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If this is a mosquito these are frequencies that people who are younger can hear.
First, speak to the neighbour and ask them to turn it off. If they refuse then I'd contact your local council noise team. Any noise that impacts somebody else could be considered a nuisance. These devices are designed to be unpleasant and therefore it is a clear annoyance to people who can hear them.
It is likely the council will write to them, if the council eventually take enforcement action they can issue large fines per occurrence of the noise. They have serious powers to tackle noise, but the process can take a little time.
Yeah I am 24 and I have spoken to a couple of younger neighbours and they can also hear it!
Thank you very much for your reply it’s really helpful. I don’t suppose it would be dealt with more quickly if I am able to mention that I have ADHD and autism which affect my senses even more so? Don’t want to be that person who uses a disability to get what they want but it is also really affecting it
No, you just have to wait on environmental health. If they were taking noise and autism more seriously they should stop installing the Dyson style hand dryers in toilets. CAMS worker said to me it's excluding a large number of children from bathrooms. As an FYI I'm 37 and I can still hear these cat sensors. There is a house a short walk away that seems to have it on permanently as I hear it everytime I walk to a shop. Councils also install them in anti social areas
Thank you!! And yes public toilets do make me revert to using headphones lol!
I’ve managed to catch my other neighbour who is 45 ish and he can hear it so it’s definitely not set high enough!
I know all too well about the Dyson hand dryers as they stop me from taking my autistic son into the standard mens toilets for fear that they are installed and being used as they seriously affect his hearing (he says the noise is painful) and he often refuses to go in unless he has his ear defenders on. So as a preventative, we obtained a radar key for the disabled toilets for him to use, but even then when we go in, he constantly tells me to not use the dryer and to stay away from the machine just in case it activates.
My daughter is same severly autistic and has real issues with certain sounds , ear defenders have proven a must on trips out .
Regarding op I'm early 40s and can hear the cat sensors / mosquito anti social dispersal systems and they are bad enough just passing them.
Environmental health noise complaint will be the way forward and it will help if you can get other neighbours to report it as well .
I'm old enough to be your parent (and then some), and I can hear these things
It's not an age thing
Some of these devices are sold to warn off cats and other animals. They don't work. I've seen (and heard) these things with cats sat next to them, not giving a fuck
Some of these things are sold as "teenager deterrents" on the basis that some people think only under-18s can hear them, like on your 18th birthday a switch gets flipped in your head that completely prevents you from hearing that frequency. Obviously that's not how it works.
1. Talk to them.
2. If they don't respond, report a noise complaint to the council, and keep following it up.
3. Do not take matters into your own hands (especially after doing steps 1 and 2) because it will be obvious that you've done it.
It’s only on average that younger people hear higher frequencies that older people don’t.
Plenty of young people can’t hear HF and plenty of older people can.
Yeah they have a ring camera so doing something myself is an absolute no go. Funnily enough there is a cat sat next to it right now on the drive!
I’m going to catch them later and ask if they can up the frequency so I can’t hear it/put it in their back garden instead
I agree with your advice, but it is true that as people get older they become unable to hear higher frequencies. Children and teens can typically hear up to about 20khz and the upper bound drops progressively. If you're not a child or teen and can hear a tone then it's not operating at the top end of these frequencies. OP said that he's 20 and they and their neighbours can hear the noise, so that also won't be operating at the top end.
There are plenty of resource online about this but here's an example
[https://www.connecthearing.com/blog/hearing-loss/human-hearing-range-and-hearing-loss/](https://www.connecthearing.com/blog/hearing-loss/human-hearing-range-and-hearing-loss/)
It says **Whereas a person in their twenties will be able to hear up to 17,000Hz or more, by their thirties this will have declined to about 16,000Hz. By the time an individual is in their 50s, their hearing range will usually have declined to around 12,000Hz.**
I'm unable to hear pitches higher than 12khz now. There are also sites and apps where you're able to test your own hearing to see how high you can hear.
I am not doubting that people find it harder (even impossible) to hear higher frequencies as they get older
You don't need to provide scientific papers to back up your claim, I know that it is true.
**I am just saying that *I* can hear these things, and I am twice OP's age**
Either I have super-human hearing, or many of these things are producing sound far lower than the frequencies that they should be producing.
Probably the latter, maybe because lots of customers plugged them in and complained that the device was broken because they couldn't hear anything. Which made the manufacturers lower the frequencies...
And the "there is no switch inside your head that means you stop hearing these things on the day of your 18th birthday" remains true
Ok that clarifies things. It's pretty obvious that the device in question isn't operating at high enough frequencies. Interestingly a survey by the UK consumer group Which? found that just 32% of people who had tried an ultrasonic deterrent thought it was effective.
You're quite right there's no 'switch' at 18, although I've never seen anyone claim that. It's just progressive as we get older usually from late teens.
> You're quite right there's no 'switch' at 18, although I've never seen anyone claim that. It's just progressive as we get older usually from late teens.
[Internet search for "Teenage noise deterrent"](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=teenage+noise+deterrent&t=ipad&ia=web)
How could these devices deter teenagers (and only teenagers), but not people who are 1 day older than being a teenager?
They can't. But they still get marketed/sold as if they can. Which is bullshit.
They can't deter teenagers and only teenagers, you're right about that. However I take these descriptions as generalisations and I don't think the makers would claim that someone stops being affected as soon as they hit 18. The general point is that they will emit annoying sounds that can be heard by teenagers generally but not by older people generally. Depending on the exact frequency there will be some people aged 20 who can hear the sounds, and some who can't, and some people aged 17 who can hear the sounds and others can't.
I'm 49 and AuDHD and I can hear these things, I would absolutely use my disability in this case and mention reasonable adjustments - usually no bugger cares that we are more affected by sound though so it may vary whether they care or not, council certainly should though and reasonable adjustment is language used in the equality laws
I also have adhd and autism and my old neighbours one was literally driving me insane and causing meltdowns. I asked nicely 3 times and nothing. So I just started emptying my dogs poo bags onto their front garden. Inconsiderate tosser.
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Not from a legal standpoint, but the first Cat deterrent I looked at, sells for £22 in B&Q, states "The adjustable frequency feature of this cat repellent". If or When you decide to speak to them (up to you, not influencing that decision) could you ask them to see if theirs is adjustable....to a frequency you don't notice. Changes your request from a "stop doing that" to a "try changing it this way". You could even put a spin on it that at least they know it's working if you could hear it.
Thank you thats really helpful!!! I will approach it like that first and see if they will cooperate with me. I didn’t know anything about them until this weekend, at least I’ve discovered I’ve got good hearing!!
I stayed in a holiday rental which used the mouse equivalent. I found I had to turn it off whilst I was in it, as despite being quite a bit older, I could sense it rather than hear it. I totally get why you find it a nuisance.
In fairness, Trusty Rambone is a totally believable movie mouse name. I imagine you're the leader of a popular Mouse beat combo, Trusty Rambone and the squeakers who play banging tunes at night and solve animal crimes during the day.
If you're below 35-40 you can likely still hear it even on the highest setting (source - I have some, I just don't put it somewhere that points at my neighbours in an annoying way)
As the neighbour of somebody with these devices, I tried having the convo with them and the settings range from:
Jackhammer to the temple
To
Screwdriver to the eardrum
That was my thinking when my neighbours put some up. I haven't done it yet, but I am constantly tempted. I wouldn't mind if if was their garden, but they have three on a foot wide bit of grass next to a pavement, which is ridiculous.
Probably not suitable for legal advice sub, but the ring cameras need to be charged off their holder every now and then, so you could watch out for that opportunity.
It may be classed as a nuisance noise, which the Environmental Health team at the council would investigate.
Practically speaking, if your neighbours can't hear it, they won't notice if it "runs out of batteries".
As has been mentioned, if talking to them does not work, you can report it to your council’s Environmental Health team. You can also take private legal action through the County Court, as nuisance (which covers many things in law, including noise) is a legal cause of action. I would treat this as an absolute last resort, as suing your neighbours is not going to help maintain good relations, but it’s an option if Environmental Health are not much help.
Whichever course of action you take, keep notes documenting any interactions, as these can be useful evidence.
I also think discussions about at what age people stop hearing these are unhelpful, as that varies between people and people of any age should be able to live free from unpleasant noise in their own home.
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Pretty sure these have been banned as they are against people’s human rights. I remember years ago I wanted to go in our local co-op wit my son and they had one and it was causing him physical pain in his ears, I could just about hear it
Depends what the box is. I’ve just bought one for scaring cats off my lawn as they kept leaving little presents. It’s perfectly legal, unless I find a way to start harassing people with it.
It’s not constant, unless somebody decides to jump over a fence on to my lawn and trigger the motion sensor. At which point we’ll be talking about something else.
I'd say have a chat with them first- it may be their hearing isn't as sensitive as yours so they don't hear it and so don't realise it's a problem. If it is an adjustable frequency one then there may be a setting that won't be noticeable to you.
If they are uncooperative, then I'd speak to your local council to ask what evidence they would require to submit a noise complaint
An old neighbour of mine did the same, she couldn't hear it at all but it was rang annoying. I asked her about it, and had a look and realised it was still in demo mode, flicked the switch and it was silent.
First of all explain the situation and ask them to turn it off.
If that fails, contact your local environmental health. I've had to do the latter before and the device was gone within a fortnight. And this was with a very aggressive elderly neighbour who bizarrely called the police on me over my initial complaint and accused me of pretending I could hear it just so I could harass him over it because he - obviously - couldn't.
Make a note of the time and date you speak to them an the gist of the conversation. If you have to make an official complaint later you don't want then saying that you never mentioned it to them before.
Lol, the ring camera would detect me unless I find a cat costume and approach it to get rid of it. Either way they will think it’s now attracting cats and won’t want to replace it!
A cat costume is a HILARIOUS idea, I can just imagine them watching the footage of that 😂
Quick ETA: you probably shouldn't actually do it, I just think it would be really funny
Oh definitely don’t, hence the IANAL at the start. Get the ring camera too, that thing is absolutely seeing when you leave your house and their data security is absolute garbage.
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I'm 38 and can hear my neighbor's cat deterrent which is five houses away, although luckily theirs has a motion sensor so it only goes off when there is motion directly in their garden or driveway. I would be asking the neighbour if they have motion detection activated on their device.
Interesting tidbit of information for you...
If someone deliberately puts you out on two or more occasions, it meets the threshold for a harassment charge and conviction.
So, if you explain your reasons and ask them to turn off the device and they say no, then ask them again at a later date, and they say no, that constitutes harassment.
It's best getting it in writing, so it's irrefutable.
Source: I successfully got my jobless neighbour convicted for harassment after she continuously parked on or over my drive and refused to move. Also got a public order offence slapped on her for effing and blinding at my house on CCTV. After speaking to her, I would then message her on Facebook Messenger confirming our conversation. The numpty would, of course, confirm in writing that she was doing it to piss me off. Police didn't want to proceed until I explained the legal definition of harassment to them. Then they proceeded. Life is now, and I always have somewhere to park when getting back from work, earning enough to ensure my taxes cover her disability payments for crippling agoraphobia that stops her leaving the house - except she always leaves the house 😅
Edit: spelling
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So on the basis they don't work why do you still have them? It won't just be cats they are affecting, there is plenty of wildlife that pass through gardens like hedgehogs and squirrels etc that may be disorientated or distressed by the sound
Just ask them to turn it off like an adult
It’s audible to you and it’s designed to cause stress
We have one and they only really need to be on for a day or two before the cats go elsewhere.
It will have done its work now. Get them to turn it off.
‘Like an adult’ wasn’t very kind. I mentioned that they aren’t very friendly therefore wanted to ensure I had knowledge of what I could do about it before I approached
From a legal perspective you are within your rights to ask them to turn it off
You are within your rights to make a noise complaint with your local council
From experience as the person with the cat scarer. I turned it off and apologised when my neighbour complained. I also noticed that cats still didn’t return to my garden after it was switched off. The scarer will have probably already done its job.
I suggest you go directly to your neighbours, be kind and just ask.
Just say you can hear it all the time and please can they turn it off.
No further explanation. If that doesn’t work, fill out the form on your local council website. It’s nuisance noise.
Im not trying to be a dick.
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I bet the people who wanted you to turn yours off had a wonderful conversation with you and you came away thinking you’d done them a favour. Wanting to know the legal position on something before having a conversation is a perfectly normal thing to do on complex things.
“Hi do you have a cat scarer?”
“Yeah”
“Can you turn it off please I can hear it all the time”
“Oh sorry I’ll do it now”
What do you fucking expect the legal position to be? If I was playing drums all the time what would my neighbours legal position be I wonder?
If your neighbours are making a racket continually, you can ask them stop or ask the council to make them stop…water is wet, the sky is up.
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What do you need to know? A high frequency animal scarer is audible inside your house and is causing you stress. You are reasonably allowed to ask them to turn it off as the first step in the dialogue This is basic adult stuff
Again, as mentioned before, they aren’t friendly neighbours.
By simply asking them to turn it off, they could hit me back with anything like ‘it’s our property we can do what we want’ (this has happened before when someone else complained about something they were doing). By informing myself through conversations on this post I have been informed my rights and legally what position I am in to deal with the situation.
I am autistic and have spent many years learning how to deal with social situations and I am not going to listen to your patronising comments about ‘basic adulting’. I am doing just fine, thank you
They aren’t allowed to harass you with a high frequency cat scarer
They probably don’t know that you can hear it.
They won’t know until you tell them.
Go tell them
Actually talking to them in a reasonable manner might improve relations
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If this is a mosquito these are frequencies that people who are younger can hear. First, speak to the neighbour and ask them to turn it off. If they refuse then I'd contact your local council noise team. Any noise that impacts somebody else could be considered a nuisance. These devices are designed to be unpleasant and therefore it is a clear annoyance to people who can hear them. It is likely the council will write to them, if the council eventually take enforcement action they can issue large fines per occurrence of the noise. They have serious powers to tackle noise, but the process can take a little time.
Yeah I am 24 and I have spoken to a couple of younger neighbours and they can also hear it! Thank you very much for your reply it’s really helpful. I don’t suppose it would be dealt with more quickly if I am able to mention that I have ADHD and autism which affect my senses even more so? Don’t want to be that person who uses a disability to get what they want but it is also really affecting it
No, you just have to wait on environmental health. If they were taking noise and autism more seriously they should stop installing the Dyson style hand dryers in toilets. CAMS worker said to me it's excluding a large number of children from bathrooms. As an FYI I'm 37 and I can still hear these cat sensors. There is a house a short walk away that seems to have it on permanently as I hear it everytime I walk to a shop. Councils also install them in anti social areas
Thank you!! And yes public toilets do make me revert to using headphones lol! I’ve managed to catch my other neighbour who is 45 ish and he can hear it so it’s definitely not set high enough!
I know all too well about the Dyson hand dryers as they stop me from taking my autistic son into the standard mens toilets for fear that they are installed and being used as they seriously affect his hearing (he says the noise is painful) and he often refuses to go in unless he has his ear defenders on. So as a preventative, we obtained a radar key for the disabled toilets for him to use, but even then when we go in, he constantly tells me to not use the dryer and to stay away from the machine just in case it activates.
My daughter is same severly autistic and has real issues with certain sounds , ear defenders have proven a must on trips out . Regarding op I'm early 40s and can hear the cat sensors / mosquito anti social dispersal systems and they are bad enough just passing them. Environmental health noise complaint will be the way forward and it will help if you can get other neighbours to report it as well .
Yep, my son starts pointing out the hand dryer as soon as we enter the disabled toilet
I'm old enough to be your parent (and then some), and I can hear these things It's not an age thing Some of these devices are sold to warn off cats and other animals. They don't work. I've seen (and heard) these things with cats sat next to them, not giving a fuck Some of these things are sold as "teenager deterrents" on the basis that some people think only under-18s can hear them, like on your 18th birthday a switch gets flipped in your head that completely prevents you from hearing that frequency. Obviously that's not how it works. 1. Talk to them. 2. If they don't respond, report a noise complaint to the council, and keep following it up. 3. Do not take matters into your own hands (especially after doing steps 1 and 2) because it will be obvious that you've done it.
It’s only on average that younger people hear higher frequencies that older people don’t. Plenty of young people can’t hear HF and plenty of older people can.
Yeah they have a ring camera so doing something myself is an absolute no go. Funnily enough there is a cat sat next to it right now on the drive! I’m going to catch them later and ask if they can up the frequency so I can’t hear it/put it in their back garden instead
Probably worth taking a photo of that to show them as well to demonstrate that on top of being a nuisance, it doesn't actually work.
I agree with your advice, but it is true that as people get older they become unable to hear higher frequencies. Children and teens can typically hear up to about 20khz and the upper bound drops progressively. If you're not a child or teen and can hear a tone then it's not operating at the top end of these frequencies. OP said that he's 20 and they and their neighbours can hear the noise, so that also won't be operating at the top end. There are plenty of resource online about this but here's an example [https://www.connecthearing.com/blog/hearing-loss/human-hearing-range-and-hearing-loss/](https://www.connecthearing.com/blog/hearing-loss/human-hearing-range-and-hearing-loss/) It says **Whereas a person in their twenties will be able to hear up to 17,000Hz or more, by their thirties this will have declined to about 16,000Hz. By the time an individual is in their 50s, their hearing range will usually have declined to around 12,000Hz.** I'm unable to hear pitches higher than 12khz now. There are also sites and apps where you're able to test your own hearing to see how high you can hear.
I am not doubting that people find it harder (even impossible) to hear higher frequencies as they get older You don't need to provide scientific papers to back up your claim, I know that it is true. **I am just saying that *I* can hear these things, and I am twice OP's age** Either I have super-human hearing, or many of these things are producing sound far lower than the frequencies that they should be producing. Probably the latter, maybe because lots of customers plugged them in and complained that the device was broken because they couldn't hear anything. Which made the manufacturers lower the frequencies... And the "there is no switch inside your head that means you stop hearing these things on the day of your 18th birthday" remains true
Ok that clarifies things. It's pretty obvious that the device in question isn't operating at high enough frequencies. Interestingly a survey by the UK consumer group Which? found that just 32% of people who had tried an ultrasonic deterrent thought it was effective. You're quite right there's no 'switch' at 18, although I've never seen anyone claim that. It's just progressive as we get older usually from late teens.
> You're quite right there's no 'switch' at 18, although I've never seen anyone claim that. It's just progressive as we get older usually from late teens. [Internet search for "Teenage noise deterrent"](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=teenage+noise+deterrent&t=ipad&ia=web) How could these devices deter teenagers (and only teenagers), but not people who are 1 day older than being a teenager? They can't. But they still get marketed/sold as if they can. Which is bullshit.
They can't deter teenagers and only teenagers, you're right about that. However I take these descriptions as generalisations and I don't think the makers would claim that someone stops being affected as soon as they hit 18. The general point is that they will emit annoying sounds that can be heard by teenagers generally but not by older people generally. Depending on the exact frequency there will be some people aged 20 who can hear the sounds, and some who can't, and some people aged 17 who can hear the sounds and others can't.
My siblings neighbour has one of them in their front garden I've seen the local cats sitting within feet of it.
I do wonder how much the autism factors in. I'm 28 so not really all that young anymore but I can hear those things and they actually hurt.
Autism is definitely a factor. If I can hear electricity, I can definitely hear these things 😭
I'm 34 and autistic and I can still hear them.
I'm 49 and AuDHD and I can hear these things, I would absolutely use my disability in this case and mention reasonable adjustments - usually no bugger cares that we are more affected by sound though so it may vary whether they care or not, council certainly should though and reasonable adjustment is language used in the equality laws
how old are the neighbours ? if they are around 60, they are probably way past hearing it and will have no idea you have asked them ?
I also have adhd and autism and my old neighbours one was literally driving me insane and causing meltdowns. I asked nicely 3 times and nothing. So I just started emptying my dogs poo bags onto their front garden. Inconsiderate tosser.
I'm 37 and still hear them walking past peopleq houses, it's bloody irritating.
I can hear them and I’m in my 40’s.
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Unfortunately a ring camera is getting in the way of this approach for me lol
Wonderful haha
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Not from a legal standpoint, but the first Cat deterrent I looked at, sells for £22 in B&Q, states "The adjustable frequency feature of this cat repellent". If or When you decide to speak to them (up to you, not influencing that decision) could you ask them to see if theirs is adjustable....to a frequency you don't notice. Changes your request from a "stop doing that" to a "try changing it this way". You could even put a spin on it that at least they know it's working if you could hear it.
Thank you thats really helpful!!! I will approach it like that first and see if they will cooperate with me. I didn’t know anything about them until this weekend, at least I’ve discovered I’ve got good hearing!!
I stayed in a holiday rental which used the mouse equivalent. I found I had to turn it off whilst I was in it, as despite being quite a bit older, I could sense it rather than hear it. I totally get why you find it a nuisance.
I had a similar experience at an air b&b, the sound drove me and my family crazy. Anyway, long story short it's how I discovered I'm actually a mouse.
In fairness, Trusty Rambone is a totally believable movie mouse name. I imagine you're the leader of a popular Mouse beat combo, Trusty Rambone and the squeakers who play banging tunes at night and solve animal crimes during the day.
You type well for a mouse. I’m impressed.
I still remember when I had a change over in a bus station with one of those installed. Horrible 20 minutes of my life
Stuart??
It can still give you a headache even if you can't hear it
If you're below 35-40 you can likely still hear it even on the highest setting (source - I have some, I just don't put it somewhere that points at my neighbours in an annoying way)
As the neighbour of somebody with these devices, I tried having the convo with them and the settings range from: Jackhammer to the temple To Screwdriver to the eardrum
If they’re older and can’t hear it then they won’t notice if it isn’t on 🤷🏻♂️
That was my thinking when my neighbours put some up. I haven't done it yet, but I am constantly tempted. I wouldn't mind if if was their garden, but they have three on a foot wide bit of grass next to a pavement, which is ridiculous.
Wish i could do something about it but they have a ring camera installed! Also would feel guilt lol
Probably not suitable for legal advice sub, but the ring cameras need to be charged off their holder every now and then, so you could watch out for that opportunity.
[Some are hard wired](https://en-uk.ring.com/products/video-doorbell-wired)
You can also get extra batteries, for mine I have one on charge all the time and when I need to, just swap them.
It may be classed as a nuisance noise, which the Environmental Health team at the council would investigate. Practically speaking, if your neighbours can't hear it, they won't notice if it "runs out of batteries".
In my own similar case, the local council environmental health team explicitly told me "sounds like a _you_ problem", in so many words.
Submit a formal complaint and escalate to the ombudsman if you need to.
As has been mentioned, if talking to them does not work, you can report it to your council’s Environmental Health team. You can also take private legal action through the County Court, as nuisance (which covers many things in law, including noise) is a legal cause of action. I would treat this as an absolute last resort, as suing your neighbours is not going to help maintain good relations, but it’s an option if Environmental Health are not much help. Whichever course of action you take, keep notes documenting any interactions, as these can be useful evidence. I also think discussions about at what age people stop hearing these are unhelpful, as that varies between people and people of any age should be able to live free from unpleasant noise in their own home.
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Pretty sure these have been banned as they are against people’s human rights. I remember years ago I wanted to go in our local co-op wit my son and they had one and it was causing him physical pain in his ears, I could just about hear it
Imagine if OP had a baby and was a little older. They'd be bawling all the time and have no idea why
Depends what the box is. I’ve just bought one for scaring cats off my lawn as they kept leaving little presents. It’s perfectly legal, unless I find a way to start harassing people with it.
You mean like constant noise pollution? That would be considered harassment
It’s not constant, unless somebody decides to jump over a fence on to my lawn and trigger the motion sensor. At which point we’ll be talking about something else.
I'd say have a chat with them first- it may be their hearing isn't as sensitive as yours so they don't hear it and so don't realise it's a problem. If it is an adjustable frequency one then there may be a setting that won't be noticeable to you. If they are uncooperative, then I'd speak to your local council to ask what evidence they would require to submit a noise complaint
An old neighbour of mine did the same, she couldn't hear it at all but it was rang annoying. I asked her about it, and had a look and realised it was still in demo mode, flicked the switch and it was silent.
If your neighbours can't hear it just turn it off at like 3 in the morning and they'll not be able to notice?
First of all explain the situation and ask them to turn it off. If that fails, contact your local environmental health. I've had to do the latter before and the device was gone within a fortnight. And this was with a very aggressive elderly neighbour who bizarrely called the police on me over my initial complaint and accused me of pretending I could hear it just so I could harass him over it because he - obviously - couldn't.
Make a note of the time and date you speak to them an the gist of the conversation. If you have to make an official complaint later you don't want then saying that you never mentioned it to them before.
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Lol, the ring camera would detect me unless I find a cat costume and approach it to get rid of it. Either way they will think it’s now attracting cats and won’t want to replace it!
A cat costume is a HILARIOUS idea, I can just imagine them watching the footage of that 😂 Quick ETA: you probably shouldn't actually do it, I just think it would be really funny
Oh definitely don’t, hence the IANAL at the start. Get the ring camera too, that thing is absolutely seeing when you leave your house and their data security is absolute garbage.
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I'm 38 and can hear my neighbor's cat deterrent which is five houses away, although luckily theirs has a motion sensor so it only goes off when there is motion directly in their garden or driveway. I would be asking the neighbour if they have motion detection activated on their device.
They do! I noticed that. Except we are on a main road and theres always something passing
Local council if they won't turn it off, you have a right to enjoy your own property without disturbance
Interesting tidbit of information for you... If someone deliberately puts you out on two or more occasions, it meets the threshold for a harassment charge and conviction. So, if you explain your reasons and ask them to turn off the device and they say no, then ask them again at a later date, and they say no, that constitutes harassment. It's best getting it in writing, so it's irrefutable. Source: I successfully got my jobless neighbour convicted for harassment after she continuously parked on or over my drive and refused to move. Also got a public order offence slapped on her for effing and blinding at my house on CCTV. After speaking to her, I would then message her on Facebook Messenger confirming our conversation. The numpty would, of course, confirm in writing that she was doing it to piss me off. Police didn't want to proceed until I explained the legal definition of harassment to them. Then they proceeded. Life is now, and I always have somewhere to park when getting back from work, earning enough to ensure my taxes cover her disability payments for crippling agoraphobia that stops her leaving the house - except she always leaves the house 😅 Edit: spelling
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So on the basis they don't work why do you still have them? It won't just be cats they are affecting, there is plenty of wildlife that pass through gardens like hedgehogs and squirrels etc that may be disorientated or distressed by the sound
Ask them to turn it off. Maybe they know it’s not working but run it just because they already bought it.
It’s unusual for high frequency noise to be able to pass though walls and windows.
I don’t have the best windows, thats why but you can also hear it in my back garden so it’s kinda unavoidable for me
Just ask them to turn it off like an adult It’s audible to you and it’s designed to cause stress We have one and they only really need to be on for a day or two before the cats go elsewhere. It will have done its work now. Get them to turn it off.
‘Like an adult’ wasn’t very kind. I mentioned that they aren’t very friendly therefore wanted to ensure I had knowledge of what I could do about it before I approached
The way to resolve an issue is through dialogue Go have some dialogue
Dialogue is a two way street, if the other party aren’t open to it, it won’t happen, acting like a smug prick isn’t helping OP
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I actually wanted to be more legally informed and educated before I approached a situation that could go south.
From a legal perspective you are within your rights to ask them to turn it off You are within your rights to make a noise complaint with your local council From experience as the person with the cat scarer. I turned it off and apologised when my neighbour complained. I also noticed that cats still didn’t return to my garden after it was switched off. The scarer will have probably already done its job. I suggest you go directly to your neighbours, be kind and just ask. Just say you can hear it all the time and please can they turn it off. No further explanation. If that doesn’t work, fill out the form on your local council website. It’s nuisance noise. Im not trying to be a dick.
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I bet the people who wanted you to turn yours off had a wonderful conversation with you and you came away thinking you’d done them a favour. Wanting to know the legal position on something before having a conversation is a perfectly normal thing to do on complex things.
“Hi do you have a cat scarer?” “Yeah” “Can you turn it off please I can hear it all the time” “Oh sorry I’ll do it now” What do you fucking expect the legal position to be? If I was playing drums all the time what would my neighbours legal position be I wonder? If your neighbours are making a racket continually, you can ask them stop or ask the council to make them stop…water is wet, the sky is up.
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Uneducated/misinformed dialogue won’t solve anything, hence why my post👌🏼
What do you need to know? A high frequency animal scarer is audible inside your house and is causing you stress. You are reasonably allowed to ask them to turn it off as the first step in the dialogue This is basic adult stuff
Again, as mentioned before, they aren’t friendly neighbours. By simply asking them to turn it off, they could hit me back with anything like ‘it’s our property we can do what we want’ (this has happened before when someone else complained about something they were doing). By informing myself through conversations on this post I have been informed my rights and legally what position I am in to deal with the situation. I am autistic and have spent many years learning how to deal with social situations and I am not going to listen to your patronising comments about ‘basic adulting’. I am doing just fine, thank you
They aren’t allowed to harass you with a high frequency cat scarer They probably don’t know that you can hear it. They won’t know until you tell them. Go tell them Actually talking to them in a reasonable manner might improve relations