Dealing with noisy neighbour in an apartment block

[mikic007]

Ah, noise. It is incredible, how Argentines can live with so much noise. Personally I hate the most motos without gas exhaust systems, but I can't do much about that (I was playing scene with a sniper rifle in my mind many times, it's helping a little...). However, all the noise I absorb during the day, doesn't help me to put up with it during the night. For first half a year we were blessed by very peaceful environment, which I took for granted (what a mistake!). Yes, occasional party, no problem, I like people that have fun.

Then things started to change a little, girl moved in above. Still ok, party and loud sex occasionally, slowly escalating. One night my gf (argentine) after tacos dance went up, had some argument, went all quiet. In a week doorbell ring, father and brother standing on the door, angry faces, wanted to be a bit nasty, saying to my gf that she threatened their precious girl, who just want to study in peace . A little bit violent, till I showed up on a door (not that I am scary, just big..). We came to agreement, she just have to tell us and not too often, specifically during the week .. All ok ...

Then students move in the flat with a terrace below our bedroom window (turned in the block, so relatively quiet). Started with few parties, at the end any day of the week you name, screaming, music, laughing, you name it. Not possible to live, so when screaming didn't work, I turned delinquente and throw down the empty bottle, didn't work first, but worked magnificently after 6 liter full crashed the table few floors down. Parties limited to Saturday till midnight, without saying a word. I only had to repeated it once in 2 years...

Then some kids moved in 2 floors up. Started with occasional rave music between 2-5 am, then longer and longer, until it reached like 2/3 of the day, sadly quiet between 10 am till 3 pm. Didn't bother me on the start much, it was anyway 2 floors up, but one day the mentioned girl from above cried in front of my gf, that she can't live like this and that she can't do nothing. Was sad and funny at the same time, but overall she was not a bad neighbor. She actually had to study, so she rented something for a month . In this time things went from bad to worse, 3 guys had music on highest level all day and night. I couldn't get it, how anyone can live with that?? I have to wake up around 5.30, so one day, when I couldn't sleep till 3, I decided to go up, nicely. I explained myself, all ok. They lowered a little, but next night was even worse. And all next nights the same...

One day I lost my temper and grabbed one of them a bit too hard, it was close to come out nasty, guns were mentioned, political connections ... Not that I buy this bull*hit, but violence can't be solution. So we mobilize most of the neighbors (amazing, how much they were bothered, but never said anything!), calling police by all of us all the time, filling denuncias, calling police more ... In 2 weeks all was quite, encargado mentioned police picked up guys and spoke with them. Probably they had enough of calls, no time for playing with their phones ...

Now all is quite. It took some extreme measures, but for me is way more extreme not being able to sleep. Anyway, plan is to remove ourselves from this society, life is too short to lose it on disrespectful and stupid people. Sadly, it will take some time to do so, and during it, I want my sleep

Sorry to whine to you here, I just wanted to share, since my argentine friends do not get the point, so is useless to cry to them Good luck to all, remember, there are ways to make changes!

 

[syngirl]

I received a recorded phone message this morning from Horacio Larreta letting me know he was holding another neighborhood meeting in Balvanera on Thursday at 18,30 hs. I've attended these meetings before. He and his staff listen, respond and take action. I checked his Facebook page and found this:

TRANSFORM YOUR CITY
If anyone knows exactly what your neighborhood needs it is you. A few weeks ago we launched # VosLoHacés, a contest for young people wanting to take and add their ideas to generate some change. The only slogan was that the initiative had at least one of the three themes of the contest: Green, Inclusion and Education.

Now there are 96 semi-finalists who will participate in an online vote to all residents have the opportunity to vote on the project they like. The 30 most voted will be the finalists.

If you want to give your support to one of the projects, enters buenosaires.gob.ar/voslohaces and Vote. You have time until June 10.

And they will come and paint your house for you if it's been graffitied! A friend of mine in Caballito said she just had to call her comuna and they set it all up and came and painted their frontage for them (they are on Gaona) -- it took less than a month, which is as quick as lightning in Argentina.

 

[syngirl]

I live in Urquiza, it is 3 oclock in the afternoon on a friday and currently the loudest noise I can here is my fridge humming about 5ft away from me. We are 4 blocks from the subte and train (the line that stops in Belgrano R and Ministro Carranza). There are construction noises every so often and during rush hour there's more traffic down our street as they are still doing the tunnels for a lot of the crossings so ours gets more traffic, but really at night there's no issues. There are some extremely pleasant neighbourhoods in BsAs that aren't that far from Palermo etc but don't have the noise. I see people on here post that Belgrano and Nunez are so 'far away" but really they aren't, especially if you have no need to go into the centro frequently. Villa Ortuzar is lovely and has subte, Colegiales depends on which streets, but there are loads of less dense barrios that are well serviced in terms of transport and you don't have to deal with all the noise since they are made mostly of PHs and small buildings rather than all apartments and highrises.

 

[cruizes]

Had a number of bad experiences when I lived there. The people are ruthless and the law will not or can not get involved. I gave up. Now my life is so peaceful - not in Buenos Aires!

 

[irina]

Exactly what syngirl said above. All through this thread all I can think is wow, I'm SO glad I don't live in those neighborhoods. I'm in CABA as well in Coghlan and my street is so quiet.

 

[jantango]

... The people are ruthless and the law will not or can not get involved....

The Federal Police work under the jurisdiction of the state. Horacio Larreta commented at a neighborhood meeting that they are working to get more cooperation from Federal Police to support the Metropolitan Police.

 

[jantango]

http://www.losconsorcistas.com.ar/archivos/ruidos_molestos.html

I found this site before my scheduled mediation hearing with the Ministerio Publico Fiscal citing every person's rights under the Constitution and City law. The mediation was postponed since my neighbor made a complaint against me. A lawyer will be appointed to represent me in the mediation on Friday, June 19.

This site describes the various kinds of noise:

"The difference between "noise pollution", "excessive noise" and "unnecessary noise"

When appealing to the courts, the three are legal figures that relate to noise ordinances. The "noise pollution" is capable of causing noise nuisance to people of normal tolerances. "Excessive noise" is noise being an inevitable byproduct of an activity that is "necessary" for normal life, exceeds a certain noise level stipulated for each kind of noise. The "unnecessary noise" is noise whose single output is objectionable, either at all times or at specified times (e.g., hours of rest)."

All apartment buildings stipulate hours of rest for its inhabitants when unnecessary noise is not permitted.

 

[jantango]

We had a mediation hearing at the Ministerio Publico Fiscal on Bme Mitre near Callao. I was appointed an attorney for the mediation hearing, but she was confrontational with me from the start. A psychologist was present at our private meeting. He was helpful. He didn't want to rehash the events like the lawyer. He asked me what I wanted to resolve the matter, and I told him. He spoke for me during the hearing because my request was simple. I asked for the same at the June 4 mediation, but she didn't agree.

The mediation hearing was run by a mediator who did her job. When my neighbor was given time to speak, I excused myself to the ladies' room. The psychologist knew the real reason why I left the room. He even confirmed that my appointed lawyer served no purpose on my behalf in this case.

We reached an agreement on two points: (1) that my neighbor respect the consorcio hours of rest, and (2) that I do not contact her in any manner. If she had respected the hours of rest for the past 13 years, I wouldn't have had any reason to call her, send emails, knock on her door, stop her in the hallway, etc.

We signed an agreement on these two points and have another mediation scheduled for July 15 where all will be present to hear if we both complied with the mediation agreement.

 

[jantango]

My noisy neighbor is finally respecting our consorcio rules regarding quiet hours and taking the mediation agreement seriously for the past week. I haven't heard the television during the entire week. I no longer have to wait until 2:00am to fall sleep without noise from below.

 

[jantango]

The July 15 mediation hearing at the Ministerio Publico Fiscal (Bme. Mitre 1735, 5th floor) never took place because my neighbor didn't show up. The lawyers and mediators were ready in the mediation room while I sat in the hallway. At one point, both my lawyer and a mediator asked me individually how things were for the past month under the provisional agreement. I told both that I have a normal life without stress for the first time in 13 years now that my neighbor respects the hours of rest in our building. They even tried to contact my neighbor by phone to find out if she was on her way. Five people were waiting for an hour for the mediation which now must be rescheduled. At the next (final) mediation hearing, hopefully we will sign an agreement to continue the peace and quiet that was established for one month.

Mediation avoids the need to settle in court, and the process takes less time.