How Can I Politely Address My Noisy Neighbors?

[AJPratt]

"Knock off your freaking late night campfires and booze fests while I am trying to sleep before I go to work?!" And, BTW, your barking dog wakes me or my daughter up every morning. And, in fact barks constantly when you are not home." It makes me want to get a dog that barks a lot just so they know what its like.

My next door neighbors are nice enough people, but OMG, they are clueless. I work different shifts at the hospital. Tonight, I came in at 11pm and work until 7am. I always try to sleep at least an hour before going in when I work this shift. Well, tonight marks the beginning of the Summer late night campfire, where they sit around the fire with friends/neighbors and drink and talk and laugh loudly and throw their bottles around. I just laid in bed for 45 minutes really tired, hoping to fall asleep. Even after I shut my windows they were too loud. And I can't help but already be irritated because I know their dog is going to wake me up with its barking.

Any advice on how to handle this?

I hope this post makes sense as I am beyond exhausted.

 

[ChefLoriG]

go over there and ask them to be quiet? Tell them you work night shift and you try to get some sleep before going in. If that doesn't work, at 7 am when you come home, throw your recylables around for an hour and play a recorded barking dog (better yet, record their dog!) at their house.

 

[Jennifer E]

Check with your local police to find out what hours they are supposed to be quiet. Here it is 11pm-6am. If they get too loud or the dog barks during that time frame, call the cops and ask them to come talk to them. Usually they will ask you if you want to remain anonymous (DUH, why would you want them to know it was you!).

 

[PCJenni]

do we live next to the same people??? Ours have a giant trampoline that they insist on putting 3 inches from our joint fence.... and gee at 3 am, it seems like a great idea for 20 teenagers to go out and jump on it and scream and talk really loudly. After we called the city because the kids are unsupervised, the yard looks like Sanford and Sons live there, and then noise.. they got the picture

 

[wadesgirl]

If you are not comfortable talking to them yourself then I agree to check with the city/police. If you are not in an isolated area it could be anybody complaining about them.

 

[scottcooks]

This isn't about being nice. THEY are way beyond 'nice' so you need to step up:Get a yellow pad of paper (sheet from one) and specifically write your grievances on it. Don't be mean, don't be chatty. Bullet point your issues:
-Noise level late at night when others are sleeping
-dog barking that wakes the neighborhood
-if they are going to have a loud late night party they should at least invite you because they are forcing you to be up anywayRemind your neighbors that your job requires you to work specific hours and your sleep is really important. Ask that they please help the neighborhood by being reasonably quiet after 10pm and employ some measure to not have their dog bark.Sign and date the page.Tape the page to their front door. (photocopy it for your records)SHOCK TREATMENT: The next time the booze-fest yellathon begins, go over in your fuzzy slippers with your bathrobe on and curlers in your hair (get your hair standing up or going out sideways for effect) put your 'mad' face on and go get in someone's face. Tell them they are being rude, their loud late at night behavior is unacceptable and that either they get the picture and take the party indoors or you will have the police come and deliver the same message. You need to shock them and make them realize how bad it is...as it is, they don't get it and they clearly are feeling no pain.If you don't feel OK going over, then CALL them at 11pm and hold the phone up to the window so they can hear the noise being made. Tell them they have 5 minutes to take the party indoors, or you call 911.Anytime their dog barks, CALL them and hold the phone up so they can hear how loud the dog is. Make it their problem, not just yours.Do follow through and call the police. By the 2nd time such a call is made, they get the point.Finally invest in some comfortable earplugs. No, you shouldn't "have to", but once you've done some of the above, you deserve a good night's sleep.

 

[Nanisu]

Put on a fan for white noise in your bedroom and get those foam earplugs--they don't prevent you from hearing the alarm but are great for background noise and/or snorers, and they are really comfy and cheap at any drug store. I do this when my kids have friends over.

 

[BethCooks4U]

This isn't about being nice. THEY are way beyond 'nice' so you need to step up:

Get a yellow pad of paper (sheet from one) and specifically write your grievances on it. Don't be mean, don't be chatty. Bullet point your issues:
-Noise level late at night when others are sleeping
-dog barking that wakes the neighborhood
-if they are going to have a loud late night party they should at least invite you because they are forcing you to be up anyway

Remind your neighbors that your job requires you to work specific hours and your sleep is really important. Ask that they please help the neighborhood by being reasonably quiet after 10pm and employ some measure to not have their dog bark.

Sign and date the page.

Tape the page to their front door. (photocopy it for your records)

SHOCK TREATMENT: The next time the booze-fest yellathon begins, go over in your fuzzy slippers with your bathrobe on and curlers in your hair (get your hair standing up or going out sideways for effect) put your 'mad' face on and go get in someone's face. Tell them they are being rude, their loud late at night behavior is unacceptable and that either they get the picture and take the party indoors or you will have the police come and deliver the same message. You need to shock them and make them realize how bad it is...as it is, they don't get it and they clearly are feeling no pain.

If you don't feel OK going over, then CALL them at 11pm and hold the phone up to the window so they can hear the noise being made. Tell them they have 5 minutes to take the party indoors, or you call 911.

Anytime their dog barks, CALL them and hold the phone up so they can hear how loud the dog is. Make it their problem, not just yours.

Do follow through and call the police. By the 2nd time such a call is made, they get the point.

Finally invest in some comfortable earplugs. No, you shouldn't "have to", but once you've done some of the above, you deserve a good night's sleep.

While that may be what someone might WANT to do they still have to live next to these people.

Ann, you know them. If you feel they wouldn't change if you went to them and explained your work schedule/need to sleep and made them aware of the dogs barking then I would call the police next time it happens and every time it happens but ask them to keep you anonymous because you have to live near them. I know in our town there is a zero noise tolerance and if someone complains I think it's twice it goes to court and the complainer must also appear so I'd check into your local community's regulations. You could also talk to other neighbors and each of you call with different instances.

 

[SueAdx]

We had something similar in our neighborhood. One neighbor HATES the others dog. So he keeps a log of each time it barks and calls the police EVERYTIME he gets a chance.

There are 2 sides to each fence. You didn't mention if you have tried to speak with them. Most people are nice and even if they are not....you get more with honey than vinegar.

Someone earlier said it....you have to live by these people. Our entire neighborhood can't wait for the "dog watcher" to move because he was so cranky and mean with how he handled it. He never stopped to speak to the owner and express the issues with noise etc.

I hope you can work it out. Bring them some cookies....explain your schedule.....maybe they can keep the parties inside on your late nights? Just a thought....but I feel for you. (My dogs barks sometimes and it is tough....kids love him.....and it is HARD to get him to shut up sometimes!:yuck: Luckily my neighbors understand and we work together.

 

[AJPratt]

WOW! Thanks everyone for your input. Things with these neighbors have always been kind of strained;or some kind of disconnect. I am not sure why. A few years ago, after a giant fence was unexpectedly installed between our properties and we even had them over to talk and get things out. Its just weird. For example, there is a set of trees that spans both properties. Because we have not been able to afford mulch, it is only half mulched because he stopped at what he believes is his property line. I even brought this up when we had our get together, that it kind of hurt our feelings and he said he didn't want to cross a line even though I said, it would be OK with us and it would look better and we could chip in. Yet, every year its half-mulched. I am tempted to go and get some mulch a different color and spread it on the other half. But would that make me as bad as them?Scott: LOVE the idea! If it happens again, I probably will do this. Part of my job is calling codes (like Code Blue) and it is important that I am sharp. Someone's life depends on it.Oh, the police. Yeah. Small town. They will tell them we called. Everyone knows everyone.Earplugs are a thought, but if my daughter needs me, I am afraid I won't hear her.I don't want to cause additional strain, but aside from the once a year child's party my daughter is invited to, they never invite us over, even though we invite them to everything.In the 5 years they have been next to us, I have been in their home once. So... then I wonder, what would I be hurting?