Quiet neighbours now making noise.

[OpalBird]

My neighbours talked to us about the noise coming from our property. OK, my son has a hobby that does make an annoying noise. Since then we have made sure he's doing it less but we obviously aren't going to stop him completely. They haven't said anything since and I think we've been considerate in reducing the number of hours our son does his thing.

It seems like they've now decided that they are allowed to make more noise. We've been neighbours for years and they've always been quiet. Now we get occasional music or radio in their backyard. When I asked them about it they said they have always worn headphones to be considerate but they don't really like listening that way, so they thought it was fair they got to have their hobbies the way they enjoy them best as well.

Would I be unreasonable to complain to them again? There is a difference between children playing and music when they have the option of headphones.

So you can take your son banging that for two hours right next to you but I can’t tolerate a radio? Have you thought about earplugs if the radio is too distracting?

It's hysterical that you think you are a good neighbour because you reduced the basketball playing from 4 hours to 2 hours.

Personally I think every single day is the problem here. It’s too much. Give the neighbours at least one day off. You said it’s up to four half hour sessions Every. Single. Day. That’s 2 hours every single day of thumping. It would drive anybody mad. You have to remember not everyone adores your son.

Basket ball noise is really annoying and YABU.

Don't limit your son's hobby, find the nearest public park with a basket ball hoop and work out how your son can get there safely (bus, bike etc if necessary) and independently so he can go and do it for 2 hours at a time without disturbing a residential neighbourhood.

I think the neighbours have been very patient. Basketball practice needs to happen somewhere else.

Just to add to the posters who say the noise from a basketball is horrendous. Sorry OP but you're being unreasonable. At 13 he is old enough to go to the local park to play. Why haven't you been sending him there?

I don’t think this can be a real post?
if it is this is next level entitlement, and totally shellfish behaviour. Op you are completely in the wrong and should sort it out asap

Same here. We had a neighbour exactly like the OP too- thought it was fine to make as much noise as possible but the second we dared to do it they moaned.

Sorry but no. What's good for you is good for us.

YABU

So your son disturbs them for up to 2 hours a day, and you're complaining that they've started to disturb you for up to 2 hours?

You're both making noise. There should be no complaints.

On a side note the thump thump of a basketball would drive me to distraction. I think you have the better deal!

Oh they absolutely can, I promise you.

There definitely are people out there who think they can do whatever they want but expect total silence/obedience from others and demand a level of consideration from others they would never even consider giving. I know someone like that and it genuinely doesn't seem to occur to them they should be considerate.they can only see that others should do what they want and be considerate of them at all times. <cough> my mother <cough>

Indeed no wonder the neighbours are a bit crabby

You need to move the hoop...that would go a long way to helping your neighbours think you actually care about what they have said.

Get some flagsstones and put them over the grass then move the hoop so it is far away from their house and by yours. You dont even have to cement them in, just put them over the grass as a temporary measure until you redo your garden to accommodate your sons oh- so-important hobby

I think you underestimate how much the basketball noise has been annoying them.

They clearly feel you haven't done enough and so now they are no longer going out of their way to minimise the noise they make.

I suspect they will only stop if you go too.

So if you want to keep letting DS play basketball then the price is occasional music.

Basketball noise and occasional music during daytime hours are both reasonable things to do.

Complaining won't get you anywhere.

How long do I think is reasonable? As much as he wants as long as he is at the park!

A few times a day is a lot .. what was he doing before you cut it down?

they are entitled to listen to music if your family are noisy

Yes, to reiterate - I have DSs and no way would I allow them to do basketball next to the neighbour’s house. It’s completely antisocial.

He’s a teenager - if this is his regular hobby you need to find a basketball court and register him to use that.

Trampolining is bad enough - I limited our kids’ use of ours because of the squeaking. And any shouting meant they came in.

Why the hell would asking if he has siblings be relevant?

I'm with your neighbours here I'm afraid. Why on earth should they put themselves out being considerate to you when you don't do the same.

You say you've 'got it down' to a couple of hours a day, which means that it had been more - how long for? You seem fine with your son disturbing the neighbours for a couple of hours every day but then say their music was for two hours

And of course you can put the basketball hoop somewhere less disruptive for them, you've just chosen not to because it would involve work and cost to put a concreted area elsewhere in your garden

You said earlier you'd already limited it to 3x/day! They probably need to play the music to cover up the basketball sound.

Given how seriously outvoted I am on this, obviously I'm unreasonable. I thought maybe the neighbours were being unfair as what they were doing obviously worked for them before, so changing it seems directed at us.

I will apologise and talk to them about how to meet both our needs.

As a basketball mum I get both sides, the noise is loud and annoying but you also want your son to train. That said I can’t see why he needs to be playing so many times a day, it does seem excessive when he’s presumably just shooting/dribbling alone, are there any camps you can send him on during holidays? My son normally does a fair few full day camps most holidays so he is then more worn out for a couple of days.

Also maybe get him to focus more on strength and conditioning or fitness etc by going to the gym or running.

I’ve also looked at rubber matting for under our hoop to reduce the noise…

I'm starting to think this isn't real.

You're being very entitled, OP.

We've got our son down to no more than three or four times a day now, so it's not excessive.

🤣🤣🤣

I agree. Your neighbours are not the unreasonable ones here.

Get off your arse and take him to the fcking park. Good grief, the entitlement is astounding.

So half an hour, 4 times a day. Is two hours.

Why you complaining that they are playing music for two hours.