to all you past apartment residers i need some help

[wrxkidid]

Hey guys,
Sorry I havent been around much. I moved and it has just been crazy. Im out in colorado for paramedic school that i got accepted to last minute so its been a crazy month.

My problem is the walls in our apartment complex are super thin apperently and last night we got a noise complaint. but the thing is there was only like 5 of us and we were just talking not yelling a little music but not loud just a little background.

Any tricks you guys know to insulate the wall or something? hang a couple sheets to absorb the sound vibrations or something?

thanks guys

[Dean]

Invite your neighbors to all gatherings. Move speakers away from walls and floors and off solid objects leaning against walls. Sheets are not enough. Think wall carpet or woven wall hangings. 1/4" thick minimum.

Stop partying at 11PM... Seriously, look at your lease. make sure you know what noise and such stipulations are in it.

[sperry]

The only good way to do it: shut up after 10pm.

I almost got kicked out of a house I was renting the day after I moved in. There were 3 of us sitting in the spa chatting at 10:30 and our neighbor called our land lord directly to bitch and moan, who then called us. I answered from the spa:

"Are you having a party!!!!??"

"Um, no? Does it sound like we're having a party? We're just sitting in the spa."

"Ever since you guys moved there, all I get are complaints!!"

"Uh, I moved in yesterday. What are you talking about?"

"Just keep it down! If I get another call from the neighbor, I'm kicking you out!" *click*

...I never spoke to that guy again, so I guess we weren't all that loud.

[wrxkidid]

I looked at the lease today and it states that the 'quiet hour' is 11pm which is fine with me. The problem I have is that the guy called me and complained at 9pm originally so we turned down the music, 930 he physically came over and asked us to quiet down even further, still an hour and a half before the quiet hour, so we turned the music completely off. 1030 still not quiet hours yet and knock knock knock, "Boulder PD open the door". Still before quiet hours, the only noise we were making was us talking at a regular level. It just seems kinda ridiculous but i guess its apartment living. No ticket or anything luckily but is there something we can do about the complaints coming in that early before the quiet hour when it was only 5 people talking at a regular level. I could understand if we were throwing a rager. Who knows I guess.

BTW I would invite him but he is like 45 with a wife and kids so i kinda doubt he wants to party with a bunch of college kids.

What really grinds my gears is the fact that he and his family scream at eachother all day long when Im studying and i just put up with it cause i know that we have been loud in the past and its during the day, but still technically we were doing what we are aloud to do and I end up with Boulder PD at my door.

Oh well. Thanks guys keep the suggestions coming, ill move some of the speakers around a bit and see if that helps. Im going to call him and talk to him today and see if we cant get the whole thing sorted out but who knows how that will go.

[Dean]

Talk to the complex management... He may have done this before. Be professional/adult though, don't whine...

By doing so before he does, you preempt any whining he does. It also makes management aware that you are trying to be conscientious about it, but also know what you agreed to in the lease. His calling the PD is inappropriate before quiet hours.

I would also suggest talking to him after talking to management. Try and understand what specifically he objects to. Don't make excuses or appologize, just ask what his issue was and what he objects to.

Did you all move in together or have others been in this apartment for any period of time?

[sperry]

Forget Dean's good advice.

Turn your speakers around and point them at his wall. Next time he's arguing loudly with his wife, play the shoot-out scene from HEAT at top volume. Then call the PD and report domestic abuse coming from next door. Also file a noise complaint.

If that guy is going to call the cops before whatever time the noise ordinance goes into effect, call the cops every time you hear them fighting. Tell them "well, I guess I'm just calling about how loud they're being, but I'm also a little concerned about his wife's safety, this happens a lot." Officially, you're just reporting the noise. Unofficially, homeboy is gonna get the cops up his ass.

[wrxkidid]

He has been here for longer than we have. There have been a couple times that it really does sound like someone could be getting hurt next door, and i almost did call once but i dont really wanna get all stuck up in it if something were actually to happen with it. I dont have the time or patience for that.

We dont have to actually be quiet until 11 (as per the lease), So am I correct in thinking that if he asks us to turn it down before 11 we aren't obligated to comply with his request correct? Not saying that this is the solution or a mature action but i just want to understand what i can and cant do.

[Dean]

You can do anything you want right up until they kick you out, or a cop hauls you into lockup... Be mature and talk to management and ideally, get to know your local law enforcement.

Don't wait until they get to your door, or when they do, be very polite and professional.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by wrxkidid

He has been here for longer than we have. There have been a couple times that it really does sound like someone could be getting hurt next door, and i almost did call once but i dont really wanna get all stuck up in it if something were actually to happen with it. I dont have the time or patience for that.

We dont have to actually be quiet until 11 (as per the lease), So am I correct in thinking that if he asks us to turn it down before 11 we aren't obligated to comply with his request correct? Not saying that this is the solution or a mature action but i just want to understand what i can and cant do.

Actually, the cops can't do shit if there's no city noise ordinance. The cops don't enforce rental rules, just city laws. However, if the city ordinance is "no noise period" or "no noise after 8pm" then you may not be in violation of your rental agreement, but you are in violation of the city ordinance.

Find out the city/county laws. Talk to management about the neighbors. Keep in mind that if you're not making noise, yet they keep calling the cops on you, that's harassment. i.e. if the cops come out 2 or 3 times and don't ticket or officially warn you because they don't hear anything, you've got a good case against the other tenants.

[wrxkidid]

The Boulder City ordinance states that

"(a) No person shall make unreasonable noise in a public place or near a private residence that such person has no right to occupy.

b) No person shall electronically amplify any sound, or make any noise by means of any electronic amplifier, which is loud enough to be audible to a person of normal hearing one hundred or more feet beyond the property line of the property upon which the loudspeakers are located during the hours of 11:00 p.m. through 7:00 a.m."

If I am reading it right, the lease and the city ordinance agree so we were not violating any ordinances, there is no way possible you could have stood 100ft from our apartment and heard us at all and we had the right to inhabit our apartment so we were within both parts of it, im guessing thats why i didnt get a nuisance ticket.

It still just seems ridiculous to me. is it something that i should bring to the attention to the police if they do show up again before quiet hours? I didnt get a chance today but tomorrow i definatly am going to talk to the manager at the complex and see exactly what my rights are and what i can and cannot do.

[sperry]

Technically, in an apartment, your property line is the wall of your unit, so if your neighbor can hear it at all after 11, it's a violation. The trick is, when the cops show up, they have to hear it too. You can't get a ticket for hearsay.

I know this 'cause I got warning ticket once in college when the neighbors cranked up their stereo super loud. The other neighbors call the cops. When the cops came, the loud neighbors had already turned off the music and left, but I happened to be playing music with the sliding glass door open. Since the cops could hear it, I was given the warning. What was dumb was that it was like 3pm in the afternoon. But the cops were actually pretty cool and ended up checking this new fangled thing called "mp3" that let me play music on my PC piped out to my stereo (it was like 1996 after all).

[100_Percent_Juice]

Originally Posted by sperry

Forget Dean's good advice.

Turn your speakers around and point them at his wall. Next time he's arguing loudly with his wife, play the shoot-out scene from HEAT at top volume. Then call the PD and report domestic abuse coming from next door. Also file a noise complaint.

If that guy is going to call the cops before whatever time the noise ordinance goes into effect, call the cops every time you hear them fighting. Tell them "well, I guess I'm just calling about how loud they're being, but I'm also a little concerned about his wife's safety, this happens a lot." Officially, you're just reporting the noise. Unofficially, homeboy is gonna get the cops up his ass.

"OMG officer, officer! The children were screaming, the children were screaming! All I could hear was him saying was, 'why so serious. wHY sO SeRIOUS!'"


Do understand though, that everyone with kids is going to be kind of bitchy after 9pm when the kids are sleeping. I think the best thing to do is just talk with the guy and try to work on a solution. Obviously you will see if he is reasonable and you can work something out or if he is just going to be an ass. That's apartment life for you.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

Do understand though, that everyone with kids is going to be kind of bitchy after 9pm when the kids are sleeping.

That is the damn truth. If anyone calls our house after 7:30pm and wakes up Lee I have to seriously fight the urge to murder them.

[sonicsuby]

Is his wife hot? Sounds like she's probably unhappy and you might be able to bang her as revenge for complaining about you guys being loud.

[wrxkidid]

not so much.

[100_Percent_Juice]

...and even if she was hot, what makes you think robbo has a chance?
























...you rue the day you posted that picture!

[sperry]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

...you rue the day you posted that picture!

...go on, start ruing. *taps foot*

[van]

Originally Posted by sperry

...go on, start ruing. *taps foot*

go ahead...I'm waiting

[wrxkidid]

I dont understand this "ruing" concept.

[sonicsuby]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

...and even if she was hot, what makes you think robbo has a chance?
























...you rue the day you posted that picture!

You got knocked the fuck out!