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METAL


By William J. Lapelle – Law Offices of William J. Lapelle, P.C.


Ah the joy of sitting back and cranking up Metallica’s Enter Sandman!! Feeling the bass rattle the windows, with the subwoofers purring!!!! Except now it is your neighbor in the unit next door doing it at 1:00 am on Sunday morning. Your wife is yelling and the baby just woke up. Then your neighbors on the other side blare out Lawrence Welk conducting the Beer Barrel Polka at 6:00 am the next morning. What used to be essential for the peace in the universe is now a major pain. What can be done?


One of the trials of living in a community association is trying to accommodate unit owners’ life styles and tastes. Most buildings were not built as recording studios. Hence the strains of Lawrence Welk and Metallica often collide.


When faced with this type of conflict a board should consider several options. The first step should be having the complaining neighbor speak directly to the next door neighbor. Pounding on a door and screaming may not be the right approach, but a simple request often achieves the desired result.


If there is a true metal-head next door, the board may be required to issue a notice of violation of the declaration and/or rules. In most every declaration, there is a specific provision in the “Use and Occupancy” section that speaks to actions that become a nuisance or annoyance to other unit owners. The notice should specifically refer to the specific section of the declaration and list the specific times of the alleged violation(s). The board can also schedule a closed hearing to impose a fine for the annoying music. Of course that leaves open to interpretation whether Enter Sandman or Beer Barrel Polka is annoying.


One really helpful option a board should consider is adopting a “Quiet Time” rule. This type of rule sets times during each day that loud noises, Metallica, Welk and construction are prohibited. During the week after 10:00 pm and before 9 am might be considered “Quiet Times”. On the weekends you might push that 10:00 pm curfew - oops - time, to 12:00 am.


It is not always easy living in a community association, but with a little accommodation we can all make beautiful music together.


www.cai-illinois.or| 


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