Basketball hoop at our house and we are caught between multigenerational neighbors

[Anonymous]

Your hoop but not your kids, right?

You have made this a problem for you. Why all the discussion. Ignore. Or take it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe ask which hours they especially would prefer the kids not play?

This. I think you should agree on quiet hours and agree that basketball noise that happens often and lasts for hours is obnoxious and unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Honestly, it sounds as if you set reasonable limits so I would just ignore your senior citizen neighbor. The reality is that we live in a crowded area and reasonable noise level, such as the basketball playing as you described, is normal.

Your hours are more than reasonable. We don't let our kids play loudly outside until after 9AM on weekends, nor do we mow grass, use the leaf blower or any other loud yardwork before 9AM. That's being considerate of your neighbors. After 9AM, well, people need to be able to get that stuff done. We also don't let the play loudly outside after 8:00. If the neighbors have a kid with an earlier bedtime, they let us know and we respect that. We do have neighbors (like the PP) that let their dogs out at 6AM, leave them there for a couple hours during which time they bark and get into fights with each other. We've never spoken to them about it - although if I had a newborn, I just might.......

It's very nice of you to make the basketball goal available to other kids. Ignore the crotchety neighbors.

Some kids and adults sleep later. I find before 11 rude. I can see an hour or two a day but I would go insane listening to thumping for hours a day, which happened to us. I have health issue and need rest.

And some kids and adults go to bed earlier and get up a lot earlier. And, it's not the kids that are complaining. With the intense heat and sun of summer, it's healthier to be outside in the earlier morning hours.

[Anonymous]

ignore them and make sure to not shovel their driveway or walkway

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do everyone a favor and remove the basketball hoop without comment. The slapping of the basketball is loud and annoying. There are some places that do not allow basketball hoops for that reason. I can understand why the neighbor does not want the noise or hang out of a hoop used by "whoever" the neighbors invite. I am sorry that the neighbor had to call and tell you this, but he is right. Your front yard is not a hang out, particularly for your older neighbor. Be a good neighbor -- those HS kids can find a place to play -- your neighbor cannot move.

PP, I am curious: what do you think a front yard is for?

What it is NOT for is having groups of teens and college students hang out and make noise with their shrieks and basketballs -- but I am pretty sure you can't afford a yard in the first place, so you think why not use someone else's yard?

[Anonymous]

Lots of input from apartment dwellers on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in college but the family next door uses our hoop and my senior citizen neighbors on the other side of my house don't like the noise. I have voluntarily restricted playing before noon (I do try to respect our neighbors). I don't have an ending time but they don't play much past dinner/dusk. The daughter is eight and is trying to learn how to play. She usually plays first by herself (I lowered the hoop for her) but sometimes with cousins her age. The older brother, late 20s plays with a friend or two (he raises the hoop but it is a small court and does not accommodate many) and they play hard as in the ball shakes the backboard or rim. They don't do any loud thrashing talking but do ooh and aah while scoring.

They all played this afternoon and I received a call from the senior citizen husband which did not set well with me from the beginning. The wife and I very close friends and I feel strongly she should have called me. He said that I have a problem because the neighbors don't like the playing all afternoon. I don't watch football but I can tell you it was quiet during the Washington game. He wants me to tell them they can't play "all afternoon."

I told him I would think about his call but if my son was still in high school (4 years ago), I would allow him to play "all afternoon." How should all of us handle this in a multi-generational neighborhood? I only want to regulate the times and not implement and enforce breaks.

Thanks.

Remove the hoop. It puts you in the position of being the police for your hoop. Your kids have outgrown it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do everyone a favor and remove the basketball hoop without comment. The slapping of the basketball is loud and annoying. There are some places that do not allow basketball hoops for that reason. I can understand why the neighbor does not want the noise or hang out of a hoop used by "whoever" the neighbors invite. I am sorry that the neighbor had to call and tell you this, but he is right. Your front yard is not a hang out, particularly for your older neighbor. Be a good neighbor -- those HS kids can find a place to play -- your neighbor cannot move.

Yes, they are run by HOAs made up of egotistical power-trippers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do everyone a favor and remove the basketball hoop without comment. The slapping of the basketball is loud and annoying. There are some places that do not allow basketball hoops for that reason. I can understand why the neighbor does not want the noise or hang out of a hoop used by "whoever" the neighbors invite. I am sorry that the neighbor had to call and tell you this, but he is right. Your front yard is not a hang out, particularly for your older neighbor. Be a good neighbor -- those HS kids can find a place to play -- your neighbor cannot move.

PP, I am curious: what do you think a front yard is for?

What it is NOT for is having groups of teens and college students hang out and make noise with their shrieks and basketballs -- but I am pretty sure you can't afford a yard in the first place, so you think why not use someone else's yard?

Aw, are you having a bad day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do everyone a favor and remove the basketball hoop without comment. The slapping of the basketball is loud and annoying. There are some places that do not allow basketball hoops for that reason. I can understand why the neighbor does not want the noise or hang out of a hoop used by "whoever" the neighbors invite. I am sorry that the neighbor had to call and tell you this, but he is right. Your front yard is not a hang out, particularly for your older neighbor. Be a good neighbor -- those HS kids can find a place to play -- your neighbor cannot move.

Yes, they are run by HOAs made up of egotistical power-trippers.

They can ban basketball hoops, but they can't ban clotheslines, at least not in Maryland. Woo hoo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ignore them and make sure to not shovel their driveway or walkway

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neighbors are not entitled to silence during your reasonably set hours.

+1

[Anonymous]

ignore and let them know it looks like your grass is a bit weedy and tall which is a concern

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in college but the family next door uses our hoop and my senior citizen neighbors on the other side of my house don't like the noise. I have voluntarily restricted playing before noon (I do try to respect our neighbors). I don't have an ending time but they don't play much past dinner/dusk. The daughter is eight and is trying to learn how to play. She usually plays first by herself (I lowered the hoop for her) but sometimes with cousins her age. The older brother, late 20s plays with a friend or two (he raises the hoop but it is a small court and does not accommodate many) and they play hard as in the ball shakes the backboard or rim. They don't do any loud thrashing talking but do ooh and aah while scoring.

They all played this afternoon and I received a call from the senior citizen husband which did not set well with me from the beginning. The wife and I very close friends and I feel strongly she should have called me. He said that I have a problem because the neighbors don't like the playing all afternoon. I don't watch football but I can tell you it was quiet during the Washington game. He wants me to tell them they can't play "all afternoon."

I told him I would think about his call but if my son was still in high school (4 years ago), I would allow him to play "all afternoon." How should all of us handle this in a multi-generational neighborhood? I only want to regulate the times and not implement and enforce breaks.

Thanks.

Where is the hoop on your property? I don't see why OP doesn't suggest the hoopless family buy a hoop. I wouldn't want to be providing free babysitting a playground for other people's 8 year olds. Liability. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/168748.page

[Anonymous]

If your hoop is not breaking any HOA rules, and the noise fits into the whatever noise ordinances you have in your area, then this is not at all your problem.

OP, your response and your rules are MORE than reasonable in terms of what the neighbor should expect, and I wouldn't change a thing.

People like your cranky neighbor can't live in a neighborhood, and then complain about neighbors doing reasonable neighborhood-type things! (Or they can, but it's jerky.) Playing at a basketball hoop is exactly the type of reason people live in neighborhoods, and OP is so nice to let the kids use it.