HELP ! Noisy Neighbor in Co-Op

8thandprez · January 2007

well, not me, but the tenant who lives beneath the old lady. I'm not sure how the owner's obligation to provide a habitable place to live dovetails with the rights of a rent-stabilized tenant. My guess is that he's in a real bind.

anonymous · January 2007

bk, what are the cross streets of your building, and what is the neighborhood exactly.

anonymous · January 2007

Perhaps the solution would be to buy a timer for her radio, which would shut it off every night...or how about the gift of a pair of wireless headphones?

Also, to go back to the original poster. I disagree that you should go slowly with the board in trying to resolve this. If you go slowly, so will the board, and the noise will just keep eating away at you until the sound of a pin dropping overhead will make you nuts. Inform the board in no uncertain terms that you do not intend to put up with this. Ask them what they intend to do about it and give them a limited time frame to get back to you with an answer. And, while you're waiting, start looking for an attorney.

apollonia666 · January 2007

FYI: This thread's been Gawkered.

anonymous · January 2007

There is one and only one revenge: Polka! Play a little Frankie Yankovic REALLY loud. Or Lawrence Welk. I am not sure it would work but it will make you feel way better.

pastoralia · January 2007

I have the same problem in the South Slope with a neighbor in the building next door to me. I've done the face to face thing and all I got was a "fuck off" so I called 311 and all I got was a reference number (it'll begin with C1-1). Eventually, one great cop from the 72 was nice enough to come and talk to me and then talk to her. She still plays her music loud but now I can call the 72 Precinct and even if the cop isn't there since I ask for him by name they'll ask what I want and I can tell them that Officer So-and-So helped me out in the past and could you please talk to this crazy chick? Usually they'll send a squad a lot quicker than if it was routed through 311.

My advice: call 311...get reference numbers (five or so) so that when you call 311 you can ask for the Precint's phone number (or google it- or go down there) and present your case.

I mean...it's something...last night the crazy fat bitch was playing her thumping base at 1am...and she has two just as fat kids who were going back to school today! Unfortunately, we live in a society where people are sometimes just inconsiderate fucks.

anonymous · January 2007

Subject: Loud is OK.... sometimes

What's up with the people above who have issues with loud parties on New Years Eve?! javascript:emoticon(':-({|=')We're in New York City here, not New Hampshire. NYE is meant to be partied on and late into the night. If you don't like it, make plans to be somewhere quiet that night. This sort of thinking gives Park Slopers (Carroll Gardeners, Prospect Heighters, etc.) a bad image in other hoods and we aren't really all that uptight, I know, I've lived here for 17 years now.
(And yes, I agree, consistent loud music and tv after 11 or so on weeknights is rude. You should complain about that, starting with the offender and, if that doesn't work, then going to the cops. We have a band rehearsal space outside our bedroom window, where something is going on almost every night. The rule is that they stop amplified sound at 10 on weekdays and by midnight or so on weekends, which the almost always do. This way our cultural vibrancy can thrive, not that I would call some of the sounds coming out of the space either cultural or vibrant, and the rest of us can get some good sleep.)

brooklynpotter · January 2007

i think that for those of us who are tortured on a daily basis by the crazy loud people who disrupt our lives, night's like new years make it even worse because the nature of the night gives those rude people an 'excuse" to be even ruder.

bkuser · January 2007

Ok, now that it's quiet... I'm calm.

Guest: I am actually very close to Ditmas Park, but I posted on Park Slope because I thought I'd get a better range of responses.

As for the legal wranglings, I am very hesitant to go that route. I have researched much about noise complaints and often, it's a long and unsatisfactory experience. I would prefer to deal one on one first. The neighbor HAS been responsive in the past. He hasn't been a jerk about it. It felt good to write the letter, but I haven't sent it (I know, some of you will feel this is not the right route). As right as it would be, it might very well make me look like the uptight tenant. After NYE, he's been quiet as a mouse. I continue to keep a log. Also, I feel glad at least someone witnessed it. I think going full out with lawyer threats is a bit much. Co ops are not all the same, and I think this one is a bit more lax than many. Which is good, and bad in my opinion.

I have no problem with where the majority of the owners are from and don't want it to be misconstrued that I'm anti-them. Just mentioned it because it gives an idea of the demographics of the owners. These are not Park Slope gentrifiers from Manhattan.

Oh, and I have played music to cover theirs, which helps. But honestly, I think that will make them think it's OK to put theirs as loud or even louder. Plus, it didn't do much good.

Taktak: I agree that it's NYE. That's why I've rethought sending the letter. I am also extremely tolerant to a large degree of putting up with the music and noises all other hours. I am hoping this extremity of music level on NYE is an isolated event. Drunk, rowdy, dancing. All good. But when you know a neighbor tries to knock on your door at 2 am I think it's only considerate to turn it down a bit (I'm not saying you have to turn it off) rather than keep it up at the same volume til 4 am. It seemed more of an F-U message rather than being neighborly.

shishkab · January 2007

hey bk...

if you feel you have a decent enough relationship with the guy upstairs, and you feel comfortable enough with it, have you ever considered inviting him downstairs to hear for himself what a racket he's making? i had a similar situation once with a next door neighbor. i never actually had to complain to them about the noise, cuz i found an excuse to invite the wife inside my place during the worst of it. not only was the gal shocked & horrified at the level of sound coming thru the walls, but from then on they made every effort to be silent. i'm not suggesting it's the same thing, but maybe this dude doesn't realize just how MUCH noise he's making, and hearing it for himself may influence his decision on how well to behave. again, like i said you'd have to be comfortable with the notion of inviting him in, but maybe it'll do the trick.

no matter what route you take, good luck with it!

brooklynpotter · January 2007

well, here on crazy street it's very likely i will be calling the police on the woman upstairs

i know exactly what she is watching on tv. because it's that loud.

anonymous · January 2007

You can boil cabbage/sauerkraut late at night.
I heard that the smell is very repulsive.

brooklynpotter · January 2007

lol. it is repulsive, but i don't know that she would be bothered by it.

you know what freaks me out? we watch a whole lot of the same TV shows. (and i know this how? because i can hear her tv).

anonymous · January 2007

You can try screaming outside of their door and bang a hammer
against an object (metal bowl).
My husband did that the other day since our wonderful upstairs neighbor
was blasting their music in the morning.
They shut off their music.

anonymous · January 2007

You can put the cabbage near a pipe/vent so the smell
will go into their apartment.

nomad · December 2007

I know this is a very old thread, but I just wondered what happened - bkuser - did the noisy neighbors quieten down? Did you send your letter? How was the problem resolved?

And exLofter, when you had your problem with the neighbor, was it a co-op or condo? Also if you were happy with them, what are the contact details for your lawyer?

Thx.

HELP ! Noisy Neighbor in Co-Op

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