Anyone ever have a porch/exterior light dispute with a neighbor? (Warning: Contains CasaMugs problem)

casa_mugrienta

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Apr 13, 2008
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Great thread, here is my issue:
About 3 years ago on a Sunday afternoon I hear loud music from the neighbor living kitty corner from me. Loud like you could easily hear it from the street in front of my house. This goes on until 8 to 9 pm and I can't take it anymore. I have a real problem with self centered people who don't give a sh1t about others. I go to the corner of my yard where the 4 properties meet and I stand on the fence and yell at him and tell him to please turn down the music, but not in a nice way. We exchange words and after a few minutes of talking we both cool down and he agrees to turn down the music. He tells me if this is ever a problem again to just come over and let him know.
Turns out the house was given to him by his father in law. Total vato, but older around 50ish, covered in ink.

That was it until 2 summers ago when he started playing music again every weekend for hours at a time. Super loud, not just relaxing in the backyard music, but high school kid loud +1.

After about 3 straight weekends of this one day I had enough. I lost my temper and proceeded to tell him he has no respect for anyone else but himself and I don't understand why he can't keep it at a reasonable level.

So since then I have called the cops about 5 times for said music. Each time they turn it down but it is a constant problem, especially in the summer. The cops aren't much help either, even though the City code specifically states that no one shall make any noise or sound that is unreasonably loud or disturbing to neighbors. I have spoken with some of my neighbors and they also don't like it but they are scared to say anything to him or ask him to turn it down.

I have thought about building an amplifier with a horn on a 10ft pole directed at his house and blasting 3kHz tone towards his direction every time he turns up his music, but that is taking it to another level and i am not sure I want to go there.

First step is get your community relations officer involved. Explain the issue. He will go in person and speak directly to the guy. Usually this is pretty effective if your CR officer knows how to be effective.

If that doesn't work, there's a history of phone calls so you and your neighbors file a formal noise complaint. Just print the form and get their signatures. if you want to make some video recordings of the noise to submit that's good too. Use a decibel meter as a bonus. The city will open a case, and when the cops start going to his house for noise he AND his landlord will start getting fines. And the fines are not cheap.
 
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GromsDad

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little story.

'bout 20 yrs ago i bought an adjacent parcel.

neighbor to the east had recently fenced for grazing and even though the line between the two lots had never been surveyed i knew from my years there that his fence was well over the property line on my new parcel

seller lived elsewhere and he didnt want to deal with it, so given the hometown deal we struck on the purchase price, i bought the parcel as is and figured i'd talk to my neighbor and we'd work it out.

i basically guessed we were talking about a couple acres and i had no problem with the neighbor running his sheep there, but i wasnt about to it give it to him or let him claim a prescriptive easement to graze it.

so i went to my neighbor and said basically, look tom, we both know where the corners are and there is no way your fence is even close to the property line. i have no issue with letting you graze some on my property but the way the law reads we need to have an agreement about. so i'll write something up and lease it to you for a dollar.

to which he told me to fook off and sue him if i actually believed he had run his fence over the line.

so i did. which makes me an asshole.

and after the line got surveyed not once but twice by two different surveyors. and he ran through three different lawyers. he wound up pulling his fence, paying my legal fees, selling his place and moving out.

for me the whole experience pretty much sucked balls but i still get along great with the new neighbors. so there is that
I've got that beat. I could write a book. Here is the very very abbreviated version.

I had a new neighbor inherit the adjacent property. They tear down the old house to build new and bigger. They removed two large trees and a beautiful 6-foot high and 5 foot wide forsythia hedge from my side of the property line without asking. I didn't complain or say a word at this stage. I didn't even know the people. They went insane when I got a permit and notified them that I was going to put up a fence on the property line. They thought opening up the property by removing the trees and hedge would give them a bigger yard as they were building as close as zoning would allow to the property line. They harassed the surveyors and chased off the fence contractor. Police involved more than once. City zoning officials came out on site to try to talk some sense into them. This culminated in them showing up while I was at work to cut down the brand new vinyl fence which my 13 year old daughter smartly filmed with her iPod from an upstairs window. Lawyers involved. Charges filed in municipal court. Lawsuits filed in county court.

First the new neighbor lost in municipal court and was ordered to make restitution for all damages. They didn't even know they had been filmed damaging the new fence until they were in court. The idiots tried to claim they didn't do it but we had video and 12 x 18 mounted stills pulled from the video as court exhibits. This cost them a lot of money.

At county court I had to file a lawsuit to settle the property line dispute as a separate matter from the municipal court matter. My case was bulletproof as I was 100% in the right and at every stage had done everything by the book and had documented everything. The dingbats countersued claiming what is called "Adverse Possession". Its a rarely used form of squatters rights.

Their countersuit was a huge blunder on their part but they couldn't leave well enough alone after losing badly in municipal court. By them formally attempting to claim "Adverse Possession" they declared a challenge to my property. Basically claiming that the trees and hedge had been there for 50 years and belonged to their family from day one despite them being on my side of the property line.

Everyone who buys a house with a mortgage gets something called Title Insurance. Most don't know what it is and it rarely ever gets used by anyone. By them countersuing for "Adverse Possession" of my back property line it triggered the Title Insurance. After a call from my lawyer the title insurance company gave me a new lawyer and covered all of my legal costs for the matter in county court. This new lawyer was a real character. When he read everything that had gone on to get to this stage he asked if I minded if he pursued the matter aggressively. Game on. In the end I figure this matter cost these people close to $20,000 between municipal and county court along with legal costs.

About a year later I met the owners of the property adjacent to my neighbor and learned that just prior to my issue beginning these same new neighbors had given them 10 tons of sh!t when they put up their fence as well.

This is the cliff notes version of a 10 month ordeal. I could literally write a book on this. The bizarre thing is these people live an hour away and still own the house and they only occasionally use it. Its a summer house and they might come down every other weekend in season and one full week a summer and occasionally in the offseason to maintain. They never open the blinds and they only enter the yard to quickly mow it. The sad thing is that the lady they inherited the property from was a super neighbor for our first 18 years. The sort of neighbor who brings over cookies when she would bake.
 
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doc_flavonoid

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Dec 27, 2019
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Going Legal always leaves a bad taste in everyones mouths, cept the Lawyers, of course!

:dancing:
back when i was contemplating filing against the neighbor, my dad gave me some cautionary advice.

he said at the time, never sue anyone unless what you stand to lose by not filing is worth $30k to you because thats whats its going to cost you.

all told the sh!t took a year, was a pain in the ass and between the countersuit, lawyers surveyors and fees wound up costing the neighbor around $60k.

too bad, we couldve had a beer and dealt for a $1 if he wasnt so fucking arrogant
 

Autoprax

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Jan 24, 2011
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I had barking dog below me. I know dogs bark but they would go all day. Insistent and angry.

I thought about going down and askin nicely.

But these people let the dog bark when they are outside with it. They look all crazy white trash.

I know it would go badly so I bought one of those sonic anti bark machines.

They haven't been barking lately.

I like that if they start barking, I can just pull the machine out and stick it next to the fence.

That alone makes me manage the dysregualtion I feel due to the barking dogs.
 

CutnSnip

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Sep 11, 2018
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right before i moved - i got anew neighbor next door. ive had two other neighbors in that apartment while i lived there - quiet as a mouse. always wondered how they made so little noise because im relatively loud during the day while owrking from home but never loudenough to get a complaint form neighbors.

New lady is a Influencer/ comedian who took it upon herself to film her content at whatever time of the day/night she chose which included screaming, yelling, musical instruments, etc. sounded like someone was getting raped alot of the time, no joke straight domestic violence style. . If im editing trailers, and i can hear you above that noise - there is a problem.

After two days and before i knew what was going in there, i knocked on the door, introduced myself, and then asked "are you ok"? She said yea why. I said it sounds like you are in trouble every day/night and i was concerned for her well being. She explained what she was doing and that its her job and I needed to get over it. I then talked tothe land lady who had adiscussion with her but the noise continued.

One night she started around midnight, woke me up and i sleep like im in a coma. I called the cops with the domestic violence complaint, and what do you know - the next couple weeks you could hear a pin drop again. Lots of stinkeye after that though but worth it. Sometimes you just got to be a snitch.
 

Bob Dobbalina

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Feb 23, 2016
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New lady is a Influencer/ comedian who took it upon herself to film her content at whatever time of the day/night she chose which included screaming, yelling, musical instruments, etc. sounded like someone was getting raped alot of the time, no joke straight domestic violence style. . If im editing trailers, and i can hear you above that noise - there is a problem.

After two days and before i knew what was going in there, i knocked on the door, introduced myself, and then asked "are you ok"? She said yea why. I said it sounds like you are in trouble every day/night and i was concerned for her well being. She explained what she was doing and that its her job and I needed to get over it. I then talked tothe land lady who had adiscussion with her but the noise continued.
20 something?
 

Bob Dobbalina

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Feb 23, 2016
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i think early 30's. She actually has quite the following on IG. 75,000 followers or something - props/ comments from established comedians. Either way - I wasnt impressed :shameonyou:
early 30's is the new 20 something.

Lack of awareness and self entitlement up the wazoo.

Maybe this just means I'm getting old.



also. spill the goods. what's her handle?
 

surfapotomus

OTF status
Jan 21, 2014
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on a leash
I live below twins, a 4 year boy and girl. I hear them constantly, pretty much whenever they're home they're running around or banging on something. Those monsters just never stop moving. I complain once in a while when it gets really bad, and the neighbors are somewhat receptive. But, I understand that there is only so much they can do about controlling a couple of 4 year olds. These parents are definitely outmatched. I basically just keep my fingers crossed that the next moving van at our building is for them.

On the flip side, I've definitely been that neighbor that you don't want to live next to. There were many loud and late nights back in the day. Present day me would've killed 20 something me if we were neighbors.
 
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Bob Dobbalina

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I live below twins, a 4 year boy and girl. I hear them constantly, pretty much whenever they're home they're running around or banging on something. Those monsters just never stop moving. I complain once in a while when it gets really bad, and the neighbors are somewhat receptive. But, I understand that there is only so much they can do about controlling a couple of 4 year olds. These parents are definitely outmatched. I basically just keep my fingers crossed that the next moving van at our building is for them.

On the flip side, I've definitely been that neighbor that you don't want to live next to. There were many loud and late nights back in the day. Present day me would've killed 20 something me if we were neighbors.
My 2.5 year old is pretty stompy, but she's here 2-4 days a week. I'm still working on getting thick mats under all the rugs.
We were REALLY spoiled in our last place. No shared walls. Not attached to another building. Elderley, single lady underneath us. Quiet neighbors in the building. Good insulation.
 

SurfFuerteventura

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Sep 20, 2014
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No way I could put it all down... It would take 3 books.

Cliff notes in bullet points...

- moved in 2004 after buying and building the first home on an unpaved street, views to the ocean from every west window, volcanoes from the east, north/south just open land as far as the eye can see.

-2021 paved street, 3 neighbors to the north, east and west, goat farm to the south. Lights on said paved street, on at dusk off at dawn.

Some lovely soul spray painted all the ones in front of our house so they only light up yhe street below, because the rest glow like light houses. Think it was the goat farmer, cause the constant light cycle probably messed with the milk production.... though I thank that he did all 4 sides of the lamp. Funny enough, weather has faded the other 3, and now only our side is blacked out. He seems to have given up cause he never repainted... I do though, every year! :dancing:

Had pets killed by neighboring drunk limeys, court battle and all... They still own the place, for sale, they rent somewhere else in town, rarely see the bastard luckily.

Plants killed by neighbor terrace lights. (See above post for quick easy solution).

Fence disputes with other limeys to the north.

Such a long list of etc... But, if not, it wouldn't be the lobg strange trip it's been.

(I use the despective term limey not against UK peoples, who I am quite fond of when they can be called people, but some of the "things" they export cannot be called people, so in an effort to save the many good UK folks from being mixed with this ilk, which surely they themselves would like to sweep under a rug, the term 'limey' gets used to describe the "anglotrash". If you've had the displeasure of running across them, you know of the knuckle draggers of which I speak )
 

Ifallalot

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Dec 17, 2008
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Backstory: Neighborhood was literally pitch black when I moved here, which was one of the selling points. No streetlights until a few years ago, but for the most part pretty dark. No issues with neighbors lighting. . . Until a few nights ago. House with adjacent backyard installed a very bright porch light between their house and detached garage. One of those half dome deals that lights up everything around it and does not point in any one direction. Even with my bedroom blinds closed (2" horizontal wood, they're fabulous) it's still bright.

So I decided to take the diplomatic approach. I walked over, politely introduced myself and asked if she could either turn it off at night or install a motion sensor. i could tell that she was immediately salty from me even asking for her attention. She replies, "It already has a motion sensor". I say "no, it's on all night, so it's not motion activated". She says, "Oh, I mean dusk til dawn" and goes on to explain that she has security concerns and is in the process of renovating for a sale. I ask if she would consider getting a different fixture that doesn't light up every direction, and would even help pay for it, and she bruskly shot that down and basically told me to install blackout curtains.

At that point I said, "Well, it'd be nice if you could have a little bit of consideration for your neighbors" and that's when she exploded :roflmao: and said "SIR THAT IS vERY RUDE!!! YOU CAN INSTALL CURTAINS!!!"

In fairness, I understand that she is probably stressed out with the renovation, sale and security issues. Or that if I were to move into a well lit neighborhood, it would be on me to keep the light out. I also respect the rights of homeowners to do with and secure their home as they wish.

That said, is it really unreasonable to ask your neighbor to be considerate with their lighting? I've always felt that people who feel the need to light up the whole neighborhood are basically a rung on the ladder below people who drive under the speed limit in the left lane as being most deserved of being slowly lowered into a barrel of acid.

The local ordinance appears to be on my side, so I will Karen the city tomorrow. Anybody have luck with this sort of thing after failing at going the neighborly route?
She's renovating for a flip, right?

Fuck her then, tattleKaren to the city.

It would feel better to damage the light, but if you're going to Karen out you need to be clean
 
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Autoprax

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If I owned my own place, I would sound proof a room.

People rent out the place next door to where I live. The owners build an elevated patio to have a view of the ocean, so people look down into my back yard.

People will be in vacation mode when I have to get up for work in the morning.

I get that you want to have fun on vacation.

It's weird how people on vacation make a certain kind of sound.

I know that sound. It must be the sound of being with family and knowing you don't have to go to work that week.

It makes me think of my family vacations years ago and how my parents are dead.

Then I get a sad nostalgia.
 

grapedrink

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May 21, 2011
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She's renovating for a flip, right?

fook her then, tattleKaren to the city.

It would feel better to damage the light, but if you're going to Karen out you need to be clean
Yes. Property was bought 1.5 years ago and is on a double lot. Looks like she is converting the detached garage into a rental and splitting off the house lot for a sale. Nobody is living there at the moment. Which explains why she doesn’t give a crap about crapping on her neighbors, because we aren’t really her neighbors.

House has cameras all around and I’ve already identified myself as someone with a grievance, so not an option.
 
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santacruzin

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Oct 17, 2007
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Fence disputes with other limeys to the north.


(I use the despective term limey not against UK peoples, who I am quite fond of when they can be called people, but some of the "things" they export cannot be called people, so in an effort to save the many good UK folks from being mixed with this ilk, which surely they themselves would like to sweep under a rug, the term 'limey' gets used to describe the "anglotrash". If you've had the displeasure of running across them, you know of the knuckle draggers of which I speak )
Just call them "northerners" hahahaha
 

GromsDad

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Yes. Property was bought 1.5 years ago and is on a double lot. Looks like she is converting the detached garage into a rental and splitting off the house lot for a sale. Nobody is living there at the moment. Which explains why she doesn’t give a crap about crapping on her neighbors, because we aren’t really her neighbors.

House has cameras all around and I’ve already identified myself as someone with a grievance, so not an option.
Any time they have a real estate showing be an asshole. Play loud music. Be annoying. drag down their sale price and chase buyers away.
 

grapedrink

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Any time they have a real estate showing be an asshole. Play loud music. Be annoying. drag down their sale price and chase buyers away.
In escrow, too late for that kinda fun :foreheadslap: Banking on the new owners being decent people, but it will be tricky approaching them about this while they are moving in and getting settled.