TimFountain

I just had my first altercation with a neighbor across the street who likes to sit on his drive, drinking beer whilst listening to rock music on a stereo system that is in his garage, every night! It is loud enough that I can be sitting inside my house with all the windows closed and can tell you exactly what track he is listening to. I went to talk to him, for the 3rd time and got a bit annoyed, especially when I was told that I was being un-neighborly for complaining and that he had a right to make noise and it was no worse than me cutting the grass.

I do not know what to do next as the family really is white trash, don't listen to reason and have lowered the neighborhood since they moved in a year or so ago.

Have any of you had to deal with noisy neighbors?

- Tim

Manc

there must be a noise ordinance no?

Oregon4now

Google is indeed your friend...lol

http://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/cities/austin.htm

From the way I have read it, seems that it has to violate a certain decibel level between certain hours... I wish you much luck on this stressful situation.

cityhog

Don't forget you don't live in the UK anymore. You should avoid a confrontation like that in the US. Call the police. I had a similar problem. I didn't do anything but the other neighbor called the police.

kimilseung

Why? Just the culture to do so, or so they don't come out and shoot you or something?

ukecadet

In what form does confrontation differ in the UK and US.
I'm safely tucked away in Australia so fire away.

cityhog

Avoid any confrontation if possible. There's a chance it can escalate into something bad. For example, they are drinking, and they curse at you, and then you say something that piss them off. You never know what's going to happen next. Remember it's Texas and people there often settle their differences with guns.

cityhog

I watched so many similar episodes in Cops. They all started over neighbors' noise, and then an argument, and then a shooting. Someone with blood all over his body lying on the street or running around the block, screaming, "I got shot! I got shot!" This is America. What you see on TV is real.

scrubbedexpat097

Texas yep, we're the modern day Deadwood

Giantaxe

Ah the irony...

My advice to the OP is to document the hours of disturbance for a while and then pursue the issue with the police. I wouldn't bother trying to reason with your neighbour any more because this type of person rarely listens to reason.

Kaffy Mintcake

Think about that statement a bit. Really, think on it. Do you always believe what's on TV?

Or if it's real, do you think it's representative? Funny - in my 34 years in this country I have never seen someone shot. That being said, it's wise to handle things respectfully with neighbors - you do have to live together afterall.

snowbunny

Have you talked to the other neighbours about this? The noise curfew is sometimes set differently for different neighbourhoods. How do the neighbours feel? If you're getting no joy, then you always have the option of speaking at City Council about the matter.

We *are* having gorgeous weather so it's nice to be outside, but after 10 pm they need to turn down the music and use their "inside voices" outside. You have a right to relaxation and SLEEP.

Find your nearest neighbourhood association here:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/neighbor/search.htm

If you want to PM me your neighbourhood, I can look into it - I have done a lot of community activism.

http://austinnoise.org/the-austin-no...-level-limits/

"If you are at a residence you may not

* Use sound equipment that produces a sound that is audible beyond the property line between 10:00 PM and 10:00 AM [9-2-5 (B)]

* “Use sound equipment audible beyond the property line” that produces sound in excess of 75 dBA [9-2-5 (C)]" (eg, EVER, and I read that to mean that it's 75 dB *at the source* and not at the property line)

AmerLisa

Are you serious?

AmerLisa

cityhog

It depends on where you live. Some people will never see someone get shot, but if you live in a low income neighborhood, you'll witness more often what you see in Cops. I too have never seen someone shot, but heard gun shots in the middle of the night. And someone I know shot himself in the head. And I helped someone move and he had this huge safe. We couldn't move this damn thing an inch and I asked him what the **** is in there. When he opened, I saw several shotguns. So what I am saying is there are a lot more guns in the US. So be careful.