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sid
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I thought I'd escaped this when I left UK!

As I write this we have had thumping disco music from a party next door which has been going on for 24 hours.... yes, actually right through the night! The daughter of the family concerned came round yesterday to warn me that they would be having a party; when I asked what time it would finish she said it would go on all night. I was concerned because it is within 4 metres of our bedroom window. I went to see the family and asked that the noise be turned off at 1am, plenty late enough considering that I have to sleep at some point. They were unwilling to compromise. I need to know what my rights are before I make any other moves, but at the moment my wife and I are tearing our hair out, not only have we had a sleepless night but we've still got the thumping noise which we can hear in all parts of the house; there's no escape other than to go out. Yes, we could go out, but with a night's sleep missing I'm likely to drive off the road.

So, are there noise abatement regulations here or not? Do I approach the monsieur maire and ask him to come and sample the noise? Can I prevent it in future?

Sid

Thump, thump thump, thump......

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Sid  you have my every sympathy. Is this a one off or do they play this music at thumping volumes on a regular basis?  You can approach the Maire on this if it is a regular thing and find out what your heures Arrette are, regions do vary, I know this as I recently did a thread on our noisy neighbour( DIY noises, just as annoying)

What le Maire did say to us when we explained our predicament was that he would speak with the neighbour involved and ask for some consideration as our Hours are between 10pm and 06.30 am , which in efect means he can use his drills ,hammers, sanders and what have you at anytime during the day! He also said that is they did do any noisy work during the night(they did three nights in a row untill 2 am in the morning and thought I was strange for asking if they had nearly finished!) that we should phone the Gendarmes, fortunatly I havn't had to do this as I think M Le Maire said his piece.

Do you have any other neighbours? ask them if they know the Heures Arrette..........or failing that if the noise does continue tonight after11pm I should phone the Gendarmes anyway as I am sure that they should be quiet by that time.

I am typing this quietly, not my usual clattering style........sshhhhhhhhh

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Opas

It is a one-off... I hope! At least, we've had no problems before. It's made all the more difficult as we're just two adjacent properties and no one else is affected. They have chosen to hold this gathering at the point which is closest to our house, even though there is plenty of other space away from us, which makes it all the more inconsiderate. I certainly don't want to spoil anyone's fun, but I do need my beauty sleep!

I had no idea that there were any heures arrete , so that's a good start. I think it's probably too late for this weekend now, but I'll make some enquiries at the mairie so that if it happens again I'll be better prepared. As I said to the neighbour, I don't think it unreasonable to ask for quiet after say 1:00am, but by now I totally zonked out! It must be hell living near Glastonbury!

Sid

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I think that if it's a one off or something that only occurs infrequently I would put up with it. We all of us do things that annoy others but "live and let live" is not a bad motto. If it became a regular occurence then that would obviously be different but they've been courteous enough to warn you in advance. Perhaps you don't get on with them well (I only surmise this from the fact that you haven't been invited) and this is part of a bigger problem?
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We have a disco club about a km from us which operates on Friday and Saturday nights. Fortunately we are so positioned that we dont hear it very much. The thing that I noticed was that it goes on until 5am, which I think is much later than in UK ( or am I showing my age ! ). The type of music they seem to play is not so " beaty " as in UK, sounds like UK was before the current overseas influence started.

I have sympathy with your plight however, a quiet life is I think one of the reasons people move here. Most of our visitors say " isnt it so quiet here, and so dark !"

Regards

John

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I am sure it is ghastly but for the sake of good neighbour relations, I think it would be best to ignore it.  If, it is only for the one night.  At least the daughter did come around and warn you.  The continentals generally seem to have a different noise level tolerance - barking dogs, loud voices etc.  No offence is meant, but it cam nearly drive you insane.

It would probably be a good idea to have all information up your sleeve for the future if it should start occurring on a regular basis. 

Our very close neighbours had a party, to which we were invited, which went on nearly all night, with people sleeping in tents in the garden.  We were not bothered as it was a "one-off".

Hope you have now caught up with your lost sleep.

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   The best parties don't start till after midnight , wish i was there , personally i would rather be there dancing on tables rather than getting wound up about complaining, OK if it was every weekend ... the usual complaint is that france is boring nice to hear young people are having some fun. Personally I love thump thump thump

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Yup, I agree with that, artisananunique.

If it was every weekend I would be dreading the weekend, but 1am is very early to expect things to wind down; I would expect things to be really getting going at that time, and yes, a good party would go on all night, and a fantastic party would go on all day too

If it is once or twice a a year, I can't see the problem, especially as they have alerted you..

OK, so the party went on longer than you expected. You imposed your idea about how long a party should last, or rather, you had it in mind. Perhaps you are beyond the first flush of youth. Or, like me, quite a way beyond it?

What on earth made you think young French people had less stamina than young Brits? I would love to hear the answer to this question.

The fact that they alerted you, to me, indicates you have considerate, but not fortune-telling, young neighbours. Did you ask them again, to turn the music down, or did you give up at 1pm?

You may not have spent a Bastille Day here? If not, I can assure you it is 4 years to 94 year olds that will be keeping you awake. Time to get some ear plugs. They really work!

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Tresco

Couldn't agree more. I wish I'd posted so robustly the first time.

Sid, you're overreacting, this isn't a case for taking official action; just because you think France should be quiet all the time doesn't mean it should be. I'd be careful of treading on toes here.

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Totally agree with all thats been said here...................But if it goes on often the best cure is wait 2 hours after they have turned off the muic and are just falling asleep and crank up the old des oconnor records for the next 6 hours[Www]
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Thank you one and all for your contributions. It's really interesting to see how people make assumptions about other people's situations... not always correctly! However it's good to get a mix of replies because it helps to try and put things into perspective.

Until now we have got on very well with the locals; we've been here two years and found them all to be both friendly but not intrusive. The particular neighbours with the party are newcomers from Paris and it would appear from what I've heard this morning that I was not alone in being affected by the noise, neighbours on the other side although further away were also upset, so that's gone a long way towards mollifying me. Another neighbour insists that the noise ought to stop at 22:30 and not start again until 06:00 which makes my compromise suggestion sound positively liberal! As for the warning I got, this was at 17:00 on the evening of the party and the disco had already commenced. If I had known the day before or earlier, as indeed they must have known, I would have made arrangements to sleep elsewhere, in a hotel or at friends. As it tunred out we didn't get a single minute of sleep. I also wouldn't mind if the partygoers lived here, but they're all students from Paris and this took place at the parents house.

Yes, I am beyond the first flush of youth, but I do remember (just) liking loud music myself. My parents were always keen to ensure that whilst enjoying myself I didn't spoil things for elderly neighbours.

I guess we weren't invited because it was a party for students, we'd be the oldest by 40 years!

I wish I could just let it go, but really it's a case of having to experience it in order to understand how long the night actually is when you can't sleep. Probably like the Blitz!!

Anyway, I was really looking for advice on noise abatement, which hasn't been forthcoming apart from Opas mentioning the heures arretes. I live here now and take great care to be a considerate neighbour and expect the same in return. According to the gossip this morning the Monsieur Maire will be having a gentle word with "Monsieur de Paris" so I'll sign off feeling much better.

Sleepy Sid

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[quote user="sid"] The particular neighbours with the party are newcomers from Paris and ... I also wouldn't mind if the partygoers lived here, but they're all students from Paris and this took place at the parents house.

...According to the gossip this morning the Monsieur Maire will be having a gentle word with "Monsieur de Paris" so I'll sign off feeling much better.[/quote]

Well this puts an entirely different slant on things. [:-))]

Parisiens eh?  Are they second home owners? Round here we are very short of Parisiens to gossip about. [;-)]

When you said 'the daughter of the family', in your first post, I assumed the family lived there. Now, on the basis of your last post, I'm assuming they don't.

I'm glad it's going to be sorted out amicably...shame for the parents though, as they probably had no idea what was happening. That is of course another assumption, based on fairly extensive knowledge of what young adults get up to given half a chance, and how parents react when the find out.

Sleep well tonight[:)]

 

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Are they all asleep now? Go do the lawn, trim the hedges .Hang those pictures Or sit in the Garden playing Dean Martin Italian love songs.........just to rub it in about the footy, we did during half time last night and one of our noisy neighbours moved out today[:D]
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I think that the behaviour of the party people was outrageous. Yes they should enjoy themselves but with due consideration and care for others. I have never understood why a party needs very loud voice - and I thought this even when I was a partying student.

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In my experience French parties go on much longer than British ones.   I remember the first New Year's party we were invited to - we expected to go home around 2am but things were still in full swing at 5, when we left.   Apparently most people stayed till around 8am and had breakfast before leaving...... With weddings too, it's the same - 5am is considered to be quite early to go home.    We live relatively near to the Salle des Fetes so do suffer noisy wedding parties quite a lot, particularly in the summer.   But that's how things are, and we put our earplugs in and get on with it.

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Thank you one and all for your contributions. It's really interesting to see how people make assumptions about other people's situations... not always correctly, and are ready to offer opinions which weren't asked for. However it's good to get a mix of replies because it helps to try and put things into perspective.

Until now we have got on very well with the locals; we've been here two years and found them to be friendly but not intrusive. The particular neighbours with the party are newcomers from Paris, and it would appear from what I've heard this morning that I was not alone in being affected by the noise; neighbours on the other side although further away were also upset, so that's gone a long way towards vindicating my reaction. Another neighbour insists that the noise ought to stop at 22:30 and not start again until 06:00 which makes my compromise suggestion sound positively liberal! As for the warning I got about the party; this was at 17:00 in the evening and the disco had already commenced. If I had known the day before or earlier, as indeed they must have known, I would have made arrangements to sleep elsewhere, in a hotel or at friends. As it turned out we didn't get a single minute of sleep. To add insult to injury the partygoers don't live here... they're all students from Paris and it all took place at the parents house.

Yes, I am beyond the first flush of youth, but I do remember (just) liking loud music myself. My parents were always keen to ensure that whilst enjoying myself that I didn't spoil things for elderly neighbours.

I guess we weren't invited because it was a party for students, we'd be the oldest by 40 years!

I wish I could just let it go, but really it's a case of you having to experience it in order to understand how long the night actually is when you can't sleep. Probably like the Blitz!! It's just as well our grandchildren weren't here this week.

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, and if I was to suggest using it on some terror suspect I'd probably be condemned for that too by the same people who tell me to 'let it go' when it happens to me.

Anyway, I was really looking for advice on noise regulations, which only Opas has referred to (heures arretes), thanks Opas. There are several members of this forum who seem only too willing to tell us how we should behave; silly me, I should have realised I was the guilty party all along! You'd think we'd moved to a different planet, not just a few hundred miles from sunny England. There's nothing clever about letting people walk all over you. I live here now and I take great care to be a considerate neighbour, and expect the same in return.

For the experts among you the correct thing would have been for me to mention it to M Maire. Too late, someone else has already done it and according to the news today Monsieur Maire will be having a gentle word with "Monsieur de Paris" so I'll sign off feeling much better.

You will gather from the tone of my reply that I'm still very grumpy, and no, I haven't caught up on my sleep yet.

Sleepy Sid

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So Grumpy

Did you never dance througth the night, did you never upset yr neighbours , didn't you know thtats what young people do, lighten up amigo , sleep through the day , its so much fun to be young and to be honest its not exactly boring being 50+

 

Anyways not meaning to be confrontatial , I'm sure you're a lovely person  x

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I can see both sides as my student son and his dozen mates had a party here two weeks ago with loud noise and the usual singing and shouting, but, they did warn all the neighbours first who couldn't have cared less as it was hot humid night and no one was sleeping anyway. In the end, they ceased the music at midnight and resorted to going down on the beach and then sitting the rest of the night/dawn away talking inthe garden which woke me at 5.30am. I gave them hot croissants and chocolate and not one complaint from anyone. On the other side of the lane,we have,for years been subject to the deadly tam tams being played at all hours for once of twice during the holidays - those I really get upset about as they are not music and you cannot sleep for the constant bang bang bang,but I didn't ring the gendarmes,it was a Parisen who did and they ceased immediately the last time but it appeared afterwards they thought it was us and were very apologetic when they found out. It is traditional in France for students to celebrate the end of the exams and the results with parties and just for one night,a little tolerance is needed I think.
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I'm more live and let live. If it's a one-off - in two years, you've had no other problems from this family - I don't see it as letting anyone walk all over you by letting it go. So other people have complained - that may be vindication of your views but unless the other disgruntled locals were Parisians too, there was probably an element of the stereotypical dislike of Parisians involved. Those damned incomers, buying our houses. Oh, just like you. [;-)] Still, making complaints about Parisian second-home owners does indicate a level of integration many on these forums strive for years to achieve. [:P]
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[quote user="sid"]

Thank you one and all for your contributions. It's really interesting to see how people make assumptions about other people's situations... not always correctly, and are ready to offer opinions which weren't asked for. However it's good to get a mix of replies because it helps to try and put things into perspective.

Sleepy Sid

[/quote]

Sid

if you post something on a forum you are going to get comments and opinions, some of which might not be liked.

People will not be narrow in their comments and, without the fullest of explanations will make assumptions.

If you are not prepared for this then it is probably wise not to post items on a forum - and I do speak from experience having received harsh comments from a few postings.

Paul

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Cut the guy some slack...........he is tired[+o(] some of us realy need our beauty sleep, even if it doesn`t beautify us[:(]

 

just a thought though, these students, who parents have owned the house for a few years at least, have probably just reached the age where their parents will let them off the leash a little. This could possibly be the first of many long weekends........

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Hi Sid

As one of the people who made assumptions, I'm sorry if I've upset you. I also hope that the music has now stopped.

As has already been said people do reply quite broadly on this forum and for many of us that's the appeal. You're not seeking legal advice here, only the opinions of other members. Of course you're not at fault , but perhaps you're being rather blinkered and wanting everything on your terms. Most people would read your first post and take it to mean "this guy wants our opinion on this situation" as opposed to "Sid wants to know about the legal situation about noise nuisance".The latter might be what you wanted, but would make for rather dull reading.

Similarly you say " I take care to be a considerate neighbour, and expect the same in return", but that's what you want from your situation as a neighbour, it may well not be what your neighbour wants. They may be cursing the fact that somebody elderly has bought the house next door and is cramping their style. They may dread your grandchildren coming to stay, with all the noise etc. that young children can make. Both points of view are valid, not just yours. This would be true in any country. Obviously if there are other neighbours who agree with you then democracy comes into play and that seems to be what has happened.

Anyway, hope you've got a good night's sleep and can see the funny side of things now. Best wishes.

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Hello KathyC

As my sanity returns I appreciate more that there are other points of view. However in the heat of the moment I really wanted a  more sympathetic ear, not to be shot down in flames.

It has made me very reluctant to post a query or experience on here in future; I'll read the renovations and driving threads, which have served me well for a while, but feel that a forum is really about contributing as well; giving and receiving. You won't get many new regulars if they are effectively ridiculed.

I'm not sure there is a funny side [:(] but you were kind enough to apologise and I appreciate that, thank you.

Topic closed, I think.

Sid

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