My neighbor called the police on me for noise pollution

[erikmannie]

I have a whiny neighbor directly across the street in the residential neighborhood that I live in which happens to be single family homes.

Today I was working on the lathe and playing some country music. The music wasn’t even very loud, and I don’t think parting steel makes too much noise.

I stopped the work to take my son to work and drop off my timecard, and when I got back my wife told me that the police had showed up because he called in about the noise.

Obviously, it would’ve been very quiet when the police officer got here. The complaint was called in about 4 PM.

My neighbor complains about a lot of other people in the neighborhood. He is a retired mailman. If he has any hobbies, I have not seen evidence of that.

I am leaving home for two months, so this won’t be a problem until I get back. I will still be working in the shop on the weekends, but I guess I can wear headphones.

He has also complained to me twice about the light from behind my welding curtain. I guess a welding curtain isn’t good enough.

I honestly just think he is bored and his hobby might be complaining.

I would be inclined to confront him and tell him to chill out, but my wife doesn’t want me to say anything to him because she runs a daycare out of our house so she has an additional interest in keeping the peace.

Have any of you guys experienced this? I leave the garage door open for light and ventilation.

I called the police station, and they said not to worry about it. There was no follow up to be done.

I have lived in this city all my life, and all the neighborhoods that I have lived in always had people working outside, in the garage, music playing, kids playing outside, etc. I honestly don’t see this guy’s side of the story.

I think that the way that this will end up is it if he calls the cops again and I am doing what I do in the garage, then the police will end up telling him that I’m not doing anything wrong.

What I do in my garage is not a business. People ask me to do work for them, and I tell them that I don’t have time because that is true.

I just don’t get it. The only thing that makes sense is that he is a whiner.

 

[Cadillac]

I'd say look into black smithing and buy a power hammer .

 

[erikmannie]

I'd say look into black smithing and buy a power hammer .

The neighbor fella is clearly imbalanced. He seems like the first guy that would go postal.

I will have a 16X60 gearhead lathe here in about 18 months. I think that is going to be noisier than my belt driven 10X30, and the only place that I have room for it is front and center in the garage. Maybe I should set the new lathe back 6 inches or so in case I need to put up soundproofing if this issue continues.

 

[darkzero]

Maybe he didn't like your music!

I will never understand some people. As you said, they got nothing better to do. Cops probably won't even do anything unless there really is a problem. They just have to respond because of the calll. If that neighbor keeps making calls for invalid reasons then he's the one that they will be talking to.

 

[f350ca]

I feel for you. I live in a rural area but the neighbours house is only a few hundred feet away, I've had a great neighbour for the last 15 or so years, the house sold and I was dreading what might be moving in. Turns out I lucked out again. He's a mechanic and works at apparently the most northern mine in the world. Two weeks in and two weeks out. He's probably 20 years younger but we hit it off. Been out atv'ing, ice fishing, setting minnow traps, having a great time. Good to have some young blood to carry the load. lol

Greg

 

[darkzero]

I will have a 16X60 gearhead lathe here in about 18 months. I think that is going to be noisier than my belt driven 10X30, and the only place that I have room for it is front and center in the garage. Maybe I should set the new lathe back 6 inches or so in case I need to put up soundproofing if this issue continues.

I can't imagine that lathe to be that loud. I have a gearhead lathe & a gearhead mill & they are not loud enough to hear from the street let alone across the street with the garage door half way open. They are not big machines though. My air compressor is much more louder & it sits right behind tbe garage door. With the garage door closed I can only barely hear it if standing in my driveway & my neighborhood is pretty quite. I do have an insulated garage & garage door but still.

 

[Nutfarmer]

The problem is you live in California. The town of Davis the police actually cited a woman for to much noise for snoring. In Sacramento it's is illegal to work on your car . Where i live the bums and druggies living on the river have piles of garbage and the city won't do anything ,but let even a small amount of water run off your lawn and they will fine you. I love California ,just not the government.

 

[erikmannie]

I can't imagine that lathe be that loud. I have a gearhead lathe & a gearhead mill & they are not loud enough to hear from the street let alone across the street with the garage door half way open. They are not big machines though. My air compressor is much more louder & it sits right behind tbe garage door. With the garage door closed I can only barely hear it if standing in my driveway & my neighborhood is pretty quite. I do have an insulated garage & garage door but still.

My garage is also insulated, but I’m afraid that my garage may be acting like a big speaker with the garage door open. I am no acoustic engineer, but I imagine the sound waves emanating from my two car garage headed straight across the street.

 

[erikmannie]

The problem is you live in California. The town of Davis the police actually cited a woman for to much noise for snoring. In Sacramento it's is illegal to work on your car . Where i live the bums and druggies living on the river have piles of garbage and the city won't do anything ,but let even a small amount of water run off your lawn and they will fine you. I love California ,just not the government.

This neighbor has a creek behind his house with a bike/walking path on either side of the creek. This particular bike path does not have a problem with homeless people, however.

I am 53 years old, and this is the first time in my life that I have had a problem with a complaining neighbor. The only way that I can think to solve it is to appease him.

One time my teenage son had a friend come over, and my son’s friend made the mistake of parking in front of my neighbor’s house. My neighbor knocked on our door, and told him that if he didn’t move his car that he was going to call the police. My son’s friend said “whatever” and moved his car. This is the type of person that I am dealing with. The car had only been parked there for about 10 minutes. I think the guy is bored and looking for problems. That would’ve been a really good time to not move the car and let him call the cops, and the cops would have said to him “Why the heck are you calling us out for this?!”

 

[darkzero]

My garage is also insulated, but I’m afraid that my garage may be acting like a big speaker with the garage door open. I am no acoustic engineer, but I imagine the sound waves emanating from my two car garage headed straight across the street.

The reason I know what I posted about the noises coming out of my garage is cause I was really curious. Try turning your stuff on & walk over to the neighbors house & hear for yourself. That way you know if the guy is crazy or not. I vote that he is!