Problems with new neighbors...

[recreate.me]

Our city has the 11pm curfew, and i have called it on people before who party into the night and keep me awake. The Cops rarely show up for a noise complaint, and when they do its like 30 minutes later, and they really care.

I would play as loud as you need to before 11pm, and i would call the cops on the barking dog, as much as possible, they will notices, and it pisses them off.

 

[NateS]

And why are you here talking to us ? You should be jammin balls out and dare `em to say something !

+1

give them the middle finger salute.

 

[Rocks]

I have to disagree with the "you were there first" thinking. After all, they have just as much rights to have peace in their homes as you do. That said, as long as you are within legal limits you are legal and they can't do crap about it. On the other hand, a nuisance barking dog can always be called and complained about and there is no decibel level they check on that.

 

[Jeff K]

I guess I'm very fortunate. I don't play real loud, but I generally play along with CD's every day. The band always practices at the drummer's house, so we don't have that problem.

My neighbors directly across from me will sometimes say something like, "Your bass sounded good". I was shocked the first time, and said, "You can hear that over there?!" (My amp does face in the direction of their house.) I apologized, and said I'd try to turn it down lower.

But they've always said, "Oh no, it doesn't bother us. We like hearing it." One day the dude said, "Man, I wish you'd play more blues! I love it when you're playing blues." I keep my volume on my amp around 1 1/2. I guess those bass frequencies really DO travel well...

 

[Burlington]

This.



Not this.

Worst advice ever. Animal control's job is to catch stray dogs. They have nothing to do with how loud an owners dog is barking within a fenced piece of property.

This will only make the situation worse. It's the same mentality as them calling the cops on him.

I play bass but I'm a dog owner too. If someone called animal control on my dog (my family) I'd be at your door with a shotgun, dude.

Cheers.

And you will end up in jail.

 

[jwr]

Not a cheap solution, but surely cheaper than moving...you could get some sound paneling and hang it wherever you're practicing. My cousins and I had to do that when we were younger because drums are so f-ing loud it's ridiculous. Or you could get some headphones.

Neighbors are annoying. I'm very grateful this is not one of the problems I have with mine.

 

[panama]

If you feel like buying a new gadget then get a decibel meter (google's first result was one at Radio Shack for $50). Find out your city's limit, have someone stand outside your home and turn it up until you're a few Dbs under the limit. Never go above that limit and if someone calls the cops just show em the meter.

You won't be friendly neighbours, but sadly you can't get along with everyone

 

[ric stave]

2 SOLUTIONS:

1) The dog - get a dog whistle and make sure you get their dog barking whenever THEY are trying to sleep.

2) The bass noise - switch to bagpipes.

 

[Rocks]

"I'm sorry officer, I had to turn up so I could hear myself over their dog barking"

EDIT: and, if you do have a dog whistle or can get one, have someone in the house blowing it non stop the whole time the cop is there....

 

[SMILEYSIXX]

2 SOLUTIONS:

1) The dog - get a dog whistle and make sure you get their dog barking whenever THEY are trying to sleep.

2) The bass noise - switch to bagpipes.

I was considering starting a polka band... and the dog whistle isn't a half bad idea either

 

[Mudcat35]

I practice at home using a little 8-channel mixer and headphones. Works like a champ; I can play along with mp3s that I have to learn and not make a sound. My family appreciates that.

 

[Blah114]

what are the local laws? call the cops and ask..

some places they have to be able to hear you from so far away for any ticket to be issued.. you can have a friend take decibel measurements of the dog compared to your bass playing.. and if you can time it so the cops show (if they call).. and the decibels are LOWER than a city ordinance allows.. then you can tell them that you've tried to be nice, wish them well.. but you have to play and that you're playing well within the acceptable level of decibels..

if their dog is LOUDER than the city ordinance, they have no leg to stand on.. I have been through this before.. can you tell? I was nice about it for a year.. then the people got ridiculous about it.. when I took measurements, I found out the guy's television, from outside, was louder than my bass+amp.. the next time he called the police, I showed the police all of those readings.. and explained it politely.. and emphasized how I "tried to work the people...and was lower in volume --prior to 9 PM--than the city ordinance..." I offered to even play for the guys, etc.. the officer thanked me, said no thanks.. and went to the neighbors explaining the situation.. the police weren't called again... I love my neighbors and attempt to appease everyone.. but sometimes, that garners unreasonable requests.. I backed up my sh_t with "science..." no can argue with decibel readings.. I guess the neighbors could claim I turned up all the time.. beyond that.. but the cops took my word for it.. I was like "It is prior to 9 PM.. the decibels are xxxxx... and the guy's TV and lawn mower are LOUDER than I am..." I did not mention how the guy would cut his grass at 7 AM on Saturday mornings.. that was a violation of noise laws in that municipality.. but I never complained about that.. I should have.. grass cutting at 7 AM.. idiocy.

good luck..

 

[Blah114]

If you feel like buying a new gadget then get a decibel meter (google's first result was one at Radio Shack for $50). Find out your city's limit, have someone stand outside your home and turn it up until you're a few Dbs under the limit. Never go above that limit and if someone calls the cops just show em the meter.

You won't be friendly neighbours, but sadly you can't get along with everyone

I just saw this.. sorry..

 

[SMILEYSIXX]

I practice at home using a little 8-channel mixer and headphones. Works like a champ; I can play along with mp3s that I have to learn and not make a sound. My family appreciates that.

Except of course band practice which is always at my house.

 

[Mr wiggl3s]

why not just soundproof your walls?

 

[JPSBassist]

I totally understand.

A couple of questions... I haven't had time to read the entire thread so sorry if you've already answered this...

Do you have the same landlord that they do? Or do you both own your places or have different landlords.

It helps when they are NOT able to call someone who has power over you such as a landlord to complain.

And getting into some pi#$@ing match with them is not recommended.

I recently had a neighbor who was renting in the same building as myself. They lived right above me. They were rude, nasty, unfriendly from day one. The wife, come to find out was mentally ill and her paranoid nature made it impossible for her to accept sharing a space with anyone. My place is a flat. There is just two units in the building. Come to find out they had run off the three previous tenants. Which in itself is insane. Nice rental space is hard to find in LA. And so of course once a place comes available it's filled the next week with someone new.

From day one they'd stomp on their floors (my ceiling) and she'd pace back and forth, one end of the place to the other, sometimes until 3am. Then she'd take a 45 minute long shower. The husband would park his truck and block the driveway where my wife would have trouble getting out of our garage. Crap like that.

I never once called the landlord, who happens to be a guitarist friend of mine and we've been friends for years.

I practice through my computer, GuitarRig4 and headphones. Always have. I have an Ampeg SVT-450 and matching 4x8 cabs.

My neighbors it would seem, were calling the landlord every other day about us. That our cat was meowing too loud, that we were running the water in our sink and wasting water... and we're on separate meters at that, that I'd leave my porch light on overnight. Silly, goofy stuff.

The landlord finally had enough and decided not to renew their lease. He gave them 30 days notice that they had to get out. And he gave me a courtesy call, inviting me to "practice all I wanted" out loud.

And I had FUN. My wife is a former FBI agent. We know ALL of the police in our area. They made the mistake of calling the police ONCE. I was smart enough to only practice 5 minutes or so full strenght, then I went back to my near silent comuter/headphones routine.

Their bedroom was above my garage. So at 2 or 3am I'd open and close the automatic garage door. I kept the remote next to my bed.

They moved out. I moved upstairs. New, really nice people moved into my old apartment. I wnt back to practicing through my headphones or down really low. Life is now good.

I say do what you do and let them complain. Some people are entitled and jerks and they don't see anything wrong with what they are doing, even as they point out the same thing as a fault in someone else.

I LOVE the dog whistle idea. I'd definately do that.
And if they do ever call the police, stay calm, rational, and agreeable with the police. The decible meter is a great idea. If you can show the officer that your playing is within whatever the city ordinances are... you're golden.

Ignore the neighbors. Do your thing. And let it go.

 

[duff beer]

I play bass but I'm a dog owner too. If someone called animal control on my dog (my family) I'd be at your door with a shotgun, dude.

Cheers.

I would think that if someone called animal control about your dog, it probably means there was a dog related issue that needed solving. Which means that YOU have failed in some manner. Yet, your first response is to threaten them with a shotgun instead of asking what you could do to solve the problem??

Some people have so much ego that they can't handle anyone telling them that they may be wrong and they turn into world class jerks. You are one of them.

 

[SMILEYSIXX]

I totally understand.

A couple of questions... I haven't had time to read the entire thread so sorry if you've already answered this...

Do you have the same landlord that they do? Or do you both own your places or have different landlords.

It helps when they are NOT able to call someone who has power over you such as a landlord to complain.

And getting into some pi#$@ing match with them is not recommended.

I recently had a neighbor who was renting in the same building as myself. They lived right above me. They were rude, nasty, unfriendly from day one. The wife, come to find out was mentally ill and her paranoid nature made it impossible for her to accept sharing a space with anyone. My place is a flat. There is just two units in the building. Come to find out they had run off the three previous tenants. Which in itself is insane. Nice rental space is hard to find in LA. And so of course once a place comes available it's filled the next week with someone new.

From day one they'd stomp on their floors (my ceiling) and she'd pace back and forth, one end of the place to the other, sometimes until 3am. Then she'd take a 45 minute long shower. The husband would park his truck and block the driveway where my wife would have trouble getting out of our garage. Crap like that.

I never once called the landlord, who happens to be a guitarist friend of mine and we've been friends for years.

I practice through my computer, GuitarRig4 and headphones. Always have. I have an Ampeg SVT-450 and matching 4x8 cabs.

My neighbors it would seem, were calling the landlord every other day about us. That our cat was meowing too loud, that we were running the water in our sink and wasting water... and we're on separate meters at that, that I'd leave my porch light on overnight. Silly, goofy stuff.

The landlord finally had enough and decided not to renew their lease. He gave them 30 days notice that they had to get out. And he gave me a courtesy call, inviting me to "practice all I wanted" out loud.

And I had FUN. My wife is a former FBI agent. We know ALL of the police in our area. They made the mistake of calling the police ONCE. I was smart enough to only practice 5 minutes or so full strenght, then I went back to my near silent comuter/headphones routine.

Their bedroom was above my garage. So at 2 or 3am I'd open and close the automatic garage door. I kept the remote next to my bed.

They moved out. I moved upstairs. New, really nice people moved into my old apartment. I wnt back to practicing through my headphones or down really low. Life is now good.

I say do what you do and let them complain. Some people are entitled and jerks and they don't see anything wrong with what they are doing, even as they point out the same thing as a fault in someone else.

I LOVE the dog whistle idea. I'd definately do that.
And if they do ever call the police, stay calm, rational, and agreeable with the police. The decible meter is a great idea. If you can show the officer that your playing is within whatever the city ordinances are... you're golden.

Ignore the neighbors. Do your thing. And let it go.

I have a few connections to the police and a friend whose dad is pretty high up with local law so I could get them on my side. Idk their situation but my parents actually own the house we're in so they have no higher ups to complain to about my playing. I'm getting a dog whistle ASAP though.

 

[MatticusMania]

What gets me is you sure can hear a lawnmower down the street...

Call the cops and complain.

OP, likewise about the barking dog.

 

[Metalbasspro]

Band I am in uses an electric drum set so we can control the volume but new neighbor moves in and she complains not that its too loud but that she can simply hear it. And it's well before the noise curfew sets in. The landlord seems to be white knighting for her. We were told that we can't play there anymore. No effort to come over and understand the situation or listen in on a practice. As I say we can turn down as low as anyone wants but it's not my place. If were me I'd just point to the noise curfew and remind them we are not violating anything. Her dog barks constantly. Our last practice was in violation of the last instructions of the land lord but our conversations were louder then the music. My string slap was louder. Sad how some go out of their way to be bothered.