Noise issue from Dry Cleaners in the next building (apartments, roofing)

[bilmin]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

Background: I have been renting in the building for 3 years, its a co-op building and each apartment is owned by a different owner. I currently work freelance from home. Luckily, my owner is very down to earth, great on fixing any problem issues, and is happy that I rent the apartment. I'm on the 2nd floor, and one of my walls is next to the other building that houses a dry cleaners on the first floor; if you are staring at the buildings from the street, my apartment is diagonal from the dry cleaners.

In the three years I've been here, all the noise have been stereotypical apartment noises... I never heard anything from the building next door, as there is two layers of brick walls. All of the sudden, in January, for some unbeknownst reason, I start hearing a constant, low bass, thump, thump, thump. I hear it everyday when I wake up and it continues until around noon, starts back up at around 1 and continues until 4:30 or 5pm.

It happens every day, Mon - Sat. I checked with the neighbor below me who also shares a wall with the dry cleaners and he also started to hear the thump, thump, thump... all day. The dry cleaners are closed on Sunday, and on that day, there is no noise. It's clearly coming from the press machines from the dry cleaners as they have the exact same noise pattern and the employees who work on them go to lunch at around noon and leave at around 4 - 5 pm each day.

Normally, the guy who manages the dry cleaners (not an owner) is very nice, however the two times I have brought up the issue (in the most amenable and polite manner possible), and asked if perhaps they had moved things around, gotten new machines or perhaps cleaned something (they definitely recently cleaned, and it previously looked like a good 30 years of dust piling up in some corners), he was very defensive and said that nothing had changed and that I should deal with it as he is only the manager.

I have a small studio and cannot escape the noise. I hear it in the bathroom as well, even when taking a shower. The noise can also be heard in the first floor hallway when the machines are working. As I work from home and cannot work elsewhere, the noise is impeding with my ability to work.

Any advice as to how to best proceed?

Move very simple-- you live next to a commercial establishment you are going to hear noise.

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by bilmin

Move very simple-- you live next to a commercial establishment you are going to hear noise.

There wasn't noise before, so... also, why do I have to accept the noise when they are in violation of the noise codes??

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

There wasn't noise before, so... also, why do I have to accept the noise when they are in violation of the noise codes??

At this point you do not know for sure that they are in violation of the noise ordinance, you are just hoping they are.

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by CSD610

At this point you do not know for sure that they are in violation of the noise ordinance, you are just hoping they are.

If I can hear it everyday, from the 2nd floor, with no common walls, through 2 exterior brick walls, they are in violation.

[bilmin]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

There wasn't noise before, so... also, why do I have to accept the noise when they are in violation of the noise codes??

You keep saying there was no noise before-- and you know what that really does not matter at all. What matters is if the noise being generated now is in violation of the noise ordinance only---- I do not think you
really know that. I think you will be shocked as to how loud they can be and still be in compliance, You really need to find out who in the city you can report this to then follow up with them until you know the results. If you are right then the noise will be abated for a while anyway and if you are wrong then you move. The city will come right into your apartment where the noise is and have a measuring device so you should get a good indication of how solid your case is right away.

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by bilmin

You keep saying there was no noise before-- and you know what that really does not matter at all. What matters is if the noise being generated now is in violation of the noise ordinance only---- I do not think you
really know that. I think you will be shocked as to how loud they can be and still be in compliance, You really need to find out who in the city you can report this to then follow up with them until you know the results. If you are right then the noise will be abated for a while anyway and if you are wrong then you move. The city will come right into your apartment where the noise is and have a measuring device so you should get a good indication of how solid your case is right away.

I'll also have my downstairs neighbor who has been hearing it write a testimonial, I will also ask the other downstairs neighbors that share a common wall. You can hear the damn noise from the wall next to the staircase on the first floor!

[bilmin]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

I'll also have my downstairs neighbor who has been hearing it write a testimonial, I will also ask the other downstairs neighbors that share a common wall. You can hear the damn noise from the wall next to the staircase on the first floor!

None of that matters until the man shows up with the noise meter and sees if it is in compliance. The problem is they have to catch them in the act. Nobody cares what your neighbor thinks. He that has the
meter from the city is the only one that matters and you have a right to ask them to come out and measure it.

Remember the owner of the dry cleaners has rights too--- that is why levels are established and I bet even if they are in compliance you will complain

[Kefir King]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

No, we aren't in the same building, it's the building next door. And yes, as far as I know, there are two brick walls between us (I could be wrong, and there might be less than two). As I mentioned, the noise can also be heard in the first floor. As I mentioned previously, the noise recently started, so clearly something changed...

Then I am guessing something must literally be BANGING against the dry cleaner wall.

[SeventhFloor]

Umm....any update?

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

Umm....any update?

Not yet. Will update when I have news.