How can I work without annoying my miserable neighbour?
I have a hobby which involves making things out of wood, plastic etc.
It means using an electric bench sander and occasionally a jig saw. The jig saw is used for no more than a minute usually – and that’s it for that session.
The sander is used for maybe a few minutes at a time, maybe 6 times per session. A sessions may be once per week, one per fortnight or even once per month. A session may last 1 – 2 hours.
My miserable and grumpy old man of a neigbour, ranted and raved about it the other day (even though I hear power tools being used almost every day from other nearby houses, that he hasn’t complained about)
How can I do this without bothering him and therefore getting me a load of earache and hassle. (PS: He’s the sort of very sad loser that calls the police over for the slightest thing – you know who you are if you are reading this you sad B*****d)
acai, it IS in a shed. I am very considerate of him and always have been./ He rants and raves at anyone about the slightest thing. So your answer is a load a ****
June 4th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Find out his fav. music-get him a CD of it-give him this gift 5 minutes before you start your work??!!
June 4th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
tell him to take a chill pill and sod off
June 4th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Buy him off with a box of chocolates.
June 4th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
burn the cu nt out while he sleeps
June 4th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
If you do it at normal times for example saturday and sunday daytime he shouldnt have a problem, do what my parents did and speak to the police, they basically just asked what times of day to do these sort of things is considered a nuisance, let them tell you and keep to it. If he does call the police (obviously after you have told him that you are not commiting an offence!) you can tell them that you are doing it within the times that were suggested by the law. If you have to give the name of the desk clerk or police officer that you spoke to!
June 4th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
No offence mate, but I’m not an old codger and I’m not a person who gets irritated easily, and I’ve never called the police out for anything in my life, but if I lived next door to someone who had some sort of power tool going for 2 hours at a time I’d get a bit annoyed too. Whether I’d call the police is a different matter though mate!
Have you not got a garage you can do it in? I’m sure he’d have much less legitimate reasons for complaining if you were doing it in a garage as opposed to in a back yard (outside) or in your kitchen or something.
And, while I don’t know the guy at all, it’s not fair to say he’s a loser and sad b@stard. He’s a fellow home owner who deserves just as much as you to have peace when he wants it.
June 4th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Ha Ha. I have an idea for the old git. Make him a present of a wooden cage and put him in it. That’ll keep him quiet for a while. Miserable old bugger that he is.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
You don’t say, is this a house or an apartment? a condo? how close in proximity are you to him?
What are the noise laws in your area and what are the times. If your following all the rules and or, by-laws, I wouldn’t worry. They’ll end up telling him to get a life.
I have a family of hobbyist race car drivers next to me, they’re out there until one in the A.M. sanding, grinding, etc, that’s O.K. because when I cut my lawn next to them at six in the A.M. so far they haven’t said anything, My wife is holding her breath, I can’t wait.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
If he wants to complain, ask him to seek legal advice and get it put in writing and do this AFTER seeing your own solicitor to “STRIKE” first as he clearly needs to be told in legal terms to F*ck *ff.
When he gets the letter, he may shut up.
As long as your not infringing any bylaws, your in the clear.
It does sound like your neighbour needs an Etiquette lesson.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Its probably other, inconsiderate neighbours that winds him up and he’s just taking it out on you. Ask him if it’s the noise or electrical interference that bugs him, and if its any particular time of day. He shouldn’t stop you doing what you need to do, provided you take reasonable measures to minimise impact on others.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
do the noise even longer to piss him off.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I have a neighbour exactly like this; it takes the patience of a saint.
I would find out what the local laws are regarding noise and use of power tools. You’ll almost certainly find that you could be using the tools a LOT more than you are. Armed with that knowledge, I would go the neighbour and say “Although I am perfectly entitled to use my power tools at these times, and I really try to minimise the inconvenience to you, I’d really like to work with you to find some way for me to get my work done without unduly bothering you. Do you have any suggestions?”
If he only gives unreasonable answers like “don’t use your tools”, then you just calmly say “well, that’s not reasonable, I am entitled to use my tools, but now is your chance to suggest ways that I can make this less stressful for you”.
This puts the onus back on him to try and come up with something reasonable, like planting a shrub outside the shed window or something, but what he’ll probably realise is that there is no reasonable solution and he’ll just have to learn to “suck it up”. But having given him the opportunity to think it through and try and help you solve the problem himself, he may realise how unreasonable he was being and I suspect he’ll complain less in future.
Good luck!
June 4th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Just make sure you are not using your power tools after 10pm. That is the law in most towns. Tell him you are within your legal rights to use them until then. If the police say anything to you tell them that you never use them after 10pm and that you are tired of him harrassing you about it and that they need to speak to him about making false reports. Old or not, he doens’t need to be a jerk!
June 4th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
If you do it in the middle of the day he should have no reason to complain and if he does then too bad it is your right to be noisy in the middle of the day with powertools. Everyone does it
(ok not everyone but its still okay.)
June 4th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Talk to him, be reasonable, and say that you don’t want to upset him but you want to be able to enjoy your hobby without feeling he’s going to complain all the time. If he still moans, make sure you don’t do your stuff at silly times (late at night etc) and just put up with the moaning, he can’t really do anything. He’s probably just lonely and complaining is his only hobby!
June 4th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Find out what the noise laws are in your neighborhood and don’t break them. Other than that, I wouldn’t worry about it.
June 4th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Move to a detatched house or take your hobby to a garage or shed somewhere so it doesn’t disturb anyone.
He deserves to be able to have peace in his home just as much as you deserve to enjoy your hobby. You’ve no right to affect other people with your actions like that. Try being more considerate.
June 4th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
I would deliberately make loads of noise as he will get sick of complaining in the end. The law states that you can make as much noise as you like (within reason) between the hours of 07.00 to 19.00. Buy him a pair of ear plugs and tell him to fcuk off and get a life or a coffin!
June 4th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Maybe work in your basement or something.
June 5th, 2010 at 12:03 am
You are seeing your neighbour as a reflection of yourself. You need to help yourself then your neighbour will change with you. Change your attitude and your neighbour will change his plus all the other people that you think are grumpy, miserable, sad, etc.
Love and be loved.
June 5th, 2010 at 12:17 am
U could try cutting off his head with ya jigsaw that should stop him complaining, period!! Or you could seek legal advice and get the solicitor to send him a letter telling him to back off.
June 5th, 2010 at 1:02 am
get or buy him nothing ?you must live your life the way you want to?you are not doing any harm ?sounds as if he is getting to you a bit have you ever stopped to have a friendly chat and say would you like me to show you what I do?has he ever been interested?you will show him how it would mean if you were getting on you would be more happier?and so would he does he Fancy going to the nearest pub or club for a few beers?better to live in harmony if he moans and says no the tell him to sod off and get the chain saw out ???find out the music he does not like and put it on full blast?you can make as much noise till 10pm the police cant do anything?
June 5th, 2010 at 1:06 am
tell them your related to Fred west and thinking about making a patio
June 5th, 2010 at 1:08 am
Buy him some earplugs or move
June 5th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Make him somthing , a nice foot rest or a Bird table.