What to do about loud garage band disturbing the peace?

[Roundabout]

I would video tape it with the sound and all. Then make sure the cop see it. Then find out what you can do via your city counsel person. I would also take to the board of you HMO. Show everyone the tape as proof.

Another good idea! You're right, it wouldn't hurt to have proof of the noise, even if you can't really "hear" how loud it is on a video tape. I also thought of going to the city counsel, and asking why there are no specific laws on the books dealing with such a thing. I am sure I'm not the first one this has happened to.

A friend of mine's stepkids were doing the same thing in their house a couple of years ago. Difference was, it was easy to tell them to turn the crap down! Is it really necessary to break your eardrums (and everyone else's) when you are just practising? I don't understand it.

[Greg12]

I agree, video tape it with the sound so the police can hear it.

I have a problem similar to this, this boy who lives down the road is in love with me or something so he comes up and vandalizes my house with homosexual messages. I now have to sit up and watch the driveway for a certain period of time on the weekends.

The police wont do neything bout it, the local cop is friends with the people doing it. This kid has bondfires with underage drinking, smoking and they do weed all the time. The police know and dont care.

[Roundabout]

I have a problem similar to this, this boy who lives down the road is in love with me or something so he comes up and vandalizes my house with homosexual messages. I now have to sit up and watch the driveway for a certain period of time on the weekends.

Yikes! Homosexual messages? What was he writing?

I'm normally a pretty mellow, non-confrontational type, but I really draw the line at property damage ("homer-sexual" or not).

It really sucks if you have to sit and watch your driveway because you think someone will vandalize your home. The way my home is designed, it would be almost impossible to watch all sides, because the 3-car garage takes up much of the front of the home and I can't see what's happening that direction without going out to the gargage and looking out the small windows in the garage door.

What happens if you have to go somewhere, and he sees you are gone? Open season on your house? That's what I'm concerned about. There is only one way in and out of my cul-de-sac and I have to drive past the offenders' home, they could easily see me leave and take advantage.

That's the main reason why I want to avoid a confrontation if there's any way possible. The camcorder is a good idea, even if it's hard to see much in their garage from this angle (as you can see from the photo). At least I'd have some kind of evidence to show.

The police wont do neything bout it, the local cop is friends with the people doing it. This kid has bondfires with underage drinking, smoking and they do weed all the time. The police know and dont care.

There has to be someone higher up, police wise, that you could go to. That's really ridiculous that they can get away with alcohol and pot and the police do nothing about it. I'd contact someone in the state government, if the local cops are this corrupt. That's just out of control.

From reading what others have written in this thread, these kinds of problems with neighbors aren't unusual, unfortunately. Why can't people just be a little more respectful of others' rights to peace and quiet? I don't have loud parties, drinking, loud music. I rarely have parties at all, and if I do, we don't make enough noise to disturb a mouse. We don't bother our neighbors, we park in our garage, keep the lawn neat, and generally keep things looking good and esthetically pleasing. We don't have kids running around causing problems and making a racket. If you didn't know us, you'd probably think no one lives in my house. We're that quiet.

Others apparently don't feel the same way.
Just a sign of the times, I guess. No respect for anyone.

[Shocker Milwaukee]

Burn a cross in their front yard.

[northcat_8]

Burn a cross in their front yard.

The shear mean spiritedness of the way your mind thinks brings a tear of happiness to my eye.

[Roundabout]

Burn a cross in their front yard.

Got a couple of pieces of wood and a spare nail?

[housepig]

it wouldn't hurt to have proof of the noise, even if you can't really "hear" how loud it is on a video tape.

well, if you have a SPL meter, you can pan from the meter reading to a shot of them, establishing distance.

Is it really necessary to break your eardrums (and everyone else's) when you are just practising?

it's not necessary to have the door open, that's for damn sure. but yes, in some cases it is - if I can't hear myself over the drummer (or the drummer can't hear me), I have to turn up. then the bass player has to turn up his rig so he can hear over us. then we have to turn up the PA so we can hear the vocals over everything else.

one thing we were doing before we got our new rehearsal space, we ran all vocals, guitar and bass into a mixing board, then out to a headphone amp. so the only thing you'd hear without headphones on is the drums. kept my neighbors happy, and we could balance everything out so we could hear it. now we have a space where we can make as much noise as we like, and after yesterdays practice, we're thinking of going back to that system, at least for the vocals... balancing everything live without a ton of good PA gear is a bitch.

[gitreel]

I would just tell them to stfu.

[Roundabout]

well, if you have a SPL meter, you can pan from the meter reading to a shot of them, establishing distance.

I actually used to have one I bought at RS for some reason, hardly used it. Three or four years ago, a friend borrowed it and never gave it back. Haven't seen him since then. It was a fairly decent analog model, I think I paid $15 - 20 for it.

it's not necessary to have the door open, that's for damn sure. but yes, in some cases it is - if I can't hear myself over the drummer (or the drummer can't hear me), I have to turn up. then the bass player has to turn up his rig so he can hear over us. then we have to turn up the PA so we can hear the vocals over everything else.

Well, that at least explains why they play so damn loud. That's not an excuse, but it is a reason. Like I said, doesn't matter to me if they play 'till their ears bleed. Just don't make me listen to it at 140db! It's the drums that really get to me, he just bangs away for hours with seemingly random noise/beats that aren't melodic, just BANG! CRASH! and so on. It travels through the stucco exterior of my house with ease, and even with windows closed, you can hear it loud and clear. That's what irritates me so much.

They should invest in A/C for their garage if they feel the need to leave the door open for air. And soundproof it.

So far, neither have happened, and I don't expect it will.

[Doramius]

Get your .22 rifle and shoot the master transformer and kick out the power on the block for a while during the time when they normally play. You might also want to look into a silencer and do it when nobody's watching. And only do it once or a second time after about 2 or 3 months. No more than that or you might get caught. You never heard this from me.

[northcat_8]

If you are asking me today....then I say:

**** it. If it's weighing on you that much then pick up and baseball bat, walk the **** over there and break their shit up.

I most certainly would not let it sit in my crawl as long as you have. I say you go over there and bust some heads, then break all their equipment up and be done with it. And if you get your ass beat because of the numbers game, I say you drag your sorry ass back home and jump in your car and park it in their garage through all of their equipment, even if the garage door is closed and call it a day. Come home, wait for the cops to show up.

I'm staying home the rest of the day...I'm in a bit of a cold blooded mentality right now.

[Guest]

I would video tape it with the sound and all. Then make sure the cop see it. Then find out what you can do via your city counsel person. I would also take to the board of you HMO. Show everyone the tape as proof.

I did this with a barking dog from next door. The guy was forced to train the dog not to bark or remove it. He gave the dog to his mother.

A decibel meter would be good to document on tape. Or u could have a paintball match like on "king of the hill". Bet your lawnmover for their amps.I think repeated calls to the police requesting to remain anonymous is the way to go.

[handyguy]

Sometimes you can record it & then play it back to them at 2am.

[Doramius]

Play SpiceGirls as loud as possible at the same time they are having their practice. At some point they'll realize that it stops when they do and will lose all desire for practicing and music. The con to it is you may also lose a desire for listening to music.

[Guest]

That reminds me. At the frat back in the day we had a group of Dead Heads that would stay up till 4am every night blasting Jerry. But that was ok. It was the dead . These fucks were all English majors or some bullshit and started thier first class at noon. No 8am honor chem for those bastards. I started blasting Paula Abdul and Madonna when I woke up at 7am. How could I do that so early in the am? At least they were keeping me up with"good" tunes. It only took a couple of days to chill that shit out.

[World]

Your mistake was waiting for months and then call the cops.
Now,I recommend you called the cops right after they start making noise and everytime they making noise.DO NOT GET UPSET! and DO NOT GIVE UP!

World

[indolikaa]

Did somebody call needing some surplus nuclear weapons?


Roundabout, you should have every right to not only call the police and make them do their ******* job but also tell those kids to turn their music down. It's called Public Nuisance. It's also called Disturbing the Peace. Either way, the police have an obligation to Keep the Peace, and just because it's broad daylight doesn't mean noise ordinances can't be enforced. You don't need a specific noise ordinance to enforce the problem you are having.

We had to deal with the same shit in Albuquerque once. It took a couple of tries, but when the police arrived, they asked the 'band' to keep the volume down. I told the officer that normally lasts about ten minutes, and then they start up again. These ************* were playing not in a garage, but a kiva in the backyard that went a few feet underground. The bass waves resonating through the ground were murder.

The police showed up fifteen minutes later and cited them. It didn't amount to much, but it gave us the legal foot-in-the-door we needed to have them evicted. It costs money and time, but it was well worth having those stupid ******** forced out.

What you are suffering from is 1) some parents who care only about themselves and nobody else, and 2) some undisciplined kids who need a foot shoved two feet up their asses. You can try the northcat_8 approach, and it might work; you never know until you extend the olive branch.

As for trashing their equipment? I hate to say this, but if somebody got me that pissed and nobody would do anything about it? Well... I'm not a perfect person, and I have been known to resort to physical force when the law and common sense don't have a ******* clue.

[Shocker Milwaukee]

they do weed all the time.

I can't be the only person amused by this.

[indolikaa]

they do weed all the time.

I can't be the only person amused by this.

You're not.

[Roundabout]

Get your .22 rifle and shoot the master transformer and kick out the power on the block for a while

Kinda counter-productive, I'd lose my A/C (It's 100° here today) and even worse, my cold brew when the fridge stops running!

Definitely not an alternative...

Play SpiceGirls as loud as possible at the same time they are having their practice. At some point they'll realize that it stops when they do and will lose all desire for practicing and music. The con to it is you may also lose a desire for listening to music.

Great idea, but to ensure it works, I'd need to substitute John Denver in place of the Spice Girls...same effect, but works much faster, cleaner kill.

[Roundabout]

If you are asking me today....then I say:

**** it. If it's weighing on you that much then pick up and baseball bat, walk the **** over there and break their shit up.

....

I'm staying home the rest of the day...I'm in a bit of a cold blooded mentality right now.

Note to self: Don't piss off Northcat on a bad day...
or any day

[thayne]

If you are asking me today....then I say:

**** it. If it's weighing on you that much then pick up and baseball bat, walk the **** over there and break their shit up.

....

I'm staying home the rest of the day...I'm in a bit of a cold blooded mentality right now.

Note to self: Don't piss off Northcat on a bad day...
or any day

See! Now that's what I'm takin' 'bout!

[Roundabout]

See! Now that's what I'm takin' 'bout!

No shit! I live in fear of Northcat's mood swings...

[Roundabout]

Your mistake was waiting for months and then call the cops.
Now,I recommend you called the cops right after they start making noise and everytime they making noise.DO NOT GET UPSET! and DO NOT GIVE UP!

World

Probably right, but they weren't doing it so often until recently. Although it started months ago, I would only hear them every two or three weeks. Now, in the past month or so, it's been every two or three days.

Like I mentioned before, I'm not opposed to loud music, I blasted my stereo on occasion "back then". But it didn't go on all day and all night, and I had the courtesy to close my bedroom windows, so the neighbors would only hear it if they were near the house. But, that was a different time and place, I was actually afraid of my parents and what they could do to me, not like today's kids that do whatever they want and you can go to jail if you lay a finger on them.

I may get upset, but I won't give up. This area is too nice to have it ruined by some snot-nosed kids. Repeatedly calling the police seems to be the best consensus on what to do about it, and that's what I'll be doing. Hopefully the message will get through somehow.

[Roundabout]

Did somebody call needing some surplus nuclear weapons?

Indy, Bring 'em on! They like loud, got any really, really loud ones?

Roundabout, you should have every right to not only call the police and make them do their ******* job but also tell those kids to turn their music down. It's called Public Nuisance. It's also called Disturbing the Peace. Either way, the police have an obligation to Keep the Peace, and just because it's broad daylight doesn't mean noise ordinances can't be enforced. You don't need a specific noise ordinance to enforce the problem you are having.

Might not need a specific ordinance, but it probably helps if they are going to be cited for violations. When I called the cops on them last week, they immediately packed up their equipment and left (seems most of them live somewhere else and come here to play). Too bad they didn't have any drugs in view to get busted for. I'm sure, though I couldn't hear what was said, it must have come as a shock to them when the cops rolled up. After all, they've been doing it for months with no one complaining (at least not enough to call the police on them).

You can try the northcat_8 approach, and it might work; you never know until you extend the olive branch.

...extend the branch and crack it over their heads, to use the Northcat approach

As for trashing their equipment? I hate to say this, but if somebody got me that pissed and nobody would do anything about it? Well... I'm not a perfect person, and I have been known to resort to physical force when the law and common sense don't have a ******* clue.

Well, I'm pretty mellow too, and it takes a lot to really piss me off. I mean a lot, but it has happened. At that point, I don't care what happens anymore. These guys haven't reached my boiling point yet, but they're turning the fire up...

[northcat_8]

See! Now that's what I'm takin' 'bout!

No shit! I live in fear of Northcat's mood swings...

No need to live in fear, but if I were in your particular situation...

You tried extending the "olive branch"...that didn't work, you tried calling the police....that didn't work. Well looks to me like you are on an island, so you can either learn to live with it, or do something about it.

I'm the guy who if you are hanging out with at a bar or somewhere else and some group is over there being loud and it is disturbing you. If it gets mentioned by the group more than once, then I will get up and go over and say something about it. I'm not the type of guy to let things weigh on my mind very long.

Wait until I post the history of my day today...I'm suprised the police hasn't been out tonight...I expect them anytime. It's been a FUUUCKed up day today.

I'll post it later, I have some stuff to do for a bit.

[ChrisX]

I was just sitting here having to endure an EXTREMELY LOUD garage band that is across the street, three houses down, and I've gotten sick and tired of it. This band has a gazillion watt amplifier and bangs away on drums for endless hours - no exaggeration. They start up at 4 in the afternoon and don't stop until nearly 10 at night.

In my area there isn't much I can do about on excessive neighborhood noise due to ‘local noise laws’ covering only on late overnight hours.

No harm in a complaint to the local authorities on a 4 pm time slot.

My local Government on noise.

Occasionally near my place a party in the neighborhood and usually a warning is given to us with the suggested time of loud music.

This as common courtesy to the neighbors and this way as a peaceful solution.

Once, one evening I was using my car stereo, not too loud listening to the local rock band, “The Angels”.

This was at 8 pm at Caravan Park or a mobile-home site away from home and someone complained to me in person. The rule on noise as 10 pm.

This elderly fellow was trying to sleep at an early time of the evening and I was very surprised.

I did observe him as very rude and him intruding my privacy looking into my tailgate of the panel van complaining to me as in an angry manner.

I only played the music for a few minutes, no more than 10-minutes and I did comply with his wish on the volume only to find no sound at all. This is right, no sound.

He was an annoyance to me as this was the only time having the chance to play my car stereo and him as so inconsiderable at an early time.

I did complain to the park management on this situation and they replied to me that he had no right.

Anyway, this was a few years ago and as life.

[thayne]

Breaches of the noise offence provision of the POEO Act can attract fines of up to $30,000 in the case of an individual and $60,000 in the case of a corporation, with additional fines for continuing offences.

Holy crap! Must be nice and quiet in your town!

[ChrisX]

I have a similar problem with my neighbor next doors dogs. I have put up with the barking for almost a year, since he first got them, but now it's just rediculas. They bark at everything and nothing at all at all hours of the day and night. He keeps them penned up in a 20' X 5' pen right next to my living room and when they bark it echos down my chimney and sounds like they are in the friggin house!

We have this problem around my home of having noisy dogs, from the back, from the left and from the right of our house.

The dogs can be a nuisance just when I walk near the neighbor’s fence and the dogs making barking noises at any hour.

They are so annoying when I am on my own territory.

I just have to close the window or close the garage roller door in peace and quiet.

I was on number of occasions over several months of a sheep dog barking loudly at me on my way home on a public street.

I did complain to that neighbor one night and this person apologized to me. The annoying dog was taken away to some where else and no more since then years ago.

[ChrisX]

Breaches of the noise offence provision of the POEO Act can attract fines of up to $30,000 in the case of an individual and $60,000 in the case of a corporation, with additional fines for continuing offences.

Holy crap! Must be nice and quiet in your town!

Yes, only noisy dogs and occasional speeding car or motor bike.

This would depend on what part of Sydney and if someone lives in an apartment would subject to noise much worse than in a suburban house.