| Author | Message | ||
     Soki Citizen Username: Soki Post Number: 10 Registered: 8-2005 |
I have this neighbor who every Saturday blasts music in his open garage for most of the day. Now, as I write, he has this annoying music playing at full blast in his backyard and noone is even outside. As annoying as the music is, what's more embarassing is the frequent use of the B and N words in the lyrics. There's probably only one room in my house where I can go to avoid it. Do I pay $10k a year in taxes for this?! Are there any rules about noise in SO? | ||
| composerjohn Citizen Username: Composerjohn  Post Number: 937 Registered: 8-2004  |
Have you asked him to turn the music down? Call the SO police if it persists. You shouldn't have to live with constant noise. | ||
| Kibbegirl Citizen Username: Kibbegirl Post Number: 668 Registered: 5-2003 |
I'm a big advocate of calling the cops to handle stuff like this. You don't have to personally get involved, and they'll come out and tell him to shut it up. Do your other neighbors complain too? | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 1555 Registered: 1-2006  |
I'm a big advocate of NOT calling the cops to handle stuff like this. Most reasonable people will respond to a kind request. I acknowledge that if they do not, and you do call the cops, there will be no mystery about who called them. But I doubt there would be much question anyway. If this music is the only thing threatening about your neighbors, I would begin by picking a time that it really bothers you: when a child is napping, or later in the evening. Ask them to play it low during those times. This will make them more aware that you are bothered. If they listen, your situation has improved. IF they ARE jerks, and, say, play it louder at those times, call the cops. They turned it antagonistic. If this approach succeeds, share the story with your neighbors. You say, "Please not at naptime," someone else says, "not in the morning" someone else says, "not late at night." They'll get the message from EVERYONE. | ||
| Sherri De Rose Citizen Username: Honeydo Post Number: 371 Registered: 11-2005 |
I don't know about S.O. but in Millburn there is a law that you are entitled to have a "reasonable expectation of quiet in your home". I have dealt with some pretty crappy neighbors in the past and I find that speaking with them DOES NOT help. If this neighbor is rude enough to do this, then he/she doesn't have the intelligence to be able to speak you as a sane human being. I also have found (in Millburn) that the town always finds some way to avoid confronting residents who are breaking the law. | ||
| CageyD Citizen Username: Cageyd Post Number: 702 Registered: 6-2003 |
Jersey-BOy I think you are kidding yourself. Having dealt with similar situations - neighbors who do this kind of thing aren't oblivious to their actions (Oh, I didn't realize that that I lived near other people who may not want to hear my music.) they are completely indifferent to the needs of others. The likelihood that someone so rude would respond kindly to being asked to change their behavior is just about nil. Save yourself from creating a situation that will escalate and potentially further damage your quality of life in your own home. CALL THE COPS it is what they are there for - to keep the peace. | ||
| combustion Citizen Username: Spontaneous Post Number: 322 Registered: 4-2006  |
Depends on the neighbor. The neighbors on my one side I would talk to. Yeah, we have issues, but I have been able to talk to her about things in the past with no problem. The neighbors on my other side, I don't even know what the look like, so it would depend on the situation (noise at 2pm vs. noise at 2am) whether or not I would talk to them. | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 1565 Registered: 1-2006 |
Cagey D, I wrote: "If this music is the only thing threatening about your neighbors, I would begin by..." My advice was conditional. I assume Soki will make this judgment and choose to act based on her comfort level. J.B. | ||
| Sherri De Rose Citizen Username: Honeydo Post Number: 373 Registered: 11-2005 |
When I approached my neighbor about a loud radio in her yard by knocking on her gate, she opened the gate then slammed it in my face and broke my glasses. Cops were called and did nothing. It escalated throughout the years and one time Rich told the husband he was being smug and he took us court saying he was in fear for his life after telling Rich to hit him. The wife claimed I called her "an Asian animal" (never uttered those words). Rich and I both received summons, had to get separate lawyers at $1000.00 each and the judge threw it out of court and sent it to mediation. Top that one! | ||
| Politicalmon Citizen Username: Politicalmon Post Number: 219 Registered: 9-2005  |
Wow that is crazy and this was in Millburn? In SO there is a noise ordinance but I believe it only resticts load music after a specific time (I believe 9PM). I've had to use it to call the police (and then remind the police - since initially they were not interested in acting until I reminded them of the ordinance) on Seton Hall during the dreaded evening music concert they have on campus every September. Even though we are 4-5 blocks away the music can be heard loud and clear, I can't imagine what the people bordering the campus were going through? In any event after 2 calls the music was turned down. | ||
| Politicalmon Citizen Username: Politicalmon Post Number: 220 Registered: 9-2005 |
I meant loud music... | ||
| Montrose13 Citizen Username: Montrose13 Post Number: 40 Registered: 8-2004 |
Some neighbors are just complete jerks. When I lived in a different town a neighbor borrowed our ladder from the babysitter and then used it to cut down a tree on our property. In your situation sounds like the cops won't be of much help. However, this guy's music must be annoying everyone in your neighbrohood so you may want to gather a group to try to convince him to turn it down or to go one by one. He might get the message. Good luck. | ||
| Kibbegirl Citizen Username: Kibbegirl Post Number: 672 Registered: 5-2003 |
People are nuts these days and although you can be a good judge of who will react rationally, sometimes our instints are WRONG. That's why I said CALL THE COPS. The last thing you need is for this fool to crank it up louder or become more obnoxious with other annoyances. | ||
| Mama Cloudy Citizen Username: Mamacloudy Post Number: 33 Registered: 1-2006 |
Even worse...someone who doesn't respect you as a neighbor would be less likely to respect you as a person when confronted. You don't want it to turn violent. Call the cops, let them handle it. | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 1576 Registered: 1-2006 |
You people are nuts. I live in South Orange, and I only moved here a year ago. I know all of my neighbors and we regularly help each other out. I need Soki to get back into this discussion. Sure loud music is annoying, but why would you call the cops instead of talking to your neighbor? We're not talking about a party at 3 AM. It's Saturday afternoon! Aren't you outside playing with your kids, cutting the grass, waving hello to each other? Where is this part of South Orange where neighbors call the cops first and talk to each other second? J.B. | ||
| Soki Citizen Username: Soki Post Number: 12 Registered: 8-2005 |
One week later I am back with apologies for being absent from this discussion. As it turns out, SO's ordinance is no noise that "crosses property lines" after 10 pm. Like magic, the music was off at 10 on the dot. I have a feeling that someone else complained. The music was so loud at one point that I actually checked my own stereo because it sounded like the music was coming from my house. If this happens again, I will speak with them, but only once. If that doesn't work then I will assume that they are being deliberate #%$^%^*. BTW, Jersey Boy, this was on a Saturday night, not afternoon. | ||
| Matt Foley Citizen Username: Mattfoley Post Number: 770 Registered: 6-2004  |
Foley suggests dropping pumpkin seeds on the offender's lawn! It is a very non-confrontational solution to most neighborhood qualms. | ||
| Flying_char Citizen Username: Flying_char Post Number: 173 Registered: 8-2005  |
I think it is cool to play loud music once in a while and I would never complain over a concert, but every day - all the time, No way. I agree on the pumpkin seeds... ( WHy is that a good idea???) | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 1611 Registered: 1-2006 |
Soki, I think you're taking the right approach. Talk first, but keep the call to the police as a follow-up. This quote is why I thought day time: "I have this neighbor who every Saturday blasts music in his open garage for most of the day." Good Luck! On the up side, you're being exposed to a genre of music that you'd normally have missed out on.  J.B. | ||
| Sarah Macyshyn Citizen Username: Sarahzm Post Number: 15 Registered: 10-2003 |
Years ago we had neighbors with young teenagers who would BLAST bonejarringly loud music in their backyard when ever the parents were out. We spoke to the parents who denied the problem. Soooo....... the next time the music went on, we took our equally loud sound system and blasted our classic recording of John Philip Sousa marches back at them. It only took two encounters with "Stars & Stripes Forever" for the kids to get the message and for the music to get turned off. | ||
| Tuxedo Citizen Username: Tuxedo Post Number: 114 Registered: 7-2004 |
My wife tells me that I hold people to higher standards than what most people are: inconsiderate, defensive and irrational. One has to pick battles. I draw the line in the sand when it comes to noise. We have two kids who I want to protect from incessantly barking dogs and loud music. Call me crazy. I'm funny like that. | ||
| Mary Lago Citizen Username: Marylago Post Number: 45 Registered: 8-2006 |
Article in today's Ledger on how to deal with difficult neighbors: http://www.nj.com/living/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1157257514183140.xml&co ll=1 I think it's better to fight fire with fire. If he is blasting music you hate, find some Peter Lemongello or John Tesh and blast the h*ll out of him. Just kidding, he might do something drastic; I know I would be tempted to if I heard John Tesh at full volume. At least take out the speaker... |
