Neighbour noise!

Anyone got any views on my situation

Next door neigbour have had around 5-6 parties so far this year, got a record of the last 3, each one going on until well into the small hours, music and singing. The latest one on Saturday wasn’t as bad as the others but I could still hear them all singing until around 1:30. This one was bad timing for me as I was running for my club in a national event the next day so I really wasnt best pleased

I have complained twice, once to the wife the day after the last event, once to the husband, during saturdays event.

Both times I am met with a humble embarassed apology and assurance it wont happen again, then again sure as night becomes day it happens again.

Would EH get involved with this regularity, its what I am about to threaten. I assume they will see it as an empty threat and have 3 more parties this year!

Any pearls of wisdom out there!

If you get the authorities involved it’ll come up when you sell your house (assuming you own it). Which for most people is an immediate hurdle to reporting stuff as they think their house will immediately become unsellable.

If they’re prepared to talk I’d go and talk to them again and explain what the problem is for you (any other neighbours who could pipe up too?).

Keep a diary, for a start.

Further to wwaswas – you could point out to them that it will also come up when THEY try to sell their house, too. Though this is a bit useless if they rent, but at that point you might have more success with the landlord.

If you get the authorities involved it’ll come up when you sell your house (assuming you own it). Which for most people is an immediate hurdle to reporting stuff as they think their house will immediately become unsellable.

If they’re prepared to talk I’d go and talk to them again and explain what the problem is for you (any other neighbours who could pipe up too?).

We are there semi, so no impact to other neighbours.

I understand the impact to declaring it on me, would it also impact them. I am just looking to write to them with the threat of action at this stage.

Past talking, they have declared that they will not entertain any neighbourly relations now as I am unable to tollerate minor noise apparently, so its getting serious

Record it then play it back through the wall using a very large sound system. On a school night.

Problem is, they my be reasonable as anything when sober, but add a few drinks & lots of friends, ‘reasonable-ness’ leaves the building.

TBH though, 6 parties a 365 day year and your upset? re-read it but even so compared with some neighbour issues Really this is a first world problem, get some ear plugs.

Past talking, they have declared that they will not entertain any neighbourly relations now as I am unable to tollerate minor noise apparently

But you said…

Both times I am met with a humble embarassed apology and assurance it wont happen again

So which is it?

didnt get invited ?

sounds like you need a detatched house 😀

Every couple of months is borderline excessive. If you compete at a national level and need your sleep just ask them to warn you when tbe parties are going to be so you can work around it somehow.

Really this is a first world problem, get some ear plugs

this ^^^

or buy somewhere detached.

Blimey I though youd escaped from all this kind of nonsense?

I can’t see a party every couple of months as unreasonable, though toning it down a bit after midnight would be more polite, in reality parties tend to get noisier as the night goes on. We have parties quite often, but the neighbour’s are usually invited, so if they don’t come along they at least know to break out the earplugs.

Record it then play it back through the wall using a very large sound system. On a school night.

This happened just down the road from us the escalation was rapid and ugly

TBH though, 6 parties a 365 day year and your upset?
Really this is a first world problem, get some ear plugs.

yeah, I knew someone would have this view. We’ve got earplugs and we could still hear it, My view is that its week 42 and its happened 6 times, so thats a 14% chance of it happening on any given week! I know there are much worse neighbours out there, I’ve had them before!

this is a first world problem,

Doesn’t make it any less of a problem to the OP though.

Gloves off IMO. A good neighbour wouldn’t have done this to you twice. Go straight to your Councils noise team.

You could also wait until the noise stops, wait an hour then knock/bang them up. You need bigger balls to do this though.

A party every 5-6 weeks doesn’t really sound that excessive, especially if it’s on a weekend (assuming you don’t work shifts etc).

Maybe they don’t realise how easily the sound travels through your party wall – invite them in to listen next time it happens. And as above, ask them to let you know in advance so you can plan around it.

An occasional party doesn’t sound like unreasonable behaviour to me..

expecting your neighbours to strictly conform to your lifestyle seems pretty unreasonable though

Past talking, they have declared that they will not entertain any neighbourly relations now as I am unable to tollerate minor noise apparently
But you said…

Both times I am met with a humble embarassed apology and assurance it wont happen again
So which is it?

You’ve mentioned your gripe to them twice, and now you’re threatening legal action?

This definitely makes you come across as a bit of a nutjob

Once every couple of months is not excessive. Are you in a city? That’s part of urban living IMO. Sleep in a room without a party wall and put ear plugs in. Being able to hear it is a bit annoying but not the end of the world. I suspect it is the fact that it annoys you that keeps you awake rather than the noise itself.

I suspect it is the fact that it annoys you that keeps you awake rather than the noise itself.

This is a good point, something I struggle with. I’m not a light sleeper so it’s not like I can’t fall asleep with a bit of noise but I just get angry about it so don’t sleep. Noise cancelling ear phones and some Zero7 or Air help me both relax and not hear the noise.

Once every couple of months is not excessive.

Why should your sleep suffer in your own home? You’d come to dread it happening again. Worse if you have small children too.

You’ve mentioned your gripe to them twice, and now you’re threatening legal action?

This definitely makes you come across as a bit of a nutjob

I followed the lastest complaint up with an email saying pehaps rather sarcastuically that I didn’t enjoy their rendition of Money for Nothing and Call me All, reinforcing the conversation I had with them that I was taking part in an important race the next day. Hence the eagerness to complain

I got one back saying they thought I was intollerant (a point re-inforced by many above I know) and why had I bought a semi.

this is a first world problem

So you’re not allowed to let anything other than death and starvation to trouble you?

wood chopping at 9am the morning after the party – with a 2 stroke.

Blimey I though youd escaped from all this kind of nonsense?

We never had any of this at all in London! I think our ex neighbout was a lady of ill repute, but she was a bloody quite one!

this ^^^

or buy somewhere detached.

Indeed, this is on the agenda, as I seemingly have a low threshold of tollerance to this kind of stuff.

We do have opposing lifestyles though, I am racing 3 weekends out of 4 so early to bed and no drink, something they have no interst in accomodating, I have suggested 12am is a good compromise, they do not agree.

this is a first world problem

Whoever says this obviously devotes their own life to charity?

Ill always remember going round my mates once years ago and his mum was upset that the noisy neighbours had been keeping her awake. his older brother who was a bit of a lad kidnapped their rabbit, donned a balaclava held its ears back and pointed a replica bb gun at its head while we took a photo. he put the rabbit back unharmed but posted the photo with a warning through their door!

ive no idea what became of the situation but it was pretty funny at the time…

LOL, no pets there, thank god!

Your problem is that at soon as you followed up the chat during the party with a sarcastic e-mail you’ve lost any goodwill from them. A chat in the drive the day after the party along the lines of “did you have a good night last night? I can’t believe how much the noise travels though the walls, did you know I race lots?”, if delivered correctly, will get them on side and maybe working with you. However, the e-mail now means you have come across as a bit of an arse so they won’t work with you.

So your options are nuclear (environment health) or peaceful (smile, have a chat, invite them over for a beer).

Why should your sleep suffer in your own home?

Because you live in a community. There are pluses and minuses but what you do impacts on others and what others do impacts on you. Don’t like that then live somewhere else.

I live next to retired people, they’re so nice and quiet. Hope they don’t go anywhere anytime soon….

Neighbours should discuss noisy parties before having them – I told mine when we were having one for my 4 year old; that did get a bit out of hand though.

I have suggested 12am is a good compromise, they do not agree.

Did you suggest this in person or over e-mail. If the latter I too would have told you to go away, in person, when both parties are calm, sober and not hungover, you may have got a better response.

Any pearls of wisdom out there!

Make friends with them then you’ll be invited too.

this is a first world problem, get some ear plugs

It’s really not.

Having lived through living next to noisy neighbours for nigh on seven years and moved away earlier next year I can tell you that the impact can be massive. Everyone has the right to not be disturbed in their own home at unreasonable times. Anyone who doesn’t understand the social contract of living in a house adjoining another deserves the full weight of the consequences of their behaviour.

OP, start making a diary now, if you do contact EH they will want to install a Db meter and have you make a diary, so the sooner you get started the better.

In my case the neighbours were beyond reasoning with and the behaviour deteriorated to the extent that the police were called to visit them (not by me), but the best advice I got in that time was to go round outside of the times of the disturbance, explain the impact on you and try to remain cordial throughout.

Did you suggest this in person or over e-mail

Yeah, email. realise I have lost their goodwill, they have lost mine after the first informal chat about it to be honest.

The real question for me was are EH likley to tell me to whistle for this reglarity, and I’ll still have to declare on the sale docs that I complained. Thats lose lose lose for me, so need another tactic.

This is quite close to my heart at the moment, we have some new tennants next door who have been in a couple of months.

Thankfully the key for us is tennants. We’ve tried the nice approach, tried the going round and banging on the door late at night approach (and they refuse to answer) so we have gone to the letting agency.

If they carry on, they get served notice. 🙂

Some of the stories have been quite amusing though. The young lady sounds like a massive headcase. Don’t know why he puts up with her, she’s not even good looking. The sex is crap too, because we get to hear that (all 10 minutes of it, albeit at 100db, as she’s got a mouth like a gutter).

Think they actually are getting their second warning letter today!

In my case the neighbours were beyond reasoning

Fair enough but the neighbours in this thread sound pretty reasonable to me.. It looks like the OP has caused friction by being unfriendly

Some of the stories have been quite amusing though. The young lady sounds like a massive headcase. Don’t know why he puts up with her, she’s not even good looking. The sex is crap too, because we get to hear that (all 10 minutes of it, albeit at 100db, as she’s got a mouth like a gutter).

Sounds like my kind of woman.

1.30 on a Saturday night seems OK to me, perhaps you should have a party and keep it going till late then at least they’ll know how loud it is, seriously though a set of silicon earplugs and you’ll be set. It’s not weekly or anything.