Dealing with noisy neighbours

The Enbalmer · 19-05-2019 2:52am

How you approach this issue will decide how it's resolved. Saying the wrong thing to kids might just paint a target on your back so choose your approach carefully...if at all possible you should try diplomacy and attempt to reason with the kids.

Graces7 · 19-05-2019 5:38am

the_syco wrote: »

It's bad for the 1st 20 minutes, and then you just get used to it.

no; the stench fills the air for three days. trust me on that. rural living is not always a bed of roses.... crowbangers, barking dogs... farmers cutting sileage all night..

Always Tired · 19-05-2019 6:07am

Are you seriously going to go to the guards with footage of a ball landing in your garden?

Ffs.

Just so you're prepared, they will do absolutely nothing about it, and you're gonna look a bit foolish. I've a neighbor with over 30 convictions including a near fatal stabbing and he routinely threatens people in our estate and the guards dont even bother about that. They're not going to bother kids playing ball in the street.

That said, I know it's annoying and I would hate it, too.

JustAThought · 19-05-2019 6:34am

If the father is making allwgations about his daughter he is dead right he has to protect himself. I wonder is there a history of problems with a prior neighbour from this guy that the gaurds might know about ? I totally agree with the OP & feel his pain - at leeast with the abuse allegation, kids entering his property and fears of a claim and a basketball beingg used he will have some chance with the gaurds - and thank God for cctv. Bring a copy of yhe clip with you. As regards the trespass get a sign -you will often see some on builders yards that say parents are to discuss and control their children. I would follow up with a letter by registered post . You can always take a noise complaint without a solicitor to the district court - with aheavy basketball & times & dates this would allow you to start the process as you need to jave tried being nice and negotiating reasonsbly first. Its the same legislation used for noise from barking dogs & you will find it on the dog warden leaflet. The local district court will give you the A4 form to fill in.
As regards whatever the father said to you I would consider a once off letter from a solicitor to him and his wife regarding defamation -mind you it has to be provable and not true. Isn't shouting at someone battery?

I totally sympathise with the OP & living in other peoples childrens noise is an absolute nightmare regardless of how nice the children are. At least there is some hope that the kuds didnt go into your garden to get the ball -it shows some hope. I started keeping all leather footballs & sliotars & recently brought quite the collection to the local GAA.

Might be interesting to look up the weight of a basketball and pressure per square inch so you can quantify the damage to your plaster/infrastructure. Some people ate pig ignorant. He wouldnt allow it on his own living room wall I"d bet.

Regarding door slamming I wouldnt give him the currency to annoy your further. He sounds like the kind of person who'd slam it harder & more often if he knew. Total Pr☆@$.

19-05-2019 10:13am

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Having slurry spread outside your window is not much fun either.

Once or twice a year and the smell lasts no length dies down after a few hours and I wouldn’t even notice. If anything I quite like the smell of freshly spread slurry too.

LillySV · 19-05-2019 10:33am

I think I would keep the cctv going and continue to tape the going ons outside your property for the next week... if there is afew more situations or encounters, make sure they are all caught on tv and saved to the hard drive. It would be good if you had a nest or other camera to catch any further encounters you have at door ... catch them threatening or accusing you of things.

On a separate note are you sure your neighbors actually own their house? If they didn’t you could try and make contact with the actual owners to report antisocial behavior .

If social housing could it be possible to report anti social behavior to the council and get something done??? Don’t know how the social housing works but I’m guessing anti social behavior wouldn’t be permitted by council supplying house???

Wexforllion · 19-05-2019 10:41am

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Not really, a very good house in the county will be a similar price to a run of the mill house in a (nice) estate. Building or buying in the county is not necessarily cheaper than in a nice estate but you get vastly more for your money.

People generally buy in cramped estates because thats all they can afford.

They have also weighed up pros and cons of country living and decided the cramped estate is best for them.

To say money has nothing to do with is odd. In an ideal world with limitless money people could get the best of both worlds.

D3V!L · 19-05-2019 12:08pm

Did a little research and the neighbours own their house and bought when it was built 16 years ago.

iwillhtfu · 19-05-2019 1:15pm

This thread is mental OP kids will play outside their own home and there's little you can do about it to be honest. If the ball hits your window ask the parents of the kids to tell the kids to be more careful DO NOT engage with the kids at all or as you assume they'll be back to their parents telling them this that and the other. I assume you're a grown up as are their parents call around explain the ball has hit the window several times and that it's unacceptable. If the father is as you say an Ahole tell him you'll be keeping any balls that hit the window in future if he's unwilling to do anything about it. FYI I assume you leave in a reasonably new home double glazing etc a basketball will NOT smash a window so drop that one you'd do well to smash it with golf ball and driver from several feet.

As for the whole cctv thing honestly you may find yourself in the wrong if they are in anyway covering anywhere other than your own property. As for what they've captured any garda will tell you to go home and sort it out yourself as it's a civil matter he'll also think it's a ridiculous waste of time reporting such an incident.

My own kids play outside and yes if it goes on late at night it can be a pain but usually all dies down by bed time there seems to be an unwritten rule among parents in the area past 8.30-9 rein your kids in a bit.

As for doing some research on your neighbour WT actual F is that all about I don't even want to know where you were snooping.

Kids will be kids and the ball games will end before long then you'll have house parties and god forbid one of them is a boy racer and has whatever the futures fiesta with a 4" exhaust is. You've a long road ahead of you and no one wants to be that neighbour.

In saying all of that if the kids are little terrors which you don't mention so I'll assume they arent but if they were then I'd be having a chat with the father and I wouldn't be polite about how you feel. All other advice about throwing water etc is boloxology and the ramblings of a nut job.

Honestly I can think of worse things to complain about.

the_syco · 19-05-2019 7:49pm

Graces7 wrote: »

no; the stench fills the air for three days. trust me on that. rural living is not always a bed of roses.... crowbangers, barking dogs... farmers cutting sileage all night..

Have spent time in the countryside, and my current house used to be very close to the countyside (area is now more built up); I got used to the smell very quickly. The rest of it; meh. Have lived in built up areas (large towns), and the noise is about the same in badly insulated houses.

Always Tired wrote: »

Are you seriously going to go to the guards with footage of a ball landing in your garden?

He's going to the Gardas to prove that he didn't touch the kids.

iwillhtfu wrote: »

DO NOT engage with the kids at all or as you assume they'll be back to their parents telling them this that and the other.

The OP doesn't, but the kids are saying to their parents that he is. The OP has CCTV proof that he didn't.

iwillhtfu wrote: »

This thread is mental OP kids will play outside their own home and there's little you can do about it to be honest.

The kids are playing on the OP's driveway.

lilywhitearmy · 19-05-2019 8:06pm

If you can't hear a thing through the walls then you are extremely lucky.

Sheepdish1 · 19-05-2019 8:13pm

Housing estates are a pain sometimes, luckily I don’t mind noise, currently listening to loud cheesy music from above, sounds like a bit of a session, different music from next door, people out the back talking, and then kids from another side :-D

but can understand how kids repeatedly bouncing balls off your window is annoying. It’s just rude and most people would tell there kids to be more careful just to keep peace. They sound like Morans but I’d keep friendly with them otherwise you’ll be targeted by other kids!

You should just start being annoying at the time they are using your garden, Start weeding your garden listening to Joe Duffy on your iPhone and just hang out in your front garden and they’ll probably not want to be there

argolis · 20-05-2019 2:32pm

D3V!L wrote: »

Anyway, I have the entire thing recorded on my CCTV and I'm going to the Gardai with it. Going to your neighbours door and accusing them of harassing little girls is a serious accusation.

Isn't technology great

Don't know for sure, but I think you have to have a warning up that there's CCTV in operation e.g. sticker on the porch/livingroom window, otherwise you may not be allowed to use the footage in court/legal proceedings. Maybe someone else can confirm.

Mousewar · 20-05-2019 4:10pm

D3V!L wrote: »

Since I've clearly been tagged as a "grumpy old man" , I'm going to try and save face and elaborate.

Our house was vacant for about a year so there was as far as we can tell they were football playing in front of it for a long time unchallenged and in our back garden.

In the past month we're here we had a basketball hit the living room window (which is 2 meters from the path) 3 times in total. The same kids also decided that our driveway which runs along the side of our house is a great place to play football. It starts 3 meters from the road, so they had to walk up it. They were perplexed when they were told not to play there. One also fell in our driveway and hurt herself.

I have zero problems with the noise of children playing. I love kids, we dont and can't have our own so I love to hear them around. I'm also not a stranger to noise having lived in a very busy estate beside a hospital previously in a very old house with no sound proofing or insulation.

Thanks for all the comments.

I had this situation!
Bought a house that had been unoccupied for at least a year. it's a problem. Local kids had taken to playing outside it and near to it as it was empty. I also moved in to the constant sound of ball banging, etc and, while I was happy enough that kids had somewhere to play, it was driving me bananas that it was focused so much near my house.
Here's how it was eventually solved for me:

1. In my case, the kids weren't doing anything wrong. They were just playing. I used to try to spend a good amount of time in my garden. Cleaning out the car or doing the grass or hedges or whatever. It was just to kinda make my presence known. It took time but eventually the kids kinda learnt that the house was occupied now and wasn't part of their play area.

2. My property was my property was my property. They played hide and seek in the garden once and I moved them on. Politely. And I didn't have to explain myself to anyone. My property. No one there if I didn't want them.

It took a while but now kids just play generally on the road. My house is no longer the focus.

Gumbo · 20-05-2019 5:50pm

argolis wrote: »

Don't know for sure, but I think you have to have a warning up that there's CCTV in operation e.g. sticker on the porch/livingroom window, otherwise you may not be allowed to use the footage in court/legal proceedings. Maybe someone else can confirm.

I think that’s only of the cctv has the impact on your privacy or your expected privacy. If it’s only recording the OP’s site then they may be ok.

*im open to correction on that btw

Edit - small article on cctv
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/legal-advice/why-your-cctv-system-could-be-breaking-the-law-36543060.html

runawaybishop · 20-05-2019 7:53pm

argolis wrote: »

Don't know for sure, but I think you have to have a warning up that there's CCTV in operation e.g. sticker on the porch/livingroom window, otherwise you may not be allowed to use the footage in court/legal proceedings. Maybe someone else can confirm.

Not for private use. Recording your own property for security isn't a data protection issue.

runawaybishop · 20-05-2019 7:55pm

kceire wrote: »

I think that’s only of the cctv has the impact on your privacy or your expected privacy. If it’s only recording the OP’s site then they may be ok.

*im open to correction on that btw

Edit - small article on cctv
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/legal-advice/why-your-cctv-system-could-be-breaking-the-law-36543060.html

Terrible article, not a surprise from the indo though! Op isn't a data controller.

Thestones · 20-05-2019 10:42pm

Mousewar wrote: »

I had this situation!
Bought a house that had been unoccupied for at least a year. it's a problem. Local kids had taken to playing outside it and near to it as it was empty. I also moved in to the constant sound of ball banging, etc and, while I was happy enough that kids had somewhere to play, it was driving me bananas that it was focused so much near my house.
Here's how it was eventually solved for me:

1. In my case, the kids weren't doing anything wrong. They were just playing. I used to try to spend a good amount of time in my garden. Cleaning out the car or doing the grass or hedges or whatever. It was just to kinda make my presence known. It took time but eventually the kids kinda learnt that the house was occupied now and wasn't part of their play area.

2. My property was my property was my property. They played hide and seek in the garden once and I moved them on. Politely. And I didn't have to explain myself to anyone. My property. No one there if I didn't want them.

It took a while but now kids just play generally on the road. My house is no longer the focus.

I would take this advice op. Also you mentioned about the flower bed needing flowers so get some plants and next time they are out you get out and start working on it, they won't want to be playing next to an adult doing their gardening!. They'll get the idea soon enough. If your genuinely worried about them breaking a window just politely tell them it has hit off the window a few times and if they break it they are paying for it, they hopefully won't want to risk their parents forking out for a new window. My friend actually had this problem where kids were playing football basically in her driveway, she was also worried they would break a window and politely but firmly told them they couldn't play there because if they broke a window she'd have to get their parents to pay for any damage, seemed to work, they moved on.

D3V!L · 20-05-2019 10:54pm

Thestones wrote: »

I would take this advice op. Also you mentioned about the flower bed needing flowers so get some plants and next time they are out you get out and start working on it, they won't want to be playing next to an adult doing their gardening!. They'll get the idea soon enough. If your genuinely worried about them breaking a window just politely tell them it has hit off the window a few times and if they break it they are paying for it, they hopefully won't want to risk their parents forking out for a new window. My friend actually had this problem where kids were playing football basically in her driveway, she was also worried they would break a window and politely but firmly told them they couldn't play there because if they broke a window she'd have to get their parents to pay for any damage, seemed to work, they moved on.

I did and what happened next sparked this whole thing. They lied to their parents and made me out to be the big bad wolf. Of course the parents believed them because the kids are incapable of lying.

MrVestek · 20-05-2019 10:57pm

Erm... noise cancelling headphones?

D3V!L · 20-05-2019 10:59pm

MrVestek wrote: »

Erm... noise cancelling headphones?

I'll drop them in a couple of pairs. My wife loves Axis of Perdition and we're getting some new speakers soon

D3V!L · 27-05-2019 7:57am

The relentless drumming of the ball outside our window has continued and is actually them just sitting on a little wall and banging the ball repeatedly. Turns out they aren't even playing with it.

It went into the flower bed again and this time I kept it. That didn't go down too well and after dealing with the father again we realised that it's simply the parents that are the issue. There was no compromise and he refused to see the issue from our point of view at all. No matter how it was broached.

mrslancaster · 27-05-2019 9:27am

D3V!L wrote: »

The relentless drumming of the ball outside our window has continued and is actually them just sitting on a little wall and banging the ball repeatedly. Turns out they aren't even playing with it. ..

is it your wall or a wall beside your property that the ball is hitting?

If it's your wall could you attach a bit of trellis so the ball won't bounce back so easily. if it's not your wall then what can you do? Not sure keeping their ball will stop it.

Hal3000 · 27-05-2019 9:32am

Once it's not going on late at night then that's just the price of city living. Not to take away from your problems but I had Alcoholics who inherited a house beside me. They partied all night and the only respite came from 10am until about 4pm. They frequently fought with each other and played blaring trad music all night and into the morning. Sometimes they'd be passed out and the music would stay on all day. I had to move because Guards did nothing to stop it. It really effected my sleep - stress levels and my children's lives so we just decided to go.

....... · 27-05-2019 9:44am

D3V!L wrote: »

It went into the flower bed again and this time I kept it. That didn't go down too well and after dealing with the father again we realised that it's simply the parents that are the issue. There was no compromise and he refused to see the issue from our point of view at all. No matter how it was broached.

Why did you bother interacting with the father again?

Ball comes into your flowerbed, take it inside and dont answer the door.

27-05-2019 9:54am

if you have it on camera then I would say so to the parents.

Kids lie all the time, it is no doubt a trick picked up by the parents, kids learn really quick how to work a situation to their advantage.
We have a kid in our estate who cant get along with other kids, hits them all, kicks balls away etc, but every time he sees an adult coming and is fighting he just bursts out in tears, actors couldnt do it as good.

Que parents getting involved and his parent think he is being bullied.

Thankfully it was pattern noticed by a few and the parent was spoken to on it. getting better but kids can be dangerous if they want, and parents who believe them to the point of excluding other views is as bad

D3V!L · 27-05-2019 12:08pm

....... wrote: »

Why did you bother interacting with the father again?

Ball comes into your flowerbed, take it inside and dont answer the door.

We had no choice after he came onto our property , up our side driveway and started banging on our garden gate. He decided to bring another neighbour with him who he told we were shouting at their kids too.

To top it off he actually tried to stop my wife from closing the gate. We've decided at this point to talk to a solicitor and then the Gardai.

Fian · 27-05-2019 12:17pm

....... wrote: »

Why did you bother interacting with the father again?

Ball comes into your flowerbed, take it inside and dont answer the door.

This is against the law:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/50/section/4/enacted/en/html#sec4

....... · 27-05-2019 12:19pm

Fian wrote: »

This is against the law:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/50/section/4/enacted/en/html#sec4

Actually, cleaning rubbish out of your flowerbed cannot be construed as being against the law.

How would the OP know where a ball came from that he removed from his flowerbed?

And no one answers the door to strange callers.......

Graces7 · 27-05-2019 1:04pm

Veda Prickly Tan wrote: »

Yup. I have to put up with hundreds of birds singling outside my house all the time.
They just won't shut up

The skylark here starts now around half past 3 am.. Actually I often get up then anyways,,,

the_syco · 27-05-2019 1:24pm

Fian wrote: »

This is against the law:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/50/section/4/enacted/en/html#sec4

The ball was gifted to the OP. Which of that which is in the link would apply to the OP?

Graces7 · 27-05-2019 3:14pm

Fian wrote: »

This is against the law:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/50/section/4/enacted/en/html#sec4

Maybe balance that against trespass by the ball on your property and damage done by said ball..

Irish_rat · 29-05-2019 12:48am

D3V!L wrote: »

Anyway, I have the entire thing recorded on my CCTV and I'm going to the Gardai with it. Going to your neighbours door and accusing them of harassing little girls is a serious accusation.

Isn't technology great

Calm down OP. You'll look a right tool if you go reporting kids kicking a ball around to your Gardai.

Kids need freedom but at the same time should be brought up with manners and borders. Hitting someone's window is not right, you have every right to complain to your neighbor about it. You need some balance though, it would be a hard life if there is disharmony on your doorstep.

Rubberchikken · 29-05-2019 1:23am

the problem imo lies with these kids parents. if the parents dont teach them respect for those around them the kids are going to behave like that.
maybe the gardai wont ne interested in badly behaved kids but they should ne interested in an adult that knocks on your door, and also stops ypur wife from closing her own gate. even a little chat might put some manners on this obnoxious person.
putting up with kids like this is no joke and only those who've never experienced it can say 'kids will be kids etc'.

Graces7 · 29-05-2019 9:20am

Rubberchikken wrote: »

the problem imo lies with these kids parents. if the parents dont teach them respect for those around them the kids are going to behave like that.
maybe the gardai wont ne interested in badly behaved kids but they should ne interested in an adult that knocks on your door, and also stops ypur wife from closing her own gate. even a little chat might put some manners on this obnoxious person.
putting up with kids like this is no joke and only those who've never experienced it can say 'kids will be kids etc'.

amen to this.

jopax · 29-05-2019 5:13pm

I don't know if this is a good idea but it's only something to think about.
Years ago I was living in a housing estate where every evening from 9 ISH onwards there used to be s crowd of teenagers who would converge sitting on our wall outside the house. They were rough & loud, shouting, fighting & cursing.
<SNIP>

D3V!L · 29-05-2019 5:28pm

Rubberchikken wrote: »

the problem imo lies with these kids parents. if the parents dont teach them respect for those around them the kids are going to behave like that.
maybe the gardai wont ne interested in badly behaved kids but they should ne interested in an adult that knocks on your door, and also stops ypur wife from closing her own gate. even a little chat might put some manners on this obnoxious person.
putting up with kids like this is no joke and only those who've never experienced it can say 'kids will be kids etc'.

OP here, you're dead right.

I could have swore I mentioned this a while back. With regards to the CCTV recording I mentioned it was the accusations of harassment that I recorded from the parents.

rondog · 05-06-2019 4:48pm

OP,I could have written your story myself but it was worse.

Our neighbours also had a dog that barked at 3am/4am while my wife was 8 month spregnant.

I had war with the neighbours.One night the dog barked at 4am and i banged the neighbours door down telling them to bring it in.After threats of a dog warden and the district court it stopped.It happens againthe odd time but i keep sending texts to their phone and reocrding it if it happens again.

the Kids also played loud music at night .I asked them to stop and they didnt.So,When i was going out at night i put a CD on repeat of the loudest hip hop i could find and directed the stereo speakers at their walls.

As for people saying you have to accept the constant bouncing of balls,you certainly do NOT.You are entitled to peace and quiet and this is a form of torture having to listen to that sound every evening.For the Mother theresas who say you should just accept it i challenge them to sit in their sitting room trying to relax and ill happily bounce a ball beside their head for an hour non stop every evening.Lets see how understanding they are about it.

Everyone has the right to peace and quiet in their own homes.

hots · 05-06-2019 5:13pm

rondog wrote: »

OP,I could have written your story myself but it was worse.

Our neighbours also had a dog that barked at 3am/4am while my wife was 8 month spregnant.

I had war with the neighbours.One night the dog barked at 4am and i banged the neighbours door down telling them to bring it in.After threats of a dog warden and the district court it stopped.It happens againthe odd time but i keep sending texts to their phone and reocrding it if it happens again.

the Kids also played loud music at night .I asked them to stop and they didnt.So,When i was going out at night i put a CD on repeat of the loudest hip hop i could find and directed the stereo speakers at their walls.

As for people saying you have to accept the constant bouncing of balls,you certainly do NOT.You are entitled to peace and quiet and this is a form of torture having to listen to that sound every evening.For the Mother theresas who say you should just accept it i challenge them to sit in their sitting room trying to relax and ill happily bounce a ball beside their head for an hour non stop every evening.Lets see how understanding they are about it.

Everyone has the right to peace and quiet in their own homes.

See the dog at 3am and the loud music at night is different to kids playing with a ball during the day imo. If the kids were hopping the ball off the wall in the early hours you'd sort it out but in the day you have fairly little expectation of quiet.

D3V!L · 09-06-2019 11:10am

Just a little update....

It's all been quiet on the northern front. However my wife was approached by another neighbour and it would appear that the parents are known bullies and have been at this for years.

Wanderer78 · 09-06-2019 11:19am

D3V!L wrote:

It's all been quiet on the northern front. However my wife was approached by another neighbour and it would appear that the parents are known bullies and have been at this for years.

Power in numbers, collective action may force change. Best of luck with it

Dealing with noisy neighbours

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