Lawn mowing at 8pm ...!

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
Our neighbor on one side seems to wait for us to settle down in the garden in the evenings - now that it`s sunny and warm outdoors, and then proceed to mow their lawn, at 8pm!

They have a roaring lawn mower that gets switched off each time the grass box is emptied - into their compost heap (another story!) next to the boundary fence/shrubs, and then roars again for the next patch - hitting stones and bumps, and generally creating a horrible atmosphere, where one cannot carry on a conversation, or do so in drips and drabs.

Not too bad. The worst is that they do this on the evenings before a public holiday (when everyone comes home early about 4pm) - or on Friday evenings (ditto) - or on Saturday nights (when one is attempting an entertaining bbq in garden)

The wife is at home all day. There are 3 grown up sons living in house. Lawnmowing is carried out by the father, who is home in the afternoons, but seems to delay the mowing for when we are in the garden.

Anything one can do about this? Other people are finished with their lawnmowing before 6pm.

The Compost Bin story: They began a compost heap in the corner of front garden next to the boundary fence. Feed it all the household rotten stuff and it stinks to high heaven. So we built a "mountain" to block the stench, and view!........ a pile of earth with rocks and plants (looks very attractive too)

Now they seem to be making an effort to increase the size of their compost heap! The rotting stuff has reached the height of "our mountain" - so the stench is still drifting over - most unpleasant!

Any suggestions? We can`t talk to them. They are most unpleasant types. Already tried taking us to court over boundary issues with shrubs - was a lost cause because we have a 500cm gap from boundary fence and shrubs are within their 1,5m height.

Neighbors across the road have attempted reasoning with them about the height of the wild trees in their garden obscuring their summer sunshine, making a mess in their gardens, tree seeds blocking drain pipes, etc ..... all to no avail.

We can`t afford to buy them out - their house is a piece of s**t anyway. What else can one do about these problems?

2
Throw a few largish pebbles onto his lawn.

If he mows through them then I'm afraid you're stuck.

3
He mows the rocks in his garden ... and the weeds.

So, I guess I`ll just have to take up late-night lawnmowing too?

Like "Duelling Lawnmowers" .........

4
General Swiss law says until 22.00, but not on Sundays or official holidays.

5
I can't believe that they would be so inconsiderate as to make noise after 6pm on a weekend.....

.....Oh, wait, what's this from another thread?

6
Time to turn up your son's amp to 11

7
Don't see the issue, 8pm is early, and a lawn mower, no matter how loud, does not block the sounds of sweet reggae that I blast from 8-midnight, for my own pleasure, and/or to annoy anyone else who can hear it and doesn't like it.

If you said 8am, then sure, I can see the problem.

8
If he's not breaking the law, then apart from asking him nicely to desist then there's not much you can do about it.

My neighbour chain smokes in his garden.

It's not a problem that we have to put up with it in our garden, but due to the direction of the prevailing wind, convection currents etc, our kids bedroom fills up with his smoke.

So it's very admirable that he doesn't smoke in his place to protect his home, his wife and kid from the unpleasant odour but my kids have get his smoke.

We can't do anything about it as he's not breaking the law.

9
But often earlier in German speaking gemeinde - ours is 20:00

10
Close the windows and shutters. You'll get more privacy and quiet time that way anyhow.

11
You are in danger of becoming even more Swiss than the Swiss!

12
Last summer, our neighbour lazed on a chair in the garden all day and every time we sat down to eat outside, he's switch on his lawn mower and proceed to mow the lawn.

This happened quite a few times.

He really is quite annoying.

13
Thanks for that. The kids can't handle the door on their own so should I tell them they have to stay inside all summer or lock them out?

We're putting up with it but it doesn't mean we like it.

14
Are they loud? If so, keep them inside.

If they are not the kids that scream randomly, frequently, for no apparent reason, you can lock them out.

Whats the issue with the door? Just trying to picture it in my head. Are they too small to reach the handle you mean?

15
Yes, and anyway, it's a big heavy sliding door (Minergie places have triple glazing).

Have I succeeded in hi-jacking Smoky's thread yet?

16
Lawn-mowing and other noise producing activities are permitted in my commune from 07.30 to noon and then 13.00 to 20.00 Monday to Friday, Saturday 08.00 (so one can have a lie-in if desired!) to noon, and then 13.00 to 17.00. No noise at all on Sunday. So check with your local authority just to see what the legal limit is. Who knows, maybe your neighbour is in contravention of the communal rules?

17
Have a look on your Gemeinde's website (if they have one). They should show the hours you are allowed to cut the grass, make noise etc. If not, you will need to call them.

For example in our commune we can cut the grass etc. from 7:00 - 12:00 and from 13:00 to 20:00 during the week and only until 17:00 on Saturday. You should have a similar rule. No machine noise of any type outside of those times.

The Gemeinde will also have a rule about smells from their yard.

You will probably need to call or write to the Gemeinde to complain formally.

Good luck.

18
What seed has he sowed for the lawn? I am intrigued as to what he is using, as I would like to approach a few football clubs and potentially turn a profit if this grass cutting and annoyance is as regular occurrence as is being implied?

How quick is this stuff growing for one to need to cut the lawn so regularly to be a right pain the ass?

19
My dad says that you shouldn't mow the lawn when the sun is out because it burns the grass or something. Most Gemeinde allow mowers until 20.00 on weekdays, so if he STARTS at 20.00, he'd be in the wrong.

20
Some of us have hand-mowers. We can cut the grass whenever we want.

But I still do it between those times.