not sure what to do about this, but I feel like it’s the only thing I can “control”, even though it is kind of petty.
My neighbors are very much an industrious hoarding type of Neighbor.
They like to repair small engines and small devices to make a few bucks. They work on their cars in their driveway, which is just fine. I would do it too, except their placement of the small engine repair portion, the impact wrenches, tire changing machine, air compressor … is within 5 feet of the edge of my property line which also happens to be 5 feet of the edge of my house: i.e. my house edge is on my property one so when they run their engines at any hour of the day, I have both engine noise and exhaust, or air compressors/impact guns in my living room or my bed room.
This means I cannot use those windows when they have those engines and air compressor running.
I was OK with them having six vehicles i.e. four cars, two motorcycles in a two car spot and using the street for the rest even though that meant they parked closer and closer on the street to the edge of my driveway, making it hard for me to get out of my driveway.
But I drew the line at all of those engines, making enough noise so i could not have quite enjoyment of my house. I even went so far as to put film up on the window so I could have the blinds open let light in but not have to see piles and piles of car parts, exhaust, various snowblower and lawnmower and other things in the alleyway between our houses.
I’ve complained to their landlord because the piles in the backyard that they are creating actually extend over the property line. I know if I don’t say something about that and “you snooze you lose” that property (i own).
But when I asked the neighbors to please stop at the engine noise right next to my house they doubled down.
I went to the landlord nothing happens. I even asked the town and nothing happened there.
So I’m doing a petty thing and I park one of my cars in front of my house.
It’s not blocking their driveway in any way shape or form it’s not even blocking my driveway. There’s about one car length for a two door wrangler in front of my house. So now they cannot park all of their vehicles on the street without getting very good at parallel parking.
It’s petty, but at least I’m doing something with the only thing I can control and that is making it so I can get out of my driveway by only worrying about my car in the street, not they’re car. Because last year they claimed one of my cars hit theirs. Even so far as to have a cop issue a “left scene of an accident” charge; the prosecutor laughed and threw it out...
So the neighbors have taken to playing “poor me” with the other neighbors; seen them outside pointing at my car and lamenting. They even went so far on Facebook to complain in our town community page but they complain in a way that makes it seem like they’re afraid of hitting my car and they’re asking for a place to rent, which is honestly something that should’ve gone a long time ago because they have four more vehicles and two motorcycles. They have so much stuff they had to tarp their porch so that nobody could see the blight that they have accumulated.
Anyway, there’s not much I can do but I feel petty about it. It’s really hard. I am reluctant to talk to them again about this because I just don’t trust that they won’t claim I’m harassing them for something like that. They seem very much a litigious sticky tar pit of a scenario.
Heck 6-8 months ago we were sharing meals! We were giving each other different foods from our cultures. They’re from Ukraine as immigrants from a war, they’re trying their best. They’ve got five adults living in that house in an infant baby and they’re trying their best to make things happen here in the US. I get it, but I can’t abide by having motor vehicle noise in my living and bedroom.
Ugh. Thoughts?
I understand the frustration here, especially regarding the smell of running ICE engines. But it kinda sounds like both sides here are being petty.
For noise - this is no different than hearing lawn mowers or dogs barking. It's just part of city life. As long as they aren't working at 10pm, I don't think it is worth fighting. Maybe get a good soundspeakers and play some ambient music or white noise.
For the fumes - you could ask them to run the engines further from your window. You can also get a box fan to put in the window pointed outward.
For the engine parts - there's a reason they say good fences make good neighbors. Build a fence to demarkate your property line. Put their shit on their side of the fence.
For the sight of their various parts and such - idk, deal with it, who gives a shit? As a fellow tinkerer, I kinda like the sight of the various odds and ends taken apart.
The biggest problem is that you let this get to the point of involving the landlord or the law in the first place. Even if they are kinda being dicks about it, it is almost always better to keep things as informal, person to person conversations, because then there is still the possibility of bargining, mutual respect, and compromise. Once you start engaging authority figures or petty passive aggressive tactics, you have exited the conversation and are trying to force your will on them, to which the only reasonable response on their end is also force.
I think that your first order of business should be to try to repair your relationship with your neighbors, starting by apologizing for any dickishness you might have engaged in. Hopefully, at least with some time and good faith on your part, they will come around and you can open up about potential compromises in the future.
thats simply it - I did ask. They doubled down. Told me no.
our town has noise ord for all hours of the day. normal nighttime levels and daytime levels. Maybe i was not articulate enough but for example if I hang a window ac unit in my window unit overhangs onto the next prop line. It’s tight. That’s the kind of alley. 2 stroke engines mere 4 feet from my living room windows for hours at a time mid day.