Anonymous wrote:Wow OP. You started complaning at 9:30 about noise at a neighbor's McMansion with 3ft of backyard grass. Then you actually had reason to believe the party was underage drinking? Presented with some credibe evidence of actual potential harm (to any drunk teenagers and anyone else in their path), then you do nothing? And you come back here and complain that the party throwers should have more respect for neighbors because they have a house built close to the property line? Do you not see how you're complaining when you have no right and when you should complain, you do nothing?

OP, it's not that you "can't win" as you lament, it's that you made poor choices. You thought to call the police b/c the noisy neighbors built a big house on a small lot. Then when you thought it was a high school party with underage drinking, you did nothing. No pity party for you.

Anonymous wrote:What does te small backyard has to do with anything? Why was it even mentioned? I don't follow the connection....

We are close-in with a small backyard. It is the adults having fun out there most weekends.

We war whoop, drink and play music. Are you a new neighbor?

OP, you should ignore the PP with the overly precious sense of entitlement. You are no neighborhood hero complaining about noise at 9:30pm on a Saturday night.

You live in a city. If they are making excessive noise after midnight, you might have a reason to call the cops, but don't pretend you're representing the poor sleep deprived common man. You're not. You are a crabby neighbor. Own it.

OP you're not a jerk. The people having the illegally loud party were the jerks. Most close-in suburbs have noise ordinances and you can't exceed a certain noise level, so it's fine to call (I live in Arlington, where the police take such calls seriously and immediately respond). I'm not saying you should call the cops for every single instance of a loud noise, but a loud party that's been going on for a while and is disrupting your family? Yes, call the cops. You will be the block hero to non-immature neighbors (I shudder at the immature PP who knocked on doors to tell people to "STFU" and became "f*ck buddies" with them. Ick), who like you (and me) have kids and jobs and need sleep on the weekend!

I used to live in Clarendon back before it was so developed, and occasionally some Gtwon students who lived in a group house would have all-night parties complete with frat chants so loud I could hear them in my bedroom half a block away -- with the windows shut and a fan running. Needless to say, I would call the cops at about 11pm when this happened, even if it was a weekend night. Bratty kids don't get to party at the expense of taxpayers' sleep!

Final word from OP: I don't know for sure that there was drinking. I didn't witness any firsthand, so what could I tell the police if I'd called? All I really know is that it was a very large and very loud group of kids. I figured one of the immediate neighbors must have stopped by because around the same time that things got a bit quieter, several bunches of kids came walking down the street. Neighbors on about 5 sides can practically reach into the house, so presumably they were better positioned to know and do something about it.

I don't know why the PPs are so determined to make me the jerk in this: first I'm terrible because I considered calling the police just because it was really noisy, and now I'm terrible because I didn't break down the doors and sniff for booze. It's hard to do right around here, isn't it? I will call if it becomes a pattern though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the law (if any) where you live? Regardless if you are positive it's underage, I would call.

IMO a wake up call by the cops is what some kids need. Kids who are constantly covered for and excused don't learn from their own mistakes.

What? Regardless of age, you'd call the cops because kids need a wakeup call? You make no sense. Teens can gather and holler, no police required.

I was somewhat responding to the poster who said NOT to call the police for underage drinking in order not to 'mess up their future'. Gathering and hollering isn't the issue, its if it was an underage party with underage drinking.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I didn't call. The party began to calm down a little around 1030pm. Still noisy well past midnight but not so much screaming. It was definitely a high school party based on the packs of kids who were roaming up and down the street. I wouldn't harass my neighbors over a boistrous barbeque, but this was frat party type of noise - people shrieking and chanting what sounded like drinking games. It was probably unnecessary to mention the McMansion, but seriously if you buy a house that is built up to the lot lines, you ought to show a little bit more consideration for your neighbors. And no I don't complain about early morning mowing noise as I'm up at 6am every day (I also don't mow or annoy my neighbors that early either.) I didn't mean to outrage the holier-than-thou DCUMs, but where I come from raucous high school parties did get a call to the police.

College kids aren't home yet so it had to be high school. As a parent of older teens you should have called the police. There were regular party houses when my kids were in HS. Some parents were even home and supplied some of the booze. Hospitalizations.

Most of these frat style HS parties take place at the same houses and if these kids are just getting started it will repeat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does te small backyard has to do with anything? Why was it even mentioned? I don't follow the connection....

In the same vein, what does it matter that it's a rebuilt McMansion?

Isn't it obvious - the McMansion and small backyard are essential to mention because otherwise how would we all know how superior OP is to the neighbors?