Some advice please: car-stuff noise at home?

[210bhp]

My neighbour accidentally set fire to one of their rubbish bins (don’t know what they put in it) which they line up against the boundary between us, which set fire to the dividing wood fence, melted my garage guttering and downpipe, singed the garage wall (my classic 911 was inside along with hundreds of early parts) and narrowly avoided setting my garage soffits alight before the fire brigade arrived and quashed the fire (I was at work). My bulk propane tank wasn’t far away. Could have been a disaster.

We agreed to replace the fence and I contracted a local company which did a lovely job. I replaced my guttering and downpipe and I repainted the garage wall.

Presented the bill to the neighbour for half the cost and 2 years later despite several attempts and a few strong words I’ve yet to see a penny. I’ve no doubt they claimed on their insurance as well. So they maybe £1k to the good while I am £2k down and I did all the arranging and work.

We don’t talk anymore but I decided to put it to bed because it gives me peace of mind. For the first six months I was raging and couldn’t sleep thinking ‘how can someone do that and think it’s ok’.

I would put your problem to bed too Graham and probably time or Kama will eventually give you peace of mind too.

Regards
Mike

[RobFrost]

How about taking him a bottle of wine to thank him for being so understanding about the occasional antisocial noise from your trailer.

Additionally, I can see how taking a liberty with your drive would be frustrating. Unless I read the land wrongly, I suspect he doesn't like driving over your drive, and he's probably told his daughter repeatedly to leave room, but she either isn't skilful at parking or lacks perception of the frustration it causes. He probably discovers the problem as he's leaving in a rush - his daughter may even have gone out with the keys, and he has little choice.

You would only need to park right up to the boundary every now and then, to make her behaviour untenable. It will take a little work for her to develop a good habit, but once she has experienced being the inconvenienced one a few times - I.e. having to come out and move her car to make room for him to get off the drive - and developed the good habit of parking to leave him room - I imagine that would be the end of it. Especially if she has to come out at 6:30am a few times when he's setting off to work. I'd imagine she'll be going out of her way to leave room after that.

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[Ollie]

There is nothing unreasonable about what you are doing. Is there anyway you can dampen the trailer noise - rubber tube/strip on the areas the ramps cross?

When I started reading your post I was expecting you to say you had to fire up the Lola to get it in the garage!!

It's always difficult with car noises and neighbours, I know mine are very tollerant of my occasional early evening tuning and some 6am Sunday departures and post midnight returns in the '12.

[911hillclimber]

Yes, I'm working on some 'silencing' actions.
I've fixed my manual winch (a good thing to do incase the 12V winch fails) so that kills that noise, the one that could offend, or rather will offend, read later.
Running the ramps out of the trailer is a clattery affair, but with grease on the rollers etc i can minimize that, but not eradicate it. Takes 10 seconds to extend them, 10 to return them.

A third very effective action, plan B, is to arrive at home, about 6/6.20pm on a Sunday, unhitch the trailer with the Lola on it, and use the PowerTouch 12V system to gently move the whole lot secure behind the fence . This is a very quiet device.

I can then unload the car on the Monday morning, a working day, probably about 9.30am.
This is no different to a car and caravan coming home and parking the van away.
The tow Skoda can stay on the drive.

If/when the man next door complains to the council of the obtrusive noise to him i can demonstrate all this to the Council Officer who will be in the next door's house with sound meter.

They then can asses this situation having spoken to both parties.

As to the boundary issue, the man next door has made his position clear in a one-way conversation outside that he does not want to speak to me ever again. This was all one way, and that conversation was loud in my face oddly without any 4 letter words.

This was last Saturday, and the hour before I learnt my 103 year old mother had died at 9.10am, so I simply put my hands in the air and went to my front door. I'm happy to agree to his position.
At least this cleanly separates us and life can move on.
I doubt he will cross the garden boundary again, unless I'm not here to see him do it!

I am expecting a noise complaint as a result of his anger about the trailer/Lola.

We shall see.
I will be racing in 2 weekend's time, so will conduct the Sunday routine as I have for over 12 years (without a moan from him or anyone ever) and wait to see what letter arrives from the Council.
We then race again the following weekend, and then again mid September and the racing season of 2024 will be over.

As a finisher, I never run the Lola at home, loading to the trailer etc is all by push n shove and winch, but at 72 years old and the wife 71 we are getting a bit weaker to do this.
The Lola would pass an MoT on noise with ease. Hill climb noise levels are quite low and you have to be under the max at every event. The car is 10 dBA under the max I'm allowed.

The Boxster has the usual revvy start-up and to tick-over quickly, but bog standard, MoT and of course homologated for the UK. Had the car for 8 years. It is parked alongside his van, always has been.
We might leave home for hols once a year before 7.00am. but start-up and go.

The 911 is MoT'd and never started before 8.00 am, the 911 was here before they moved in.
We use the 911 about 10 times a year, back well before 7.00pm. Once cooled down after a run, I push it into the garage.

The big Skoda superb is tame, the wife's Skoda Citigo tamer still.
There are 3 cars on our drive, just as he has.

Maybe it is time to close the Lola Adventure off and hillclimb the the 911 again! All a bit back to where i started in 1991. No trailers but 7.30am starts, 7.00pm returns.

Oh my gosh, I'm such a rebel.

[70sThrowback]

Sorry to hear about the passing of your mother.

On the noise abaitment and council involvement, it would take a lot more that what you describe and during unsociable hours for them to do anything about it. Of course they may come out just to satisfy the complaint, but lets be honest the noises and times you are describing are all part of normal life. So what enforcement can they make. Hopefully the council officer would speak to you anyway and reassure all of this.

[911hillclimber]

Thank you about my mother. She died without pain and as quick as a light switch, got to be the best way.

I have loaded the Lola onto the trailer last Friday to take the car to the venue, so all the noises made at 10.00am.
Winch lasts 3 mins, ramps take 30 seconds to extend and retract. Various clunk/clicks loading the tools in. All done inside 20 mins ready to drive off.
Actually drive off an hour later.
In reverse on Sunday at 6.20 pm, car in the garage inside 20 mins and all done.

Race car never started up at any time.

If he was to complain to the council he will have done it.
I can’t control any of it, so trying not to worry.

Will do the same this weekend coming. It is unusual for one meeting to follow another, but this time it does.
After this weekend there is another meeting in 4 weeks time and the season is over until April next year.

He has glared at me through the front window of the lounge once, so he will become more vindictive which I thought he would.
Any more and it will be harassment.

Since the start of this he has not crossed the boundary, but I suspect he has when I’ve been away.

Tempted to get a security camera on the front of the house, to oversee any tress passing

As ever, time will tell.

[anglophone1]

I have a Ring camera on my garage- incredible kit.
Alerts me when something enters field of view an records - even better I can watch live and speak to whoever is there from my phone - so you can say"Oi t055er- f*** off!" remotely from wherever you are.
All for about £120 - remarkable !!!
C


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[70sThrowback]

Great idea Clive, I have a couple of them. They are useless as a theft deterrent as you simply put a balaclava on and they are rendered useless. But great if someone is trying to make a delivery and you can tell them to put it in the shed etc... plus keep an eye on nosey neighbours.

[911hillclimber]

Thank you both.
It had crossed my mind, but put to one side because of the irritating rind sound!
Everyone in the cul de sac has one on the front door for dad etc and at times it is like a choir of Ring Tone

However, I’m sure you can do something about that.