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Bad new neighbor..options?

daryl bane

Titanium
Joined
Mar 12, 2002
Location
East Texas
I have alittle(just me) shop in a commercial/light industrial strip center. Been there for 11 yrs, no issues from me, no complaints, always paid the rent, very low profile. There is a larger space next to mine that has been vacant for a long time. The new tenant is a hard core meathead crossfit style gym. Loud thumpin music, heavy weights hitting the floor that shake the earth, yelling, shouting..you get the picture. The walls are super thin, and it is really affecting my work. I have three sorta polite calls over a couple of days to the property manager and they have yet to contact me. I looked over my lease and it expressly prohibits loud music, etc that would bother the other tenants. I think I am screwed here but I figure I would get some other opinions before the lawyers are called, if that is even a viable option. I can pack up and just leave, but you guys with machine shops know that is not the easiest thing to do. Thanks
 
Have a polite conversation with him......or

Start your own garage band......

Practice when he is there.

Don't forget the audio equipment the larger and louder, the better....:leaving:
 
I'm assuming the lion's share of the noise is coming through the wall. Maybe consider putting up a sound-proofing layer / tiles on that wall? Maybe unfair, have no idea of the cost, but that would be an option.

Wouldn't stop all the thumping (?) that might be transferring through the floor, but it should mask out music and other white-noise in their space.
 
Sounds familiar. We had a crossfit gym that was actually two spaces down from us. We'd get the bass thumping, barbells with weights dropping and non-stop shouting but it never bothered me. We made our own noise....compressor, die and DA grinders and various squealing of metal sounds.
 
That sucks, especially if the sound system has that thumping bass that rattles everything. I wish you the best of luck and I know moving a machine shop is a PITA and can be expensive, but I think that is going to be the best option.
A gym is never going to be a quiet neighbor, and you are going to be outnumbered if you go to battle with them.
All the owner has to do is let the customers know about you and I can only image what some of them would do. I can see some flat tires in your future.

I have an old Ingersol Rand compressor that sounds like a big block Chevy with a rod knock, get one of those and start taking on bar fed jobs ran out of hex stock.
 
I would have a chat with the landlord, and remind him/her that you've been a faithful renter for 11 years, but you are being driven to consider other options. You might suggest to the landlord that if you leave, he/she will have a tough time filling your space. You might ask what makes the landlord think the gym will be a faithful payer for 11 years. Based on what I see around here, the solvency half-life of a gym is way less than 11 years. I would look for a new place, because even if the gym goes quiet for a couple weeks, they'll be back at it shortly and there will be other sources of irritation. YMMV and I have assumed facts not in evidence :).
 
Property manager isn't going to do a damn thing. The nuisance tenant is a revenue source.
And since they are new, they have more time left on their lease than you. They will not jeopardize that.
They will only hope your threats to leave are idle. And hold you to your lease. Your screwed.
Talking to the gym people will do even less good.
 
Well now, having neighbors is fine and there have been some really fine ones, and I have gotten along with just fine. Remember the lease specifically states, "no loud music, etc which would bother the other neighbors." And starting a noise war never turns out good,( I have attempted it in another life and just made it worse) especially with a bunch of testosterone fueled meatheads. And the Landlord will not return my calls. I think wheelieking71 is spot on. I am screwed big time.
 
Look up the noise ordinances for your area. Talk to the neighbor to see if they are willing to turn the music down. If they are not, start calling the cops with noise complaints. I had this same problem recently. It worked out well and the neighbor has been pretty responsive to request to turn the music down.
 
Best thing to do is have a conversation with the guy without being angry.

It's reasonable for a gym to want music and bangin n clangin.
It is also reasonable that a machinist doing precision work needs peace to concentrate.

Hopefully reasonable adults can hash things out. My own shop noise distracts me so I use noise cancelling headphones all day long listening to games or podcasts. Good luck!
 
Remember the lease specifically states, "no loud music, etc which would bother the other neighbors."

The OP's lease may state that, have not seen anything indicating the "meatheads" lease states the same.

And its commercial industrial property, not sure about Dallas, but in San Marcos if you want to make noise, you get commercial industrial property.
 
Well now, having neighbors is fine and there have been some really fine ones, and I have gotten along with just fine. Remember the lease specifically states, "no loud music, etc which would bother the other neighbors." And starting a noise war never turns out good,( I have attempted it in another life and just made it worse) especially with a bunch of testosterone fueled meatheads. And the Landlord will not return my calls. I think wheelieking71 is spot on. I am screwed big time.

Hope you have plenty of good friends with pick up trucks that will help you move for beer, pizza, and gas money.
 
Property manager isn't going to do a damn thing. The nuisance tenant is a revenue source.
And since they are new, they have more time left on their lease than you. They will not jeopardize that.
They will only hope your threats to leave are idle. And hold you to your lease. Your screwed.
Talking to the gym people will do even less good.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Not a whole lot to do but just deal with it. Maybe you can befriend the guy and get yourself free access to his gym.
 
Im guessing a move is on the cards at some point, but till then, these work great.
Edit:- "Noise cancelling earphones may be in my future" lol, you beat me too it. Was serious about the sonys tho, ive a pair and they are tip top.
 
Earplugs are on the way. Noise canceling earphones may be in my future, if they do a good job on low freq. booming bass.

I wear the biggest cans 3M makes all day long usually. Within a year of me starting my shop, some granite countertop guys took the space next to me. The had their big machine a few doors down, I just had to shut my doors if the wind was blowing the dust in my direction. They used the space next to me to have like 5 guys going with hand grinders all day. It was nuts. I couldn't use the phone it was so loud. Like a dumbass, I moved to another unit in the complex. The grinder guys left a couple months later. I should have invested a fraction of the cost to move on insulation and lived with it. We currently have issues with one tenant routinely clogging up the parking lot unloading semi's of lumber. Landlord doesn't care, says work it out with them. Good luck
 
Ask your lawyer if you can escrow your rent until the terms of the lease are honored.

This has a gnat's ass chance in hell of working, of course. Also start working on exit logistics.
 








 
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