Neighbor called the Law on me for shooting

[Ted Summey]

Roosters, tractors, mowers, leaf blowers, stereos, tillers, weed wackers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, trenchers, backhoes, dozers, excavators, gun shots, dump trucks, pickups with dual exhaust, rice burner "tuner" cars, nail guns, compressors, cows, sheep, alpacas, road tractors, wood splitters, chippers, brush hogs, pressure washers, ATVs/UTVs, horses, high school marching bands, high school sporting event PA announcements......all noise pollution that travels well beyond property lines.

All and more are parts of life around here. Gun shots are near the bottom of the list of frequency. Most folks don't fear the neighbor running a brush hog or chainsaw or the high school marching band. For some reason, just because a gun is going off, neighbors get "frightened." We shoot here on Saturday and Sunday afternoons occasionally. Fortunately, most folks here understand that it is just part of the way of life we choose.

As long as shooting is done safely and legally, neighbors can't say much and neither can law enforcement.

 

[JHTFarmer]

The OP and his neighbor remind me of two of my kids. One is 10 the other, 11. They'll do anything to annoy the other.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Reminds me of the folks who move next to a 60 year old airport that use to be 5 miles from anywhere and now want the place to shut down due to noise... Well, duh! YOU moved next to an airport!! :duh:

 

[clemsonfor]

I am a half mile or so from a private shooting range (with Wednesday night shooting as well), a few miles from a Marine artillery range, and live in the midst of checkerboard Indian reservations. There is usually shooting and often detonation in the distance. I don't even notice it any more. I mostly shoot airguns, which are quiet but quite scary looking, and my few neighbors are used to seeing me prowling the lot for gophers.

A few miles from here they built a regular suburban style development so folks could move to the "country", set up HOAs, and then pretend they are in the city again. They complain about everything from smells (the local egg farm can be a mite potent when the wind is right) to noises to critters. It must be horrible for them...

Thats so funny but true!!

 

[Gunny]

My shooting range is down on the river bottom, which is also the county line. A few years ago they developed a "resort" across the creek. Seems 'resort' is now the new name for trailer park. I've had a few instances of people from the 'resort' calling their county sheriff when I've been down there shooting, he just refers them to our county sheriff. (evidently these city people don't even know where the county lines are). The best one was two years ago when our county sheriff's department was using my range for their semi annual qualifications. The sheriff got four calls while they were there about all the shooting going on across the river. He told them that it was them, that the range was out of the town limits, in the county and there were no noise or firearms restrictions there and if they had any issues with that, that he would be in the office the next day to talk to him. He told me later that nobody showed up.
Since then, I've gotten into tannerite and the complaint calls have increased exponentially!
I'm all about being nice to neighbors and such, but these people move down here and demand that things be the same as they were used to in the big city. One was telling me that it was "criminal" that our fire department was volunteer, since someone could burn to death in a house fire before the fire department showed up. He said that he'd never heard of a volunteer fire department in a city. My town has a population of about 450 people,and it's not even in their county.

 

[hr3]

This happened Sunday night. I forgot to post about it.

I have one of those PITA neighbors that moved out here from the city and I wish would just move back. They call on EVERYTHING. Burning brush, anytime a dog gets loose, shooting, etc.

Sunday a buddy came over and we did some plinking whith the .22's. And shot maybe 5rds of 12ga and maybe 5 of 9mm, but probabally 200rds of 22 over a half hour or so. He left about as soon as we were finished, and not more than 30 minutes later, johnny law pulls up.

Claims to have taken a report of people at my address shooting across the road:confused2:

Now I live about 300ft from the highway. I "was" shooting out in front of my house, but more parallel with the road, and into my wood pile that is 20' wide, 6' high, and about 10' deep. A more than adequate backstop for 22 plinking.

So he asked if I was doing any shooting earlier. I told him I sure was. He asked what I was shooting and where. I said mostly 22's and shooting at beer cans. He said he noticed the beer cans and asked if I had been drinking. Which I replied I sure am as I took a drink. (Not while shooting ofcourse, but thats not what he asked).

He said no problem, I just want you to be aware that it is against the law to shoot toward or across the road. I told him I understand that, and wasnt breaking the law with where I was shooting.

The puzzling part is he then asked for my ID. I asked why. Something about needing it for his report. Now that kinda irks me. You dont need my id. Im on my property, not doing anything wrong, and because I have an idiot neighbor, my id is now associated with a police report:mur: I asked if he was going to take ID information of whoever made the false claim of me shooting over a road. He said he already has taken their information, all he needs is mine and he will me on his way. So reluctantly, I gave it to him, and watched him pull out moments later.

So last night, I shot another few boxes of 22's, and tonight will likely do the same

Same thing happened to me a few years back,, Sheriff's Dept. officer came out,, Didn't ask for ID or anything though said I was doing everything right and not to worry about it cause he was going to the complainant and tell them what the law was,, Never heard another word from them,,,

 

[dave1949]

I'm not sure that owning property, a gun, or a Harley with open pipes, gives anyone the right to pollute the space of others. How can that be rationalized? If there is a right to make noise, there must be a balancing right to have quiet IMO.

We have ordinances against loud vehicles, loud music, disturbing the peace and so forth. Obviously, the concept of a reasonable expectation of quiet exists in law. I know of no law that guarantees one the right to make as much noise as they want, any time they want.

Anyways, the Germans, who have about 1000 years more experience with living on top of each other than we do, take an interesting approach. Sunday is ruhe tag (quiet day), and during the week, the early afternoon hours are ruhe stunden (quiet hours) in residential areas. That means you don't make noise that reaches the neighbors during those quiet periods.

My neighbors have never complained about my chainsaw and most likely wouldn't. The issue to me is, do I respect there rights to enjoyment enough to not give them a reason to complain? That's where thoughtfulness toward others is worth more than any ordinance.

 

[dave1949]

Well worth considering. However, years ago when we built here, the RR tracks were here and there was a hog farm not far from us and of course so was the farm machinery including grain dryers not far from our house and those are very noisy. I knew what I was getting when I built here. My shooting range is clearly visible and was very active when neighbors moved a quarter of a mile in either direction. If you knowingly move into an area then begin complaining about it then I really don't see where you should complain. I don't complain to my neighbors and they don't complain to me. We all knew what the situation was when we built.

Now one of my neighbors started having a yearly motorcycle rally every June which lasts for three days it is run by War Child and lasts for three days. For three days I have a steady stream of Harleys running back and forth in front of my house and every one is accelerating, decelerating or blipping the throttle; lasts day and night. I am tolerant of my neighbors and they are tolerant of me, so we get along fine.

Having said all that, if someone comes to me with a problem about my behavior, I will be glad to consider it and I am sure we can work something out.

Tolerance is good. You know it's a three day bike event that ends for 12 months.

I agree common sense says you don't move to an area and demand everyone adapts to your wishes when the noise is inherent to those people making a living and is unavoidable.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Anyways, the Germans, who have about 1000 years more experience with living on top of each other than we do, take an interesting approach. Sunday is ruhe tag (quiet day), and during the week, the early afternoon hours are ruhe stunden (quiet hours) in residential areas. That means you don't make noise that reaches the neighbors during those quiet periods.

That's fine for them if they like it, but I have no idea when I would cut firewood if I wasn't allowed to make noise except weekdays and Saturday. I have a job, you know? Late afternoon and weekends are the free time I've got.

This whole thread makes me glad for my neighbors. We all have mowers, tractors, chainsaws, guns, and so forth. But we're far enough from each other that it's never bothered me in the least, or maybe I'm just a sound sleeper.

 

[scaredychicken]

I live in the country, for the past 12 yrs
for 12 years my neighbours have had grow-ops
had to get rid of a squatter on my property twice (tow trucks, police)
I don't have a gun, rifle etc
my dog barks at bears, coyotees, deers, cougar, and other dogs - and that's a good thing (the bears in particular destroyed my flock of heritage chickens in 2012, before the Conservation remedy arrived 15 days later)
shots fired around here are generally at the bear(s), and possibly by the Conservation Officer
3 loud shots last night followed by a terrible stench --- I think someone got the bear(s)

... country living

I find that it is always good to know a few local police officers that can understand the situation/context/your character, not just those that respond to a complaint incident