Wind chimes that neighbour refuses to move

[Fumblebug]

Yes, it's another AIBU about wind chimes. We politely asked our neighbours to move their wind chimes as we could hear them clearly in our garden and in our house with the windows or doors open (these aren't the little tinkly chimes but the big resonant tubular bells – Mike Oldfield would be proud). The neighbours were quite hostile but did move them – about two feet from where they had previously been. We could still hear them although slightly less frequently. We politely asked again but they were very aggressive, accused us of harassing them, and cut off all contact with us. The wind chimes remain. We can still hear them even on slightly breezy days. We can't leave our bedroom window open at night as the sound carries right into our room, which is especially frustrating during this hot weather. We've been quite distressed and frustrated and can't enjoy our house and garden like we used to. I guess some people might think we are being unreasonable – it's only a musical noise right? not a barking dog or anything – but this really is a problem for us. We've considered contacting the council about nuisance noise but this might be very provocative and also hard to prove. What should we do?

Time to fulfil your lifelong dream of learning the violin! 😈

*(not really, it will just escalate)

Oooh metal wind chimes outside are considered very bad feng shui. The huge style you describe even worse I should think 😂
Can you comfort yourself with the idea that they are ruining their energies with them?
Might make you feel better?

Ha! There’s a nice house somewhere in the midlands that you could acquire a set! I’ll DM you the address. (Not really).

Chop 2 off and swing them violently like nunchucks whilst doing a couple of karate kicks in the neighbours general direction

I loathe windchimes

The little bastard who invented them should be tied by the genitals to a set and left to swing in a force 10 gale

Musically tuned. It’s like having a kid playing random notes on a xylophone in your garden day and night. When it’s windy at least.

I find it quite weird that wind chimes are socially acceptable when they serve literally no other purpose than making a noise, pretty much all the time, that can be heard by others day and night. Any other noise people make that their neighbours would hear usually has the purpose of some normal human need, like socialising, entertainment, work or whatever, and yet wind chimes just hang there making a noise for the sake of a noise, in a way that often impacts on other people.

I don't totally despise the noise of them or anything, but I can't really think of any real justification for someone having them if they can be heard by others.

My former boss actually did cut her neighbour's wind charms down in the dead of night because she was so fed up of them clinking and tinkling all night. I think the metal ones make a much more intrusive noise than the wooden ones.

Agreed. But i think I just have to try to find a way of managing the situation in my own mind. Not sure how but there must be a way!

Take up the trombone and practise after midnight in the garden

Feeling better already :-)

I’d go with this “the windchimes woke me up so I thought I might as well utilise the time effectively”

Based on the voting…do 46% of mumsnetters have wind chimes?

Trying to work out why anyone would think the OP is unreasonable.

I suspect that proportion of Mumsnetters may not have experienced this particular nightmare.

Why would anyone get wind chimes? And expect others to tolerate the sound??

I'm.just hopping on to say..

When I spoke to my council, they defined 'nuisance' noise as ANY noise at ANY time of day that has a negative impact on you and your life. I assume most councils are the same.

Keep a diary of dates, times and duration AND ANY affect if has on you.

13th July 9.30am - 11.30am - Wind Chimes Disturbing and causing distraction whilst I was trying to watch SuperMarket sweep. I left home eventually to get away.

13th July 1am - 1.05am - wind chimes causing Husband distraction whilst he was 'Hunting The Baldy In The Boat' gave up and tried to sleep.

So on and so on. After a fortnight, call council and speak to them, tell them you've got a diary of noise etc.

Be aware, the council's first response is to contact the neighbour and let them know they have a complaint against them. The council are unlikely to tell neighbour it was you, but they'll likely guess.

I’d probably try to buy my way out of the problem. I’d tell them I am driven mad by them but given they love their garden, can I buy them a bench in exchange for taking them down, so I too can enjoy my garden? Blah blah.

money talks… I know they should be nice and just take them down but they aren’t so…. Realistically that’s what I’d do!

I’d be over the fence in a balaclava in the dead of night and cut them down, deny all knowledge

Climb over the fence and sellotape them together every time they go out

Hmm. My neighbours have wind chimes and… I kinda like them? Actually, I think I’d don’t hear them any more because they’re just part of the normal garden noise, like birdsong.

But I wouldn’t get any myself given how universally hated they seem to be!

Thank you 🙏

PS LOLZ for the ‘baldy in the boat’. Have to use that one some time.

White noise on your phone or smart speaker

Theft? Vandalism?

Wind chimes are an act of aggression, a declaration of war. So it’s OK for you to defend yourself, by any means, including scissors.

I put wind chimes up outside a flat I used to live in. It was because a neighbour expected us to live in silence - complained about the TV being on at 7, general talking but thought it was ok for her to have parties until 5 am. I put them outside our living room window, which was directly under her bedroom window. She couldn't get to them without a ladder. Have you been an unreasonable neighbour OP?