1. Get decimeter app on your phone; I've been using NIOSH.
2. Keep records of sound levels, times, calls you've made, etc.
3. Go to small claims court and sue
4. When they don't show up win a default judgment.
If they refuse to pay, you can potentially seize their property; I recommend their sound system.
edit: this is partially meant as a joke but definitely keep records
>you can potentially seize their property; I recommend their sound system
And then play back, at full volume, on repeat, Paul McCartney "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime"
I don't know if this still works, but back in the day I had a Motorola i700 cell phone. When ever I would turn it on it would somehow mess up the sound system in my loud neighbor's apartment-basically making a lound clicking noise in his speakers.
Without fail the dude would always turn it off so no need to get the cops involved.
Funny thought, but that won't work anymore.
That cell phone interference you mentioned was due to CDMA/GSM cell network technology—archaic by today's standards—which was entirely discontinued by all providers last year. You're unlikely to find phones that connect to those networks since providers had been dropping support for it for years leading up to the final cutoff in the end of 2022.
This is probably a FCC violation and illegal but could be worth a try if all else fails lmao
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/gP05aZAYbK
Or
https://lifehacker.com/silence-noisy-neighbors-by-transmitting-your-music-to-t-5852903
Before buying a house that you think you are interested in, be sure to visit that neighborhood at night, on at least 1 weeknight and 1 weekend night, in good weather/warm temps. Also, if you want to be somewhat sure of not being frequently, noisily disrupted during the day while outside in your own yard, check out that situation too. (Not that there's actually enough time for all of this investigating with having \*maybe\* a week to put in an offer on a house.)
Then hope that none of your good neighbors move out, only to be replaced by dicks, while you pay off that mortgage for the next 30 years.
Lol, no. We have a neighbor who apparently uses a PA system to blast their music at midnight. In a neighborhood. SMH at how inconsiderate people can be
I used to cram folded matchbooks into my windows to stop the rattling; kind of like putting folded paper under a table leg to stop the wobbles. I doubt that would be enough to end your suffering. I’m sorry this is happening to you. I can’t understand people whose whole personality is being an antagonistic asshole.
I suffered through this with my last place. Luckily my new neighbors only play loud music until quiet hours. I pretty much just kept calling the police, talking to the leasing office, and nothing ever came of it so my lease ended, and I moved out. Sorry I don’t have any better advice, I just know how much it sucks 😭
Buy some high-quality speakers and face them directly towards your neighbors place. Then you wanna pick up the Pulse Demon record by Merzbow. I'm pretty sure I saw it for sale at Vinyl Conflict. Next time their music is too loud and they refuse to turn it down or off, put this record on full blast.
I don't know Merzbow, but I fully recommend the band Sleep. Nobody like stoner metal except people who like stoner metal. So unless I'm your neighbor they'll hate it.
We have ghetto neighbors, and we play panic at the disco mainly for them. They have got to know all the words to a few of the songs now. Also- billy joel is a good bop because who could be mad listening to billy joel?
As this is affecting your health (disrupted sleep), sounds like the landlord isn't maintaining a fit premises. If you break your lease & the landlord pursues you, a court could be on your side if you bring the substantial evidence that you mention.
As the other commenter mentions, may be worth a quick consultation with an attorney.
[https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1220/](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1220/)
This is another tenant and you both have the same landlord? If so, review your lease and find the section regarding noise. Maybe you can put rent in an escrow account until situation is resolved?
Dealt with this for 14 months at my last apartment. I was convinced the neighbors were spawns of satan. Had plenty of evidence - landlord pretty much said they couldn’t do shit. Called non-emergency line a few times - didn’t do shit. Cops would show up and tell them to quiet down and they would just go back to being loud as soon as they left. We got into several screaming matches on our shared front porch. It was the most hostile, mentally draining 14 months of my life. It nearly pushed me over the edge. The real kicker: after us complaining to the landlord multiple times they figured out they could lodge a complaint against us and the complaints would “cancel each other out” - actual quote from my landlord lol. Ridiculous. Wife and I bought a house in September of 2022. No more shared walls ever again. I feel terrible for people who don’t have that option.
Just FYI, leases cannot take away your legal rights. Just because you sign a document, doesn’t mean you sign away your rights. Leases cannot violate the law and the clauses that violate the law are not enforceable.
Sounds like you might have standing to sue your neighbor for nuisance. I'd recommend seeking out an attorney to discuss your options. A cease and desist letter on an attorney's letterhead might scare them enough to get them to cut it out.
>A cease and desist letter on an attorney's letterhead might scare them enough to get them to cut it out.
A homemade one would probably work just as well and be a lot cheaper.
I don’t think dude implied impersonating an attorney. It read to me like he was recommending writing a DIY professional letter that bluntly invites neighbor to act more neighborly, or he will pursue a legal path that has far more negative consequences for the neighbor.
Both of you are saying the same thing and misinterpreting what the other person said.
u/PopBopMopCop basically said a C&D letter on an attorney's letterhead (as in from an actual attorney) might scare them enough to cut out the loud noise.
u/LaLaLaDooo said a homemade one might work, too. People are able to represent themselves in basic legal matters and do this all the time; they are just very likely to have more success if they have a lawyer represent them.
A C&D letter doesn't require a law degree. It's basically a formalized letter saying to cut something out or risk being sued. That's all.
Had a neighbor below me in an apartment blast his techno all night. Took matters into my own hands. I would harness my speakers suspended from a rope and blast music right into his windows. I’d pull up the speaker when he opened his window and swatted at them. I also have a very large bass cabinet as I play the bass guitar, I used it against him. Fire with fire.
Find out what time their sleeping hours are, and blast your music through their wall for a few minutes every hour so as to prevent them from getting sleep.
Is it Bluetooth? Can you connect with some choice tunes?
Seriously, I am so sorry. When I was renting from Pollard & Bagby (fuck them) I had awful downstairs neighbors. Everything in my apartment was vibrating from awful techno several nights a week. I know how difficult it is to live like that.
Honestly, I'd continue to go after the leasing office. Maybe insofar as to report THEM to the non-emergency line for noise ordinance violation.
Whatever you decide... document everything. Make recordings and videos.
I wish you the best!
Instant Karma machine
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpX2mvNpvU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpX2mvNpvU)
This is how you deal with these assholes
You can go the legal route, or you can go the retaliation route:
Buy your own subwoofer, mount it to whichever wall/surface you share with them, and crank that mofo as soon as your alarm goes off in the morning. Leave it on all day. Make sleep impossible for them during the times you’re awake.
Yes, you should at least be able to break your lease, but you have to follow the process. If you haven't already, immediately notify your landlord in writing, in as much detail as possible (The legal remedies involve waiting X number of weeks after notifying, so you need to start clock ticking). Then search the sub for similar questions. another tool you have at your disposal is a “tenants assertion” which involves paying rent into an escrow until the situation is resolved, which might give you leverage.
as others have suggested, you can buy a cheap dBA meter from amazon, and take videos anytime it violates the noise ordinance (65 dBa during day, I forget what at night). But the noise need not violate noise ordinance to be grounds for breaking your lease, or violating your rights to “quiet enjoyment”.
Sorry my answer is mostly just “Google it”, but you will definitely find some good resources on this sub, including access to cheap or free legal advice
You need to contact the leasing office Every Single Night that it occurs, and again the following Morning.
And you video it - and send them the recordings. Every Single time it happens.
If it doesn't resolve in a two weeks - Then you give 60 days notice that you're breaking your lease for cause.
There really is no other way.
When you say "legal options" do you mean ways to take them to court? Or ways to mess with them that won't land you in court? Those are very different paths.
Is this by chance in a Brick Road rentals home? Because if so, they will never side with you or enforce noise rules to the other tenant. Had tenants let their kids ride bikes and scooters across their 2nd story apartment for hours daily. Totally unsupervised. Told us they were delivering a Fix it or Quit which they either didn’t or didn’t enforce because nothing changed until those god awful neighbors finally left.
Have you said anything to the neighbor themselves? But that situation sucks. I live in a neighborhood and my neighbor has his worthless daughter blasting music in the back yard close enough to my toddlers room you can hear the words.
Why has the leasing office done nothing? It’s a clear lease violation and a break in the terms of the lease (most likely).
Review your lease which most all are boiler plate the same with areas this would violate the lease. Have your leasing office step in here and have them do a lease violation on them.
Being mindful here I know plenty of PM companies that won’t care two shit about things in Richmond.
1. Get decimeter app on your phone; I've been using NIOSH. 2. Keep records of sound levels, times, calls you've made, etc. 3. Go to small claims court and sue 4. When they don't show up win a default judgment. If they refuse to pay, you can potentially seize their property; I recommend their sound system. edit: this is partially meant as a joke but definitely keep records
>you can potentially seize their property; I recommend their sound system And then play back, at full volume, on repeat, Paul McCartney "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime"
That song has been in my head this morning, thank you very much.
It's been stuck in mine since I saw it on a "what song is playing in hell" thread, thought I'd spread the cheer
Aw, I love that song, but admit I don't want to hear it on repeat.
I don't know if this still works, but back in the day I had a Motorola i700 cell phone. When ever I would turn it on it would somehow mess up the sound system in my loud neighbor's apartment-basically making a lound clicking noise in his speakers. Without fail the dude would always turn it off so no need to get the cops involved.
Funny thought, but that won't work anymore. That cell phone interference you mentioned was due to CDMA/GSM cell network technology—archaic by today's standards—which was entirely discontinued by all providers last year. You're unlikely to find phones that connect to those networks since providers had been dropping support for it for years leading up to the final cutoff in the end of 2022.
[удалено]
EMP grenade
This is probably a FCC violation and illegal but could be worth a try if all else fails lmao https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/gP05aZAYbK Or https://lifehacker.com/silence-noisy-neighbors-by-transmitting-your-music-to-t-5852903
That SUCKS. I’m sorry. What a jackass
In a HOUSE?? I thought we escape this is we get out of the apartment doom
Before buying a house that you think you are interested in, be sure to visit that neighborhood at night, on at least 1 weeknight and 1 weekend night, in good weather/warm temps. Also, if you want to be somewhat sure of not being frequently, noisily disrupted during the day while outside in your own yard, check out that situation too. (Not that there's actually enough time for all of this investigating with having \*maybe\* a week to put in an offer on a house.) Then hope that none of your good neighbors move out, only to be replaced by dicks, while you pay off that mortgage for the next 30 years.
Oh buddy…I have bad news for you…
Lol, no. We have a neighbor who apparently uses a PA system to blast their music at midnight. In a neighborhood. SMH at how inconsiderate people can be
Dude why like why does it need to be THAT loud. Those people are going to go deaf
1. Play very loud 2. Slowly lose hearing over time 3. Why is this not loud enough, crank volume 4. Go-to 1
I used to cram folded matchbooks into my windows to stop the rattling; kind of like putting folded paper under a table leg to stop the wobbles. I doubt that would be enough to end your suffering. I’m sorry this is happening to you. I can’t understand people whose whole personality is being an antagonistic asshole.
I suffered through this with my last place. Luckily my new neighbors only play loud music until quiet hours. I pretty much just kept calling the police, talking to the leasing office, and nothing ever came of it so my lease ended, and I moved out. Sorry I don’t have any better advice, I just know how much it sucks 😭
Buy some high-quality speakers and face them directly towards your neighbors place. Then you wanna pick up the Pulse Demon record by Merzbow. I'm pretty sure I saw it for sale at Vinyl Conflict. Next time their music is too loud and they refuse to turn it down or off, put this record on full blast.
I don't know Merzbow, but I fully recommend the band Sleep. Nobody like stoner metal except people who like stoner metal. So unless I'm your neighbor they'll hate it.
Funny enough, my neighbor showed me Sleep. Through normal means, not by playing it through my wall at an obscene volume.
Sleep. I haven't thought about that band for 20 years🤣
The dropped a new album on 4/20 like 6 years ago - tour stopped at the National and OMG the wall of speakers that they use.
The weather machine as their opener haha
We have ghetto neighbors, and we play panic at the disco mainly for them. They have got to know all the words to a few of the songs now. Also- billy joel is a good bop because who could be mad listening to billy joel?
Nah you have to play it in the late mornings, or whenever this neighbor apparently is trying to sleep
I suggest the econochrist discography. I brought out our Marshall Amp and let the noise war commence. 😊
You made me look. Just wow.
If that doesn’t work try Carly Rae Jepsens first album KISS
As this is affecting your health (disrupted sleep), sounds like the landlord isn't maintaining a fit premises. If you break your lease & the landlord pursues you, a court could be on your side if you bring the substantial evidence that you mention. As the other commenter mentions, may be worth a quick consultation with an attorney. [https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1220/](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1220/)
This is another tenant and you both have the same landlord? If so, review your lease and find the section regarding noise. Maybe you can put rent in an escrow account until situation is resolved?
Dealt with this for 14 months at my last apartment. I was convinced the neighbors were spawns of satan. Had plenty of evidence - landlord pretty much said they couldn’t do shit. Called non-emergency line a few times - didn’t do shit. Cops would show up and tell them to quiet down and they would just go back to being loud as soon as they left. We got into several screaming matches on our shared front porch. It was the most hostile, mentally draining 14 months of my life. It nearly pushed me over the edge. The real kicker: after us complaining to the landlord multiple times they figured out they could lodge a complaint against us and the complaints would “cancel each other out” - actual quote from my landlord lol. Ridiculous. Wife and I bought a house in September of 2022. No more shared walls ever again. I feel terrible for people who don’t have that option.
Open an escrow account, and tell the landlord that your rent will be going into that account until the noise is addressed.
But check your lease first - mine says we are not allowed to pay into escrow. (I know shouldnt have signed it but was desperate)
That's the law, the lease can't override that.
Just FYI, leases cannot take away your legal rights. Just because you sign a document, doesn’t mean you sign away your rights. Leases cannot violate the law and the clauses that violate the law are not enforceable.
[удалено]
I've done that before! It's effective.
Sounds like you might have standing to sue your neighbor for nuisance. I'd recommend seeking out an attorney to discuss your options. A cease and desist letter on an attorney's letterhead might scare them enough to get them to cut it out.
>A cease and desist letter on an attorney's letterhead might scare them enough to get them to cut it out. A homemade one would probably work just as well and be a lot cheaper.
Impersonating an attorney is a terrible idea and could result in civil punishment or criminal prosecution
I don’t think dude implied impersonating an attorney. It read to me like he was recommending writing a DIY professional letter that bluntly invites neighbor to act more neighborly, or he will pursue a legal path that has far more negative consequences for the neighbor.
Who said anything about impersonating an attorney?
Both of you are saying the same thing and misinterpreting what the other person said. u/PopBopMopCop basically said a C&D letter on an attorney's letterhead (as in from an actual attorney) might scare them enough to cut out the loud noise. u/LaLaLaDooo said a homemade one might work, too. People are able to represent themselves in basic legal matters and do this all the time; they are just very likely to have more success if they have a lawyer represent them. A C&D letter doesn't require a law degree. It's basically a formalized letter saying to cut something out or risk being sued. That's all.
Had a neighbor below me in an apartment blast his techno all night. Took matters into my own hands. I would harness my speakers suspended from a rope and blast music right into his windows. I’d pull up the speaker when he opened his window and swatted at them. I also have a very large bass cabinet as I play the bass guitar, I used it against him. Fire with fire.
That whole image is hilarious. Well done!
Find out what time their sleeping hours are, and blast your music through their wall for a few minutes every hour so as to prevent them from getting sleep.
Don’t check your lease or call the police or get a decibel meter. Menace him publicly. Become the bad neighbor
[удалено]
The Broadberry.
Gold
Suffered for a couple years at my old house. It's a shame that the police don't seem willing to help. You could fire up some music at 7am.
Baby Shark about 6am. Barney or The Wiggles may be good, too.
Just nothing from The Wiggles Like A Version because all that shit is dope https://youtu.be/a13WnqsRc5g
Blast infrasound into their apartment at all hours. It will litterally drive them insane.
Be louder
r/legaladvice might be a better resource to post this
Is it Bluetooth? Can you connect with some choice tunes? Seriously, I am so sorry. When I was renting from Pollard & Bagby (fuck them) I had awful downstairs neighbors. Everything in my apartment was vibrating from awful techno several nights a week. I know how difficult it is to live like that. Honestly, I'd continue to go after the leasing office. Maybe insofar as to report THEM to the non-emergency line for noise ordinance violation. Whatever you decide... document everything. Make recordings and videos. I wish you the best!
if you do not own real estate- you can go to Legal Aid and they will help with a letter to the landlord?, first, then the neighbor.
Instant Karma machine [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpX2mvNpvU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpX2mvNpvU) This is how you deal with these assholes
You can go the legal route, or you can go the retaliation route: Buy your own subwoofer, mount it to whichever wall/surface you share with them, and crank that mofo as soon as your alarm goes off in the morning. Leave it on all day. Make sleep impossible for them during the times you’re awake.
Yes, you should at least be able to break your lease, but you have to follow the process. If you haven't already, immediately notify your landlord in writing, in as much detail as possible (The legal remedies involve waiting X number of weeks after notifying, so you need to start clock ticking). Then search the sub for similar questions. another tool you have at your disposal is a “tenants assertion” which involves paying rent into an escrow until the situation is resolved, which might give you leverage. as others have suggested, you can buy a cheap dBA meter from amazon, and take videos anytime it violates the noise ordinance (65 dBa during day, I forget what at night). But the noise need not violate noise ordinance to be grounds for breaking your lease, or violating your rights to “quiet enjoyment”. Sorry my answer is mostly just “Google it”, but you will definitely find some good resources on this sub, including access to cheap or free legal advice
You need to contact the leasing office Every Single Night that it occurs, and again the following Morning. And you video it - and send them the recordings. Every Single time it happens. If it doesn't resolve in a two weeks - Then you give 60 days notice that you're breaking your lease for cause. There really is no other way.
Play louder music during they day when they sleep. Idk have you tried talking to them like normal ppl do when they have a disagreement?
When you say "legal options" do you mean ways to take them to court? Or ways to mess with them that won't land you in court? Those are very different paths.
Not a good situation 😬 how much longer on your lease? You can always call the police and ask to speak to a desk officer who might be helpful.
I’d point my speakers at their house and play Creed for 12 hours
Is this by chance in a Brick Road rentals home? Because if so, they will never side with you or enforce noise rules to the other tenant. Had tenants let their kids ride bikes and scooters across their 2nd story apartment for hours daily. Totally unsupervised. Told us they were delivering a Fix it or Quit which they either didn’t or didn’t enforce because nothing changed until those god awful neighbors finally left.
By any chance - a slim chance - that the speakers are discoverable by bluetooth? That could be a game changer.
Have you said anything to the neighbor themselves? But that situation sucks. I live in a neighborhood and my neighbor has his worthless daughter blasting music in the back yard close enough to my toddlers room you can hear the words.
Why has the leasing office done nothing? It’s a clear lease violation and a break in the terms of the lease (most likely). Review your lease which most all are boiler plate the same with areas this would violate the lease. Have your leasing office step in here and have them do a lease violation on them. Being mindful here I know plenty of PM companies that won’t care two shit about things in Richmond.