Noisy Neighbors, what would you do?

[FateX8]

Here's the story. The neighbor above me is apparently deaf. I say this because the volume of the TV is loud enough that I can hear what they're watching.
Last night around 10pm I rang his bell 4 times waiting about 5 seconds between each ring. I got nothing so I just went buckwild on the ringer until someone came down and eventually someone did. It's an older fellow so right off the bat I felt bad about the crazy ringing but he was being a jerk so it must be done. I ask him to lower the volume down on his TV and he retorts by refuting my accusation. I apologized and said it must be a different neighbor, while in the back of my mind knowing he's lying right to my face but I have no proof so live and let live as long as the volume goes down. Right after confronting him, all of a sudden it's quiet.

Now today, I come back to my place and it's loud again. Right now it's not so loud only because I just got back from work so it doesn't sound as loud, but I know when I go to sleep it's going to sound loud again when everything is off and I'm trying to get back to sleep.
Question is, should I confront the guy again or should I just call the police?

In the complex handbook it says if I have a problem with neighbors call the police, not the staff. I also don't like getting the police involved if it's unnecessary. My problem is I can't distinguish that line. So, am I just being anal about this noise issue or should I really be the broom guy.
Now if this guy stopped and went to sleep early like all old people I have no problem but he's up until 1am at times.
So let me know what you think R2R community!

 

[JR's Reef]

I dealt with that few yrs back. I never got anything done about it. I just ended up moving my bedroom to the other end of the apt. Good luck and hope you get it worked out.

 

[Poseidon]

Have you talked to him before? Do you have any rapport with him at all?

If you have, then ask him over, maybe explain to him that you can hear his TV, and ask that he please turn it down.

If you have no rapport with him, and he has been a jerk, call the police.

 

[FateX8]

no rapport at all, he came down in his boxers and a t-shirt and hes a lot older then me
oh and that night was the first time i talked to him, ive never even seen him leave his place
i didnt yell or anything and all he needed to say is sure i can turn down the tv but instead he completely denied his tv being too loud which is bs

 

[Poseidon]

Yup, then call the police. Have them over to your place, let them hear the noise level, then they can go talk to him. ;)

I had noisy upstairs neighbors before, luckily they were about the same age as me, and I had a talk with the ar$$hole after just about breaking down his door with my "knocking" and he was a CHANGED MAN!!!! :D :D

 

[gooch Verified Sponsor]

I had a single mother one time that lived above me. She got her two kids on the weekends. Saturday mornings were my only sleep in day. Hers too. Anyhow her kids had a video game with a floorpad. The game was right above my bed. Very far from her bed in her apartment. These kids would pound so much stuff would fall on me while she slept oblivious to it. So after four saturdays of this I put the speakers to my large stereo right below her bed. Turned it up and put crazy train on. Her kids never played that game again. And never a word of it was ever mentioned.

But I am guessing you would tick off others by doing it. But I did have fun doing it.

 

[Ian]

Good stuff Gooch...

 

[jerryc]

If its a man from 50 to 70 you consider a older man id do some of the above.
But if he is 80+ he may have bad hearing and to him it may not be loud at all.
I take care of my father he has the TV as high as it will go to hear it.. it
bothers me but i gladly put up with it as its all he has to pass the time..

 

[softiegirl]

Alot of elderly people actually have trouble sleeping. I would take it up with the apt manager, they can be the bad guy and send him a note! :cool:

 

[wishntoboutside]

speakers against the wall and play the pink floyed song every morning with all of the alarms and such. he will get the message really quick. espeically if you have a good subwoofer. =)

 

[SteveOhh]

Broomstick pounding on the ceiling works wonders too...................... :D

 

[mfinn]

I'd grab a couple a couple cokes and go up and offer him one and try a bs with him a for a few minutes. Then try and explain what you hear and ask him how the two of you can resolve your problem.
If that doesn't work call the cops every single time you thinks it merts it.
I'd even complain to the management. It may say not to bother them with problems, but if you bother them enough, they may get tired of it and help you.


First sugar, then a stick

 

[Pazazz]

Broomstick pounding on the ceiling works wonders too...................... :D

I did that before! LOL

 

[Bloop]

So after four saturdays of this I put the speakers to my large stereo right below her bed. Turned it up and put crazy train on. Her kids never played that game again. And never a word of it was ever mentioned

Monty Python put out a PC package with little games and screen savers. It had a bunny splat game with awfully saccharine music.

I left it playing loudly for a weekend when my neighbor ignored my requests to turn down his music.



Back to OP,

This older fellow may actually be losing his hearing and believe the volume really is fine. Touchy subject. You could tell him exactly what he is watching and quote dialogue verbatim.

It may be easier to talk to him during the day. Since he thinks his volume is fine, he thinks you’re a creep for knocking so late.

Otherwise, I honestly say it’s apartment living. The police shouldn’t be bothered and likely wouldn’t care.


Try a white noise maker or get a CD or MPR of droning sounds. You know, rain, crickets, waves... I got a couple on Amazon.com.

 

[droblack]

Sounds to me like he's losing his hearing. My Granddad blasts the tv because he can't hear it otherwise, but he lives out in the country and the nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile away. Probably needs a hearing aid.

 

[FateX8]

I'd say hes around 60-70 and I took the hearing loss into account which was why I felt bad right after he opened the door and wasn't a huge butt. Good thing is its 11:40pm and doesn't seem like there's any noise so I think he got the message already and hopefully it stays that way.
I thought about doing the whole turning it up really loud but I have other neighbors too and I'm not the kind of person that wants to tick people off.
Anyways, hopefully it's over as it's still quiet for now.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I would cut the breaker off to his unit.... but don't get caught doing it or search for his cable panel out side and disconnect it... assuming he has cable or what not. as for me I would search for the main breacker to his apt unit and flip the switch.

 

[pwoller]

Move to the country, thats what I am going to do. I'm talking like 20 acres, and if you step foot on my property your getting birdshot in the ****.

 

[gooch Verified Sponsor]

I would cut the breaker off to his unit.... but don't get caught doing it or search for his cable panel out side and disconnect it... assuming he has cable or what not. as for me I would search for the main breacker to his apt unit and flip the switch.

Reminds me of a time I was at a friends house during a winter storm. We were watching National lampoons christmas vacation. We could here the people upstairs laughing every time we did so we figured they were watching the same thing. Well there cable was hooked up in the basement of the house where my buddy had access. We took turns turning off the cable on them during the movie every time a funny part came on. The reactions were priceless. Instead of laughs it was moans and swear words. They kept blaming the cable going out on the storm. We stopped when they got mad and were going to call the cable company. Figured we didn't want to spoil this in case we wanted to do it again sometime. Betcha we did it for an hour.

What can I say we were young and easy to amuse. But it was funny.

 

[FaviaFreak]

Touchy subject but if it continues to the point where it is affecting your sleep on a regular basis than all bets are off, older or not! I've dealt with similar situations in the past, you can only be nice for so long if it continues to affect you in a way negative way where you have to get up early for work and you've gotten no sleep because of the noise. All I know is you continue to ask him nicely, if it persists than you have to go to management and have them send a letter!