No Swimming Pool After 8pm - AIBU?

[Varala]

We had a swimming pool built (outdoor) last spring which has been great fun for DD and DH (I’m not much of a swimmer), especially during lockdown.

We do have a large garden, but it is bordered by three other nearby houses. Two just by the garden, but one of the houses is up against one of the far walls of the garden, by the pool.

Earlier today, a note was found shoved under DH’s windscreen wiper (not sure what’s wrong with the letter box, but hey ho). It is signed “your neighbours” and requests that we not use the pool after 8pm as they are being disturbed by shouting and splashing.

Very rarely is the pool in use that late in the evening anyway, but on the rare occasion it is, there is certainly not any shouting (though a bit of splashing can’t be helped). Are the neighbours just jealous that we have a pool? I’m fuming and ready to go round each of the neighbours individually to discuss, but DH has told me to drop it and they’ll let it go. AIBU to think it’s nobody else’s business what we do with our pool?

You can't do anything about it if you don't know which neighbour is complaining. How long is the pool in use during the day, how far is it from your house?

What drives me mad is those who put loud music on in the garden, one neighbour had a warning about this, although he thought it was me it wasn't. He'd had it on from mid afternoon till 3am.

Another vote for just go and talk to them nicely. You/family might be doing something unawares and driving them up the wall unknowingly.

My neighbours told me last week my dog was howling and barking everytime I went out. I had no idea. Doing my best to stop it for them as we all have to live in close proximity and why should they have to put up with it.

Go and see them, ask them to elaborate so you can help if you can and they are not being unreasonable in their request and ignore that they signed it "your neighbours" they prob hate confrontation.

I'm in Australia and have a pool, as do most of my neighbours. On a very hot day it can get a little noisy out there, especially the neighbours with little kids.. And in the evening everyone is out in their spas drinking.. People are pretty respectful, I have never been bothered in the slightest. In fact in my previous house which didn't have a pool I used to love hearing the neighbours kids splashing and having fun.

Assuming it's a proper pool where are the pump and heater located? What hours do they run?

Wind them up and watch them go ...

@Neron

Do you ever think about the neighbours might be affected OP

Of course she doesn't. A PP suggested OP was a nuisance and was called rude for it.
That's the trouble with society today, people like the OP and some of the PP are selfish and have a 'do what I like mentality'. No consideration for the neighbours at all, who now have to put up with the usage and running sounds of a swimming pool that's been built less than 5m from their home.

For a neighbour to be driven to put a note on a car to express their agitation about something we were doing would horrify us unless they were the type who were unreasonable and complained about every tiny thing, which doesn’t seem the case here.

I was initially sympathetic to the OP until I read that the pool was built so close to the boundary wall yet conveniently far away from their own home. If it’s a proper pool with that continuous hum, so there is never ever peace, it must be an absolute misery. Poor neighbours.

FFS - at least show some consideration and do what they’ve been driven to request. Don’t behave like an entitled, bolshy arse. You can bet other near- neighbours are feeling the same

As for those saying it’s only warm for a month out of a year, they should live here in the south east! Summer started in late March with just a bit of unsettled weather here and there. Neighbours make a huge difference

If the note is a anonymous you don't actually know which neighbour wrote it I'm guessing .

If the times you are out after 8pm are very infrequent I'd just ignore . It's not like you are holding a party into the early hours .

I have a pool, and its very rare anyone is in it for more than a few hours, unless the weather was like yesterday, its even rarer to have 30c+ in this country, so I think ypur neighbours are being ridiculous.

My neighbours were out in there pool at 1-2am like it was the middle of the day a few weeks ago, annoying at the time, but not enough for me to complain about it.

I'm part of the, whats the use of having a garden if you can go out and use it as you wish, and im surrounded large gardens that get noisy from time to time.

Ignore ignore ignore

I’d reply

Dear Neighbours

Thanks for your letter of concern regarding our pool. I refer you to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram.

Yours

No. 20

@StatisticalSense

It's not up to the neighbours to 'let' the OP use her pool. It's her pool in her garden.

If she wants to use it at 3am, she is perfectly within her rights to do so as long as she isn't blaring music etc.

Don’t presume that even if it’s signed neighbors that more than one has anything to do with it. If some are ok invite them for an evening pool party, divide and conquer.

I suppose it's all about context. Your kids might just be having fun at a reasonable level and your neighbours are totally sensitive. Or the kids might be screeching all day long and you are sadly oblivious and your poor neighbours are demented. We just can't tell from a post on a forum unfortunately.

I can near enough be 100% sure it won't be jealousy however.

What I would say is, you've made a huge leap with your assumption on who it was that left the note. You really need to get that under control, you are pissed off fair enough but you can't blame it on anyone who takes your fancy. IF, and it's a big IF, your kids are just letting out the odd screech and you do have super sensitive neighbours, it could well be someone 2, 3 even 4 houses away or even not directly behind you but behind one of your neighbours. That noise sure carries.