Neighbor Problems

[Jeff Higgins]

I am starting to have a rather distressing problem with one of my long-time neighbors. It's an elderly couple whose health, both mental and physical, is on the decline. They are all but ready for some form of assisted living, but show no signs of giving up the fight and their independance. We have been neighbors for 19 years, and while not best buddies, socialable enough to share beers in each others' places, talk in the driveway, and all the friendly neighbor stuff. They really are good people and I really do like them.

The problem is my car. They have developed an unnatural fixation on how "loud" it is, and on how "loud" any other 911 is that might stop by sounds. Over the years I have had some truly loud vehicles - Harleys on straight drag pipes, big block Mopar muscle cars; stuff like that. Old George used to stand in my driveway and b.s. with me about them, thinking they were all kind of cool. He would wave when I rumbled by. Not any more.

George and his wife have now confronted me several times about how loud my car is. Mind you, I still have a couple of fairly loud Harleys - never a word about those. It's all about the car. They have been talking to other long-time neighbors who have told me George and his wife are trying to rally support in the neighborhood. Fortunately, they all have let me know about this, and all recognize George and his wife's declining mental faculties. They all think it is a shame and harbor no ill will towards me or my car, I mean they do tell me when George gets all in a tither over this.

Now it is escalating to where George has been calling the police to complain about the noise. Apparently he gets rather upset when they don't rush right out to nab me.

I'm at a loss at this point; I'm not sure how much further this will go from here. I really like these people and want no strife between us, but there is no consoling them anymore. My car is like nails on a chalkboard to them. I have spoken with them repeatedly to no avail; it appears nothing short of getting rid of the car will appease them. The time of day they hear it does not matter; it could be noon on a Saturday and they light up the phone lines to the neighbors - "did you hear that thing again??!!".

I'm not even sure why I'm posting this here. Just getting it off my chest I suppose. What a crappy situation.

[dweymer]

Could it be that his hearing is failing and he hears the frequency of the P-car better than all else? If he has been a good neighbor all 19 years, bend the pipe tip a little to see if it changes the freq. enough to ease it a little.

[pwd72s]

Jeff..you are running what exhaust system? Maybe just leave the neighborhood @ 2,000...

[ronin]

time to push back a little. start waving the (legal) scepter of harassment a little whenever they call the police again. that should get them to back down. it wouldn't be difficult, as the police are probably getting a little tired of the calls as well. I know it isn't easy doing this with people that you have considered friends for many years, but you also have the right to live your life in peace

[efhughes3]

Maybe one of those inserts made for bike pipes to diffuse the sounmd a bit-they're removable. Put it in for awhile and see if things quiet down. Sounds like its only a short matter of time...

[dd74]

Jeff - I have to disagree with the remedy: do not alter your car. You have to alter yourself and ignore them. You are concerning yourself with individuals whose faculties seem to be failing them, fixated being the operative word. Yes, it's a bad situation, but then look at their state: old and knowing they're old, and at that, not long for this world. Appease them with kindness, but do not let it fall into your personal life, which might open the door for other complaints about your car or even your life.

Of course, if it becomes "physical" (taking, for example, a crowbar to your car), you have the right to contact the police. By that time, however, they'll probably be taken to an assisted living home, rather than anywhere else, including being allowed to remain in their home.

[JavaBrewer]

Man it sucks to get old.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
I'm at a loss at this point; I'm not sure how much further this will go from here. I really like these people and want no strife between us, but there is no consoling them anymore.

it ain't going to get better.

If the PD understands and they just shirk their shoulders I'd go down to the local social services or church and ask for advisement to cover your behind. Hopefully they will want to come down and give them some oldster therapy.

[M.D. Holloway]

Jeff - I don't like saying it but it will only get worse for them. This guy (most likely brought about by his wife) is on a mission or a quest for control of a ever-slipping reality. He will not come back to who he was. That man is gone. Refer to the Axioms...

[juanbenae]

i work as a public servant for a city that many senior's reside and with some of them there is no satisfying the issue they have chosen to obsess on this week. now that it is become front and center in their mind you will never sooth the burn with them.

i suggest you try something not mentioned above, but 1st i have a few questions:

is this car a daily driver, out of the garage often? how often does it come out and run?

do you share a property line with them?

is there lawn fronting your estate?

do you use a power mower?

do you have children, orat least an understanding, sympathetic wife?

if so i would get the power mower out before each exit of the car from the garage. run it next to their house until your car is warm and you've driven away. next, get the wife, the boy, or your daughter to shut down the mower and put it back in the garage.

viola! they don't here the car and are satisfied in the fact you are mowing the lawn, beautifying the hood.

[M.D. Holloway]

Didn't some lady from Italy have a similar situation with chickens? What ever happened to her?

[dd74]

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
Didn't some lady from Italy have a similar situation with chickens? What ever happened to her?

Isabo. I think she shot the chickens.

[campbellcj]

Tell George to crank up the TV and take a chill pill!

[HardDrive]

F the old codgers.

I think you are being to nice. I have ZERO tolerance for bitter old folks with nothing better to do than piss and moan about the young. Do NOTHING to change your behavior. And I agree with ronin. I am sure the cops and your neighbors are sick of the windbags. Tell them flat out you are sick of their griping, and the neighbors are to.

When we first moved into our current house, our neighbor (old irritable SOB) came down and started to explain the driveway 'rules' to us, basically telling us that a portion of our driveway was reserved for his use. My wife and I looked at each other, and said, "Ummmm..no. We will park where we please. If you need to build are larger driveway, please feel free." He was shocked. I think had been pushing the previous residents around for years.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
I am starting to have a rather distressing problem with one of my long-time neighbors. It's an elderly couple whose health, both mental and physical, is on the decline

well if all above fails ask them if it would help if you got a big loud barking dog so the car wouldn't be a distraction to them anymore.

[StevoRocket]

Arrange a P-car meet at your place Sunday for lunch/barbeque. Invite all the neighbours but them. Invite the local Police patrol, traffic warden and church preachers.
Collect for whichever charity you favour.
Get it published in the local newspaper.
Then sit back and enjoy the fun.

[tabs]

An 85 year old man shot and killed his neighbor over a dispute over how loud his neighbors car was. The old man told news reporter that he tried to be reasonable with his neighbor, even calling the police to rectify the problem, but to no avail. That his neighbor would become intransigent at times leaving the old man to fear for his life. Police and Neighbors applaud the old man for standing up and not letting some young upstart ruin his day. The killing was ruled a justifiable homicide.

[livi]

I tend to agree with dd74 and HardDrive, although I acknowledge the situation is not likely to improve unless they move out or you sell the car (big NO).

[lm6y]

Wow Jeff, I can't even imagine that.

I have one neighbor with a VERY nice 70 Z-28 with Flowmasters, and an 81 Camaro drag car ( we have some pretty good holeshots after a few "tweeks" on saturday morning), another with a 71 Super Beetle with loud pipes (I'm still trying to get him to build a big cc motor for that one), and my 944 with a Flowmaster.

My neighbors are great. The ones that aren't car guys get free work done on their cars because the rest of us are such gearheads. Or I have been known to mow the whole block with the rider every now and then to keep in the good graces of them.

Is the car still under the legal noise limits? Here, if the police get repeated calls about stuff like that, and you aren't breaking any laws, the caller gets a nice little chat with the officer. He will explain to them that you are within the law, and there is nothing the officer can do, as long as you aren't provoking them, and repeated calls are harassment, which IS punishable by law.

Have the policemen heard your car, and agree it's not too loud? I would want an officers word to back you up.

With that said, I sure wouldn't change anything. It is YOUR house after all, and your neighbors don't own you, or the neighborhood.


HardDrive, we had the same problem when my Father put up a privacy fence around the back lot about 20 years ago (I bought the house, and the back lot from my Father after he retired). The neighbor to the south claimed we were putting the fence on his property, as his driveway abuts our property.

This neighbor was one of those "pushy" types. Ex- Cop, and really tried to be a hard ass. My Father was Chief of Police at this point btw..... Everyone agreed on a surveyor, and when the surveyor drove the property line marker stake in the middle of the neighbors drive way, Dad asked him if he wanted to tear down his garage ( the property line ran down the middle of it), or if he wanted the "pretty" side of the fence, or the "ugly" side facing him. I still kick the gravel out away from the marker every now and then, just to let him know that I know.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Had a neighbor who did the same thing. Old bastard, etc...
Brother and I were always working on our two-stroke dirt bikes in the garage, mind you, on the weekends, during the day, etc..

He walked right into our garage one time while we were tuning a bike and yelled at us for violating local noise codes. Like he owned the house. My brother and I looked at each other and laughed at him. He said he'd call the cops. We then said, "fine, call the cops, get out of our garage, **** you."

Cops showed up and we told him exactly what happened. The cop laughed at the guy and told him to stop wasting the P.D.'s time.

From there on out, we made sure to rev our bikes REALLY high when riding by his house.

I've found that you wont appease older folks. You simply have to be respectful to a point.