Cuda vs. neighbor

[Topcat]

My neighbor is raggin on me about the noise of the air grinder tools. I'm grinding welds, and cutting metal.

I know I have some rights too. I'm not dispersing any chemicals or paint into the air or dangerous dust.
The only thing I can come up with to do is not let my air grinder tools get really loud at full speed. I only work on my car 1 or 2 days a week. One of the main reasons why is to give them a break from the noise level to keep them at bay. I know if I went at it everyday, there'd be hellfire coming at me from all directions and not just her. Apparently it looks as though I can do the work in my backyard as long as I keep the noise less than a half hour at a time between day hours below certain decibal ranges.

I have this info here. For those with legal insight, I would like to hear your view based on the information provided.

http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs%2FSCC%20Public%20Portal%2Fattachments%2F86570Noise%2520Ordinance.pdf 

[HemiDog]

That is big reason I have been looking to get some acreage outside the city!   

[moparmaniac59]

Hi Topcat,
It seems as if you are trying to be compliant with the law and not to upset your neighbors & I commend you for that. I had a neighbor with a dog that would howl non-stop at all hours of the night. I left him numerous notes and spoke to him about the dog. He could care less and did nothing to curb the dog's behavior, so I ended up calling the police as a last resort. Sometimes you get neighbors like this. They are the ones that on Halloween, you just have to hold back to keep from TP wrapping the house.   If you are abiding by the law, the neighbors can complain all they want. I wouldn't want to have an ongoing feud with my neighbors. It doesn't help anything. If they have made it clear that they (one neighbor or several??) aren't happy with the noise, I would suggest talking with them and maybe find out a time to work when maybe they aren't home, or reach a happy medium. I also realize that there's just no pleasing some people. If you can work with them and make everybody happy, then I would do so and if not, I would do my best to reduce the noise and keep it legal as you have mentioned that you have already done and leave it at that. You have  a right to enjoy your hobbies and property as well as anybody else. You sound like a conscientious and sensitive neighbor & I hope you can work things out so everybody is happy!!

                                                                   Matt B.

[jeryst]

Hi Topcat,
It seems as if you are trying to be compliant with the law and not to upset your neighbors & I commend you for that. I had a neighbor with a dog that would howl non-stop at all hours of the night. I left him numerous notes and spoke to him about the dog. He could care less and did nothing to curb the dog's behavior, so I ended up calling the police as a last resort. Sometimes you get neighbors like this. They are the ones that on Halloween, you just have to hold back to keep from TP wrapping the house.   If you are abiding by the law, the neighbors can complain all they want. I wouldn't want to have an ongoing feud with my neighbors. It doesn't help anything. If they have made it clear that they (one neighbor or several??) aren't happy with the noise, I would suggest talking with them and maybe find out a time to work when maybe they aren't home, or reach a happy medium. I also realize that there's just no pleasing some people. If you can work with them and make everybody happy, then I would do so and if not, I would do my best to reduce the noise and keep it legal as you have mentioned that you have already done and leave it at that. You have  a right to enjoy your hobbies and property as well as anybody else. You sound like a conscientious and sensitive neighbor & I hope you can work things out so everybody is happy!!

                                                                   Matt B.

I agree.

If someone complains, talk with them, and ask them why they have a problem with the noise. Some people work nights, and want to sleep in the day. Other people have small children or disabled family members that need to get their rest.  But if they are just complaining because you're disturbing their "Price is Right", or they just want to feel like they are important or want to be pricks, then as long as you are in compliance with the local laws, I wouldn't feel too bad about it. If they wont give you the courtesy of providing a good reason, I'd tell them that you're not breaking any laws, and you have your rights too.

[Topcat]

The wife complaining is a home school teacher. Real uppity people.

This neighborhood is all 1 million dollar houses in a Leave it to Beaver neighborhood. So there's attitude all around.
No, not me.

Put it this way...everybody in this area shops at upscale supermarkets named Lunardi's or Whole Foods.
"Excuse me!" "Could you please pass the Grey Poupon?" 

I'll turn down the air psi on the regulator so that my grinder can't go to higher RPM's. What else can they say?

[jeryst]

The wife complaining is a home school teacher. Real uppity people.

This neighborhood is all 1 million dollar houses in a Leave it to Beaver neighborhood. So there's attitude all around.
No, not me.

Put it this way...everybody in this area shops at upscale supermarkets named Lunardi's or Whole Foods.
"Excuse me!" "Could you please pass the Grey Poupon?" 

I'll turn down the air psi on the regulator so that my grinder can't go to higher RPM's. What else can they say?

Well then, you are obviously out of your element there. Those people dont know how to work with their hands, and frown upon anyone who does. There goes the neighborhood! 

[Topcat]

Maybe I should throw a back yard summer party with a live band and invite them.

I'll call it the "Cuda Day on the Green."

[Bullitt-]

Whatever you do don't be rude back....KILL them with pleasantness...maybe they will feel guilty 
 Let them know all the trouble you are going to to try to be a good neighbor & still pursue your passion.   
  Have you considered creating a sound barrier using something like moving blankets?

This can't be much worse that those dahm leaf blowers that seem to constantly run all weekend in my hood.

[Topcat]

Whatever you do don't be rude back....KILL them with pleasantness...maybe they will feel guilty 
 Let them know all the trouble you are going to to try to be a good neighbor & still pursue your passion.   
  Have you considered creating a sound barrier using something like moving blankets?

This can't be much worse that those dahm leaf blowers that seem to constantly run all weekend in my hood.

 
I didn't go work on it yesterday intentionally so things could cool off.
I am so damn close to finishing all welding and grinding on it.

All I have left is:
Firewall conversion to non A/C hole
XV inner fender to side firewall braces
top of the fender cowl curved areas replaced

Yet the other neighbor is completely remodeling his house with additions and that's OK for them to bang and hammer all day without complaints.

[Topcat]

Whatever you do don't be rude back....KILL them with pleasantness...maybe they will feel guilty 
 Let them know all the trouble you are going to to try to be a good neighbor & still pursue your passion.   
  Have you considered creating a sound barrier using something like moving blankets?

I was planning to go meet them to talk about it. Perhaps this week end.

The car is outside since it's on a rotisserie, i can't fit it in the garage.
If it comes down to it, I may have to buy one of those RV plastic cover tent and glue empty paper egg crates on the back wall that faces their direction. I dunno if that'll help, but it might.

[Bullitt-]

Do they know that this is just about finished...could be their concerned that this could go on for years.. 

[Chryco Psycho]

Car guys always seem to lose in these situations , we need to start creating car guy only neighborhoods wherer everyone has a ride & you woul d have 5 people helping you instead of *****in

[Topcat]

Do they know that this is just about finished...could be their concerned that this could go on for years.. 

She came over the first time about a month ago I explained to her then I was almost done.  and said to me "Perhaps you could just work on it during the week day."  So I did...just this last Monday.
 
Then she dropped the hammer on me last Monday. She came over with papers but wouldn't let me have them in my hands to read closely. I suspect they're the same ones as the pdf. I put here in the beginning of this thread.

[RUSTY Cuda]

I had no problem with neighbors(yet??) But my own wife did let me know how noisy & smelly the work was. Go figgure!
Anyway I gradually switched over to electric tools , still noisy but maybe half that of air tools, still use the cut off wheel, can't get by without that.
handle it with kid gloves, once the town gets involved it's usually a loosing battle.
You can always work nonstop & finish it before the cops pull up & say, What noise?
Good luck, Rich.

[Topcat]

I had no problem with neighbors(yet??)
handle it with kid gloves, once the town gets involved it's usually a loosing battle.
 

Luckily, I am located on county unincorporated limits. Anotherwards, not on town property but county property.