It’s 7AM on Sunday and...

[Guest]

...my neighbors lawn service just showed up.

 

I don’t think this would happen in Newton Mass. Where the limit is 65 decibels

 

http://newton.wickedlocal.com/news/20170118/newton-city-council-approves-additional-leafblower-restrictions

 

What do you think of restrictive ordinance’s?

[+ Pensant]

That was one thing I hated about living in SoCal—the g-d leaf blowers! At least they were forbidden on Sundays and before 8 am. What ever happened to a broom and dust pan?

[maninsoma]

That was one thing I hated about living in SoCal—the g-d leaf blowers! At least they were forbidden on Sundays and before 8 am. What ever happened to a broom and dust pan?

 

What's particularly annoying is people using leave blowers and not picking up the leaves. When I first moved to California, I stayed with friends and was awakened every morning by someone using a leaf blower in a parking lot. The person just blew the leaves to the small patch of ground surrounding the lot. Of course within a short time the wind had blown the leaves all over the place again. Seemed to stupid to me that a business would pay someone to do the same task every day who wasn't getting anything accomplished.

[rvwnsd]

I look at "restrictive" ordinances this way: the ordinance would not be necessary if folks used common sense and didn't do stupid things like sending a lawn service crew out at 7:00 AM on a Sunday.

[+ not2rowdy]

I’m not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Just some suggestions.

 

It’s always more difficult when the problem involves a nearby neighbor with whom you would like to be on good terms. But start developing your complaint case now. You may never end up actually using it. But it will help your morale knowing that you’re establishing some necessary groundwork. And it’s much better to have the documentation already at hand if, and when, needed.

 

Educate yourself.

Look up your city and/or county noise ordnances. Probably available online.

If applicable, look through your HOA rules and bylaws.

 

iPhone’s have a surprisingly sensitive microphone. It’s useable in both the built-in video and voice memo apps. I suspect other quality cellphones have similar capability.

 

Make a short recording. 20-30 seconds is probably sufficient. If doing a video pan across a clock in your home to establish the time. You can edit excess off the beginning or end of the file but do not edit the inside portion. That is to preclude accusations of tampering.

 

Name the file with date and time and upload to the cloud. That further establishes a “created” base time.

 

You can be nice and let the company know that you have a recording of their transgression. You can tell them if another instance happens you will file a complaint, including the video/audio files, with city ordnance enforcement officials.

 

Or don’t be nice and take action next opportunity. More than one media file will strengthen your complaint.

 

If the sound volume is contained within your HOA you may first have to involve them before higher authorities will take any action.

[+ Avalon]

I hate leaf blowers! If I could do away with one modern invention it wouldn't be the bomb but the leaf blower! In my town there is a noise ordinance that they can not operate before 7AM. I don't need a clock to know what time it is. And all they do is blow the leaves from one place to another; no one gathers them up.

 

When I used to be able to take a morning walk I'd go past a small shopping plaza; just a couple of businesses. There were no trees nor bushes; no leaves to blow.. One morning there were two men with leaf blowers. They were playing with a welcome mat blowing it upside down and the right side up several times.

[+ sync]

I don't understand what it is that makes it necessary for leaf-blowers to be so loud. I've been around large fans with much more force than leaf-blowers that were considerably less noisy. Probably the fuel propelled leaf blowers vs. the electrically powered fans.

[BabyBoomer]

I didn't know landscapers worked on Sunday.

 

~Boomer~

[rvwnsd]

@not2rowdy , the ordinance is 7AM. I’m frankly surprised it doesn’t bother them...they’re half my age

 

No HOA. Neighborhood is a century old

Is this the first time this has happened? If it is, there's a very good chance the neighbors do not, in fact, like it!

 

I guess you'll know for sure if/when a new landscaper shows up at a different time next week.

[rvwnsd]

I wish, but alas, no

Ah! Sorry to hear that.

 

Maybe it’s time to send them a lovely fruit basket accompanied by an artfully-scribed nite reading “Can the 7AM lawn service or else I’ll flung cat shit at your car.”

 

I have a fresh batch twice daily if you choose to go this route.