Fiddle player next door driving me nuts!

dixiechick

I live in an old semi-detached bungalow. Shortly after moving in I spoke to my neighbours very nicely about the fact that everything could be heard between the dividing walls which are concrete. Their young son at the time had a drum kit which he played some nights after 11.30pm in one of the rooms adjoining my bedrooms. They also had a mongrel dog which barked all night long outside my bedroom window. I didn't sleep for months. When I spoke to them I explained that I could even hear their bedroom lights being switched on. We discussed maybe getting some sound-proofing done and the husband vowed to get some advice from his brother, who is an engineer, about the best method to use. He laughed about the fact that the son used to have a drum-kit. Not quite so funny when you're on the receiving end of it late at night! They also vowed to do something about the dog, ie; they would get him a kennel and hopefully he would settle down.

I'm a shift worker. Months later the situation had not improved at all. The dog was still barking incessantly and after a week of getting up at 4am for work, having had NO sleep I had no option but to ring and plead for some peace. When I explained (in tears) on the phone that the dog kept me awake all week and I was suffering from sleep deprivation, the wife replied "Well, we don't hear him!". Nothing was done. Subsequently, the dog disappeared. Presumably he died! There was peace for a couple of months.

Now, one of the children is playing the fiddle. She plays it in the room next to my bedroom and pounds her legs on the floorboards to the beat of the tune. When she starts playing, I start to blare dance music from my stereo. This is the only way I can think of to get my message across as speaking to them about the noise doesn't work obviously. The wife mentioned to a friend of mine that she thinks I don't like the fiddle because she notices that I play loud music when her child starts practicing.(On some occasions at 7.30am!!!). They are well aware that it is disturbing me but insist on continuing. The sound of the fiddle is screeching through my house, so much so that I can hear it throughout my whole house even when my tv or radio are on.

I am at my wits end. We are both private owners and I am now thinking about selling. I stay with my boyfriend as much as possible but he lives 3hours away so it's not an option all the time. Oh yeah, they also said that they can't hear anything from my house. That's because I generally try not to make any noise because I know how the sound travels and I'm aware that the parents are up for work every morning and the kids for school. I only play my music loudly when provoked.

Help.....advice needed!

Thanks

seanybiker

record everything you hear then make a complaint to whoever takes noise pollution complaints.

Did the dog really just "disappear"?

dixiechick

seanybiker wrote: »

record everything you hear then make a complaint to whoever takes noise pollution complaints.

Did the dog really just "disappear"?

Yes. I swear I had nothing to do with it, but while I was lying awake every night I WAS thinking of ways to kill the bastard!

the_syco

Late at night, they have to keep the noise down. Unfortunately, at 7.30am I think they're ok. My advice: buy some classical music like Slayer, and leave it at the highest medium value, when you leave for work.

In the long run, move.

seanybiker

dixiechick wrote: »

Yes. I swear I had nothing to do with it, but while I was lying awake every night I WAS thinking of ways to kill the bastard!

yeah yeah yeah I beleive ya


I only copped on now that the one playing the fiddle is a kid, so you have a kiddie fiddler living next door to ya.



Could you not ask the man or the woman to come into your house when the child is fillding and leave them have a listen to what you hear. I know people like there privacy and might not want them in your house but if its only for a minute or two just to show them what your trying to put up with they might cop the feck on.

Chinafoot

dixiechick wrote: »

We discussed maybe getting some sound-proofing done and the husband vowed to get some advice from his brother, who is an engineer, about the best method to use.

Did you do any investigating about the sound proofing? Why did you leave it up to your neighbours when you are the one with the problem?

dixiechick wrote: »

I'm a shift worker.

With all due respect, thats not your neighbours problem.

dixiechick wrote: »

Now, one of the children is playing the fiddle. She plays it in the room next to my bedroom and pounds her legs on the floorboards to the beat of the tune. When she starts playing, I start to blare dance music from my stereo. This is the only way I can think of to get my message across as speaking to them about the noise doesn't work obviously. The wife mentioned to a friend of mine that she thinks I don't like the fiddle because she notices that I play loud music when her child starts practicing.(On some occasions at 7.30am!!!). They are well aware that it is disturbing me but insist on continuing.

Unless she is playing late at night there's not a lot you can do about it. Again, the hours you work aren't any of their concern and if it's a major issue I would suggest you buy some earplugs, soundproof the house from your side or move.

Mrs OBumble

You are a shift worker and you chose to purchase a semi-detached house with no sound proofing? Ahh, right. Very clever.

Get off your butt, sort out sound proofing from your own side, and quit whining. If the worst noise the kid makes is playing the fiddle, then you're doing pretty well.

amcalester

Have a read of this and see if it applies,

http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/NoisePollution/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,1319,en.pdf

Fiddle playing at 7.30am is annoying as is dogs barking all night at the same time some thing you just have to out up with.

Aligator Farmer

Must be very frustrating allright, but I don't think making noise in revenge is going to help. A freind of mine was in a similiar situation and responded by playing loud music in return, eventually it escalated to the point where the police got involved.
Which meant when she did decide to sell up and move she had to declare the noisy neighbour problem to potential buyers.
(This was in England though, not sure if you'd have to declare it in Ireland)

dan_d

Not sure if there's much you can do about it, but if you do decide to talk to them, suggest that maybe they could get a mute for the violin and she could use that sometimes.It's a small piece of rubber, fits over the bridge of the instrument and dampens the sound by reducing the vibrationsof the strings. Quite cheap (maybe 10 eur?).My teacher suggested I get one if I lived in an apartment block (I don't so I didn't need one), so I wouldn't disturb my neighbours.Could you come to a compromise that way?

RATM

Be glad you're not living next to me and my saxophone:pac:

iguana

Chinafoot wrote: »

Unless she is playing late at night there's not a lot you can do about it. Again, the hours you work aren't any of their concern and if it's a major issue I would suggest you buy some earplugs, soundproof the house from your side or move.

OP that unfortunately is the backward attitude* which still prevails in Irish law. In recent years many countries have changed the law to accommodate for different work patterns, especially considering the fact that many shift workers work in life/death type jobs. In England is an offence to make excessive noise at any time day or night.

I used to live nextdoor to incredibly loud neighbours in London. My council were great and issued them with a warning which helped with the noise, but the atmosphere became incredibly hostile. We eventually decided to move, and it was the best thing we have ever done. I know you'll hate feeling pushed out of your home, but it's not worth sacrificing your happiness for a point of principle. However you will have to price very realistically to sell.


*Not you Chinafoot, just the legal situation

Chinafoot

iguana wrote: »

OP that unfortunately is the backward attitude* which still prevails in Irish law. In recent years many countries have changed the law to accommodate for different work patterns, especially considering the fact that many shift workers work in life/death type jobs. In England is an offence to make excessive noise at any time day or night.

The thing is though, the child may not be making "excessive noise", the divide between the houses might just be of very poor quality. She already mentioned the sound proofing, so why not actually go and get it done? You can't expect the family to tip-toe around because of their neighbours working hours. They bought their own house too and are entitled to live their lives in it, including the child learning a musical instrument. Blaring music back at them is just petty and childish.

galwaybabe

dan_d wrote: »

Not sure if there's much you can do about it, but if you do decide to talk to them, suggest that maybe they could get a mute for the violin and she could use that sometimes.It's a small piece of rubber, fits over the bridge of the instrument and dampens the sound by reducing the vibrationsof the strings. Quite cheap (maybe 10 eur?).My teacher suggested I get one if I lived in an apartment block (I don't so I didn't need one), so I wouldn't disturb my neighbours.Could you come to a compromise that way?

A wooden clothes peg on the bridge is very effective and cheap.

jesus_thats_gre

dixiechick wrote: »

I live in an old semi-detached bungalow. Shortly after moving in I spoke to my neighbours very nicely about the fact that everything could be heard between the dividing walls which are concrete. Their young son at the time had a drum kit which he played some nights after 11.30pm in one of the rooms adjoining my bedrooms. They also had a mongrel dog which barked all night long outside my bedroom window. I didn't sleep for months. When I spoke to them I explained that I could even hear their bedroom lights being switched on. We discussed maybe getting some sound-proofing done and the husband vowed to get some advice from his brother, who is an engineer, about the best method to use. He laughed about the fact that the son used to have a drum-kit. Not quite so funny when you're on the receiving end of it late at night! They also vowed to do something about the dog, ie; they would get him a kennel and hopefully he would settle down.

From reading this, the husband sounds quite reasonable..

dixiechick wrote: »

Months later the situation had not improved at all. The dog was still barking incessantly and after a week of getting up at 4am for work, having had NO sleep I had no option but to ring and plead for some peace. When I explained (in tears) on the phone that the dog kept me awake all week and I was suffering from sleep deprivation, the wife replied "Well, we don't hear him!".

On first approach, the husband was quite reasonable and committed to doing some bits to placate you.. You seem to have skipped going back to him to having a breakdown and ringing their phone at 4AM and crying to the wife.


Now, they aren't blameless but I get the impression that if you remained rational and kept dealing with the husband, you may have gone somewhere..You having your breakdown and then blaring music to retaliate against a child playing a violin has probably ruined any chance of a reasonable solution.