• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Noise Ordinance - What are my rights?

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

EbayBob

Member
What is the name of your state? Indiana

My two sons both play in bands with friends, and for probably ten years now their bands have practiced in my garage......never once have we had a complaint from a neighbor. I am currently in a dispute with a neighbor over some concrete work I hired him for that went bad....going to small claims Wednesday to address that issue....and last night at 7pm the police show up at my house saying they received a complaint over the noise level of them practicing. I immediately suspecting them, and sure enough the officer check and confirmed my suspicion. They are obviously just trying to cause me grief over this other dispute......for the 5 years they have lived there, they have do nothing but compliment the music.

I asked the officer for a copy of the ordinance which he provided...here is the part of it that effects my situation...

§ 93.11 NOISE REGULATIONS.
(A) No person shall play, use or operate any machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound, including, but not limited to, loudspeakers, radios, CD players, television sets, musical instruments, phonographs, cassette players or any other machine designed or intended to produce or reproduce sound, nor operate any motor vehicle that contains a modified or defective exhaust system, if such machine, device or vehicle is located in or on any of the following:

(1) Any public property, including any public right-of-way, highway, building, sidewalk, public space, park or thoroughfare and the sound generated therefrom is:
(a) Clearly audible 40 feet or more from its source; and
(b) Is at a level of 90 decibels or more when measured from a distance of not less than six feet from its source.

(2) Any private property and the sound generated therefrom is:
(a) Clearly audible 40 feet or more from its source; and
(b) Is at a level of 90 decibels or more when measured from a distance of not less than six feet from said property line.

My issue is this......I KNOW they were not playing above the 90 decibels limit, but the officer said he is not required to have to measure that, and can use whatever judgment he wants......so to allow them to play he walks to the neighbors property and via cell phone tells them to tone it down to HIS liking.

What are my rights here? I have no problem buying a Decibel meter if that will help. No matter what level they play at, chances are the neighbors will complain again just to cause grief. And the officer said if they complain, he has to respond, and if he responds more than twice, he will get a Search Warrant and confiscate the equipment. That just doesnt seem right that the neighbor can shut them down like that and there is nothing we can do about it.

Thanks in advance,
Bob
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Anything above a light strike on a snare drum would be over 90 db...
Maybe you need to further soundproof the garage and keep the door closed.
 

EbayBob

Member
The door is closed and garage well insulated**************like I said before....I have no problem flipping the cost of the DB meter to make sure the sound meets the ordinance guidelines of 90db @ 6 feet from of my property line.

I have also done some research, and a car horn is 90db when standing next to it and the front row of a Smashing Pumpkins concert is, at 110 decibels. And since the closest property line is 25 feet from the garage, I have no doubt in my mind they are well below the 90db threshold.
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
The door is closed and garage well insulated**************like I said before....I have no problem flipping the cost of the DB meter to make sure the sound meets the ordinance guidelines of 90db @ 6 feet from of my property line.

I have also done some research, and a car horn is 90db when standing next to it and the front row of a Smashing Pumpkins concert is, at 110 decibels. And since the closest property line is 25 feet from the garage, I have no doubt in my mind they are well below the 90db threshold.

**A: you are incorrect. The front row of the Smashing Pumpkins concert area reads higher than 110db.
 

EbayBob

Member
The Smashing Pumpkin data was just some information I got from multiple sights on the internet. I didnt actually measure it at one of their concerts. :) I think the article included talking about how moving up a 10db levels is equal to 10 times louder. So 100db is ten times louder than 90db, and so on.
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
The Smashing Pumpkin data was just some information I got from multiple sights on the internet. I didnt actually measure it at one of their concerts. :) I think the article included talking about how moving up a 10db levels is equal to 10 times louder. So 100db is ten times louder than 90db, and so on.

**A: rent a sound proof music room for your sons. You are not going to win this one.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
The door is closed and garage well insulated**************like I said before....I have no problem flipping the cost of the DB meter to make sure the sound meets the ordinance guidelines of 90db @ 6 feet from of my property line.

I have also done some research, and a car horn is 90db when standing next to it and the front row of a Smashing Pumpkins concert is, at 110 decibels. And since the closest property line is 25 feet from the garage, I have no doubt in my mind they are well below the 90db threshold.

It's not measured 6 feet from your property line. It's measured 6' from the SOURCE :rolleyes:
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
It's not measured 6 feet from your property line. It's measured 6' from the SOURCE :rolleyes:

**A: ok, got another idea for this OP. Get sons to switch the type of music. Get them acoustic guitars and have them play America, CSNY, Eagles etc.
 

EbayBob

Member
Zigner....This is my house, not public property**************I thought mentioning it was my garage made that point, but I will try and be more specific next time. So here is the ordinance again for Private Property......

(2) Any private property and the sound generated therefrom is:
(a) Clearly audible 40 feet or more from its source; and
(b) Is at a level of 90 decibels or more when measured from a distance of not less than six feet from said property line.
 

EbayBob

Member
Your accoustic suggestion is interesting, but with the fact being the neighbor is complaining only for reasons of being upset with me over suing them, I am not sure even that would work. Why even have a noise ordinance that is so specific in stating 90db's, 6 feet from property line if it cant be enforced by the property owner?
 

Cedrus

Member
Buy your decibel meter NOW and start charting the levels.

Is the complaining neighbor to your side or across the street?

What do your other close-by neighbors say about the band? And if no complaints, can you get their statement in writing

Search your ordinance for "quiet times". Perhaps a lower decibel level would be required at certain hours and a higher level permitted at some other times.

You might be violating a state law against disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct. Probably not - but keep it in mind.
 

>Charlotte<

Lurker
Is the complaining neighbor to your side or across the street? What do your other close-by neighbors say about the band? And if no complaints, can you get their statement in writing

Whether or not the other neighbors complain is beside the point. Whether or not the neighbors in question complained before is beside the point. And your suspicion that these particular neighbors are only complaining now because of the disputed concrete work is also beside the point.

The only relevent fact is whether the noise levels are in violation of the ordinance.
 

EbayBob

Member
Complaining neighbor is diagonally and across the street(alley) so there are other neighbors all around me that usually extend compliments for their play and have NEVER had one complaint in the approximate 10 years my kids have played/practiced there. Before the legal dispute, the neighbor now complaining was one of the complimenting neighbors, and their little 7 year old daughter would even come over and play on the drums on occasion.

I think I would have no problem getting statements from most, if not all, the surrounding neighbors that live right next to me, and half of them are 60 plus in age. So back to my point...this is more a neighbor trying to cause problems due to a lawsuit I have against them, than anything to do with noise level. And I would be happy to start logging sound level, however I guarantee the first time they start playing with any bit of noise, they will be back calling the cops. I thought about going down and talking further with the police to discuss me getting a meter, having them come over and witness the sound level testing so they at least KNOW what 90db level sounds like versus the other cop just trying to get them to play it so low he doesnt have to deal with my neighbors calling.

Bottom line is there is an ordinance that is very specific on DB level and how to measure it, and I would think there is some sort of reasonable solution here then allowing a neighbor to enforce their will just because I have a lawsuit against them**************as for a timeframe, they can play at that level til 11pm.

Thanks for the good comments Cedrus,
Bob
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
Top