Neighbor Advice?

violetigerlily

Last year we bought a lovely town home adjacent to a very sweet 85 year old man and his wife.  Unfortunately we soon discovered that our neighbor works all day every day (so long as the temperature is above freezing) in his tiny backyard/shop. We have no idea what he's actually making but he uses a variety of saws, drills, hammers, nail guns, etc and it makes a ton of noise. We intentionally made the nursery in the bedroom farthest away from his yard, not that it helps. I can hear his machines and whistling from the front of our house with the windows closed.   Now that the weather is nice,  he's out there sometimes for 10 hours a day and it's interfering with my son's naps. I'm worried as daylight increases to later in the evenings it might interfere with his bedtime. Not to mention the fact that nobody on our block can use our backyards for play or outdoor eating. 

Had anyone dealt with a similar situation?  Our friends on the other side of his house have talked to him about other issues (he built a shed crossing their property line) with little sucess. I want to figure out what's reasonable.  It seems like this is what's keeping him going through his wife's illness and according to her he didn't let the two heart attacks he's had stop him. I don't want to be a jerk about it, and for now some background music usually helps with all bit the occasional boom but would like some days to be able to use our beautiful little yard and get our kid to sleep.

Gingermom15

Maybe you could approach him about sound proofing the shed? It can be done fairly cheap if using thick styrofoam sheets. I would offer to help given his age.  

ammnam14

We are in a town home as well and the rules state no loud noise after 10pm. Are there any rules at your complex? I'm going to probably be the odd ball out here but I wouldn't say anything to him. It's his property. If he's not working at odd times like 5am and late at night there's really nothing you can do. Move your son for naptime. Soundproof your house if it really bothers you. If someone told my husband that he needs to soundproof his workshop because it's interfering with nap time it wouldn't be pretty. 

kdoak2015

Not much you can really do, invest in a radio for outside(sub woofer and all) and a really good white noise machine for your babies room lol.

misamima

Will a loud box fan help at all?

celainev

Yea, I have the same problem with a suspected drug op next door! They constantly have construction sounds and loud music blaring! Luckily I can do something about it (police are already watching the place.) But unfortunately for you, I don't think there's anything you can do! It's his property... And his hobby. 

Gingermom15

If he expects people to show him respect regarding his property, then he needs to do the same. Townhouse yards are extremely close and construction noises for 10 hours a day is preventing more than just her family from using their yard. It might not go over well but having a neighbor make such noise all hours of the day isn't something anyone would want to put up with.

OP check out your neighborhood rules. Talk to him and offer a solution so he doesn't feel like you're asking him to stop working in his shed. 

violetigerlily

Interesting to see a mix of different opinions on here. Unfortunately we aren't in any kind of complex, just on the outer edge of the city limits, where people have yards. I'd rather not file any official conplaint-again the man is so old and i want him to still be able to work, just maybe not as often or loudly. In terms of the shed he only stores stuff there and doesnt actually use it or his garage for working. All of the loud things are done right in the open, about 10-15 feet from our back door. It's just frustrating that someone would disregard their neighbors that much every day in such a way that literally nobody else can ever use their own outdoor space and we all have to listen to him, even in the evenings (though he usually stops by 7 or 8 pm currently). So is there no reasonable compromise that I could ask him? I get that I can't stop him from using his property but why is it OK for him to intrude so much on my use of mine? 

In related news, our next house will hopefully be detached and out of the city...provided we can ever sell this one. But that's years away and though Mr. Construction Zone is old, I don't think he's stopping any time soon.  Who knows how the old owner convinced him to not make ear splitting noise during showings?