A new neighbour moved in a month or so ago - we hadn't really seen or heard much from him. Until Christmas started. On Christmas night at about 1 am Matt was woken by screaming and arguing on the street from people at next door's. I sleep through earthquakes so this was no trouble.
And last night we were just going to bed at 10.30 when there was a knock at the door. Our neighbour says he is having some friends round. It might be a bit noisy. Would we like to come round? We decline, explaining that we're just going to bed and, as Matt has to be up early for work, ask him to keep the noise down. He goes away. We don't feel very confident.
So we go to bed and there is some noise but we manage to sleep. Until 1.30 am, when we're woken by screaming and laughing from next door. It's loud. And it's not stopping. I go round and knock on the door. Nothing. I knock more loudly. Still nothing. I do my 'baliff' knock. Someone comes to the door, our new neighbour behind him. I explain that it's 1.30 am and we're trying to sleep. He looks sorry. I ask if he has people upstairs. He says he does so I ask him to move them downstairs. He says he will. He says he's sorry. I go back to bed. There's still a little noise but nothing like it was. I lie awake wondering if it's going to get worse. Fortunately, it doesn't.
I'm considering treating this as research in understanding what my tenants deal with and claiming overtime - double time for the bank holiday, of course.
9 comments:
They sound like nice neighbours to be honest.. they gave you a bit of warning and were willing to move downstairs to keep the noise down. Also, Christmas is a reasonable time to expect a party.
Compare to our neighbour (now gone, thankfully) - no warning, party very loudly until 4am, waking not just us but everyone around. I think they didn't leave voluntarily...
A party at Christmas, yes, screaming at 1.30 am, no. I don't mind if it's a one-off at Christmas, but if it keeps happening I'll be unhappy. I'm more wary about this sort of thing as I know how long problems can go on for and how hard they are to resolve, and also the sort of bad feeling that can be generated by them.
I know there's much much worse neighbours than mine - we used to live in a flat under a guy who played Ronan Keating on a loop and would have loud music on until 3 am or whatever time Matt went up to tell him to turn it off - flats really are the worst for noise nuisance.
I don't get the problem with the Ronan Keating thing. That sounds delightful.
If you like I'll come round to your house and play 'Rollercoaster' and 'When you say nothing at all' on a loop for 5 hours, while you're trying to do something even vaguely important.
Our neighbour came round and apologised yesterday and brought us a bottle of wine. He said it was a one-off. I'm hoping so as he seems quite nice.
mum and dads next door neighbours start doing karaoke at half eleven.
She's a really bad singer as well.
Free wine! I should keep these ones. If there's a way to tell the difference between bad neighbours and good ones that occasionally get carried away, it's whether they buy you wine as an apology or threaten to beat you over the head with a bottle for even complaining.
Yes, having recovered from my grumpiness after being woken up at 1.30 am, I've decided he's probably ok.
I really find this sort of thing fascinating - how people try to live together and the way people respond to nuisance from their neighbours - people vary rarely recognise that they might be part of the problem, and people very rarely think they are unreasonable. It often builds up to a point where the nuisance becomes part of who the person is rather than something they are doing. And almost everyone thinks their neighbour knows the behaviour annoys them and is doing it on purpose if it goes on for long enough.
i love noisey neighbours...honest guv..... its the delightful way they think that they have the god given right to play music louldy at anytime of the day or night because, as we all know, everyone loves other peoples music and we all work 9-5 monday to friday.......(certainly not thinking about my lovely new neighbour at all.......nonono.....) oh and 3 robbie williams songs on repeat for 2 hours makes for a less than happy sheeop......
*steps off soap box
on a happier note: happy new year guys!
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