- Jul 11, 2001
- 39,967
- 9,643
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This is not a new problem but it's been getting worse and worse. Lived in this 2 story house for ~25 years, bought it in 2000. Next door is a two story apartment building with around 8 apartments. The outside wall of that building must be about 25 feet from the outside wall of my house. A few years back there was a tenant who would play music pretty loud sometimes, but I'm almost sure they moved, probably relatively young folks. Around 3-4 years ago I became aware of one of the tenants having the TV on, but almost always it was only bothersome (or there, whatever) until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. But for the last 6 months or so (I'm not keeping records), this same tenant (evidently) has taken to keeping the TV on practically all the time. Rarely does the sound go away.
I have found the sound of that TV so annoying that I tried sleeping in a room other than my bedroom because the best ear plugs that I had (I'm very experienced with ear plugs!) failed to attenuate the annoyance sufficiently so that I could sleep without waking up and having negative thoughts, etc. I mentioned this to my sister and she recommended a new kind of earplugs that she was using, BioEARS, which are silicon. I bought similar earplugs and when jammed strongly into my ears they successfully block the noise, so I can at least sleep without hearing that TV. I use silicon earplugs every night now.
I've been contemplating off and on in various moods whether or not I should try to do something about the situation. Getting a good night's sleep is one thing, but having to live with the sound of that TV any time I'm on the west side of the house (or outdoors) is another. I can turn on the radio or play a CD or use an MP3 player in the yard but I don't always feel like listening to music. Silence if golden, but I'm having a hard time getting it, even when it used to be a guarantee here (i.e. 4:00 AM).
Granted I live in the city and silence is uncommon in the city, but to my way of thinking you should try to not bother people no matter where you are. I don't like to complain, but I'm thinking maybe I should. I got the idea a couple of days ago that I can call the manager of the property and complain. I think that the other residents of the apartment building may not like it either, but are too timid to complain.
I don't know who exactly lives in the apartment with that TV. It's right opposite my bedroom and this time of year they are keeping the windows open all the time. I have the window facing them closed, which helps some, but I don't think the problem will go away (assuming "they" keep the same habits) until cool/cold weather comes (it doesn't freeze here, but it does get chilly for 3-4 months) and they close their windows.
I think that tenant is a black woman. Not sure, but I filed for a use permit with my town (Berkeley, CA) around 2 years ago and had to get all my close neighbors to sign a document saying they were OK with a change I was making on my property, so I met all my neighbors briefly, walking a petition around the neighborhood. I'm pretty sure the tenant then was a big black woman.
I hear that TV whenever I go into my yard, which I like to do. I do a fair amount of gardening, for one thing. Really, the sound of that TV bothers me more sometimes, sometimes less. Yes, I'm getting used to it and accept it more, but I'm not sure this is a good idea. When I bought the house I paid a general contractor to evaluate the property/house, and he bid on fixing all the problems. He commented that it was unfortunate that there was an apartment building next door because it was bringing down my property value. It's true, but that TV being on all the time is, I figure, a bigger hit on my property value even! Either way, if I continue to live here for quite a while or I try to sell the house, that noise is a problem.
The only thing I've done in an effort to combat the problem is this: I was gone for a weekend, came home and the TV was on so loud at 11:00 PM I could make out the words (I was very tired and wanted to go to sleep, and this was before I had those silicon ear plugs), I took a firecracker and threw it over the fence, bang! I went back in the house and through my window I could see a figure looking out her window. I decided I shouldn't do that anymore, although I had thought of it as a statement/wake-up-call to that tenant. That was May or June. If it helped even a bit (I'm not sure it did), the benefit disappeared completely. The problem's as bad as ever, probably worse.
Should I just be stoic about this and accept it or should I do something? Is that neighbor totally within her rights to have her TV on all the time with her window open. It's loud a lot of the time, so loud I can make out the words, and my hearing isn't all that good.
I have found the sound of that TV so annoying that I tried sleeping in a room other than my bedroom because the best ear plugs that I had (I'm very experienced with ear plugs!) failed to attenuate the annoyance sufficiently so that I could sleep without waking up and having negative thoughts, etc. I mentioned this to my sister and she recommended a new kind of earplugs that she was using, BioEARS, which are silicon. I bought similar earplugs and when jammed strongly into my ears they successfully block the noise, so I can at least sleep without hearing that TV. I use silicon earplugs every night now.
I've been contemplating off and on in various moods whether or not I should try to do something about the situation. Getting a good night's sleep is one thing, but having to live with the sound of that TV any time I'm on the west side of the house (or outdoors) is another. I can turn on the radio or play a CD or use an MP3 player in the yard but I don't always feel like listening to music. Silence if golden, but I'm having a hard time getting it, even when it used to be a guarantee here (i.e. 4:00 AM).
Granted I live in the city and silence is uncommon in the city, but to my way of thinking you should try to not bother people no matter where you are. I don't like to complain, but I'm thinking maybe I should. I got the idea a couple of days ago that I can call the manager of the property and complain. I think that the other residents of the apartment building may not like it either, but are too timid to complain.
I don't know who exactly lives in the apartment with that TV. It's right opposite my bedroom and this time of year they are keeping the windows open all the time. I have the window facing them closed, which helps some, but I don't think the problem will go away (assuming "they" keep the same habits) until cool/cold weather comes (it doesn't freeze here, but it does get chilly for 3-4 months) and they close their windows.
I think that tenant is a black woman. Not sure, but I filed for a use permit with my town (Berkeley, CA) around 2 years ago and had to get all my close neighbors to sign a document saying they were OK with a change I was making on my property, so I met all my neighbors briefly, walking a petition around the neighborhood. I'm pretty sure the tenant then was a big black woman.
I hear that TV whenever I go into my yard, which I like to do. I do a fair amount of gardening, for one thing. Really, the sound of that TV bothers me more sometimes, sometimes less. Yes, I'm getting used to it and accept it more, but I'm not sure this is a good idea. When I bought the house I paid a general contractor to evaluate the property/house, and he bid on fixing all the problems. He commented that it was unfortunate that there was an apartment building next door because it was bringing down my property value. It's true, but that TV being on all the time is, I figure, a bigger hit on my property value even! Either way, if I continue to live here for quite a while or I try to sell the house, that noise is a problem.
The only thing I've done in an effort to combat the problem is this: I was gone for a weekend, came home and the TV was on so loud at 11:00 PM I could make out the words (I was very tired and wanted to go to sleep, and this was before I had those silicon ear plugs), I took a firecracker and threw it over the fence, bang! I went back in the house and through my window I could see a figure looking out her window. I decided I shouldn't do that anymore, although I had thought of it as a statement/wake-up-call to that tenant. That was May or June. If it helped even a bit (I'm not sure it did), the benefit disappeared completely. The problem's as bad as ever, probably worse.
Should I just be stoic about this and accept it or should I do something? Is that neighbor totally within her rights to have her TV on all the time with her window open. It's loud a lot of the time, so loud I can make out the words, and my hearing isn't all that good.
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