How to approach neighbor,,,,,,kid and ATV

[Frankie]

If you have a kid and an ATV, I would like to know how someone would need to approach you with a problem/concern?

The neighbors son, 13, rides his ATV all hours of the day and night. About 3 weeks ago he had these things put on or taken off his mufflers and now the thing sounds like a jet engine. Our house sits pretty close to the road and that is his race track. No, this vehicle is not street legal, but everyone and their brother does it, so not much is done about it.

I do not begrudge this boy his fun, kids need to be out and about enjoying life and doing things they really like to do. Last night was pretty typical, he was running up and down the road until 1:05 a.m. and was back on it at 6:13 this morning. I don't know when he sleeps. I sure can tell you I'm not sleeping so much. I hear everything and I know that is not the kids fault. I'm not really mad, I just want to be able to sleep.

:

Ten days ago his dad came down to tell him to go home, he runs with my son some. I did ask kindly, would there be any possible way his son could find another place to ride at midnight besides right in front of our house? There is 200 acres behind us he could use and has been given permisison to use by the owners.

The dad asked, Is he riding on your property or tearing it up? I told him no,,,,,,,,he said,,,,,,,,well?????

Still continued, so when he came down a few days later,,,,,I asked the son himself. I also told him I wanted him to have fun but could he turn it off a little sooner as I really could not sleep with him running up and down the road. He just smiled, and I said, please? No response.

I like these people, the son is a good kid overall, I do not want friction, not worth it,,,,,but sleep would be nice. How do I proceed from here?

If you have a kid and an ATV and someone came to you with this, how would they need to approach it?

He is 13, out till whenever, no helmet, and none of that is mine to judge, want to just handle what is being done to me directly, or indirectly,,,,,the noise.

I want to be able to do this parent to parent, I do not want conflict,,,,,,,,,,,so do you have the right way, that will work?

 

[whiskeyranch]

I have kids, 15 & 14 and 4 wheelers. I very seldom ride mine after dark, the kids, never. If you have already spoken to the parents, then my only advice would be to get a box fan for your room, if you don't want conflict.

If you really want it to stop, call the sheriff. 4 wheelers actually aren't supposed to be on the road. I would love to have 200 acres to ride on, but I think your neighbor kid wants to go fast, not do trails. Fast is fun, but mud is better. You might be doing him a favor with a call to the sheriff. You might be saving his life.

 

[Slinkky]

I completely understand about not wanting to cause problems between you and your neighbor. We had a similar situation here a couple of years ago.

Our neighbor has 3 kids from age 6 to age 13. Two years ago they all three got dirt bikes for Christmas. They rode them during the day right after they got them, then school started back up and we would only hear them on the weekends. Well as soon as summer got here, they were on those noisy beasts at all hours every night.

I knew that talking to kids parents would not do any good....anyone who will let their kids make that kind of racket while others are trying to sleep...much less the danger of riding at night, well then they can't be very responsible. Anyway, I called the Sheriff's department and explained the situation. They agreed to just sit along the road side and watch. Sure enough, all 3 kids zoomed by and the Sherriff turned on his lights and followed. The two youngest stopped, but the oldest tried to "out-run" the Sheriff. He pulled off the road and zipped and zoomed home. Then shortly the Sheriff shows up with the two youngest and has a long talk with the kids and the parents.

It's not nearly so bad anymore. It still happens occasionally, and only once have i called about it again.

Maybe calling the Sheriff would help your situation.

 

[minisaremighty]

You've talked to each one about this and they have not been gracious enough to stop. Around here, we have a law that says no more loud noise after 10 p.m. Check to see if you have something similar. The next move would be to ask them one more time and tell them at if it continues you will be forced to bring the authorities because he is disturbing the peace at unacceptable hours. If that doesn't work, call the authorities. You already do not have a good relationship with them if they won't be considerate with their obnoxious noise, so it won't matter. Their behavior is rude and unacceptable and others shouldn't have to suffer because they weren't taught any manners.

 

[lvponies]

I agree, call the authorities in the middle of the night when it's happening!! Let them catch him and have a talk with his parents. If neither the parents, nor the kid care whether you're able to sleep or not, then I wouldn't care about calling the police!!

:

 

[Marty]

When I lived in Florida I swear the senior citizens were all up mowing at 5 and 6 AM and I couldn't have a sleep in if I tried grrrrrrrrr

Now the neighbor's tractors on all sides of me, same thing.

I live in a 4 wheeler community and we all have them. In our garage alone, I think there are 6.

I don't think there is a family in my community that does not have a 4 wheeler and we use them to go up and down all the time to get back and forth to a friends house or the store, etc ; they are legal on the roads up here. I ride my quad up here too.

I know what you mean about them messing with the mufflers to get them to sound like that. Yup, ours were like that too. All the kids do it, but for us all fogies, we leave ours alone.

A couple of years ago my kids were up at the crack of dawn riding theirs also, until the neighbor called and said she was going through a cancer treatment and couldn't sleep because of the noise. That's all it took. I told the boys, and all their friends they had to cool it. No problem. They fixed the mufflers back so they were quiet and respected Mrs. ___ wishes.

Sounds to me like the father is being a smart a___. I would go over there again and ask them again to please tone it down. It's really not fair for them to do that if they know how much it is bothering you.

The other thing I would do is to check and see if your county has a curfew on what time the kids should be in off the road. We do have that here and no one is supposed to be out on 4 wheelers before dawn or after dusk. If you really want to start some crap, then call the law and have them come talk to them because I am sure they can find some ordinance about it. Or better yet, get a copy of the noise ordinance yourself and show them what they are doing is illegal (if it is).

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Most local sheriffs are pretty lenient about teens. They know boys will be boys and they don't come down hard on them. But it doesn't hurt to put a little scare/respect into the boys. Call the sheriff. You sound like a reasonable person and I'll bet the sheriff will respond reasonably too.

We got a call one night when our son was about 14. He was camping and got into "trouble" with some boys camping next to him. If you have to pick your son up at the sherrif's office once, especially in the middle of the night, that is a sobering thing for teens and parents!! Fortunately, he only got a community service fine, which didn't hurt him at all, and the scare of the police didn't hurt him either. (He is 31 now and father of 3--we are anxiously waiting to see how he will parent his teen son!) Parents are not usually tolerant of anyone criticizing their child, so don't expect happy smiles if you mix it up with your neighbor about the children.

Another thought, the novelty of the 4 wheelers might just wear off after a while and it will all die down naturally.

 

[minis3]

I feel your pain. I live with the same problem here. Although thankfully some other neighbors of ours are also nearing the golden years and have complained to the police. It helped for a while but the kids were back at it again in a short time but not as much as before. Do you have others neighbors that might join you in a chat with the authorities? The more people that complain, the more the police may try to do something.

 

[Frankie]

Thanks so much for your thoughts and suggestions.

I thought of ear plugs, but, I have a kid, if something happens during the night,,,,,,do I hear? So I thought not the safe route to go.

We only have one other real neighbor a little further down the road. The are older, husband in the hospital right now so I am not going to bother them.

If you call the sheriff,,,,,,,,my neighbors aren't told who, right? Even though they may guess, or just think they were already out here.

I think I will get the noise ordinance, see if what he is doing is illegal, and maybe take to them. Has to be a peaceful way, I'm getting old and peace is good.

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Buckskin gal]

Sounds like that father wasn't very cooperative about his son being a distrubance!

: I don't understand how a parent can allow a kid to ride on a public road even if it were legal because it is not safe! And where is it legal for a 13 year old kid to drive anything on a public road? After speaking with the parent and not getting any results I wouldn't hesitate to call the sheriff before the kid has an accident or causes an accident. You have every right to have a good nights sleep ...there has to be noise ordinances. Really hard to understand some parents lack of concern. Good luck, Mary

If you have a kid and an ATV, I would like to know how someone would need to approach you with a problem/concern?

The neighbors son, 13, rides his ATV all hours of the day and night. About 3 weeks ago he had these things put on or taken off his mufflers and now the thing sounds like a jet engine. Our house sits pretty close to the road and that is his race track. No, this vehicle is not street legal, but everyone and their brother does it, so not much is done about it.

I do not begrudge this boy his fun, kids need to be out and about enjoying life and doing things they really like to do. Last night was pretty typical, he was running up and down the road until 1:05 a.m. and was back on it at 6:13 this morning. I don't know when he sleeps. I sure can tell you I'm not sleeping so much. I hear everything and I know that is not the kids fault. I'm not really mad, I just want to be able to sleep.

:

Ten days ago his dad came down to tell him to go home, he runs with my son some. I did ask kindly, would there be any possible way his son could find another place to ride at midnight besides right in front of our house? There is 200 acres behind us he could use and has been given permisison to use by the owners.

The dad asked, Is he riding on your property or tearing it up? I told him no,,,,,,,,he said,,,,,,,,well?????

Still continued, so when he came down a few days later,,,,,I asked the son himself. I also told him I wanted him to have fun but could he turn it off a little sooner as I really could not sleep with him running up and down the road. He just smiled, and I said, please? No response.

I like these people, the son is a good kid overall, I do not want friction, not worth it,,,,,but sleep would be nice. How do I proceed from here?

If you have a kid and an ATV and someone came to you with this, how would they need to approach it?

He is 13, out till whenever, no helmet, and none of that is mine to judge, want to just handle what is being done to me directly, or indirectly,,,,,the noise.

I want to be able to do this parent to parent, I do not want conflict,,,,,,,,,,,so do you have the right way, that will work?

 

[RJRMINIS]

I think you have been more than kind in your attempts......So next step for me would be at 12 am or 1am when he is zooming around to call the sheriff and complain. He is disturbing the peace plain and simple. If he was just driving by that is one thing but to constantly zoom up and down the road by your house is inconsiderate. I have had this problem around our area too, and I plain and simple told the boys, if I am in bed and you are loud enough that I can't sleep I will call the cops. Now if they just drive by I am ok with that but constant zooming drives a person nuts.

: I think you tried to reason with them, if they don't get the hint so to speak, the next time I wouldn't hesitate to call the cops.

I know I am a meany, but I value my sleep!LOL

:

 

[Bassett]

I too had a neighbor who was noisy. When we lived in the trailer park the rule was no noise after 11:00 P.M.. But of course it didn't mean them. They played loud, loud hard rock all day and night (neither worked). It actually vibrated through the water pipes. No one, police or other could get through to them. When all else failed I got up after they went to bed , got in my car, drove down to their end of the park, put in my POLKA cd and cranked it up. They complained about my choice of music but after 2-3 nights of my polkas they conceded and kept it down. I would also play the same thing over and over until I was tired of it. But at least after that we did get some sleep and everyone THANKED me big time. Mean? Yes. I was no better than they were but someone had to do something. When they called the police on me they were told to KEEP their music down and it wouldn't have happened. So maybe you have to take matteers into your own hands. Nothing dangerous, but very irritating. Good Luck.

:

 

[Warpony]

Well, if it were MY child you wouldn't be HAVING that problem, so I'm not sure I'll be much help.

Seems to me your options are either just learn to live with it OR when they are ripping up and down the road at midnight call the cops. You already tried the nice approach and it clearly didn't work. You handled it exactly the way i would want my neighbors to handle it, you spoke nicely to the parent and the child. If that didn't work you either give up and deal or you stand up and fight. It does sound like he is basically a good kid and you don;t want to cause "trouble" so I can see why you wouldn't want to call the cops on him but I don;t see what other option you have if you really want to get a full nights sleep.

I have a big old dirt bike track on the back of my land. It takes up a good 5 acres. No one really rides it anymore now that my ex is out of here and I had to make it off limits because of morons trashing my place and ripping me off but when we did have riders out here NO ONE was allowed to ride before 11 am or after 7 pm... NO ONE was allowed on the road... and if the neighbors complained about anything we did everything within reason to accommodate them. The only complaints we ever had were when it was dry out and the dust cloud wafted across our neighbors while they were having a BBQ. We watered the track, problem solved.

 

[Minimor]

Well, I don't have a kid with an ATV but if I did the brat would not be riding it on the road at all hours--he wouldn't be riding it on the road at all if the only way he could ride it was wide open, making as much noise as possible.

The kid across the road from us used to have a dirt bike, and he was exactly like the kid you describe. Frankly, he was a menace--I was coming home in my truck one afternoon when he came belting out of his driveway & toward me on the road--the look on his face was good, I think for an instant he thought he'd had it. He was always doing donuts on the end of our driveway. I feared for the younger neighborhood kids that would ride their bicycles on this road. No point talking to the parents--he was mama's boy & could do no wrong as far as they were concerned. I did, however, call the cops & ask them to patrol the area, so they could just happen to come across this kid & his illegal bike on the road...and otherwise just generally hoped that one day he would misjudge & drive his bike through the front window of their house. What I wanted to do was put sugar in his gas tank....or get a logging chain & attach the rear wheel to a tree...now there would have been entertainment when he hit the end of that chain...but of course I couldn't do any of those things. Sound mean? Well, there was something about that bike, when he revved it up & it made that high pitched roar that only dirt bikes can make--that noise gave me homicidal urges.

What was doubly annoying--it didn't matter how that kid chewed up this road or our driveway. If that were MY kid out there doing the same thing on their driveway--the neighbor would have been out there screaming blue murder. Should have heard his mom complain about another neighbor kid that drove his car too fast up & down this road--in her eyes that was way worse than her son on his dirtbike....personally I thought the one was exactly the same as the other.

Thankfully the kid with the car has moved away, and the kid with the dirtbike lost his license....and sold the bike.

 

[Pepipony]

You have been more than mice, have given them, what, 2 chances if not three and nothing has changed? Strike, they are out. Call the Sheriff. Neither has any common sense. Allowing a kid out at those hours is proof of that. Ignoring your request just proves it all the more. Call the Sheriffs.

 

[Frankie]

It's 10:51 and the only noise is my ac running.

Is the kid home, not sure,,,,,maybe playing a video game, watching a movie,,,,,,,,,

or, having my son talk with him today worked. Maybe? Or just by chance.

I decided maybe a peer might work better. I also found out, he rides down by us, because his grandmother who lives with them, can't sleep with him riding up by their place.

: So I guess the solution was to send him out so he keeps the neighbors up, but his grandmother gets to sleep.

While my son was talking to him,,,,,,,,,grandma walked out on the front porch and caught part of the conversation, so she asked about the rest. I guess Grandma has been paying for the gas, (doing something good for him) so she put a limit on the gas allowance. :aktion033: My son doesn't know how much he was getting, or how much he got cut to,,,,,,,but the neighbor boy said, it would cut his driving time in half.

I'll take half,,,,,,,,surely he'll keep the day light half. It seems he has for tonight.

Thanks again for your thoughts and sharing your experience.

 

[dangerranger]

This reminds me of a neibor who used to go to work at 330 am. he would start his truck and sit there reving it for abour ten min each day. his next door neibors bed room window was about ten ft away from where he parked the truck. the house next door was about two ft lower on the hill putting the exhaust right at window hight. after bickering back and forth for about a month "someone" put a potato in the exhaust pipe. the truck driver cranked and cranked the engine till it backfired and blew the potato out and threw the br window. at that point the driver [ not knowing that it was a potato ] appoligised saying that he never thought his truck was that loud. the homeowner replaced his own window. and the truck driver started driving a honda civic. and everyone in the neibor thanked the someone with the potato.

 

[Pepipony]

I also found out, he rides down by us, because his grandmother who lives with them, can't sleep with him riding up by their place.

: So I guess the solution was to send him out so he keeps the neighbors up, but his grandmother gets to sleep.

That is why most people around here let their dogs run loose. Dogs bark, keep them up. Good idea to let the barking dog go bother someone else. Sure hope you have this resolved!! If not, kinda sounds like Grandma is the only one with common sense, might do to talk with her.

 

[Boinky]

i agree..maybe having a conversation with grandma would be the most opportunistic if this doesn't cease permanently! if not.. i'd get myself a very LOUD something or another (fog horn, car horn, loud music with bass ect) and stand outside their house and keep grandma and everyone else awake all night (that is if the cops and no one else wants to do anything about it). i'd make myself as much if not MORE of a nusiance than them untill they decided it was in their best intrest to give up being nusiances themselves!

 

[Black Magic]

First I didn't read all the responses, so I am probably adding to what has been already said. I feel very strongly about ATVs.. and safety. A property that is 43 acres down the road from us, now owned by friends, got this property for next to nothing and just resold the place for over a million. The previous owners had a child that tresspassed on their property and ended up killing himself. The parents sued the property owner and WON! They won $2mil... The owners couldn't believe that it was the best attorney and not the the fact the kid was tresspassing. So... the owners sold the property for practically nothing and got rid of what assets they had rather then pay the kids parents a dime.

You might be saving the kids life by calling your sheriff. What happens if the kid is alone and gets injured??? What or WHO is going to pay the large medical bills if he ends up in dire straights for mos.. (know of a situation like that too). I would tell the parents you appreciate their friendship, and it's nice how the boys get along together, HOWEVER you simply don't get your rest and it's impacting your mental health and making you very cranky. I would explain that if the ATV is waking you or keeping you up late at night, you are worried that in your cranky state you might just pick up the phone and dial the sheriff thinking it was another ATV and not just their son... If they don't get the gentle hint.. call.. let them pay the fine and tell yourself, you just might have saved his life as well as your physical and mental health. They just have the ATV as a cheap babysitter..

A group of horse owners in Ocala formed a group to try and guide ATV reguations around horses and especially pregnant mares...

God Bless,

Lynn W