Strategies to Stop Car Meet Ups in Neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

Research the noise laws in your jurisdiction (don't rely on people here telling you what they say; they vary and you need to read the law itself). A property owner can be liable for excessive noise from their property. Write to the shopping center owner at every opportunity, and if the law supports you, threaten legal action. The owner could, for instance, set up blockades at the entrances to the lot, so saying that the owner is powerless is false. If a group of random people showed up on your lawn and started having loud parties there every weekend, you could do something about it, and so can the shopping center owner.

[Anonymous]

I'd start by asking the local area police supervisor and discussing the issue. Are they not responding quickly because they don't think it's an issue, or are they busy with more serious crime? Are they not issuing noise citations because they can't (it's legal, or it's up to another agency) or because they don't want to? Best case, they order their officers to do more. Worst, you have the information you need to contact other agencies or your local elected official.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Research the noise laws in your jurisdiction (don't rely on people here telling you what they say; they vary and you need to read the law itself). A property owner can be liable for excessive noise from their property. Write to the shopping center owner at every opportunity, and if the law supports you, threaten legal action. The owner could, for instance, set up blockades at the entrances to the lot, so saying that the owner is powerless is false. If a group of random people showed up on your lawn and started having loud parties there every weekend, you could do something about it, and so can the shopping center owner.

Yup, and a full boycott may not even be needed. Just the threat of it.

And let the people the lease the business know this as well. They can put more pressure on the property owner as well. Assuming this is a spot that has more than one business

[Anonymous]

Is there a no trespassing and no loitering sign on the property? Where we do business, the police can’t do anything unless the property owner has specifically posted a no trespassing sign

Also, consider burning some very smoky very stinky garbage each weekend. I’m thinking old fish, leaves and dog poo with a fan blowing towards the parking lot

[Anonymous]

Your local government needs to meet with the owner of the property and see if they can problem solve together

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My neighborhood, which is largely residential and generally quiet, has a small shopping center with an oversized parking lot on its edge. On the weekends, large groups of cars (maybe 60) have started to meet in this parking lot (usually empty after 8pm), rev their engines, blast music and basically hold the neighborhood hostage to noise. The shopping center owner has been notified but can't seem to do anything about it. The police are called every weekend and they eventually show up but do nothing (not even giving out citations for the noise).

I live several blocks away and I can hear the cars inside my house with the tv on. I can't imagine what it's like for the folks who live on the street near the shopping center.

If the owner and the policy won't or can't do anything, is there any other recourse?

(I'm really looking for concrete strategies, please.)

In DH’s home town, a solid fence was built around the empty field where this was happening. Diverted the meetup to the next small town over.

[Anonymous]

It is undoubtedly a violation of a noise ordinance, but it's not the kind of thing the police or the owners of the parking lot want to deal with. Keep calling the police, and encourage everyone in the neighborhood to do so every time it happens. You are going to need large numbers of you to keep calling and complaining to force the issue. Eventually they will do something about it. But you are going to need numbers and persistence.

[Anonymous]

I want to know where this is!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boxes of carpet tacks all over the road.

This is the way.

Make sure to wear your covid masks while doing it though, since most shopping centers now have cameras.

Make sure to go clean up the evidence before the businesses open in the morning though... don't want to flatten any legit customers tires. 😁

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boxes of carpet tacks all over the road.

This is OP - that's exactly what I thought as well!

I’m a car enthusiast and would attend. But I don’t leave my car running during an event or meetup. Why do you think damaging someone’s car is the solution? Have you actually spoke to anyone there or just complaining from afar?

[Anonymous]

You are a knucklehead it is most likely Cars and Coffee. They are organized and have permission from owner. They usually move around. We had them in Potomac shopping center for awhile Sunday morning at 8 am.

The owner liked it as everyone met had coffee and breakfast and broke up around 10am before a lot of customers came.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are a knucklehead it is most likely Cars and Coffee. They are organized and have permission from owner. They usually move around. We had them in Potomac shopping center for awhile Sunday morning at 8 am.

The owner liked it as everyone met had coffee and breakfast and broke up around 10am before a lot of customers came.

OP suggested this was occurring after 8pm.

[Anonymous]

This happens every Sunday night near my neighborhood. Then they street race. It's so obnoxious, police do nothing about it. The cars are modified to be extra noisy including exhaust modifications that sound loud and like gunshots. Idiots and morons.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all of those who offered concrete suggestions and were able to respond with civility, like adults, without name calling. There is no doubt that this is not a sanctioned event. The property owner has not given any permission for this to happen and it happens late in the evenings, so it is not a coffee and cars meeting.

I think that many of you are correct, this is probably just going to require persistence and collaboration. As much as I'd like to resort to tacks and smelly dog poo, our neighborhood is probably going to have to continue to put pressure on the property owner (who does know about this and also calls the police when he is informed it is happening but doesn't do anything beyond that). Maybe we can provide him with a list of possible solutions. We'll also have to continue to call police and other government officials.

Appreciate the help!

[Anonymous]

Fill up the parking lot with your and all your neighbors' cars.