Are noisy neighbors ruining your peace and quiet?

Are you being woken up in the middle of the night by their loud noise? Are you wondering what you can do to get them to be respectful of others in the neighborhood?

If so, then here are a few tips that should help you get back some normality. 

• 1. Add more insulation to your home. Maybe, you just need more insulation. Some homes have only a small amount of insulation, as the builders did not want to spend extra money when building the home. The good news it will also help on your energy bills.

• 2. Build a concrete wall. This may sound a bit drastic, however, it will help lower the sounds that come from the neighbor if they right next to you. You do not have to build a 10-foot wall, but build it up to at least six feet to help muffle the sounds coming from their direction. You do not have to build a wall around your entire property only on the side with the noisy neighbor. 

• 3. Visit the neighbor. If you know what is causing the noise, such as partying, using tools, or whatever, you could just ask them if they could tone it down a bit during certain hours. Your neighbor may not realize that the noise is bothering anyone, especially if they are working on cars, on their hobby such as woodworking or other crafts. They may just listen and change their schedule so it will not be disruptive during specific hours. 

• 4. Give it back. If they noise is going on in the middle of the night while you are sleeping and you know they are sleeping during the daylight hours, make as much noise as you can. Play loud music, invite all the neighbors over for an outdoor karaoke party, and get a dog that will bark every time it hears a sound. 

• 5. If talking the first time does not work, you can always approach your neighbor again but be sterner this time. Explain that if they do not start being respectful you will contact other neighbors or the police. Of course, be ready to take the next step if the noise does not stop. 

• 6. Contact all your neighbors in the area and ask them to sign a petition. You can hold a neighborhood meeting and agree to the hours you can stand the noise from the neighbor and when you want quiet. Once you have all the neighbors sign the petition, visit the neighbor again. Remember to keep one copy for yourself and give the other one to the noisy neighbor. Now, they know you are not the only one with a problem with all the noise coming from his or her property. 

• 7. Call the police. The next time, your neighbor is being loud, call the police. The police will investigate. If your neighbor has quite a bit of traffic, who knows you may be ridding the neighborhood of a drug dealer or other criminal. Either way, the police will talk to your neighbor and ask them to quiet down. Whatever the reason of the noise, the police will then have a report and will keep an eye on the activity at the neighbors house or more disturbances. 

• 8. Take them to court for disturbing the peace. You can always file to take them to court for disturbing the peace. Once you have tried all the options above, you will have the ammunition you need to win in court. Take the petition to court with you along with every police report. This will show the court, that you have followed the letter of the law to try to resolve the issues. 

• 9. Ask them to move. It may not do any good, but you can always ask them to move. Use all the same papers and comments from the police, court, and neighbors to let this noise neighbor know he or she is now welcome in the neighborhood and that you and others will stay on top of the noise until he or she moves away. Neighborhood parties in the street beside their home or even in your yard when they are wanting quiet will certainly get them thinking about moving. 

• 10. Find a new home and move. If all else fails, you can move to a new home. Of course, this should be your last recourse as it will be costly; however, maybe you can sue the noisy neighbor for the expenses. If you have all the documented papers mentioned above, who knows, maybe the court will see in your favor and the noisy neighbor will have to pay for your move. If not, just research the area you plan to move into or you may find that you will have another noisy neighbor beside you. 

Ori Tal a Real Estate Developer from Cocoa Beach Florida handles residential and commercial properties.