Neighbors out in backyard last night 1:30 am

Our state's regulation on open fires:

Regulations on open burning are included in New York state's fire code. Under Section 307, the code reads that open burning and recreational fires are banned if they are determined to be hazardous or offensive; the size of the fire is considered hazardous; or if the fires are located within 15 feet of a structure.


I don't know how far away from the building next door they have placed their burner, but it's pretty close. Since Tuesday evening, someone has been out there every night. This morning I noticed beverage cans on the ground around it (but could be just soda). With the police station only about 100 feet away, I'm surprised, but then they don't do much unless they get a call on it. Also, I don't know how it is determined what "offensive" consitiutes. With the grass so dry right now, I'm aghast they would have to have a fire every night especially when it's in the 70s.
 
I saw this on YouTube. An Alfred Hitchcock episode about a woman who, in looking out her bedroom window, thinks her neighbor's behavior is suspicious and calls the sheriff. The sheriff looks and see the neighbor just sitting in his backyard, but because there is a concerned citizen, he does a little investigating and uncovers more and more intriguing evidences. In the end it shows how seemingy innocent behavior can lead to something else in a typical Hitchcock twist ending. It's 48 minutes long.

 

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@debodun
I'm not familiar with your neighbor stories but just wanted to say that in some cities there is an ordinance for having junk piled like that. Why doesn't the landlord/owner stick all that junk in his warehouse or just get rid of it. My mother's house was vacant for a couple of years and I of 3 daughters (who doesn't even live in that town) got fined lots of $$$ for junk my oldest sister left when she moved out. I was livid but paid the fines. I'm sorry to hear about your neighbors too as I'd hate to have noisy neighbors. I can't go to sleep if I hear loud noises or music.
 
He doesn't clean up because that would cost him money. I've heard unsubstantiated rumors about him that he's makes Ebenezer Scrooge look like a philanthropist. He owns the property, but doesn't live there. However, he has a warehouse there out of which he runs his business so he comes and goes frequently. One time in an encounter with him he asked me not to burn any trash in the fireplace that used to be in my backyard. He said any burnable trash I could put in his dumpster. Subsequently I did and someone saw me doing it and told him. He came over and said he'd let it go that once, but if I threw anything in his dumpster again, to get ready for trouble. I asked him if he didn't say I could use his dumpster and he vehemently denined ever saying that. Shortly after that, he had some tree work done and somehow the tree guy dropped big branch on my fireplace smashing it to smithereens. Immediately the tree guy stopped working and the neighbor never had any his trees trimmed again. How can you deal with a person like that?

BTW - the people that have the burner fire frequently aren't that noisy except the time they had firecrackers. I worry more about spreading a fire because everything is tinder dry here right now and a stray spark could ignite dry leaves or grass and spread.
 
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If the police station is only 100 feet away then it’s not likely that your neighbours would be having fires when they aren’t supposed to and the fire pit did in fact look 15 feet away. Fifteen feet isn’t that far. They aren’t noisy. They aren’t nosy. They aren’t unfriendly and seem respectful enough.

Your biggest fear is that the fire will catch on your property and burn your house down.

Once again, the police station is 100 feet away. Don’t you think that if it were ‘that’ dangerous that they’d speak to these neighbours themselves and warn them? I mean, that’s their job. Doesn’t the police station have windows?

Is it possible that you have some form of OCD and once you get a worrisome thought in your mind, you can’t let it go and it grows into something uncontrollable which you then react to?

To me these people seem like normal people merely trying to enjoy the simple things in life ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY, which is none of your business yet you’re making it so.

If you’re that concerned that they are doing something wrong then why not go over to the police station and talk to them about it? They will let you know whether or not they are breaking any laws.
 
Keesha said:
If you’re that concerned that they are doing something wrong then why not go over to the police station and talk to them about it? They will let you know whether or not they are breaking any laws.
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I would if I could ever catch an officer in the office.

I admit I may have some obsession about neighbors and their activities. I get that from my mother, but I don't think I'm as bad as she was. I attribute her behavior to mild dementia in her later years. She would just sit by the window all day and write down if a vehicle stopped at a neighbors house, what time, the kind of car and the license plate.
 
I have a vague memory of someone mentioning to me years ago that the local police can only intervene if there's an incident on public property like a street or park, hence the many traffic citations. They can only respond to an incident on private property if there's a complaint, and even then maybe they won't depending on what's going on.

I remember about 20 years ago around 11 pm the neighbors on the back street were yelling and honking car horns. It was a Friday night and I used to get up at 4 am to be at work at 6 am. I couldn't sleep because of the hubbub. I called the police station and was told "C'mon, it's Friday night. Whadda ya expect?"
 
They were out last Saturday and first time I heard a man's voice over there. Now in addition to the burner, they have a patio set - table with umbrella and chairs. Probably gearing up for this weekend.

HUD housing.....
 
It's a good thing you don't live near my son. He has his fire pit going most nights and that fire is pretty big. None of his neighbors seem to mind. On the other side of his back fence, those people are in the pool till all hours and a couple of houses down, they seem to party on their patio every other day. A cop lives across the street, but he never says a word. Folks having fun down the shore without bothering to go out to the beach.
 
Well, the truth of the matter is that people are, and IMO should be, allowed to do pretty much what they want in their own back yard as long as they are not violating noise ordinances or public safety regulations, etc., like fireworks if disallowed, shooting guns, etc. Here, I don't think the fire pit thing is allowed because of drought conditions and the fire danger those conditions bring.

Here police will intervene if a really noisy party goes on past a certain time or even a REALLY noisy one at any time or if it spills out into the streets, etc., but otherwise no, and I think that's as it should be -- people gotta live after all.
 
Actually, it was fairly quiet this weekend. I haven't seen next door using their burner or picnic table for a week. They may have gone away, but from by back window, I can't see the apartment's parking lot. I did hear some firecrackers last night, but sounded like they were coming from further up the street and the next street over. I'm surprised so many had them. I was just falling asleep and BANG BANG BOOM CRACKLE! Then I'd drift off again and BOOM CRACKLE BANG BOOM! I hope everybody got it out of their system.
 
debodun said:
After 2 weeks of blissful silence, I heard loud talking coming from next door. I looked out and there's a camper set up in their backyard. They either have company and no room for them, or I'm in for a makin' whoopie weekend.
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I like it when people are having more fun than I am.
Be a good neighbor & leave a can of WD40 on their porch if their bed springs squeak.
 
Knight said:
Since you are pretty observant if you see the trailer rockin don't go knockin.
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I wouldn't touch the camper with a 30 foot pole! ;)

Anyway, it was gone by this morning. I guess the gentleman caller I saw over there yesterday got what he wanted and left.
 

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