Neighbour making noise to stop us using garden - what level is unacceptable?

twopenny

All good suggestions.

What sort of music do they like?

I had some fairly prompt sucess with some neighbours disfunctional teenage sons (seriously, they all ended in prison) playing music with window open when I went into the garden.

I got my loudest speaker and played Classical Music and Opera at just enough level to irritate them. Opera willl irritate someone who doesn't like it more than standard stuff.

I warned my other neighbour. Took only a few goes,

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Herbalus said:

I would invest in some noise cancelling headphones. Then you can sit in your own garden listening to your own thing, and if they are doing it on purpose it will become blindingly obvious it doesn’t affect you.

plus it will be much easier to ignore it if you can’t hear it.

Although I still think to ignore, opera is a great idea, Philip Glass tends to be an acquired taste as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnXEcS2Xt7s 

Jeepers_Creepers

Too good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezOI3sPqWPU

Rosa_Damascena

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Too good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezOI3sPqWPU

I like you a lot less now

Jeepers_Creepers

Aaaalll together now; "one..two...three...four..."

goldfinches

Are there any other neighbours who are being tangentially affected by the noise? If so, might you ask them to have a word in the first instance?
Someone else pointing out to them that they're being prize twerps might be effective and if not you can then decide what to do next.

Jeepers_Creepers

Absolutely, if there's another neighb, approach them to ask if they have noticed anything too. But I wouldn't ask or expect them to actually intervene - tho' a joint approach could be more effective at the point where it's become obvious to both affected neighbs that it is deliberate behaviour.

(Possible exceptions where the other neighb might be 'happy' to intervene sooner is if they happened to know the miscreant neighb quite well, but was a 'normal' person in themselves "Doris?! Oh she's a right one! Let me have a quiet word..." Or, if this other neighb was a nicely assertive/intimidating person in their own right - an ex-marine or para would be nice...)

Until then, just keep noting down what's happening - build a picture of evidence until it becomes pretty obvious what's going on.

Then the day comes when you approach this neighb... I can almost certainly guarantee you'll know within 5 seconds what you are dealing with. And that is one reason you record this approach.

How would a normal person respond? They would, of course, be mortified, and fall over themselves in apologising. They'd then assure you that it would be addressed - or at least reach some reasonable compromise over times, volume etc.

How would an a'ole respond? With indignance. Agitation. Entitlement. Self-pity - passing the buck. Passing blame. They love being the victim.

At which point you go 'uh-huh', and walk away. Call up Env Health, your local Bobby and your insurance LP. If these prove fruitless, then it's out with Glass.

Jeepers_Creepers

Rosa_Damascena said:

I like you a lot less now

Yup. But I bet you now luv Glass.

Norman_Castle

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Too good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezOI3sPqWPU

Sesame Street for posh kids.

mandy47

We've had problems with our neighbours for about 3 years now. At first it was stressful and hard to deal with. Now we've learned to ignore them. They have proved how petty and immature they are. They're intimidating tactics no longer work and we're far happier now.  
I do feel for you. We had to put up with them appearing in their garden every time we entered our garden. Lighting the chimnea when we pegged out washing.  Singing songs with violent lyrics,  shouting to each other, loud music and various other noises. We now ignore it  although the smoke is annoying.  They now realise it's not stopping us enjoying our own garden and the annoying behaviour is dwindling. We still keep a log of anything particularly nasty just in case but we are enjoying our garden more than ever. 
Stay strong and hopefully you'll get a happy outcome.