HELP--Question about level of noise output allowed in townhouse community

Started by AmyM1 • 5 replies • 1347 views

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AmyM1 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 2

Posted:

I have a next door neighbor who obviously is self-employed and works out of his garage as some type of carpenter, today he has been out there with the garage door open for 2 hours using a power saw. This has repeatedly happened periodically since I moved here. This is giving me a HEADACHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this lawful for him to work out of his garage like this with no regard to those around him? Now, on top of all that, I travel for a living,
and am gone quite a bit, I have no idea how much more every day he does this when I'm gone---help, what should I do other than calling the association on Monday about it? (Today is Saturday, they are closed)

PaulM (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 1,347

Posted:

AmyM1:
You cannot assume that he is self employed as some type of carpenter because today (Saturday) he has been out there using a power saw. You have also stated you travel for a living and are 'gone quite a bit' so you don't know how often this is happening. It may well be he is working on a project for his home today, and it just so happens you are home.

I agree it may be inconvenient for you; ask him if he could work with the door down to cut down on the noise level. There is probably a nuisance clause in your documents, but, IMO, 2 hrs. in a garage during the day does not constitute a nuisance. What would you do if you were living in a regular neighborhood and your neighbor was working in his garage making noise?

AmyM1 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 2

Posted:

thank you for your reply, but it has happened repeatedly for almost 2 years since I've lived here. I wouldn't mind it if it was a one or few time home improvement thing he was doing, but not a repeated situation like he has shown it to be.

JoeW1 (New York)
Posts: 728

Posted:

AmyM1 -

A polite knock on the door and an FYI to the neighbor is ALWAYS the best first step.

Check with your State Department of Environmental Protection. There are noise level "quite hours" and restrictions on noise above a certain decible.

JM2 (Oregon)
Posts: 439

Posted:

Hi Amy:

Good suggestions above, talk to him first before taking any other action.

If he's running a business from his garage, the Board should be made aware of that. However, he may deny it... one thing you could do, is to buy a cheap tape recorder that is "voice activated" and leave it on when you leave on a trip - and see if the tape is filled up when you return; you could also get a clock that tells the time (blind people often have a clock like that) so that you can tell when the noise is happening. Or, you could talk to neighbors and see if they have heard it regularly.

Your local city/county will likely have a noise ordinance regarding home businesses, construction noise, etc. including noise levels. Radio Shack does has a decibel meter for about $50 that's easy to use, to check noise levels if you need to.

Also, if your association has a management company, they should have an after hours contact number; in the meantime, call and leave them a message - particularly on a day when you have to scream into the phone for them to hear you over the racket...

JPM

GloriaM (North Carolina)
Posts: 829

Posted:

Amy:

Check your CCR's, most do not allow a business to operate from the home. Some Boards do allow a quiet business to operate, one that does not generate noise, customers coming in and out all day, a daycare with many children in a backyard, signs all over the yard announcing the business or just one that becomes a nusiance in general.

However someone working from home on their computer selling on Ebay or buidling websites is not going to distrupt the quiet enjoyment of the surrounding neighbors.

If you have an MC report it to them and allow them to invesitgate what the man is doing in the garage. The board and MC can stop him, if he is indeed operating a business, or if not at least get him to curb the noise for you.

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