Disturbing the peace

[ac_claire]

I have some issues with really, really noisy neighbors…It’s not just one family, it’s more like an entire community has moved in over the past year.

today they’re having a party in the courtyard here. There’s a little park attatched to-- and off to the side of-- my complex especially for parties like this. But they prefer to use the tiny, close courtyard as though it was their own personal back yard.

They have a huge inflatable playpen type thing…and about 2-3 dozen kids are running around screaming. That I can endure. It’s the music blaring that put it over the edge. There’s not a room or corner in my apt. where I can go where I can’t hear it clearly.

I asked them twice, nicely, to please turn the music down and they did both time…for half and hour or so. They don’t speak English, and I know very little Spanish, but I know they understood me…they smiled and turned the music down. About 30 minutes later they turned it up again louder than before. I called the apt. manager and he wasn’t home. So finally I called the police. This is just getting crazy.

Does anyone know the best way to deal with any of this…? And at the same time not lose my sanity and/or charity? Because…I feel real, real uncharitable right now. Is it too much to ask to have a reasonable amount of peace and quiet in my own apt.?

 

[whatevergirl]

***Hi claire

I’m assuming your apartment manager acts as the rules enforcer? I would probably try first, to go over, introduce yourself to the neighbor…explain your feelings, and see if it happens again. Are these parties happening often? If they were once a month, I probably would let it go. But, if they are every weekend or something, I would speak up. If that doesn’t work, talking to your neighbor, you could try the apartment manager…and see if he/she can help by talking to them.

Ultimately, if nothing changes, I guess moving would be an option. I have a coworker friend who went through a similiar situation, and he said he eventually had to move as crazy as that sounds, it was his only option for peace!

I hope that it improves for you. ***

 

[Catholic1954]

I feel your pain! Everyone has obnoxious neighbors at some time or other. See if you can get some like minded neighbors together and go over as a comittee to the manager and discuss your complaint. If he doesn’t solve it, you can try complaining to the actual landlord, but be prepared to move out as the final solution.

 

[rpp]

Sounds like you are doing the right thing. Work with the apartment manager. You may need to make a written complaint. If they have made claim of common areas in your complex by placing play equipment and such, take some photos. Keep a log of how often they disturb your peace. However, I would cease talking to them directly.

Also, do you know any of you other nearby neighbors? Perhaps this is bothering them too. If several of you start making written complaints, then the problem will be solved, either through their compliance or their eviction.

Check you lease and look at the terms. Does it talk about being loud or how many people they can have over? Most do. Also, find put the local laws regarding peace disturbance. If they appear to be in violation and they are being particularly annoying, call the police. You may also consider calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement to determine if they are in the country legally (I am not certain if that is a dirty trick or not; illegal immigration is, well, illegal.)

 

[ack]

This is a tough situation due to the cultures involved…

They probably come from a place where playing loud music in a public space is considered to be normal and appropriate behavior. Now, they’re living in a culture with different norms, and they probably think that you’re a little nuts for complaining. (Yes, I know that not all Hispanics act like this…but we’ve already established that these are noisy people so my explanation is plausible.)

Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re going to be able to reason with them, so talking to your apartment’s management is the only solution. Believe me – I wish there was a better way — but I’m speaking from a lot of personal experience here, and I don’t think attempting to compromise with them is going to do much good.

 

[Felicity_in_TX]

I was in a similar situation last year. At least twice a week for months these people that lived accross from me would have loud parties that would spill out on to their balcony and everyone in the complex would hear them. I frequently called the courtesy officer in middle of the night only to discover that I was just one of several people who complained. Eventually, the courtesy officer ended up having to call the police because they would not quiet down when asked. And then it happened again. After the third time the police were called out, the people were evicted.

I would suggest that if it’s a regular occurrence and talking to them doesn’t help and the apartment management doesn’t do anything about it then you should call the police. You have a right not to be disturbed in your own apartment. If none of that works, then you might have to consider moving out. Though after living in several apartments over the past 7 years I’ve found that there’s almost always going to be noise no matter where you live.

 

[aggiecatholic05]

I called the apt. manager and he wasn’t home. So finally I called the police.
Does anyone know the best way to deal with any of this…?

throw in praying for patience and i think you already found the best way to deal with it. consider calling the manager a warning, even if they dont answer. that you have asked them in the past and basically been ignored(30mins os less loud is still too much loud). i suggest you have the local nonemergency police number posted by the phone.

my wife and i are practically on a firstname basis with the people that answer those calls due to pretty much the exact same circumstances. and dont feel too bad about it, the cops told us that usually unless there is something illegal going on they cut the people some slack the first time or two. if a warning from the police doesnt do the trick they deserve the ticket-actions have consequences.

 

[ac_claire]

So, here’s what happened…I did call the police and they did come, but they didn’t file a report because apparently it’s only a noise ordinance violation if it’s going on after 10 p.m. at night. So truly I am out of luck here, as about 80% of the worst noise/parties/music takes place on weekend afternoons. This strikes me as unfair, but as far as I can see there’s nothing I can do about it.

The neighbors did eventually stop the music, but the kids were still running around screaming after dark (about 2 dozen of them, right underneath our windows) so I called the apt. manager then (he was finally home, yay!) and he went and told them to knock it off.

This is a tough situation due to the cultures involved…

They probably come from a place where playing loud music in a public space is considered to be normal and appropriate behavior. Now, they’re living in a culture with different norms, and they probably think that you’re a little nuts for complaining. (Yes, I know that not all Hispanics act like this…but we’ve already established that these are noisy people so my explanation is plausible.)

This is exactly what’s going on. An acquaintence/friend of mine from Mexico confirmed for me that playing loud music and having day-long parties in common areas is indeed accepted practice in Mexican and Central American cities.

I don’t know if this is a cultural thing too, but the ones in my complex also tend to let their kids run around screaming at the top of their lungs at all hours as if it were their own personal back yard and they weren’t living in an apt. complex with hundreds of other neighbors packed in close together…Also there’s a problem of littering, especially after these parties.

I’ve lived in this complex for going on four years, and the really super-noisy people have only been trickling in over the past year or year and a half. I still was was one of the only English-speaking people when I moved in, but that was no problem. My neighbors were mostly respectful families and single people. I do try to be reasonable about it…I consider the noise “too loud” if I am in my own apt. with the doors and windows closed, with my own apartment noises (TV, radio, humming AC, etc.) and I can still clearly hear music coming from outside or from another apartment. That’s my criteria. Truly, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

And yeah they do think I’m nuts lol. I’m the white girl who’s always asking people to please be quiet. It’s gotten to where certain families won’t even answer the door if they know it’s me. They’ll hear the knock, (or bang actually, since a normal knock won’t be heard under the racket), I’ll hear the music being turned down and that’s the end of it for a few hours at least lol.

Whatevergirl-- yeah, it’s actually a daily thing. Especially in the afternoons and evenings.

rpp-- I’ve seriously thought about calling the immigration office, especially in the heat of the moment. (it’s this Irish temper lol…flares very quick and hot but then usually dies out after a few minutes. ) Once I’ve calmed down, I usually realize that I really don’t want to have someone deported because of a noise violation. Even though…yeah, they’re here illegally. I guess basically it would just depend on the circumstances, and if there were other more serious offences involved that I was unable to resolve through the regular chain-of-command. (apt. manager, then peace officer, etc.)

I’m moving in November anyway, so I figure I can stick it out to then. Don’t really have a choice anyhow. In the meantime I will continue to ask people to turn their music down (step 1) when it’s too loud, and if necessary (if step 1 doesn’t work) go to the manager and then the police. And I should probably get in the habit of offering the annoyance up for forgiveness of sins. At least then it’s not all in vain…

Thank you all for letting me vent, and for the advice.

 

[whatevergirl]

***They are having parties DAILY? HAHA I need to hang out with them.

Of course, I can see your feelings here. Ugh. Every day practically? Well, if the police came and there’s nothing they can do before 10pm, then you might want to consider moving, once your lease is up…how much longer do you have?***

 

[purplesunshine]

They believe they have “the right” to do this.

I had trouble one year with girls in my dorm who held what they self-labeled “Black-people quiet hours” which means they could be just as noisy as they wanted. The RA at first, was a silly idiot and was so afraid of upsetting them (and being called a racist) she didn’t enforce the rules. Then someone finally got sick of it and called campus security…the first time they came they were kind and told the girls to respect their neighbors. The second time they were cranky and the RA, the head RA and the girls all got a chewing out. The RA then enforced the rules when the girls tried to pull their stunts again.

If you’re on good terms with your landlord explain how much this bothors you. If you’re not remind the landlord that you aren’t afraid to call the poliece. Landlords don’t like when poliece get called to their properties.

 

[Sierrah]

I lived next to some neighbors from …well you know where. Anyway they would turn up the music so much the entire brick…building would shake. Then the couple would beat each other up on the weekends. Once I a saw a phone fly out the window and saw that as a que to leave. The police were there when I came back. Ouch. The police were called 4xs during the year I lived there. The guy was crazy and I was a woman living alone right accross the hall so I never called the police or management for fear of retribution. His girlfriend I’m sure would have killed me if not him. I moved! I saw that as my only option. There is a phrase in real estate called “quiet enjoyment” is a right to enjoy the full use of a property without interuption. When you signed your lease that is one of the rights you gained with legal protection. I would try and speak with the neighbors warily and talk to your landlord as well. Keep a log of the distubances and then take that to the landlord and see what he says. Rememeber under the lease you have the right of “quiet enjoyment” of your apartment. But from experience I would say good luck trying to make that stick. It’s really in the Landlords ballpark.