What would you do about neighbors who party at 3 a.m. in their backyard?

[begin_within]

This is the same group that I posted another message about a few weeks ago. Last night they were out in their backyard from 2 a.m. until 4 a.m., a group of teenagers laughing and commenting and with the unmistakable coughing sound of pot smoke. This wouldn't bother me at 8 p.m., but it was 3 a.m. and I was trying to sleep. I turned on our rear floodlight which comes on slowly because it's a mercury vapor lamp. When it came on to full brightness, they went back into the house and I thought the problem was solved. But at 3 they came back out and continued with their soiree. No music, but a flashing light like a very slow strobe light. It was like a mini-rave. Their mother was either asleep or too busy with her boyfriend to care.
It's a little risky for me to confront them, or to call the cops on them, because the last time they did this, they saw me looking at them when they took a short intermission to conduct some kind of dance in the middle of the street. They all looked at me and they could see I wasn't very happy about this kind of activity in the middle of the night in this very quiet neighborhood (Kensington district of San Diego). Later that night I smelled smoke, but I just assumed it was their candles or barbecue. The next morning I discovered a chunk of wood that was half-burned, in the middle of my backyard. Obviously they had thrown it over the fence. A couple of days later I saw the teenage girl and she and her friends giggled when they saw me. They also had a bat mitzvah party for the youngest daughter a couple of months ago, and that involved a gaggle of screaming, giggling teenage girls which went until 1:30 a.m, apparently with the mother's full cooperation.
Talking to the mother about it doesn't seem like an option, since she herself is a bad neighbor. Her dog attacked the other neighbor's 15-year-old cat 2 years ago, and caused them to have an $1,800 vet bill, which she never paid and never even apologized. Even after that and warnings from the county animal control office, the dog still gets loose from time to time. So the mother is basically the same as the kids.
I thought of writing a letter to her and making it "from" an anonymous person who lives "on the other side of the canyon" complaining about the late-night parties, but I think she would suspect it was me who wrote the letter anyway. Is calling the cops the only option I have, if it happens again? I had thought of rigging a rattle with a long piece of fishing line, and pulling it quickly across their yard from a hole in the fence, scaring them into thinking there was a live rattlesnake there (which is a real possiblity since we live on the edge of a canyon). But that would probably work only once. Any suggestions?

[XemaSab]

1. If they ever throw any burning material into your yard again

call the fire department *AND* the cops.

[begin_within]

2. Thanks - next time I'll know what the burning smell is. Last time I didn't

even realize the piece of wood was sitting there in my yard, I just assumed it was their candles. Fortnuately the grass was well-watered and green otherwise they could have started a fire which ultimately could have led to both houses burning down.

[XemaSab]

3. dupe

[XemaSab]

4. Not to mention the canyon and half of San Diego.

I've seen those big fires before and they're nothing to joke around with.

And tell the mom that if they start a fire she's liable for the costs of fighting it under California state law. Seriously. Even if it's millions of dollars, which it could easily get to.

[Ravenseye]

5. Well one or two

For me it depends on how often it happens. We have neighbors who have the occasional loud party that lasts all night, but it's like once or twice a year, and I go out and ask them to keep it down. Sometimes they do sometimes they don't. They're assholes, but it's so infrequent that I don't care enough to call the cops. I'll just be loud whenever I feel like it and not care about them either.

This though, seems to be beyond that. Since the mother is apparently also just not that nice a person I say call the cops. If it's past midnight and they're having a loud party or something interfereing with your sleep, call the cops. I see no problem with it. They're obviously breaking the law, and endangering the entire neighborhood. If they do that again and the neighborhood goes up in smoke will you wish you called the cops?

Forget writing the woman a letter. She obviously is a Beaker (me me me me me), and a letter wouldn't do any good. Just don't take the crap from them. They're laughing at you on the street because they think they can do whatever they want. Keep sending the cops to their place and they'll probably stop laughing. If they retaliate on you in anyway call the cops again.

The other thing is to do sort of the opposite thing. Be the loud morning neighbor. Find very loud things you can do in your yard, on your property at like 7am to wake them up and prevent them from sleeping. lawn mowing. woodworking with a buzz saw. etc.

Forget toying with them though. You're only empowering them. If they're bothering you that late, call the cops. It's most likely a violation of a noise ordinance or something. If they want to toke up and have a rave they should do it in their basement, or garage like normal kids.

[Kajsa]

7. Great advice, Ravenseye.

Call the cops- let the Fire Dept. know
they threw burning wood on your lawn.

I can't think of any Fire Dept. here
in tinder dry SoCal that would not take it
seriously.

If they retaliate-call the cops. They will
eventually get the message.

These guys are inconsiderate jerks. They
learned that behavior from their mother.

If they are tokin down, why on earth would
they want to draw attention to themselves?

They want the police to come?

:shrug:

[begin_within]

8. Thanks

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I would say that you need to get on their ass.........

And stay on it.......

This is all very bad and they need to be stopped!

Call the police and keep calling!

They have no business interfering with your life in this way, esp. when illegal drugs and all the associated behaviors are involved....

It would be an entirely different matter if the kids were just sitting around smoking pot quietly.....but they aren't!

And since the mom seems to be cut out of the same cloth...well, what can I say?

She needs a course correction as well.......

YOu're letting them intimidate you..........

You have a right to live unmolested in your home/yard!

[begin_within]

9. OK thanks.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. And the idea of becoming a loud morning person is appealing

Back in my college days, some of us actually did that.

This was an all-women's dorm, and usually fairly quiet, a floor populated almost entirely by juniors and seniors. However, there were four sophomores on the floor who would sit up giggling and screaming and playing their radios/stereos loudly and even playing catch in the hall until all hours.

Their comment when we complained? "Just learn to sleep through it."

Some of seniors on the floor were student teaching and had to get up at 5 or 6 AM, so they were not pleased. Many of the rest of us were not pleased just on general principals, and when faced with that attitude, we decided to get even.

One night when the banshees had been up till 3AM watching a movie on TV at a high volume, we, their victims, got up at 6AM and started making as much noise as possible--turning on the radios, yelling from room to room, even slamming closet doors and desk drawers.

One of the offenders staggered out of her room and said, "You guys, it's six in the morning."

"Just learn to sleep through it," said one of the student teachers.

They got the message.

[Flaxbee]

11. however, if you have pets, or other cherished items in

your yard, do be careful. Don't let the cat/dog/etc. out unless you are there; if you have a windchime that your kid made that has sentimental value (or whatever - you get the idea) bring it in.

If you're gonna call the cops, fire department, etc. (and it might not be a bad idea to make a report about the half-burned log, even now, just so it's on the record) then you have to protect your animals/stuff.

and, the loud-morning thing, perhaps you might want to warn any other neighbors that you have a good relationship with that you'll be doing that... as Lydia Leftcoast said, it was a concerted effort in her dorm. Maybe you and your neighbors can take turns being noisy.

(edited to add last paragraph)

[Southsideirish]

12. Good advice. They sound very rude and might be into nasty reactions if

you try to fight fire with fire.

I had to move to get away from me upstairs "devils."

[begin_within]

13. They have lived there 17 years, I keep hoping someday a "For Sale" sign

will magically appear on their front yard, especially after the 3 kids have gone, the mother will be there alone and hopefully will decide to sell.

[RebelOne]

14. Don't you have a noise ordinance in your area?

Where I live in North Georgia, if there are any disturbances after 11 p.m., such as loud music, noisy parties, etc., I can call the police.

[leftofthedial]

15. bring your own beer

turn it up!

[bleedingheart]

16. call the cops

why do I say this...because without a record of their misconduct...you may end up getting screwed if they do retaliate.

Sending letters to them depending upon how they are done...could be seen as threats in and of themselves and not worth it.

[Radical Activist]

17. Don't be passive aggressive.

When they party too late, ask nicely if they'll move inside. Chances are decent that they will. If problems continue, tell them your issues and ask them to change some things without being angry. If it continues to be a problem after that, start calling the cops.

[Jara sang]

18. Buy some of those construction flood lights.

The ones on tripods and set them up on your property facing their house the next time it happens. Keep an eye on them, if any body tries to vandalize them come out there and beat the living shit out of them. If you aren't the type to beat the crap out of them then get some mace and mace the little fuckers.