Hello all.
The house next door has been undergoing renovations for approximately 3 months now. We share two dividing walls and the noise has been unbelievable sometimes - particularly when they were digging out the old chimney breast. We couldn't hear ourselves think, never mind hear the TV or music.
This morning, there was much hammering going on between 7.30 and 8.00 a.m. Fortunately we did not have any guests (paying or otherwise). As I write this, there is some sort of pneumatic or kango hammer on the go.
How much more are we expected to take? We run painting/art courses, English language courses, craft, etc., as well as B&B. Where do we stand if a customer refuses to pay because of noise?
Any suggestions/advice please.
We have exeprience it from the other side of the fence when we were renovating our house, we still are but the major jobs have been completed before we came here permanently, no one complained though to be fair we didnt start any loud work until after 8.30am and finished at 6.00pm infact when the lorry came to deliver the plasterboard he blocked the hamlet not just the street and they all came out to view offering advice to the driver, the only complaint we have had indirectly is from our close neighbour who infact is rarely here she is living in Marseille most of the year, our billy goat was feeling very amorous the noise at 5am was rather loud, she complained not to us but through our friends so much against my will he had the snip the vet told us in perfect english to tell her to bugger off animals make a noise get a life, i hate to think what she is going to do when our cockerel comes of age and no he wont be going into the pot to please her thoughi doubt she wont be to upset to accept a few eggs from his girls
Back in the uk our neighbour was a doctor a Gynaecologist his name i kid you not was Dr Dicks he was an animal very much into heavy metal usually played after 9.30pm and a sunday all day performance with a sound level 130 db his usual response to complaints from anyone were two words first one starting with F the last finishing with F he was eventually stopped by the local friendly bobby, he promptly put the house on the market and left with everyone cheering
Hi Ian and thanks for that. You did put a smile on my face. I'm normally a live and let live person but this has been going on for so long. The neighbours are French - she is a doctor and he is a yoga teacher. They do not live in the property but live in Carcassonne. They inherited the house a few months ago and are having it refurbished as a holiday home. The blocking the street with the camions means no pedestrian can use the street either (it is a small mediaeval village), and it didn't kill me to take the long way around to the boulangerie each morning (I could do with the exercise) but blocking access to our cave and a few times to our front door was a tad too much. Even then, I didn't complain. This morning's kango hammer at 7.30 was what set me off! All quiet now except for a huge thunderstorm overhead.
Is this not a case where it might be a good idea to put aside your obviously-justifiable annoyance and, just for a while, look at the problem from the "annoying neighbours" point of view?
They are probably very busy coordinating teams of workmen who are difficult to screw down to hard dates and times and it is patently in both their and your interest that the renovations are completed as soon as practicable.
I don't know if they too live at the property. But if so, they are subject to the same noise and disruption as you. I don't know if they're French - but if so, in your shoes I'd hate to be thought of as the sort of whingeing Brit who moves to rural France then complains that the cockerels keep them awake…
Clearly the first thing to do is to have a friendly chat to express the difficulties you are having, before starting on the complaints to the Mairie and the "porter plainte" route. Maybe some of the worst noise could be rescheduled to a more convenient time? At the very least you'll be able to get some idea of how long the disruption is going to last - and whether you can grit your teeth and hold your temper for that long!
The French seem to have a more laid-back approach - streets can be closed for days provided the appropriate rubber stamp comes from the Mairie - and everyone puts up with the works until they're finished; it doesn't suit the Anglo-Saxon mentality, sadly.
Your customers have a right to be annoyed - but the tort lies with your neighbours, not you. Nevertheless, in the event of serious disruption, maybe a small discount would smooth things over - you could always try to charge the loss to the perpetrators of the nuisance!
Thanks for that Kate. No, they are not doing the work themselves. There has been a constant stream of workers in and out for the last 4 months, lorries blocking the street, etc. It appears the workers can work from 7h. Oh well.
here's an extract from a response I found :
Travaux de bricolage et de jardinage : des horaires à respecter !
Il fixe, notamment pour les particuliers, des créneaux horaires à respecter lors de la réalisation de travaux dextérieur qui ont tendance à se multiplier avec larrivée des beaux jours.
En voici un extrait : les travaux de bricolage ou de jardinage, réalisés par des particuliers à laide doutils ou dappareils, tels que tondeuses à gazon, perceuses, raboteuses, scies mécaniques, compresseurs à air ou haute pression, motopompe pour le prélèvement deau et/ou larrosage etc., dont le bruit est susceptible de porter atteinte à la tranquillité du voisinage ou à la santé de lhomme par sa durée, sa répétition ou son intensité, ne peuvent être effectués que les jours ouvrables de 8 h 30 à 12 h et de 14 h 30 à 19 h 30, les samedis de 9 h à 12 h et de 15 h à 19 h et les dimanches et jours fériés, de 10 h à 12 h .
Sache que si tu fais faire les travaux par une entreprise, elle peu les effectuer du lundi au samedi de 7H à 19H sans pause déjeuner (mais ne compte pas sur tes voisins pour pendre la crémaillère avec toi !).
De plus, dans la loi, le dimanche de 10H à 12H, tu as seulement le droit à des coups de marteau par-ci par-là, pas d'abattre un mur ou de faire tourner la foreuse pendant 2H.
So the hours allowed depend on if they're doing the work themselves or if it's an artisan/business doing the work. Your prefecture or mairie should also have this information available.
Hope this helps....