Calaber
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2007
- Messages
- 4,334
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- 1,357
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- 113
- Location
- Lower Hunter Region NSW
- Members Ride
- CG Captiva 5 Series 2
The post about a derelict car being reported and the comments from some forum members regarding communication between neighbours got me thinking about a little incident between my neighbour and myself today.
I am currently renovating a box trailer. Plenty of rust, so lots of cutting, welding and hammering. This has been going on for about five days, on an off.
Today, I had been welding some new frame metal in with an electric welder. I had been hammering off the slag and grinding back the welds for neatness. Probably been at it for about two hours, when the neighbour comes into the garage. At the time, it was about 1pm. He was angry and complained that he was currently on night shift and couldn't sleep because of the noise I was making. I asked him how I was to know he was working at night, as I seldom saw him at any time during the day. I said that it was a mid-week day and the middle of the day and I was trying to do the work at the time when most people would be at work, or could not legally object to the noise.
The argument ensued for about five minutes and nothing was resolved. He wanted me to stop and I told him that I couldn't as the job is only half finished, the trailer is completely dismantled and I had to complete it. He also complained that I had been making noise for weeks in the back yard. True, because I am having a swimming pool installed and have been digging out the yard and cutting pavers for some days. But not for the past two weeks or more as the paving is finished.
So, was I wrong to not accede to his wishes? I have nearly completed all the noisy work and will try to minimise the noise whenever I work on the thing, but trailers are big hollow steel vessels and working on them is noisy, so some noise will piss him off, no matter what.
My house is a typical suburban home, brick veneer, and the work is being carried out in the garage, which is at the front of the house. His bedroom is on the opposite side of his house from my garage, probably about 30 metres away.
What would you guys do?
I am currently renovating a box trailer. Plenty of rust, so lots of cutting, welding and hammering. This has been going on for about five days, on an off.
Today, I had been welding some new frame metal in with an electric welder. I had been hammering off the slag and grinding back the welds for neatness. Probably been at it for about two hours, when the neighbour comes into the garage. At the time, it was about 1pm. He was angry and complained that he was currently on night shift and couldn't sleep because of the noise I was making. I asked him how I was to know he was working at night, as I seldom saw him at any time during the day. I said that it was a mid-week day and the middle of the day and I was trying to do the work at the time when most people would be at work, or could not legally object to the noise.
The argument ensued for about five minutes and nothing was resolved. He wanted me to stop and I told him that I couldn't as the job is only half finished, the trailer is completely dismantled and I had to complete it. He also complained that I had been making noise for weeks in the back yard. True, because I am having a swimming pool installed and have been digging out the yard and cutting pavers for some days. But not for the past two weeks or more as the paving is finished.
So, was I wrong to not accede to his wishes? I have nearly completed all the noisy work and will try to minimise the noise whenever I work on the thing, but trailers are big hollow steel vessels and working on them is noisy, so some noise will piss him off, no matter what.
My house is a typical suburban home, brick veneer, and the work is being carried out in the garage, which is at the front of the house. His bedroom is on the opposite side of his house from my garage, probably about 30 metres away.
What would you guys do?