What Can You Do About Noisy Neighbors?
By Teresa Ambord
So you bought a house or a condo and you’ve moved in… home sweet home. Then you discover the reason why the previous owners might have sold the house cheaply. You’ve got noisy neighbors…the kind of noisy neighbors that stay up all night, playing music loud enough to shake your walls. What do you do?
Sure it’s tempting to take revenge. But keep in mind, the noisemaker may strike back, turning up the music even more, or doing something even meaner, like keying your car or harming a pet.
Also, you shouldn’t ignore it if it is a real problem. If you are generally quiet, the noisemakers (who never hear a peep out of you) may not realize that their noise is breaking glasses in your house. Besides, trying to ignore it will make you cranky from lack of sleep and maybe give you an ulcer.
You can call the police, but they’ll be more sympathetic if you’ve tried to talk to the neighbor first.
- Start by finding out if other neighbors are bothered. Chances are, they are upset too but don’t know what to do.
- Maintain your composure, and go knock on the door of the noisemakers. Explain how the music affects you, such as, it keeps you awake until 3am and you have to get up at five. If you doubt you can keep your cool, wait until you can.
- If the noisemakers insist they are doing nothing wrong, you might suggest using a mediator. Most cities have low or no-cost mediation services. Look in your yellow pages. It may help to let them pick the mediation service, and both of you need to agree to abide by what the mediator says.
- Next step, get a copy of your local noise ordinance from city hall or the library. Noise regulation is usually very specific, naming types of noise, and the times when you must obey.
Here’s an exerpt from the noise laws in Lexington, Kentucky:
- Barking Dog: Across dwelling unit boundary--Anytime.
- Motor Vehicle Repair Noise: Across dwelling unit boundary--Anytime.
- Loud Music or Television: Across dwelling unit boundary--Anytime.
For most violations in Lexington, you can be fined $25 to $500, depending on how many offenses there are. Offense is measured in decibels, but of course, most of us don’t have a way to determine decibels. An easier way is distance. If a sound can be heard more than 50 feet from the source, it’s too loud.
- Once you’ve gotten a copy of the ordinance, give your noisemaker neighbor a last chance letter, written with facts, not anger. Include a copy of the noise ordinance. And make a copy of the letter for your files. You may need it later. Tell the neighbors that if the noise is not abated, you will have to call the police.
- You may think you’re all alone in the world when, at 3am, your neighbor is keeping you awake,. But in Lexington alone, officers respond to some 8,000 noise disturbance calls each year. That’s an average of 22 calls each and every day (mostly at night).
So if all else fails, call the police, but at this point, don’t warn the neighbor. You want the police to arrive while the music is blaring.
You’d think this would do the trick. But not everyone is bothered by a few visits from the police or some relatively small monetary fines.
- Your last choice is to take them to court. You can sue your noisy neighbor in small claims court for unreasonably interfering with your enjoyment of your property. Depending on the state you live in, you can ask the court for $2,000 to $5,000. But you must be able to show that there is excessive and disturbing noise, that the enjoyment of your property is diminished, and that you have asked the neighbor to turn stop the noise (your letter should prove this).
If going to court is the only option, take copies of any police reports, the testimony of witnesses to the noise and to your communications with the noisemaker, recordings of the noise.
