From the Loudoun County General Offenses Code:
654.02 UNREASONABLE NOISE
(a) Purpose. The making, creation or maintenance of excessive, unnecessary or unusually
loud noises which are prolonged, unreasonable or unusual in their time, place and use, affect and are a detriment to the public health, comfort, safety and welfare of the County and its inhabitants. It is therefore hereby declared that the provisions of this section are enacted in pursuance of and for the purpose of securing and promoting the public health, comfort, safety and welfare of the County and of its inhabitants.
(b) Prohibition. No person shall make, continue, or cause or permit to be made or continued, any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud or otherwise unreasonable noise, which annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of other persons in the County.
Acts in violation of this section include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Operating or using any musical instrument, radio, television, phonograph, tape player, loudspeaker, amplifier or other similar machine or device, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, in such a manner as to be audible at any point beyond the property line of the premises from which such noise is emanating or, if the noise is emanating from a vehicle, at a distance of fifty feet from such vehicle;
654.99 PENALTY.
(a) Whoever violates any of the provisions of Section 654.02 is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each offense. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
So there we were, enjoying Transformers in our basement theater at 10:30 on a Friday night, when a loud knock nearly broke through our front door. Well, to be fair, I didn’t really hear the first knock but the cats started to freak a little so I knew something was up. I paused the movie, walked up to the front door and peered through the peep hole (I installed, woohoo!) to see one of Loudoun County’s finest waiting for someone to answer the door. I opened the door, greeted the officer and the conversation went something like this. Note I’ve filtered all the administrative crap out for the sake of brevity.
Officer: We got a call for noise disturbance, you have a home theater or something?
Me: Yeah, was it too loud?
Officer: Someone called us and complained so we have to come out here and tell you to turn it down. You’re a little before the 11pm to 7am Loudoun County quiet hours and to be honest I probably wouldn’t even write you a ticket because it’s not that loud but I have to go through the process anyway. Standing here at the front door I could kinda hear some bass but it really wasn’t too bad. In any event, when someone calls we come out and you get one warning. The second time we give you a ticket and the third time we have to take you to jail.
Me: Okay, not a problem. I’ll turn it down.
Officer: I tried to figure out who called because it’s not that loud and I don’t think it was your next door neighbor. [who it pretty much had to be] To be honest, I’m not really sure. Just turn it down a little and you should be okay. You watching a movie or something?
Me: Yeah. It’s a new system and we’re watching a movie.
Officer: Yeah I understand, I do the same thing. Have a good night.
So the officer was completely cool about it but the situation annoyed me. It’s no so much that I had to turn it down but rather that someone felt the need to call the cops. I completely understand the desire not to be bothered as I’m the first to bitch that people are inconsiderate of others. If you have a problem with one of your neighbors, speak to them about it. Knock on their door and ask they turn it down. Have we become such an impersonal society that we can’t be neighborly about such things? So you may fear confrontation but we live in a pretty nice neighborhood, do you really think I’m going to bust a cap in your ass because you asked me to turn it down? We’ve only ever said “Hello” to our neighbors in the ~2 years we’ve lived here so I suppose I’m as much to blame as anyone but come on… don’t be a dick and call the cops. One of the pleasures of living in a townhouse I suppose.
You’re both at fault. Them for calling the fucking cops for something that stupid, and you for not befriending your neighbors.
One reason I’ll never live in a townhouse.
Chris it’s all BS mate. The fact that someone would call the cops rather than knock on the door is a pretty insular. We dont blow smoke up any of ours neighbours backsides and you know what…..they act like fucking human beings. Why would you want to reach to out to people who have the social skills of Stalin?
Anyone who regards you as having the issue probably isn’t getting any 😉
Redplasmac clearly doesn’t know how to read.
If you were a neighbour of mine Mike I would expect you to call the cops, I expect you’re ‘that sort’ of person. Also I would not befriend you as you are a. a tit and b. a tit.
Thanks.
Now, now children… lets not fight.