My neighbor called the police on me for noise pollution

[RJSakowski]

RJ, you should move to where I live, in town. It's always quiet in my neighborhood.

Ah, but a quiet neighborhood is only part of it. If I want to pound iron in the forge, I can. If I want to do some target shooting, I can. Start up the chain saw, no problem. .

We have a good neighborhood here. Live and let live is the motto. We don't live in each other's pockets but if you need help or to borrow some equipment, there is always someone to help. Kind of an old fashioned idea that somehow got lost as people became citified.

 

[Nogoingback]

Reminds me of a story a co-worker told me. He lived out of town in an area where the parcels were 5-10 acres each.
One of the neighbors had a small wrecking yard at his place, though none of his neighbors cared: he was a good neighbor.
At some point, someone from town bought the property next to his and immediately started raising cain about the wrecking yard. They discovered that his property was zoned for agriculture, not for his use, so they filed a complaint
and it was upheld. So the wrecking yard had to go, and in it's place the owner put in a pig farm, right on the property boundry. The new neighbor tried to complain about the smell, but couldn't do a thing about it. All the neighbors thought it was hilarious.

 

[derf]

Be a good neighbor and give them some ear plugs.....

 

[middle.road]

Perhaps you could buy him a subscription to a couple of Hobby magazines?
But then people like that are never happy.

I wonder if I can get the Sheriff to do something about the muscle cars, and pick 'em up trucks that are running open pipes?
Going to go install a noise app after posting this.
I'd swear they are hitting 90-100dB as they come around the corner and have to make it up a small rise.
I was out in the shop yesterday when this one smaktard in a newish 'Stang came through. I could hear him turn onto the road a quarter mile away.
He came around the corner at least 15-20mph over the 30mph limit and floored it. Actually hurt my ears.
Worse even that those chokers they put on rice burners. Or straight pipes on a cycle.
Personally I prefer a nice throaty dual exhaust noise.

Neighbors around us now are great. I use the hand grinders in the driveway and the miter saw is up on the back porch.
I fix their tractors, they mow our lawn if we're out of town.

Spoiler: Click here for my story that got rather long so I'm sticking it in a spoiler so as not to take up space.

When I first moved down here and lived in another town I had a 32' foot travel trailer, it was only two years old at the time.
Couldn't get it in the driveway because it was too steep. Street was plenty wide enough for me to park it in front of my house.
I would only bring it over from storage when I'd be loading it up for a trip. A couple of days before, a couple of days after the trip.
A couple of the neighbors kept calling the city police. They'd come out, measure if I was far enough away from the hydrant, ETC.
I had pumpkins, bottles and other junk tossed at the trailer. Smooth move lobbing bottles that broke on the pavement.
Then one of them nagged the city to do a 'safety/hazard' study, and the city engineer said it was fine.
When that didn't satisfy them they petitioned the city to pass a ordinance prohibiting parking on the streets in this sub-division.
They had this dream that they had a properly chartered HOA and owned the streets. - They didn't on both counts.
The city has numerous housing in the older parts of town left over from WWII that have no driveways at all. Only parking in on city streets.

Had a problem with a leak at one of the rear windows. Brought it to the house to do repairs.
The police got very tired of coming out. Ended up that two of them on separate occasions setup a 'speed enforcement' position - at the front end of the trailer.
There's a rather steep hill that comes down and levels off in front of the former house. Speed limit is 25mph.
They nailed several people doing 50-55mph. Unfortunately one of them was my doctor's wife. ahem.

And then came the watershed moment. I had gone into town to get something, the -ex and the kids were out in the yard and the one neighbor came over and started berating the -ex _and_ my kids. Real severe trash talking.
My son was swift enough to call me on the mobile so that I could hear, I told my son what I needed him to do and hung up and call the Police.
Told the officer on duty to roll a patrol car and to ask the shift supervisor to get over to my house ASAP, hopefully before I got back there.
Two patrols cars were there when I arrived, the neighbor was all up in the one officer's face yelling at him, the other officer was with my family.
Then a Lieutenant showed up. And the neighbor wasn't backing down, he demanded that these 'trailer trash' be removed from the neighborhood.
(I'm still at a loss as to his thought process...)
The Lt. and the other officer escorted him somewhat forcibly back to his house. They were headed back to our yard when the fool came back out of his house and continued his tirade at the officers. They turned around went back to him each grabbed an arm and took him back into his house.
Then a Captain showed up and went straight to his house. And another patrol car showed up. Thirty minutes later they came out and came over to my place.
By this time I'm wondering why the fool isn't cuffed and stuffed in the back of a patrol car for the language he was directing towards the officers.
They explained to me that I was to notify them immediately if said neighbor crosses the center of the street towards our property.
They had told him in no uncertain terms that if he harassed us again he would be arrested.
Aftermath was that the department increase speed traps all along the street and nailed quite a number of folks.
And the fool neighbor put his house up for sale and moved. Before doing so he attempted to get my fellow neighbors to go along with him and file a lawsuit against me - for a trailer?, parked legally? My immediate neighbor told him to get real, and that he'd support me if I wanted to file a restraining order against the complainer.
Some folks just aren't happy with their situation in life...

 

[pontiac428]

The Santa Rosa noise ordnance is very strict. 70 dB is a very low threshold. What you have working in your favor is distance. You could be producing an ear-splitting 105 dB in your garage, and if this neighbor is say, 60 feet away, then at his sensitive ears the sound pressure will be a perfectly legal 69 dB. Perceptions be damned, measurement is the only thing that counts. Sound power decreases with distance. To work this out, use the inverse square law (double the distance to reduce sound by 6 dB). The loudest thing I do is grinding, which is about 90 dB at arm's reach. At my neighbor's porch across the street at 64 feet, he's only hearing 60 dB, which means if he complains to the authorities he can go stuff himself.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Malicious compliance is certainly a thing. I think I'd go with bagpipe music—i think the reason the Scots were historically fearsome warriors was that retreat meant getting closer to the pipers .

Seriously, though, maybe try shooting the breeze with the guy if he's ever outside? Escalation generally just makes things worse.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I’m thinking the bagpipes from AC/DC’s It’s a long way to the top (On loop) at 69 Db for a shift or 2
OR
Hank Williams Jr- Family Tradition if the neighbor doesn’t like 80’s hard rock tunes.

Even the Government Acronym’s and public radio uses Brittany Spears’ tunes to inflict irreparable psychological damage on terrorists and teenagers

 

[Aaron_W]

It looks like Santa Rosa has some rather strict noise ordinances

Santa Rosa noise

17-16.040 Standards for determining violations.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, and in addition thereto, it is unlawful for any person to wilfully make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise which disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area.
The standards which shall be considered in determining whether a violation of the provisions of this section exists shall include, but not be limited to the following:
(A) The level of noise;
(B) The intensity of the noise;
(C) Whether the nature of the noise is usual or unusual;
(D) Whether the origin of the noise is natural or unnatural;
(E) The level and intensity of the background noise, if any;
(F) The proximity of the noise to residential sleeping facilities;
(G) The nature and zoning of the area within which the noise emanates;
(H) The density of the inhabitation of the area within which the noise emanates;
(I) The time of the day or night the noise occurs;
(J) The duration of the noise;
(K) Whether the noise is recurrent, intermittent or constant;
(L) Whether the noise is produced by a commercial or noncommercial activity. (Prior code Ch. 27, Art. I, Div. 5)

Under special noise sources

It is unlawful for any person to operate any machinery, equipment, pump, fan, air-conditioning apparatus or similar mechanical device in any manner so as to create any noise which would cause the noise level at the property line of any property to exceed the ambient base noise level by more than five decibels. (Prior code § 27.20)


The city determines "ambient noise" in an R1/R2 residential area between 7am and 7pm as 55db, so your machinery can't be louder than 60db at the property line. Industrial is the loudest and rated at 70db.



It sounds like your neighbor is bored and wants to control the neighborhood, but tread lightly as it doesn't appear the city ordinances are in your favor.


This also makes me appreciate the two autoshops at the end of the block, any noise I make will be assumed to be coming from them. I have woken up to grinders at 7am.

 

[kb58]

I suggest you keep your garage door closed and turn off the music.

You don't understand, we're patriotic Americans and have the freedom to do whatever we like. Besides, your point involves personal responsibility and being polite, never mind being aware of the local laws before moving in and complaining. Now, where'd I put my "loud pipes save lives" stickers?

 

[Dabbler]

I have 4 neighbours like that. if my lawn is a half inch above the max, the neighbours all call city bylaw. every complaint has been by the exact 4 neighbours. I get 1 or 2 every year. I just calmly explain this to the bylaw officer, who then tells me that complaints are confidential, and how did I know who complained, etc..

There are 3 officers for my area and one is on a power trip. she always makes threats and gives me misinformation. I've complained, but they keep her anyway. I now tell her to give me the citation without any explanation, I can read, and leave it at that.

I love individuals, but it's 'people' I can't stand!

 

[ericc]

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

Careful about this one. There were a bunch of blacksmiths in my mom's neighborhood. They were the nicest people. One day some neighbors banded together and went to the police and complained. The end result was that they could not even run a grinder. I'm talking about a bench grinder, not an angle grinder. The neighborhood is quiet, almost too quiet.

On my street, I am known as the blacksmith, and the neighbors immediately blame me if there is any noise. Most of the time it is someone else, and the noisemakers are not as polite as I am. I simply direct the neighbors to them and let them work it out. It is so endearing to watch a couple of hissy housewives screaming at each other. I think it is louder than an angle grinder.