How do you stop a bass subwoofer speaker from playing?

[EDFULLE]

My next door neighbor is having a dispute with me regarding my fence. In retaliation, he has his bass subwoofer speaker shoved in his window facing my house. Since March, he plays a bass test CD 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Outside and inside my house, I can hear a constant low hum to a low roar (when he cranks it up especially at night) unless he switches the CD to music and then it's BOOM BOOM BOOM. I have called the Police and they can't do anything because the sound is not LOUD which pertains to our city ordinance (sound nusiance). I hired an accoustical engineer who confirmed the noise is coming from my neighbor's house. I have tried to speak to my neighbor and he calls the police saying that I am disturbing him. The noise inside my house is unbearable, as well as, my floors, walls, counter tops, furniture, etc. all vibrate like a constant mini earthquake to the low bass frequency. Sometimes, I can only sleep 3 to 4 hours and then I have to get up and go to work. I have been told that a ham radio will "bust" the bass subwoofer speaker. Does anyone know for sure or have any recommendations? I am desperate for relief. The sleep deprivation, no peace or quiet inside my home, my "hearing" a white noise (high pitched electrical sound) indicates my hearing is being damaged -- is driving me out of my mind which is what my neighbor wants. If you have legitimate answers, please let me know. Thank you.

[redwudz]

I think at this point you need to hire a attorney and have him file some paper. Or at least get some legal advice. A attorney that specializes in workers compensation claims and similar should have knowledge about vibrations and low frequency sound causing damages.

The police are only part of the law, the court system is another large part. If one part doesn't work, the other may.

I wouldn't consider taking any electronic or physical action or he may be the one that takes you to court.

And welcome to our forums.

And this isn't Media Center/HTPC information. Moving you to Off Topic.

[gadgetguy]

What's the issue with the fence? Did you encroach on his property or install it ugly side out (which in some areas is against code)? Is it something that you can remedy and still keep the fence or is it just the fact that you have one that has him upset? While the bass might not be loud, it is certainly a disturbance and while the cops may not be able to enfoce a noise ordinance I'm pretty sure all jurisdictions have an ordinances about disturbing the peace. Make a complaint and press charges based on that.

[Supreme2k]

To preface:
I do not condone nor suggest the follwing actions. I am simply relating a similar incident.

I had a similar problem with a neighbor. It was after a party that lasted all hours and even incorporated a few loud, violent fights to sweeten it. I asked them if they could keep it down, as it was 3:15 in the morning. That was met with "F--- You!" and beer bottles littering our yard the next day.
Additionally, he ,like EDFULLE's "friend", started playing his stereo loudly, putting the speakers on the window ledge pointed towards me. Several calls to the police yielded nothing except 5 minutes of quiet until the police left.
After about a week, it got to me enough where I borrowed a bb gun from a friend and quickly & cleanly took out every speaker, from the tiniest tweeter to the most massive woofer. Unfortunately for him, this wasn't his "annoy the neighbor" set of speakers, so it was pretty much quiet from then on.
The next day, after I had returned the bb gun, the police show up on a complaint that I had shot at my neighbor. After showing them my fully permitted and licensed Glock 17, and having a nice chuckle after that, they decided that my gun didn't prouce the "lighter caliber" that they were seeking. They then went to my neighbor and had a talk with him.
For some reason, I never had a problem with him after that. Actually, he never had another party at his place, and I rarely (if ever) saw him again until he moved out about seven months later.

[thecoalman]

That's what I call justice, quite ingenious too. When I originally saw this thread the only thing I could think of was setting up a giant satellite dish to reflect it back at the house. Having said that... I would probably have replaced the BB's or pellets with normal everyday ball bearings. At least they aren't going to find copper BB's or lead. Could have came from anywhere, if in the event you get prosecuted you could at least claim it was slingshot. A gun is gun to most authorities even it's just a BB gun.

[adam]

What city/state do you live in? I'm sure he is violating some ordinance. I'd bet money that it actually does violate your city's noise ordinance. Many such laws include a catchall for anything that would offend a reasonable person, regardless of the volume.

Check with your home owner's association too. They may have regulations about this. If they don't, you can always request that they implement them.

Before you complain to anyone else, make sure you videotape it. Show how objects are actually being vibrated in your home. And get something in writing from that acoustical engineer.

[thecoalman]

New hobby maybe?

http://www.cannonsonline.com/product_pgs/barrels/barrels_1.htm

[ViRaL1]

E M P? :P

[hummer]

This is my exemple of back at you,but i dont advise you to do it. take the legal action ( in the states its different from canada). i Guess whe all have or had the same problem .to me it appen the same. a young kid that loved to bring all is friends for the saturday nigth party`s for 3 times i went up-stairs and i warned him he would put the volume down but you can still feal the sub going on bum-bum-bum. well on the last saturday party the same bum-bum i said thats it ....Sunday morning i power on my marhsall stack pumped the volume were he had is bedroom. i live on the 1 floor him on the 2 . man i started to play has fast i could and loud . oh this was 7 o`clock in the morning. he moved out 2 weeks afther.

[Lucifers_Ghost]

Mmmmm .. Marshall stack!!!!

[EDFULLE]

I thank all of you for your kind response. The fence is mine and on my side of the property line. My neighbor from Hell is angry because I hired a real estate attorney to make him move his 89 foot of flowerbed off my fence because it will rot my wood fence. Several years ago, he had a swimming pool installed and had the dirt from the hole for the pool shoved up against my fence for his flowerbed without asking me if he could. Well....I contacted my City (Houston) Council Woman, Addie Wiseman, for help and explained all to her. The only problem is she contacted the Chief of Police, Hurtt, who will do nothing because the noise ordinance is for loud noise and the bass subwoofer is not loud. I will try to convince them that the noise and vibration is a nuisance, disturbing the peace, harassment, etc. Why should I have to wear earplugs in my home? How would they like to try and sleep in a spa chair? I am so tired of this. It's killing me. I am also experiencing a high pitched electical 'white noise' sound that I hear when I leave the house. Driving the car, at work. I think the bass frequency is damaging my hearing. I should go to a specialist - ear doctor. Guess that's my next move. Thank all of you again.

[EddyH]

i'd take what you have written in the posts and repackage it slightly and present it to the policemen as a formal complaint. the guy's causing a public nuisance, and given the way bass frequencies spread, he's probably causing a nuisance to the whole area.

apart from that, you can always do his window in with a pickaxe, bury said axe in speaker, then drop a lit molotov through the hole.
basis of defense? lack of accountability through temporary insanity - caused by sleep deprivation due to neighbour's willfully antisocial actions designed to forcefully drive you into resinding your (possibly? i dont really know though) lawful suit against him.

or just get a bigger speaker. in fact, a few high powered tweeters would be good. start up around 20khz and keep dropping them a little ways until you hear the sub turn off... that piercing whilstle can be easily as annoying as a bass rumble, take it from a guy with sensitive ears who is ever so glad about the LCD revolution; 15.6khz is a terrible sound.
The best bit is you can insulate yourself from the whistle far easier than you (or he) can insulate against the rumble. just hope that he doesn't cotton on to this, and try to focus the cone of sound onto his bedroom window. Extra points for getting the glass to resonate.

final resort; a couple of large friends who will come round and steal all his stuff, speaker included, whilst you're out somewhere and have a watertight alibi.

this message is a work of fiction and does not condone any illegal or immoral act. but then you knew that anyway.

[adam]

Well....I contacted my City (Houston) Council Woman, Addie Wiseman, for help and explained all to her. The only problem is she contacted the Chief of Police, Hurtt, who will do nothing because the noise ordinance is for loud noise and the bass subwoofer is not loud.

Houston's noise ordinance states:

Sec. 30-3. General prohibition.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to make, assist in making, permit, continue, cause to be made or continued or permit the continuance of any sound which either exceeds the maximum permitted sound levels specified in section 30-2 or for purposes of sections 30-4 and 30-6, otherwise unreasonably disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city.

I have never heard of any noise ordinance which is only limited to noises over a certain decibal. They should all have a general catchall for noises that disturb the peace. No offense to your council woman or to the chief of police, but I can tell you that they were rolling their eyes during your conversation with them. This is not an issue that they would deal with at all.

Per Texas statute it is the sheriffs office that deals with noise abatement. Houston has a specific hotline for reporting violations. Just dial 311. These operators should have actual knowledge about the ordinance. You can also contact the Sheriffs department directly, 713-221-6000.

I suggest you prepare yourself for some SO's that aren't particularly enthusiastic about your complaint. Print out the ordinance I linked to and politely educate them if need be. If possible, videotape the effect of the noise on your house. Get a statement from your sound tech. Bring a friend over to listen and get a statement from them. Ask your neighbors if anyone else can hear the pounding and get statements from them too. Take a picture of the sub in the neighbor's window. Present it all to the officer including your legal papers from the fence issue, to show why he is doing this. Tell them you just want to have a warning issued. THEN the next time you drag the SO's down there they will start off just as skeptical until they look up in the system that a warning was already issued. Then they will be on your side.

[SquirrelDip]

Texas?!?!?

Shoot the bastard!

[ViRaL1]

Texas?!?!?

Shoot the bastard!

Short-term dementia due to sleep deprivation / stress should be a fairly easy insanity defense. You said you already have an attorney, you're halfway there. :P

Disclaimer: I'm joking.

[TooLFooL]

there is definetly some law, somewhere in that book. whether it's a noise law or some other disturbance law, it is in there somewhere. the problem is the lazy-ass police who don't know what law is being broken, and they aren't going to take the time to find it. if you can figure it out, you can call the police and have him charged.

[ps2daddy]

get a real powerful CB radio and key up (it wil blow the crap out of his speakers unless he has a fuse in his subwoofer)

[EDFULLE]

Once again, I thank you all or ya'll. Adam, really appreciate you looking up that noise ordinance. I found it and sent my council woman another note offering that very information. Also, 30-4 which deals with amplified sound. I called her office and her secretary was sympathetic. But, said waiting on Police investigation. My neighbor has these outside shutters that roll up and down. So, he has the subwoofer speaker in the window with it open and the metal shutter rolled down. No way to forcibly stop it and I'm afraid to. I am in the process of having my hearing checked. Sheriffs don't work in my district. Just HPD. If they can't or won't help me, I will find a personal injury attorney to help and I really don't want to do that. But, the noise and vibration is simply driving me nuts and scaring me because I am so concerned about my hearing. I've been told that since the noise is the low frequency bass and is a force, it could displace the cells in my body.....geez, cancer? Thank all of you for your opinions and comments. Wonderful when one does not have to stand alone.

[Epicurus8a]

Here's one person's solution.

http://www.freewebs.com/clearing/neighbours/

[sacajaweeda]

Sounds like your neighbor needs to start spending a lot of money to fix all that recurring mysterious damage to his house, automobiles, and perhaps even tragically his pets too.

Semi-OT: You ever see what a swimming pool looks like after a gallon of paint falls into it?

[Lucifers_Ghost]

Semi-OT: You ever see what a swimming pool looks like after a gallon of paint falls into it?

I have never seen that but the visual is just so pleasing to the mind

[SquirrelDip]

According to "The Simpson's" (a reputable source - LOL), the deep bass attracts snakes...

I wonder if there's any truth to it or if there is a critter that's attracted to deep bass?? If so it's probably time to start catching them...

[lordsmurf]

"Sounds like your neighbor needs to start spending a lot of money to fix all that recurring mysterious damage to his house, automobiles, and perhaps even tragically his pets too."

Exactly.

[ZAPPER]

Wrist rocket and ice cubes, but far be it from me to reccomend their use on anything other than paper targets.




Ehhh, as much as hammering this ******* into the pavement may seem like the best thing to do, you really do need to stick to the legal system. I know that dealing with the cops is like dealing with retarded children, but you are kind of stuck with that route since you have already brought their attention to the situation. Somehow you made yourself a victom, unless you can somehow earn your neighbors respect he will always victomize you. The law is supposed to be the great equalizer, but you have to make it work.


Find some half retarded, big, mean looking local cop. Play up to his ego. Tell him what the neighbor is doing and then lay it on thick and heavy about how your neighbor says that he will kick the shit out of any cop that sets foot on his property. Throw the "Race" card in for good measure and mention that you wouldn't be suprised if your neighbor was a pervert and that you think that he may be using that sound to hide the sounds of something terrible.

If you happen to find a cop smart enough to see through your little plan, you most likely found one that will charge you cash for the desired results, tread lightly here.

Good luck!

[sacajaweeda]

Tell them you're tired of hearing his kids screaming in fear at night.

[Guest]

I wouldnt worry about hearing loss.this would be quite unlikely.

Look up your local Russian mafia,get a couple of guys to pay him a visit requesting he stop. It will cost you a feww hundred bucks but will be very effective. Scarred/tatooed up gangsters with poor English skills work wonders in matters such as these. Especially if he has a wife/kids. Effect is also proportional to your neighborhood's affluence. I had Boris and Fyodor as guests to our country club pool when I knew a neighbor I was having issues with would be there with family. The boys went and had a little friendly chat with him. I could see him turn white from across the pool. Problems instantly solved.

You will be doing nothing illegal. These guys dont even make threats. They dont need to.

[Epicurus8a]

Buy some "Police Line" tape, then put it over their doors while they're away.

[thevoelk]

Call Social Services from a pay phone and say you heard a rumor he was molesting his children. It will at least make his life hell for a little bit in return.

[Epicurus8a]

Obtain a low-priced untraceable prepaid cell phone, then call every pizza place in town for a delivery to his address. Also, call every contractor in the phone book and tell them you need an estimate on a home improvement job. I'm sure there are other phone pranks you could play, just Google "phone pranks."


NOTE: Phone pranks like this may be illegal in your area, so be sure to check the legality first.

[sacajaweeda]

If you're going to get an untraceable cell phone, why stop at phone pranks?

Make death threats.