Neighbor made noises from 2am-6am this early morning! (Portland: apartments, renting)

[my_opinion]

I am new member here, however the topic is pretty old. I live in NE Stanton Street Apartments. Our neighbors in the apartments are very well behaved. However, there is a pink house next our building. The neighbor in this house is not lovely once a while since I moved here. Especially in the summer time, the neighbor invited friends and held a party on their porch. They started shouting, arguing, laughing, screaming even crying louder and louder from 2am-5/6am every several days. Winter time almost quiet except this morning (Tuesday), women and men were doing the same noises again from 2am-6am, they had a couple times breaks, but kept coming back. I heard some neighbors shut their windows. We did too, but only half-way down, the noises were still clear and annoying. it sounded like they were getting exciting little by little and did it every time on purpose. It doesn't happen quite often, but once it happens, it can get people crazy. I believe they don't need to work in the day time like we do. Is there any way I can do besides call the police?

[Urbanlover85]

Knock on their door and nicely ask them if they could keep the noise down on weekdays since you have to work early. I'm sure they'd be understanding. I've had my neighbors ask me to quiet down a couple times in the past and I was much happier they confronted me personally instead of calling the cops, which I feel is so passive aggressive.

[my_opinion]

The reason why I am hesitating to go to knock their door because I don't know these people. I wonder how all other neighbors could tolerance them for years. If I showed up and got ignored, then next time, anybody called the police, they must think it was me. Since they can shout at 3am outside, who knows they would do some other crazy things? Am I thinking too much of this or kinda reasonable?

[HonuMan]

How about getting several of the window-closing neighbors together and paying the noisy neighbors a visit? I did this once with a neighbor who left his dog outside to bark for hours on end. I knew from over-the-fence conversations that other neighbors were equally annoyed, so I got neighbors from two other houses to join me. We told the guy that his dog was keeping us awake at night. He claimed to be totally unaware that his dog barked when it was outside, but the dog stayed indoors after that. Sometimes peer pressure works.

On the other hand, when I politely asked another neighbor to lower the volume on a late-night party, he cussed me out. I called the police, and they advised me not to engage with someone who reacts belligerently. They paid him a visit, and there were no more late-night parties after that. Actually, I think he was renting the house and moved away soon thereafter.

[Bluesmama]

It's hard to describe this but I live in a culdesac and our house sits on a higher lot than the others. Behind the house across from us, also higher on the hill, is a family that loves to party numerous times from spring to late-summer. It's a Hispanic family that loves to celebrate and have elaborate little parties for numerous occasions, and they're very, very loud and noisy.

Actually, we don't mind it much. Don't know about the houses directly "below" them across the street, but we think more of the sounds shoot our way because it's direct. We try to be patient with all the loud music that almost drowns out everything else around us. As we view it, at least they are "happy sounds" of people having a good time and children at play.

But one time last summer we did call the cops. They were having the 3rd loud party within a 2-wk frame, and this time it was 2:30 in the morning. I didn't hear it but my husband couldn't sleep through it, so he called the cops and it did stop. To me it was crossing the line from their daytime parties to carry it into the night, too.

HonuMan, I like the idea of the neighbors numbering up together to visit the problem house. More impact that way. We should have done that when we had serious problems with another household in our 'sack.

[Epi117]

This is one of my fav sites Gardenweb, they have some great forums that discuss noise issues Apartment Living - GardenWeb

[sueisme]

As someone who used to live in Manhattan -- and therefore all too familiar with noisy neighbors -- I feel your pain.

If you can meet your neighbors casually -- for example, if you see them outside, perhaps head outside yourself, as if you're taking a walk, and say "hi" and introduce yourself. After saying you just moved in recently and love the neighborhood (or something specific about it) ask their advice about a coffee place, a post office, a library (anything) to make a friendly, neighborly connection. Then casually mention that it's been a bit hard to sleep and you have to wake up early for work or a hard day in the mines or whatever. If this doesn't work, then I think there's some neighborhood mediation that might be useful. I'm sorry I don't know too much about it, but it might be a good step before calling the cops.

I have to comment on the quote below. Why is this family's ethnicity important to the comment? I've had noisy neighbors of different ethnic and educational backgrounds, as well as varying ages.

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

It's a Hispanic family that loves to celebrate and have elaborate little parties for numerous occasions, and they're very, very loud and noisy.

[Bluesmama]

Originally Posted by sueisme

As someone who used to live in Manhattan -- and therefore all too familiar with noisy neighbors -- I feel your pain.

If you can meet your neighbors casually -- for example, if you see them outside, perhaps head outside yourself, as if you're taking a walk, and say "hi" and introduce yourself. After saying you just moved in recently and love the neighborhood (or something specific about it) ask their advice about a coffee place, a post office, a library (anything) to make a friendly, neighborly connection. Then casually mention that it's been a bit hard to sleep and you have to wake up early for work or a hard day in the mines or whatever. If this doesn't work, then I think there's some neighborhood mediation that might be useful. I'm sorry I don't know too much about it, but it might be a good step before calling the cops.

I have to comment on the quote below. Why is this family's ethnicity important to the comment? I've had noisy neighbors of different ethnic and educational backgrounds, as well as varying ages.

I threw it in there for effect to give someone an idea of the kind of music that blares across the culdesac. Instead I should have wrote "Mexican music" (salsa type in this case, I assume for dancing). I'd have done the same thing for rap or punk, as those can be over-whelming in blaring nonstop decibles as well.

And, yes, I've noisy and difficult neighbors of various backgrounds, too.

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by sueisme

I have to comment on the quote below. Why is this family's ethnicity important to the comment? I've had noisy neighbors of different ethnic and educational backgrounds, as well as varying ages.

OK here goes. As part of my one woman push-back to Political Correctness, I have something to say.

Apart from several Asian communities in Portland, I'd venture to say the Hispanic community is the largest ethnic group here.

Culturally, Hispanics, and in this case probably Mexicans, are accustomed to lots of parties for many different reasons with lots of people, drinking and music. Culturally, they are also accustomed to very late night partying, even if they have to go to work the next day. Culturally, they are not raised with the same boundaries regarding noise as the average Oregonian. Culturally, they have extremely tight bonds with extended family and friends. Culturally, they have many different reasons for noisy celebrations throughout the year and they embrace them. Culturally, if they were in Mexico, many of these celebrations, particularly religious ones, would be punctuated with explosions at all hours of the day.

These are cultural facts, not denigrating stereotypes. I would imagine that they, in turn, might view some of us as humorless introverts who are never happy about anything.
That said, a polite conversation with them about the social norms here might be helpful.

[my_opinion]

Ok guys, thanks a lot for your comments! My noisy neighbor has been quiet for the last few days. I assume it will happen more often in the summer time. But anyways, I wonder if there is any other number I could call besides 911 if I have to. I wouldn't bother 911 if it is not tooooo bad. Thanks again.