Wondering if I should call the cops on my neighbors

[Food Lady]

AGAIN. So, they're this family from another country where apparently you stay up half the night drinking beer after the holiday is over and go to work on 5 hours of sleep. You know, I don't care about that. The adults are outside talking, but I have a big fan on and could sleep despite that. I have the window open because I just don't want to run the AC when it's going to be in the 50s tonight, you know? Now, I've had maybe 11 hours sleep between the last 2 nights. I have to work yet another 8.5-hour day tomorrow, and the next, and the next. In fact, I'm working 13 more hours this week than normal, and will go a 7-day stretch. What I do NOT need is the little kid a couple of doors down screaming bloody murder OUTSIDE at 11:16 pm!!! I came home around 8:30 and they had the BBQ out and I just *KNEW* this was going to happen because it happens every. single. holiday. weekend. It's ALWAYS this family, and what's worse is that I've seen the on-site management couple hanging with them in front of the BBQ numerous times. And I'm pretty sure one of the people does some kind of work in exchange for a rent discount. Complaining will do nothing. Calling the cops will, but I am so sick of doing that every single holiday weekend. It's after 11:00 pm on Labor Day; THE HOLIDAY IS OVER! Did I mention the kids have the first day of school in the morning??

[sms001]

So did you? I certainly would have. Once or twice I'd suck it up, but if it's routine, no way. What do they say when you ask them to quiet down or move away from your window?

[Food Lady]

I don't ask them because they don't speak English very well. I was way too angry to speak; I would've been yelling because that kid was screaming so loud at 1:00 am that all the neighbors could hear. He wasn't anywhere near my window. I think next time I should.

[Jester]

Yes, this situation sucks, but I'm wondering what part of it is illegal? All the cops would do if called is maybe, just maybe, ask the family to quiet down, which is probably something you should do first. You say they don't speak English very well, but you also said the couple who manages the place was also with them. So perhaps you should talk to them about the problem you're having with your neighbors, and maybe they could relay the message to the family.

To me, it just seems like the least you could do before you involve the police and pull them away from something else that might be a bit more of an emergency.

Just my opinion....hope it doesn't come off as snarky or rude. Just trying to be constructive here, and help you solve the problem the easiest way possible, and not unnecessarily ruffle any feathers.

[Sapphire Silk]

Yes, this situation sucks, but I'm wondering what part of it is illegal?

It is illegal. Pretty much every jurisdiction has a noise ordinance at the town, county, or city level. It's a civil misdemeanor, usually you get a ticket, but even then only if you're generating chronic complaints from multiple people.

All the cops would do if called is maybe, just maybe, ask the family to quiet down, which is probably something you should do first. You say they don't speak English very well, but you also said the couple who manages the place was also with them. So perhaps you should talk to them about the problem you're having with your neighbors, and maybe they could relay the message to the family.

She should definitely ask them to quiet down first. Nicely. "I have to work in the morning, and it's getting late. Can you take it inside?" Leave immediately if you get any flak. Politely thank them if they apologize.

To me, it just seems like the least you could do before you involve the police and pull them away from something else that might be a bit more of an emergency.

It's an iffy call. The police actually have long stretches of nothing to do but drive around. It's feast or famine. But they don't like these kinds of calls because they're not sexy, they're not criminal, and they're unlikely to generate an arrest. They really don't want to mediate neighborhood disputes, even though they're tasked with enforcing the laws that are designed to keep neighbors from killing each other.

But if they get the call, they have to come out and investigate.

If the noise is present, then they'll talk to the person making it and tell them to quiet down. Usually, first offense is a verbal warning. If they find themselves going back to the same address and actually finding the noise, then they can start writing tickets.

I had this very issue with this dumbass kid who lived in the apartment next to mine back when I was in California. His mother was a teacher, he was 18 and had no job and wasn't going to school (he was a mooch, basically). A few nights after they move in, I hear this skull poundingly loud punk rock music blaring. It woke me out of a sound sleep at 3am.

I go pound on his door, and get the "oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know it would disturb you."

This gets to be a pattern, at all times of day and night so I finally complain to his mother. She is sheepish, and admits he does this at their permanent home, and she does nothing to stop it. I tell her he can't do that in an apartment complex.

Pattern continues. I complain to the manager who is sympathetic but isn't able to do much. So I start calling the police. Of course, kid sees cops rolls in the lot and shuts the music off so they find nothing. Kid starts giving me grief about all the calls. Cops tell me this is now a civil matter since they never find anything (translation: quit calling).

I continue to complain to management, and even wrote to corporate about it. Son gets banned from the property since he's 18 and not even on the lease.

It reduced the problem, but did not stop it completely. Finally, they moved out because the manager refused to renew their lease because of all the complaints (it wasn't just me). They should have been evicted months before, but the mother would always cry to the manager about how she couldn't control her son, and she enforced the ban but sometimes he'd just show up when she wasn't there.

So, it boils down to this: if you have a noise problem, what are you willing to live with?

You can live with the noise. Or you can potentially live with a hostile neighbor. Some people find the former option a better one. I typically don't.

My suggestion to Food Lady would be to talk to the management couple about the problem, tell them that this has been a pretty persistent problem on work nights, and that she's getting tired of it and wants it to stop, and that she expects them to do something to control the noise issue. That should be the underlying message, couched in polite terms (never lose your temper, you lose automatically if you do).

If the problem still persists, then start calling the cops to establish that the noise issuse is real. The cops will catch them the first few times. Insist on a police report and get a copy. Then when the cops get tired of dealing with it, send the reports to corporate/the owner with a request something be done.

It may take awhile. Chronic noisy neighbors don't change their spots until forced to, and getting someone to take the problem seriously and deal with it can be time consuming and frustrating. But I find it the better option because at least I'm trying to do something instead of suffering in silence.

Never go out and start screaming at the neighbor. That NEVER helps, and can escalate the conflict into something violent.

[Dreamstalker]

If someone in the family is doing work for a break in the rent, management may not want to do anything; I would also suggest talking to them first though. If you can get other neighbors to talk to them about the noise--up to you whether you want to do it individually or as a group--that would establish a pattern. We had to get everyone together to finally bounce a bad neighbor a few years ago.

It depends on the local noise ordinances/laws, and those of the complex (if the managers aren't enforcing them, the local housing authority may step in). Our lease has a clause that says you cannot engage in any activity that disturbs other tenants from 11PM-7AM and too many excessive noise complaints would constitute a lease violation. I'd check your local laws as well as the lease to see if there's anything about 'quiet hours'.

[Food Lady]

It is illegal after 10:00 pm and I have been told to call the cops by both this management team and the previous one. I called on them a couple of weeks ago and so I can't believe they're doing it again. I think I will write a note to the manager and drop it off. My only issue is that (literally) screaming kid. The rest of the stuff is not as bad as last time. It's just...her runs around outside screaming bloody murder.

Jester, I'm inclined to agree with you, but at this point I have had so much of this from so many people in this complex that I just could not be civil in asking them to be quiet. Plus, if they've already had cops called on them and they continue, they just don't care.

[taxguykarl]

Our lease has a clause that says you cannot engage in any activity that disturbs other tenants from 11PM-7AM and too many excessive noise complaints would constitute a lease violation.

That's not rare. As for the OP, if the management is aware and refuses to do anything about it, time to go up the company food chain.

[EricKei]

For the kid headbanging in the middle of the night (or similar issues), if it recurs: Cell phone video footage, with audio, with a date/time stamp on it, if yer phone allows for it. Don't knock on their door/try to go in and complain or anything, just get their unit number on the vid Could be useful for evidence in the future.

[prjkt]

Had a similar problem with a neighbour.

Would have all his dole-blusher mates over on a work night, car doors open, stereo blasting, and swearing at stupidly loud levels.

After the first few cop visits the music stopped, but the screaming didn't.

So what did its neighbour say to my gf? He complained that her car was too loud in the morning when she left for work, kept waking him up.

It was all she could do not to laugh.

[Sapphire Silk]

Jester, I'm inclined to agree with you, but at this point I have had so much of this from so many people in this complex that I just could not be civil in asking them to be quiet. Plus, if they've already had cops called on them and they continue, they just don't care.

If you've talked to them, once you've resorted to calling the cops never confront them in person again if you can help it. Go through the cops or management corporate.

Here's a thought. Go up the food chain to corporate first, but if that doesn't work, see if the local magistrate can help you. You might be able to file a civil case; ask for a court order not for money. If they violate the order (like a restraining order) then the cops have to do something about it. That should be a last resort; you're really escalating things when the courts get involved.

For the kid headbanging in the middle of the night (or similar issues), if it recurs: Cell phone video footage, with audio, with a date/time stamp on it, if yer phone allows for it. Don't knock on their door/try to go in and complain or anything, just get their unit number on the vid Could be useful for evidence in the future.

Great idea. I didn't really have this option with my problem: pre smartphones and video phones, and I didn't have a separate video camera at the time. If you have evidence of the problem, it's a lot easier to get management and the cops to take you seriously.

[MoonCat]

This is called a quality of life issue. Many municipalities have rules about this. Usually they involve something like not making a lot of noise after 10 or in many cases after 11 at night.

And you'd think this would be common sense, but it's not. *sigh*

The people two houses away from us did this Sunday night. Sure, it was a holiday weekend, but guess what? People still need to sleep! There is NO reason a party can't be held INDOORS. You can stay inside and stay up all night if you want, but your neighbors should not be disturbed by your yelling, laughing, loud talk (seriously, what is it with people who have to shout a conversation from 3 feet away from each other?), loud music, etc. It's called consideration for others.

You don't know who around you might actually need to work on the holiday (there is a cop on our street, for example), or who might be ill and need their rest.

And sadly, in many cases you can't approach the noisy people and ask them to tone it down, because they will tell you to fuck off. Then if you call the cops, they'll know (or guess) it was you, and that means retaliation is very possible. So your only choice is often to call the cops to begin with, which may or may not result in peace and quiet.

And all itwould take is for people to be more considerate of other people. That's what living in a community is all about.

[Jester]

I think I will write a note to the manager and drop it off.

Jester, I'm inclined to agree with you, but at this point I have had so much of this from so many people in this complex that I just could not be civil in asking them to be quiet. Plus, if they've already had cops called on them and they continue, they just don't care.

Okay, so you don't want to deal with them directly. I can understand that. And you've already done it once. So I agree you should go to the management. I don't think however, you should write them a note. It would make a much bigger and better impression if you talked to the management about it directly, face to face.

[Gravekeeper]

Okay, so you don't want to deal with them directly. I can understand that. And you've already done it once. So I agree you should go to the management. I don't think however, you should write them a note. It would make a much bigger and better impression if you talked to the management about it directly, face to face.

Hi! My name is Gravekeeper and I have heard every noise complaint in the greater Vancouver area for the past 8 years. ( <twitch> ). This is a realm I am intimately familiar with.

Practically every municipality has noise ordinances and bylaws so yes, being a noisy asshole is technically illegal. These bylaws are also quite specific citing not just the times but the sound levels. For example; Where I live continuous noise can't exceed 45dBa after 10pm. Its a $500 fine here for throwing a backyard asshole party at 3am and keeping your neighbours awake.

The one thing that the police and property management companies here like? Documentation. Notes, letters, times and dates. A paper trail. Especially if you're dealing with a resident manager that has someone above them. Because if your resident manager is a dick or an oblivious tool they might say they never heard from you to cover their own ass and then its your word against the managers.

If a property management company is involved they undoubtedly have a procedure in place for dealing with noisy tenants and a paper trail makes it much easier for them to evict said tenants for lease violations.

As for the police, there are for example bylaw enforcement officers that specifically handle these things. You're not taking away the police from more important things. They have a system to handle various priorities of calls with different types of officers. An officer isn't going to respond to a noise complaint while ignoring a stabbing somewhere.

Furthermore, the police don't like morons anymore than you do. When the police are on patrol, they are also keeping an ear out for loud morons after 10pm. Many police departments actually have a specific Party Patrol(tm) for just this purpose. ( And yes, its called the party patrol and no its probably not as fun as it sounds. )

[sms001]

( And yes, its called the party patrol and no its probably not as fun as it sounds. )

Well, not for one of the parties in any case.