How loud is too loud? Neighborhood noise.

My basic question is, what are your thoughts concerning a rock band practicing in a backyard in a residential neighborhood?

Around the end of our block, there are 3 boys, aged approx 11-14, who are forming a rock band. All of them are complete beginners at their instruments. As the weather warmed up, they began playing in their back yards. I am in the 5th house from the corner. The nearest one is 2 yards away from me in the second house from the corner. The other two are around the corner - the second and 5th house in, so their back yards are perpindicular to mine. (Does that make any sense?)

I like to spend a lot of time in my back yard. My wife and I do a lot of gardening. And we prefer having the windows open when possible. When they practice, you cannot conduct a conversation in normal tones in my back yard. And it is clearly audible inside my house with the windows closed.

When we called the one house, the mother said “I know whhat you are calling about. I’ll have them quiet down.” And she hung up on us. No apology or anything. And tho the volume was reduced, they started up again at full volume the next day.

On Sat, one kid was playing guitar chords at high volume in his backyard two yards down from us. We walked down and talked to the mom who was gardening in front of her house. When we said it bothered us, she said it didn’t bother her. And she said they checked the local ordinances, and it wasn’t expressly prohibited. Which I commented was real neighborly on her part. She said, “They’re just kids.” Which I suggested was all the more reason they should not be allowed to annoy the entire neghborhood. Needless to say, I was unsuccessful in convincing her of the reasonableness of our request.

On Monday, while I was at work, they started up louder than ever before. My wife called the cops. After asking/telling the kids to hold it down, they came around and told my wife that there was not an ordinance preventing loud noise during daytime hours, and the only thing we could do is pursue a private nuisance suit. We are both lawyers, and could do that if we wanted at little cost other than time and effort, but we really would rather not.

I should point out that we are not the only people who are annoyed by this. But a good number of folk are uncomfortable confronting the noisemakers. I know of at least one other household that has spoken with the parents of the band members, and called the cops.

Also, I should say I used to be in bands, so I have some exerience in how loud they are. IMO, it is pretty much a given that rock bands are too loud to practice outside in residential areas. Of course, I would make exceptions for parties and the like. But not just practice on a regular basis.

When I was a kid, I couldn’t imagine my parents allowing me to play my music at a volume that would bother my neighbors. Here, it seems as tho the kids are almost encouraged to do so. And I really hate the fact that in my efforts to express my desire to enjoy relative peace in my backyard, I am coming across (at least in some peoples’ minds) as the unreasonable party.

So - what do you think?

I think that you and the other neighbors need to keep hounding these kids’ parents. It sounds like they won’t take action unless you keep on top of them about it, and that the police probably will be little help.

I’ve been in a few bands, and we always practiced indoors, usually in the basement. Practicing regularly outside is inconsiderate and the parents are inviting a lawsuit if they allow it to continue.

Maybe if you casually mention to them that the police suggested that you take private legal action (I presume that your neighbors know your professions), that you can effect a change without actually threatening directly.

Yes, they are just kids. But the parents should know better!

Hmmmm…it’s summer, so this is probably going to happen a lot.

I threw a summer party when I was in high school and was lucky to have a live band on my porch. Sadly, the neighbor in the yard behind mind was in the direct path of the speakers (mind you, I have a big yard) and saw fit to complain to my mother AND the cops. The cops did nothing, of course; no ordinance was violated. My mom raised a stink, but the band played on and the middle digit was raised.

Chances are, the spirit of youth would rather rebel against the “old folks” down the street than quit playing. Kids, unfortunately, never see things from their elders’ experience, mostly because they haven’t experienced it yet. (Hence, kids can openly defy a curfew or set bedtime because they just don’t get as exhausted as us oldies do after only 3 hours of sleep.) So outside petitioning the township for a daytime noise ordinance (which will make you appear to be a bigger ass in the kids’ eyes) or convincing mom, I doubt they’ll change.

My suggestion: band together with all your neighbors, and have everyone mow the lawn at the same time they’re playing. They’ll get the hint. :smiley:

Step #1–Go to your local electronics store and buy the biggest, loudest, bassiest speakers you can find.

Step #2–Go to your local music store and buy the dorkiest, most annoying music you can find. (think Pat Boone or John Tesh)

Step #3–Set up speakers on your rear porch.

Step #4–Play music at highest volume level possible whenever the rockstars start warming up.

hey–it probably wouldn’t work, but it’d be more fun than suffering in “silence” :slight_smile:

bella

In a similar vein to belladonna’s suggestion, consider how enlightening it might be for these folks to discover one day around sunrise (daylight hours, after all) that someone had rigged one of those air horns guys at football games like to use to express their emotions in such a way that it sounded continuously and had tossed it into a particularly inaccessible portion of their home, like their gutters.

Perhaps then they would have a better appreciation for nuisance noise intruding into their lives.

while I agree with all the people that say “fight back”, but I doubt that will work (although it would be fun)

so if you want to stay in these kid’s good graces, and don’t want to involve the courts and piss off their parents… there is a solution if you don’t mind spending a couple bucks.

some lazy saturday afternoon, hit a local guitar shop and ask them about an entry level, middle of the road, (nothing too special) 4 or 8 track recorder, and a few sets of fairly high quality head phones (don’t buy just yet, just get prices… I’d rattle off numbers, but I’ve been out of the music life for 6 or so years now).

If the total is within your comfort level to make this stop, then:
next time they’re practicing, walk over in a neighborly way, tell the parent(s) that you have a proposition about their practicing volumes that should be mutually beneficial (quiet for them and all the neighbors).

Tell the kids some load of BS along the lines of “we appreciate art, and like encouraging young artists… but we also like quiet.” and then explain that you’d be willing to buy them a (4 or 8, whichever you choose) track recorder, and headphones… provided that whenever they practice outside, they don’t use their stacks, they only use the mixer/(4 or 8) track with the headphones… that way it can be as loud for them as they want, and as quiet for you as you want.

Being lawyers, you should easily be able to draft up a legally binding forebearance agreement. Make it something somewhat draconian, (I began spewing psuedo law, then I remembered that you’re lawyers, so write something yourself about how in exchange for the stuff you’re buying them, they agree to only practice outside while keeping it less than 70 decibels [noisy resturant] or 60 [normal conversational level)… include a penalty of [whatever you think will make you happy, and make the parents fearful enough to help you inforce it])

so basically everybody wins, you get silence, you are the heroes of the neighborhood, the kids can practice to their hearts’ content, and the kids’ parents don’t have to hear it either… ofcourse it will cost you a couple bux, but if you’re billing like my lawyer does, just work another hour or two :wink:

one more little thing… these kids are probably in/approaching the miscreant years (think egging of cars, waxing of windows, forking of lawns, spray paint)… if you avoid being the neighborhood asshole in these kids’ eyes, you might end up spending less.

yeah, it sux, but I can’t think of a better way to handle it… well, no legal ways.

DOH DOH DOH!

I forgot one important part… have all the parents sign said document too, it’s probably un-enforceable against the youngsters.

explain to the parents the benefits, quiet etc… also the kids will probably be pushing for it anyhow, “wow, a free 4 track, cool”