Noise Complaint - What to do

Noise Complaint - What to do

Author
Discussion

8IKERDAVE

Original Poster:

2,280 posts

212 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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Me and my family recently moved house. The house is on quite a nice estate which is quiet for the most part and on the whole a nice place to live.

The house is detached but as with all houses built around this time there isn't a great deal of garden space. My children are 5 and 8 and make general kid noises outside but nothing over and above anyone else.

A couple of weeks ago we had a couple over for tea and drinks. The music was on, albeit not at any ridiculous volume as both kids were in bed. We were popping outside throughout the night for cigarettes and about 1am when we were about to call it a night, 3 police officers walked onto the patio! They were extremely polite but advised there had been a noise complaint and of course couldn't say who it was. They did however, tell us not to worry and we were doing nothing wrong. They then swiftly left and bid us a good night.

I don't particularly care about these things but it's now made my wife really anxious about making any sort of noise outside. This is getting on my nerves as the house wasn't at all cheap and I want us to be able to enjoy it. We by no means take the piss and have never had any form of complaints in the 13 years we've been together living in other properties.

My question really is, do I phone the local council and explain the situation? I don't want a Black mark against our name for being noisy when we clearly aren't! I have an idea who it is, but without proof I can't really just go round and speak to them which would be my first choice. I suspect this individual would be the type to complain about anything possible and my thoughts are that the police will just get fed up of her if it carries on but it's not something I/We want in our lives really.

Haltamer

2,453 posts

79 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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Host another soiree whilst keeping a sharp eye out for any twitching curtains or bedroom lights in the vicinity smile

steveo3002

10,493 posts

173 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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was the music loud enough to hear for others trying to sleep ?


zedx19

2,704 posts

139 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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You may not have realised how loud your music was, bass will travel some distance. If you're worried about upsetting anyone, turn the volume knob down past 11pm.

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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Was it when it was hot so people would have the windows open and be struggling to sleep anyway? Music doesn't have to be loud to be irritating unfortunately, particularly if you are already tired, hot and irritated.

Not saying that makes it your fault, just why there may have been a complaint.

It is like trying to cool your house down by opening windows then someone has a bbq and stinks your house out. One of the realities of living in a town.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

169 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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The Police actually came out for a noise complaint?

Most of the time they tell you to call E.H. and log it.


Or were you reported for something else?


Maybe for smoking ganja in the garden?

steveo3002

10,493 posts

173 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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also think once folk have had a few drinks they get a bit shouty and screechy without realising it

MattyD803

1,690 posts

64 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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We live in what sounds to be a similar sort of setting, and what I would say is that any noise beyond around 10pm is quite noticeable, as it carries for a much great distance than you would think, and beyond midnight even more so, especially if windows are open during hot weather.

I'd probably say that it's very difficult to gauge what sort of noise you were actually making, as your view on the music level at midnight (and presumably a few drinks?), is almost certainly going to differ to your neighbours perception, particularly if they were trying to get to sleep in the vicinity of your house and not used to having to deal with it in the neighbourhood. Similarly, the inherent chatting that goes along side the fag breaks, will be exactly the same.

I'm not trying to suggest what you've said requires police involvement in any shape or form (that really seems a bit much), but equally you can't have your bread buttered on both sides. You've spent a nice chunk of money to live in a nice house in a nice location, don't be surprised if late night parties get the neighbours up in arms. Equally, you can expect to sleep at night, windows open, without being disturbed.

Its a tricky one....obviously you need to enjoy your house, but I reckon sticking to the same sort of rules folk follow on campsites is generally respectful, which is to completely limit/minimise noise after around 10pm on a weekday, possibly pushing to midnight on a weekend, but don't take the mick in terms of regularity.....if nothing else from reading these forums, the last thing you want is to fall out with your neighbours.

Freakuk

3,105 posts

150 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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I live on a single track dead end country lane, there are 4 properties on this lane (over a mile long) one is at the far end so never hear anything let alone see them, while we are the middle of the other 3, with a new neighbour about 10-15 metres away. They moved in and put a hot tub on their patio, and on Friday night enjoy sitting there having a drink, bit of music.

I don't have any issues with this, however when I'm in bed and it's midnight I can pick out the baseline/drums of the music it's damn annoying to the point where the OH went round and asked for it to be turned down, which they did and apologised for.... even though it was quiet I could hear it through the walls and double glazing, so what you might perceive as quiet may not be what your neighbours believe.

robemcdonald

8,715 posts

195 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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zedx19 said:
You may not have realised how loud your music was, bass will travel some distance. If you're worried about upsetting anyone, turn the volume knob down past 11pm.
Exactly this. Lots of people are very noise sensitive and at this time of year want to sleep with the windows open.

IMO 1am is a bit selfish.

SuperPav

1,074 posts

124 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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We were on the receiving end of this a couple of weeks back. The house behind where we're currently staying had a garden party or similar, some music, some alcohol fuelled slurry shrieks and speech etc until about midnight. It was incredibly noticeable particularly later in the night cause we had to have the windows open for the heat, and kept worrying it would wake up the baby. You'd be surprised how much the sound travels when it's quiet in the "receiving" house.

I cannot say that anyone at the party was acting particularly unsociably or unreasonably so obviously we didn't get too bothered about it, but I can see how if it stops you or your kids from sleeping and starts to annoy you or stress you out, you'd complain.

Although if that's the case I don't know why they didn't just come over and ask you to keep it down, that usually solves these types of problems much quicker.. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but just be mindful after ~11pm!

MattyD803

1,690 posts

64 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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Further to the point I made above about perception of sound levels (which a couple of others have touched on above), I notice one of your threads that you started was asking how to turn the bass levels up on the factory B&O subwoofer in your S5....and that you used have 12" bass bins in previous cars......so you obviously like a decent bass line with your music, which is obviously fine (I do too), but would it be wrong of me to maybe read between the lines and suggest that potentially your perception of music might be skewed compared to your neighbours.....?

I'm genuinely not trying to be funny, just trying to level the playing field here....get a bit of context on what we are discussing....

steveo3002

10,493 posts

173 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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SuperPav said:
Although if that's the case I don't know why they didn't just come over and ask you to keep it down, that usually solves these types of problems much quicker.. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but just be mindful after ~11pm!
fear of a drunken "faaak off were only having a laugh" probably

Hugo Stiglitz

37,003 posts

210 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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What was the outcome of the visit, what did the officers say?

It was probably reported as a covid 'lots of people' gathering rather than noise to get police attention. Plus 'XXX adults with very small vulnerable looking children.


Police don't come for noise complaints. At best you'd get a PCSO.

I've gone to a full on party at a neighbours before to ask them to turn it down.

On the front drive was about 10 Sikh males, everyone else in doors. I was polite, explained my situation and walked away.

Within 2mins of returning back to bed it was utter silence.


My wife said I hope you feel guilty now when I said 'they seemed like nice people too'



Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Tuesday 20th July 16:14

MattyD803

1,690 posts

64 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
9am? Why such a late start? laugh

How u doing

26,955 posts

182 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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With me it the type of music effects how I view it.

Something with loads of bass really gets my goat, bass carries the neighbours don't hear the music just the boom boom boom.

Next door they sometimes have classic fm tinkling away, it's quite nice and I'm not even a classic fan.

So is it

Boom boom boom?
Or a piano concerto?

cmvtec

2,188 posts

80 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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My downstairs neighbour sometimes likes to listen to bassy music. The bass really carries more than the volume; could it be that?

Chainsaw Rebuild

1,997 posts

101 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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1am to be playing music outside is a bit much really. People trying to sleep with windows open will hear it easily etc.

Psycho Warren

3,087 posts

112 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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Set someone up in a bush at the bottom of the garden with a thermal or night vision camera to watch for neighbours curtains twitching.

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
In my first house the neighbour often had insomnia, he would start playing his electric organ at 2 - 3am on a working day. One night I'd had enough so I put my stereo on and started to do some decorating, as in sanding down the party wall. I saw him the next day and said I hope I hadn't disturbed him too much, I couldn't sleep for some reason and as he was clearly awake I thought I'd get on with some DIY. I think he bought some headphones because he didn't do it again, not until after I'd sold the house accoring to the new owners anyway.

Yeah, passive aggresive I know.