Boundary Line too, even though, they moved the Line. We just can't afford the Legal Fees.

They recently, were also granted Planning for a 4ft Extension on the back, with shower and bathroom, as well as Pooja area, and extended seating... so they've partially got what they want anyway. And this is the reason for the need of a currently incomplete, Party Wall Agreement too - for both that and the Chimmney Breast adjoining my bedroom\living room.

The Council has the last 3yrs of noise logs, but 4yrs of reporting. Their is a 5yr wait list for equipment to be put by them here. We were told earlier, that to speed things up, we could buy our own detection equipment, that once set up, would be checked by the Council, and cleared for use, but they couldn't advise us what equipment. Our Council are dreadful.