How to be a Good Neighbor in 2018

It's 2018! We are well into a new year and recent complaints about noise in the building make it a great time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. In that spirit, here are three things you can do this coming year to be a better owner/tenant/neighbor at 24 Norman Street.

1. Be Aware
We live in a small building with nonexistent soundproofing. The lack of proper soundproofing in this building cannot be overstated, especially in-between floors. It is possible to hear activity in this building that would go unnoticed in others. Walking around, flushing toilets, music and TV's playing, alarm clocks going off, coffee grinders, dishwashers, all can be heard. For this reason we have fairly strict sound ordinances in the condo rules, violation of which can cause all kinds of problems in the building community, and can get you fined or evicted.
There is some gray area in how that ordinance is interpreted by various individuals
however the wording is pretty broad. Below is the actual language of the condo sound ordinance.
"No Residential Unit Owner shall make or permit
any noxious or offensive activity or disturbing
noises in the Units or do or permit anything to
be done therein which will interfere with the
rights, comfort or convenience of other Unit
Owners. No Residential Unit Owner shall play
upon or suffer to be played upon any musical
instrument or permit to be operated a
phonograph or a radio or television or other
such device in such unit between the hours of
eleven o'clock p.m. and the following seven
o'clock a.m., if the same shall disturb or annoy
other occupants of the Units, and in no event,
shall any Residential Unit Owner practice or
suffer to be practiced either vocal or
instrumental music. No Residential Unit Owner
shall give vocal or instrumental instruction at
any time. "

Basically, any noise made after 11 PM and before 7 AM which could potentially irritate or annoy a neighbor might be a problem. Weather or not it is a problem depends primarily on the tolerance of your immediately adjacent neighbors. So be mindful. Nothing pisses people off like being habitually awakened in the middle of the night, or a "screw you, I'll do what I want, whenever I want" attitude.

Remember: as an owner you absolutely have the right to insist that the tenant respect the sound ordinance. You also absolutely have the right to insist that Markwood enforce that ordinance.

2. Be Considerate
Basic consideration of your neighbors goes a long way to heading off potential problems. Be aware of the sound ordinance in the condo rules, (noise between 11 PM and 7 AM) and if you are an owner make certain that your tenants are aware of them as well. Be mindful of your schedule. Try putting yourself in your neighbor's shoes. Don't assume that everyone keeps the same schedule that you do, or has the same tolerance for noise, or shares your taste in music. (Headphones are a wonderful invention, use them when possible).

3. Communicate
Recently a unit owner was doing construction in their unit...on a Sunday. It may have been necessary for the work to be done that day, that sometimes happens. There are no direct prohibitions against construction on a Sunday, but you still have to ask yourself the question, does anyone really want to hear hammering and sawing on a Sunday afternoon? Probably not. This owner followed the letter of the condo rules, but not the spirit of the rules.
Part of being a good neighbor is thinking about your neighbors. So, what should the owner have done in this situation? Reschedule? Probably not, but if they knew they were planning something that was likely to make noise, like say...renovations, it would have been a good idea to let their neighbors,
(above, below and on either side), what they were planning on doing,  when they were planning on doing it and for how long. Some owners have have been very conscientious about doing this. It makes a situation that could be really irritating, more tolerable.

Take This Sound Test

 

 


Are you watching a movie or TV show on your television, playing a game on your computer, or listening to music on your stereo? Go out into the hallway and close the door. Can you still hear your device plating? Then it is probably too loud.
If you can hear it outside your unit, then your neighbors can hear it too, either down the hallway, through the wall, or the floor. (Headphones might be a great idea).

If you live at 24 Norman Street and don't know it already, you will quickly find out that it is a small building, and there is minimal soundproofing. The building was converted to condos in the 1980's, before newer building codes stipulated more robust soundproofing. For example, in newer construction, there is a minimum of one foot of space between your ceiling and the floor of the unit above you. We don't have that here. Basically your floor is also someone's ceiling.

That means that sound is easily transmitted. Walking heavily, flushing toilets, running your dishwasher, dropping things on the floor all sound like a heard of elephants stampeding, a tropical rainstorm, and a gunshot respectively. Add that to the outside ambient noise of downtown Salem, and you have a recipe for stressful living. Now we all chose to live here, so there is some expectation of noise, but it is a razor-thin line between acceptable and actively annoying.

Be aware of the time of day as well. There are restrictions in the condo bylaws that prohibit any noise between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. But I'm sure that if you're playing loud music or hammering something into a wall at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning, you're not going to be engendering much good will from your neighbors.

Here is a link to a blog article titled: "How to Complain About Your Noisy Neighbors Without Being That Guy" , which has some good tips for dealing with sound the almost universal issue of noise. 

This is all a way of saying, please be aware of the level of noise you are making, and try to be considerate of your neighbors. It goes a long way to improving the quality of life here.

About NOISE

A reminder of what the 24 Norman Street Rules and Regulations actually have to say about making noise, especially in the evening:

4. No Residential Unit Owner shall make or permit any noxious or offensive activity or disturbing noises in the Units or do or permit anything to be done therein which will interfere with the rights, comfort or convenience of other Unit Owners.
No Resdential Unit Owner shall play upon or suffer to be played upon any musical instrument or permit to be operated a phonograph or a radio or television loud speaker or other such device in such unit between the hours of midnight and the following nine o'clock a.m. , if the same shall disturb or annoy other occupants of the Units, and in no event, shall any Residential Unit Owner practice or suffer to be practiced either vocal or instrumental music for more than two hours in any day between the hours of six o'clock p.m. and the following nine o'clock a.m. No Residential unit Owner shall give vocal or instrumental instruction at any time.

Basics for Living at 24 Norman Street

We have a fair number of tenants renting or subletting units at 24 Norman Street, and therefore a pretty high turn-over rate, so it is sometimes beneficial to post some Norman Street basics.
As a trustee, I hear the complaints about building issues. Here are three common issues that come up again and again. If you pay attention to these issues and the solutions, you will avoid 99% of the difficulties associated with living in a compact, 39-unit building.

1. Excessive noise
This is the biggest complaint among owners and tenants in the building. The condo rules state no excessive noise between 9 pm and 9 am. That could mean anything from loud TVs and music to loud talking. Please note: Because of the age of the building and the way it was converted into condos, there is not much sound buffering between floors. In most cases, the ceiling of one unit directly abuts the floor of the unit above it. Sound carries very easily between units, more than you may be aware of, especially if you live on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Also, because of the layout of the lofts, most unit's sleeping areas are directly below the entry and bathroom of the unit above it. This also amplifies the effect.  
Solution: Be quiet between 9 pm and 9 am.
Curtail any loud activities. If you cannot avoid activity during that time, do your best to keep it as quiet as possible. People can hear you. If you are not quiet, and your neighbor lodges a complaint with Markwood Management, the owner of the unit may be fined until the situation is corrected.

2. Parking
This is the second biggest complaint from owners and tenants in the building. Besides griping about the restrictions and general lack of on-street parking, the next biggest issue is the misuse of the side drop-off area on the north-east side of the building. It is intended as a drop-off area for residents loading and unloading from their cars. It is not intended as an auxiliary parking lot, or as a personal work area. It is for short-term use. If you are parking your vehicle there for more than 30 minutes, you are abusing the privilege.
Solution: Don't park your vehicle in the side lot for more than 30 minutes
If you park there any longer than that, your vehicle may be towed at your expense.

3. Building Maintenance
Last, but not least, is building maintenance. This is a broad category which covers everything in the common areas of the building, the hallways, entryways, laundry room, roof, dumpsters, drop-off area and grounds and includes activities such as painting, landscaping, carpeting, cleaning.
Many complaints about maintenace have to do with the quality, appearance and even the smell of the property.
Some people have a tendency to treat anything outside of their individual unit as a kind of dumping ground for anything from shoes and unwanted household items to cigarette butts and trash. Random acts of vandalism have also been known to occur.
The common areas are just that, common areas, held in common trust by every owner in the building. We pay for its maintenance, which means when you abuse the common areas, you are taking money out of your neighbor's pocket. 
Solution: Don't use the common areas as your personal trash bin/smoking lounge/anger management tool.
Abuse of or vandalism of the common areas may mean fines and/or prosecution.

Courtesy, respect and consideration go a long way.

Green Roof?

Project Title: Whipple Housing Complex
Location: 27 Green St Ipswich, MA
Size: 3,000 sq ft
System Depth: 4 inches
Maintenance Begun: 2009
Photo: courtesy of Apex Green Roofs

If anyone attended the Salem Chamber of Commerce's 5th Annual Living Green & Renewable Energy Faire this last weekend you may have run into a concept that has been growing in popularity in urban areas in recent years, the Green Roof.  A green roof, converts a regular asphalt or stone roof into one that is covered with living plants. One Massachusetts company located in Somerville provides this service. The link is here: http://www.apexgreenroofs.com
This has many potential benefits. It can extend the life of the roof, by protecting the waterproofing membrane from ultraviolet rays. It can help manage/absorb Storm and rain water, reduce energy costs, reduce the heat on the roof itself, reduce air, water and noise pollution, increase property value, create wildlife habitat for birds, qualify us for government grants and tax incentives, and increase the efficiency of solar panels (if we were to install them).
The installation of a green roof can bring cost-saving and environmental benefits in many areas.
Ok, so here is a crazy idea...a green roof for our building. Just think about it. Wouldn't it be cool to make an improvement to the building that would actually be good for the environment?

It's a Mystery

For about the last week or so, a young couple with two small children has been hanging out in the parking lot next to the building in the evenings. The couple talk while the kids run around the lot and the dumpster. This would not be an unusual thing except for the fact that Markwood Management is unaware of anyone with two small children living in the building. We're not sure if one of the couple live in the building and the other is visiting, or if either of them even live in the building. Last night a car was parked out there and the children were out running around yelling in the rain at 1:30 am. This is unusual, and constitutes a disturbance. After the dumpster fire a couple of weeks ago, (which started around 2am), the Management is a bit skittish about anyone being out in the parking area after hours.
If anyone knows who they are, or, if you are the couple, could you please call Markwood Management at 781-639-4080 and let them know? It will save a lot of trouble in the long run.
Thanks.

A Word About Noise

If you have lived at 24 Norman Street for any length of time, you have probably come to the realization that noise can definitely be an issue.
There is exterior noise; being located less than two blocks from the fire station, and close to a major intersection. Motorcycle exhausts, trucks, beeping horns, loud bar patrons staggering home at 1:00 am, homeless men going through the recycling bins at 6 in the morning. There is little that can be done about managing this exterior noise, and we accept this as part of living in downtown Salem.
Then there is interior noise. If you live anywhere but on the top floor, there is the creak and thud of people walking on the floor directly over your head, and occasionally other sounds, everything from toilets flushing and loud TV's and stereos, to loud laughing and talking. Because of the age and the size of the building, there is virtually no insulation or sound-proofing between the ceiling of one unit and the floor of another. Most building codes stipulate a foot of space between floors, as well as sound-absorbing material. We do not have that. This means that even activities that would normally be considered OK, (watching TV, loud talking and laughing) can quickly become annoying, especially if they are taking place after midnight. This is noise that can be managed , but it means that respect for, and enforcement of the condo bylaws is critical.
Just for the record, here is an excerpt from the condo documents;

4. No residential Unit Owner shall make or permit any noxious or offensive activity or disturbing noises in the Units or do or permit anything to be done therein which will interfere with the rights, comfort or convenience of other Unit owners. No residential Unit Owner shall play upon or suffer to be played upon any musical instrument or permit to be operated a phonograph or a radio or television or loud speaker or other such device in such unit between the hours of midnight and the following nine o’clock a.m., if the same shall disturb or annoy other occupants of the units, and in no event, shall any Residential Unit Owner practice or suffer to be practiced either vocal or instrumental music for more than two hours in any day or between the hours of six o’clock p.m. And the following nine o’clock a.m.. No residential Unit Owner shall give vocal or instrumental instruction at any time.

This basically means that tenants refrain from any noise-producing activity between the hours of 12 am, and 9am the following morning. It is pretty clear-cut. It is not a perfect world, and things do happen, but generally it is not the responsibility of tenants to accommodate noisy after-hours behavior. It is the responsibility of tenants to modify their behavior to accommodate the bylaw.

If you have an issue with a noisy neighbor, the dispute is best handled through the condo association. Keep track of dates and times and keep the condo association informed. They will speak to the owner or tenant, and if appropriate, will level fines until the person or persons are in compliance.