Excessive Noise - Neighbor
 

I have this neighbor (80+ year old guy) that is constantly making "excessive noise" everyday from morning to night. It's summer time and he's always cutting wood, metal pipes or hammering away in his backyard. I understand that everyone may have renovations to do during summer time with the nice weather, but in this case, everyday is a bit excessive? My home is hot and can't seem to open my windows as the noise and dust clouds come into my home. His backyard is a junk yard with "crap" everywhere and he obviously isn't a construction worker with permit to operate with all that noise. To me, if he's going to be cutting material and hammering away from morning to late evening, he should be doing that inside his house to reduce the amount of noise to surrounding homes.

I don't believe confronting them would work because this neighbor doesn't like every one else that lives around him, that's why he doesn't seem to give a "crap" about making noise as majority of our neighbors ethnicity isn't of this 80+ year old guy. Also coupled by the fact, I don't want any tension buildup as this neighbor might take things personal if I confront them.

Would going to city of Vancouver be an option?

If he's doing this between reasonable hours, you can't do shit. Unless you build a tall fence and blot out the sun with him or buy a really big fan and blow back all the dust to him.

But really, If he's doing renovations... wouldn't he be doing it everyday to get the work done when its sunny?

If he's doing it between 7:30am and 8pm, nothing you can do. Otherwise, you can call him on a bylaw: Noise Control Bylaw 6555 | City of Vancouver

In my case, I can really only grill this guy for doing anything on a Sunday or past 8pm on weekdays.

Is your neighbour multicartual? If so he's probably just filming a music video

Delete plz.

Nobody likes bylaw being called on them. Handle it like a man and use your words

Nobody likes a rat!

If I confront the neighbor, they'll know it's me and they might take it personal. Might decide to damage my property when I am not home. At least with bylaw, the neighbor won't know who it is since it can be any of the surrounding homes.

Same can be said if I confront them, they might think I'm being an "ass" and should mind my own business.

That's why I want to make sure I play my cards right. At the end of the day, it really boils down to fairness and what is reasonable. The neighbor can obviously renovate and do whatever he wants in his yard, but everyday from morning to evening, is very annoying and excessive especially he's not building a house or anything.

Same with being a "dick" if I confront...:pokerface:

Set up a couple of aluminum plates hanging outside and sit back and laugh

Pussy

Reminds me , some neighbours decided to call city of Richmond on me when our household pulled the garbage 1 day out early.

Just complain to city if you think its excessive, they might spare some time to drop by and tell the old dude, and he would never find out who called out on him.

Last thing you wanna do is confront him in an aggressive manner and he pulls something funny on u guys.

Sounds like someone doesn't like you...Maybe you forgot the garbage day and put it out on wrong day; however, that shouldn't affect anyone with garbage put out early.

I'm not going to go aggressive mode on my neighbor. It's simply the fact they might take it personal for the confrontation if I took that route, as though, he's in his own yard and I am in my own yard. Mind my own business type of deal.

I don't get what this means :concentrate:

Dem social skills... I'm speaking from experience, had bylaw called on me and got way more upset than if they had just come outside and told me to fuck off.

I'm not going to tell you how to start/have a conversation with someone but if you can't voice your opinion in a non-confrontational way than I'm sorry...

Is he making the noise consistently after 8pm or on Sundays?

This is something called Private Nuisance. Private Nuisance is when you do something on your property that affects someone else on their property. It focuses on the harm done to the injured party’s proprietary rights, in this case, your neighbour is constituting nuisance by activities which produce noise. If you don’t want to confront your neighbour yourself, the only possible remedy the city can use is injunction – in which case the city basically requires your neighbour to refrain from doing a specific act.

Like I used to tell my kid when he was 4, 'use your words". Seriously, if it bugs you that much just knock on his door and let him know. You really think most people are that retarded that they are going to vandalize your property because you asked them if they could keep the noise down after a certain time? It's really not that big of the deal, the worst thing that happens is he tells you to fuck off which isn't out of the realm of an 80 year old man, 100% that would be my fathers reaction. The good news is he probably doesn't have that many years left, I'm pretty sure I'll never see 80. :)

You can always write him an anonymous note.

what kind of renovations is he doing?

Does he have building permits?

I know the main concern is noise but for his back yard looking like a junk yard you can report that to The City of Vancouver Property Use Branch which deals with standards of maintenance. A persons property looking like shit falls under that.

Lots of good suggestions here. Like if his backyard is as bad as you say it is, then you can let the city know about that, as well as the excessive noise.

Honestly, go talk to him. Be super nice (even though you won't want to) and maybe just ask what he's up to. See if the noise is going to last for a while or what. Is he even doing renos?

You seem fairly convinced this guy is gonna fuck with your things and/or your property. Has this happened before? He's 80 years old, chances are he's not going to bother messing with your stuff. He might not like you afterwards, but chances are he doesn't like you now anyway.

I would go talk to him, but also call the bylaw office. Get your other neighbours in on it too, assuming their sick of his shit too.

^^ when i used to do practicum for vancouver health, we get a few complaints about that. if it looks like its crappy enough to harbor pests, call and make a complaint with the public health dept. they will send someone out to take a look. if it looks like it does harbor pests and put the public safety at risk, they can order the guy to clean it up. but if you have seen rats roaming around your place, that kinda seals the deal.

it may or may not originate from him, but its enough to call.

other than that, the noise by law is all you have to go by. like others have said, just be nice about it and say that the noise is starting to bother you and you notice a substantial amount of dust coming over to your property. ask him if theres a way he can reduce the noise and dust coming into your property.

be civil about it and if he's still going to be a dick, then not sure what else you can do. it sounds you fear that he is going to hold a grudge and personally attack your property. then thats a whole new ball game.

He's 80, I think you can take him.