Whats 'Too late'?

Chaz

So Im doing some DIY in the roof of our semi D house.

I dont work till late at night realising that the sound will travel.

Ive been confronted by my neighbour claiming that my work is noisy and her daughter (5 or so) is already in bed.

She is normally furious and the child in tears which I presume is not due to being woken up, but more so as her mom goes off.

What are my options here? I dont want to fight, but I would like to get some work done. I dont bitch when her daughter rings our bell and our young one is having a nap in the day and wakes him up.

What time is too late to be making noise?

We dont exactly get pissed and have late night music parties .... perhaps I should start and see what she does.

Assuming I keep making noise and she gets upset - what are her options? Surely the guards would take a certain time as reasonable?

Thanks ...

WindSock

I'd say start finishing up between 8 and 9. But then again, I don't have kids. The Ice cream van the other night was around after 8.

Smellyirishman

Chaz wrote:

I dont work till late at night realising that the sound will travel.

I assume that should read "I don't work late at night..."

Why not just tell us what time you're working on your roof until, you seem to be withholding that nugget. Definitely not beyond 10 and if it's disrupting your neighbors kid then I would ask them what they think is a suitable time for you to stop and see if you can compromise.

What's wrong with the weekend?

Chaz

I prefer to do it over the weekend, dont always get the time.

She knocked on the door at 20h15 tonight screaming and shouting at me.

I tried to have a civil conversation with her about it, yet she throws everything I say back to me as says that she doesnt care etc etc.

I would not carry on much later than that - my own little one goes to bed soon after, just wanted to get a hole in the roof patched (I fell thru some last weekend) - this is inside the attic, not outside of the roof.

This is the 2nd time she has shouted and performed. The last time was perhaps 5 months ago when I was sanding the walls of the bathroom prior to paint around 19h30 one evening.

Thrill

I think that there are laws governing what times you can make noise above a certain level.

If you can find out what they are then it will be up to you and not her when you want to work and the amount of noise you make within the law.

Chaz

Reason I didnt post the time in the first post was to get your collective thoughts.

I dont think 8 pm is that late. I would not go past 9pm, that seems reasonable.

I dont think there is compromise with her at all, cant even have a civil conversation with her.

Chaz

thrill wrote:

I think that there are laws governing what times you can make noise above a certain level.

The noise in this case was from me using a Jigsaw in the roof to cut some attic floor boards. Not banging with a hammer or any 'major noise'.

Thrill

These are times for commercial contractors in the uk, i'll try to find the irish ones but they are probably pretty much the same i'll bet......

http://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/services/environment/health/protect/diy.htm

Royale with Cheese

The noise curfew's at about 9 isn't it? Coming round telling you to shutup at 19.30 or 20.15 seems very unreasonable. It doesn't seem like you're breaking any laws and next time she calls round screaming at you, you're probably well within your right to politely tell her to fúck off.

Chaz

Royale with Cheese wrote:

The noise curfew's at about 9 isn't it? Coming round telling you to shutup at 19.30 or 20.15 seems very unreasonable. It doesn't seem like you're breaking any laws and next time she calls round screaming at you, you're probably well within your right to politely tell her to fúck off.

I might just do that. Trying to keep the peace here, but I feel that she is not being reasonable about this.

Perhaps I should just carry on and invite her to do whatever the hell she wants. Will see then. Two can play this game.

Royale with Cheese

I wouldn't go starting a war with her or anything. Just be prepared for the next time it happens, know what the law is regarding the issue and what you're entitled to do, and then let her know firmly you're not going to take any of her shít and just leave it at that.

Love2love

Not sure what the regulations are for the republic but in Northern Ireland, you are allowed to make noise until 10pm. I think its 9pm.

spurious

In fairness, you have to live beside this person, so regardless of the laws, it's best to come to some agreement.

Is there anyway you could finish up about half eight-ish? That would seem a reasonable time to me.

Thrill

It seems that under Irish law there are no set times or levels

From this site........

http://www2.myhome.ie/advice_news/article_detail.asp?cate_id=&subcate_id=272&news_id=1933

Turning to the law
Under Irish law, you are entitled to bring complaints about specific neighbourhood noise to the District Court if it is continuous, repeated, loud and occurring at such times and of such duration that it affects the quality of life of the person affected.
The law in Ireland governing this area is Section 108 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and the Environmental Protection Agency Act (Noise) Regulations 1994.
While the law does not specifically mention an exact level or standard of noise that is illegal, it is clear that if neighbourhood noise is affecting the quality of life of a citizen, you have a right to complain. Your local authority has the power to investigate complaints about neighbourhood noise and also has specialist equipment that measures levels of sound.
If you have approached the person, or indeed the business, causing the noise and a mutually acceptable solution has not been met, your local authority has the same power as individuals to bring noise complaints to the District Court.
The Environmental Protection Agency can require the person or business to take specific measures to prevent or limit noise. Anyone required to take such specific measures by the Environmental Protection Agency must do so or face prosecution.

PCros

I'm a drummer and have my shed soundproofed but the law states no noise of a certain decibal past 9pm at night so I abide by that anyway, so your free to do it up to then.

Why dont you take a few days off work to get your finished?

biko

I'd say 8 but then I guess you could just ask your neighbour what time suits them/the child goes to bed.
Rather than citing laws it's usually best to come to an agreement.

Chaz

spurious wrote:

In fairness, you have to live beside this person, so regardless of the laws, it's best to come to some agreement.

Is there anyway you could finish up about half eight-ish? That would seem a reasonable time to me.

I would also agree 20h30 is fine, except she seems to think that I need to stop whenever she sees fit to put her child to bed which seems to be anything after 19h00.

Royale with Cheese

Why should he have to take time off work? The law (assuming it's 9pm) is in place to make sure that both unreasonable levels of noise are not allowed at unsocial hours, but also that people are entitled to make noise (to a certain extent) outside of the curfew hours.

Personally I like to sleep in til 12-1pm. Should I be allowed go down and scream at my neighbour for mowing their lawn at 10am? No. It would be unreasonable to ask them to do whatever they want to within the hours that suit me.

It's not like this guy is having massive parties til 3am, he's using a drill at 8.30, absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Thrill

Chaz wrote:

I would also agree 20h30 is fine, except she seems to think that I need to stop whenever she sees fit to put her child to bed which seems to be anything after 19h00.

She sounds like a right pain tbh.

Chaz

thrill wrote:

She sounds like a right pain tbh.

Yep. Perhaps a few screws missing too. People in the area seem intimidated by her for some reason.

source

From previous dealings with a noisy neighbour, and talking with the gardai on the matter, after 2100 will get you in trouble.

I say do your work, and if she comes in then tell her to stuff it, if she gets the gardai involved she'll be told what to go do by them because you're perfectly entitled to work up till 2100

Mr. Presentable

I think regs for construction workers are 0800 to 2000, and 0900 to 2000 Satuirdays. Don't wind up a neighbour, they're always going to be there. Try to do the noisy stuff earlier.

thefinalstage

Or burn her house down? *ahem* sorry about that.

If I were you I would infact have a crazy party until 3 am but only after you tell her to feck off and has rang the garda a few times. They won't bother listening to her again and you will annoy the hell out of her.

Or burn her house down? :P

Black Swan

Don't wait for her to get angry and defensive. Take the initiative and go to her before you start your noise next time and see if there is room for compromise. If she is unwilling to be reasonable, then you may want to verify if 2100 (9PM) is the environmental noise law that the gardai will refer to?

Now I'm a party animal, but I would never have a wild party until early morning just to spite the neighbor. That's childish.

LovelyTom

i would say about 8 or so...

weeder

i thought the noise law was 10AM-10PM although i never drum after nine anyway so im fine :P

WindSock

I think it may be 10.30 because from what i can remember from road rules, you can't beep in a built up area beyond that time.

Sparky

From what I remember from a Guard years back, 11pm is the "now you're taking the piss" time.

Personally I think 10pm for hammering and banging is just about the right time to stop.
Some construction in places starts at 7:30am

Plus I think the guards wont entertain her if you're not "taking the piss"

It's her decision to put her child to bed at that hour, I don't see the need to make life harder for everone else. It's not like your DIYing is going to continue on for weeks on end.

BKtje

I wonder if the shouting and screaming she does exceeds the noise you make doing your diy.

Good luck with this but to me your light diy at 8ish isnt late enough for her to be complaining about, especially since it wouldn't be on a regular basis.

Lump

TBH even to reach loud levels (in the eyes of the law) is very difficult, hammering and stuff won't cause you to reach those levels, expecially if you are inside the roof space.

John

dudara

Kids generally go to bed quite early, often 7 pm or 8 pm. I wouldn't do any work like that after 8 pm at the latest.

I also wouldn't be antagonistic with a neighbour. Bad feelings like that just aren't worth it.

Talk to her, find out what the kids bed hours are, and work out something.

slumped

Hi

I would get up and start early - say 7am on a Sunday morning.

Then when she complains ask her which does she prefer.

S

cossieaustralia

anyone from eastwall

muletide

Try talking to her husband - you might get a more reasonable response from a man

lucernarian

muletide made a slightly politically incorrect but good point:p

As did Royale With Cheese. As did nearly everybody. If she's prone to complaining like that, letting her know of any possible noise might dampen the complaints, and if she complains about a reasonable time, particularly before 9 pm, then you can tell her where to go...

lemansky

You say that people seem intimidated by her....we have one of those around here.It ook a polite,and then not so polite request to fúck off before they got the message that the estate wasn't willing to put up with their crap anymore.You're well within your rights working within the times you said,so just give her a nudge,then if that doesn't work push her.You could well be the one who shuts her up.

davidj

just strangle the bitch,serriously tho just ignore her when she comes around screaming and shouting

Stabshauptmann

Whats reasonable Im not sure but between 10pm and 8am is completely unreasonable; no arguements will be entertained. Thats when Id throw a tantrum.

Personally, I dont know much about parenting but wouldnt a primary school child go to bed around 8ish?

Any DIY I've done (with my dad) we tended to finish before 9.

uglyjohn

have you asked her what time she thinks is reasonable?
she seems a bit of a nutter, but i wonder what time she would give if you pressed her.

Stabshauptmann

FYI I think if you bring the law into this it would go down the lines of Nuisence.

For an action in nuisance to suceed must show
Interference caused by the defendant
Interfered with plaintiff’s enjoyment of his property
Interference was unreasonable (Courts adopt a “give and take, live and let live attitude.”

In deciding whether an interference is unreasonable in all the circumstances the courts will take into account
(a) the duration of the interference – can be a one off event but usually a continuous act by the Defendant
(b) the magnitude of the harm caused
(c) the nature of the locality
(d) the defendant’s conduct

Not really going to happen over some simple DIY

BigTommyBomb

More of a long term solution but you should probably try and buy a full house the next time.

Chaz

BigTommyBomb wrote:

More of a long term solution but you should probably try and buy a full house the next time.

FFS, yes.

She is not married, perhaps part of the problem. Probably needs to be laid.

Brian Capture

Chaz wrote:

She is not married, perhaps part of the problem. Probably needs to be laid.

:rolleyes:
What a sexist and juvenile comment.

'A woman is angry / aggressive. Therefore she must be sex-starved.' - rubbish.

Chaz

Was meant to be a joke / sarcastic. Wheres the relevant smily?

Linford

I would not work beyond 8 or 9pm. But if like you and I was sanding a bathroom (I assume with an electric sander) I would finish much earlier. Some DIY jobs, which involve hammering and even work on the floors don't cause too much noise, but sanding or drilling into a party wall (which bathrooms often are) cause almost more noise in your neighbours house than you own. This noise if prolonged can be incredibly annoying no matter what time of the day and its best to talk to a neighbour before hand.

You say that you don't complain when her daughter rings the doorbell when you kid is asleep during the day, I think its a little different to continious noise at bedtime, you know how annoying it is when trying to get the kids to go to sleep...

Terry

When I was a tiler I would never use power tools or a hammer after 9.
It's just common courtesy.
If she complains again, tell her to piss off and that your work is increasing the value of your house, and hers by default. Money always helps quieten down a cranky bitch.
Site work doesn't count. I quite often worked until the early hours of the morning. The Blanchardstown cops can thank me for being able to shower in comfort.

It BeeMee

Invite the child around for a snack, and dose her with coke and chocolate and loads of sugary sweet stuff.

She'll be too hyperactive to go to sleep, so you can hammer away at your own pace without waking anyone......

ec18

It BeeMee wrote:

Invite the child around for a snack, and dose her with coke and chocolate and loads of sugary sweet stuff.

She'll be too hyperactive to go to sleep, so you can hammer away at your own pace without waking anyone......

I like it don't forget the blue smarties as well