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You can go to small claims court. Sue for the monetary value of your lost sleep. You can make up a figure. Say, $50 for each time you're woken. If it sounds reasonable -- not crazy greedy -- the judge will grant it.
* Being woken on workdays is worth more than being woken on weekends.
* You can sue for each and every morning you're woken. Keep a log. If you're woken three times before you file suit, that's $150 when you go to court.
* If you win and collect money, you can sue again if the noise continues. Each new waking is a new lawsuit.
* You'll need evidence of the honking and time of night.
You can videotape the car. But people can edit in the sound, so it's not perfect proof. However, evidence need not be 100% certain. Only in criminal matters is it "proof beyond a reasonable doubt." In civil matters -- such as your case -- it's "preponderance of the evidence." This means that if the judge or jury is 51% certain that you're right, then you win the case.
It'll help if you have witnesses. Do you live alone?
It'll help if you first write certified letters, send emails, to your neighbor. This creates a paper trail. And it shows you tired reasonable means before suing.
Do you rent or own? If you rent, you can also send certified mail complaints to your landlord.
Calling the police also creates a police log. Another legal record of your complaints.
* HOWEVER, it's likely that you can only sue the person doing the honking. You might have to serve discovery papers on your neighbor to compel them to name the honker. I'm not sure how that works in small claims court.
* You sue in small claims court for all manner of nuisances. Dog barking, loud music, leaf blowers, noxious fumes.
Is all this overkill? Yes. It should only be used if the nuisance is excessive and continuous, and other methods have failed. I've never done it. But I have a law degree, so I know about such things, :-)
One of my L.A. neighbor decided to honk his horn at 5 A.M. to get his friends out of his house to go somewhere. He honked constantly. Needless to say, it woke me up and other people as well. Is there anything i can do like call the police if he does this again? Is this even legal to do that at such a time?
People who honk their horns during times when it's especially quiet, like when people are asleep, are particularly rude and inconsiderate idiots. They don't care about anyone else, or the deliberate noise they are making. It's sad that common sense decency and respect is not the norm.
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